Os trinta anos do projecto Mértola Vila Museu : Balanços e perspectivas

A partir de final da década de setenta do século XX Mértola viveu novos tempos, não tão áureos como os do seu passado de cidade portuária, elo de ligação com as riquezas do Mediterrâneo, mas, pelo menos, de Vila conhecedora das suas raízes, pronta para construir o seu novo futuro. Este novo alento foi sem dúvida dado pela consciencialização relativamente à importância do seu património arqueológico, histórico e natural. Esta tese pretende clarificar a relação existente entre o Projecto Mértola Vila Museu e o desenvolvimento local, caracterizando e analisando o projecto com o objectivo de conhecer as suas acções, implicações e consequências no desenvolvimento de Mértola. Passados trinta anos esta reflexão é essencial para perceber se este projecto foi, ainda é, e será, factor de desenvolvimento local, e quais as suas perspectivas de futuro. ABSTRACT: From the end of the 70s of the 20th century Mértola has experienced a new phase, not as magnificent as when it was a city port in the past, when it was a link in the relationship with the riches of the Mediterranean but at least as a town with knowledge of its roots, a town ready to construct its new future. This new breath of energy was, without doubt, given by the awareness of the importance of its archaeological, historical and natural heritage. This thesis aims to clarify the relationship that exists between the Project “Mértola Museum Town” and local development, characterizing and analyzing the project with the aim of getting to know its actions, implications and consequences in Mértola’s development. With the passing of thirty years, this reflection is essential in order to understand whether this project was, still is and will be a factor in local development and what are its perspectives for the future.

Inventário e análise sociológica das políticas públicas de turismo em Angola

As políticas públicas na área do turismo tornaram-se uma prioridade dos governos dos países desenvolvidos e menos desenvolvidos a partir da década de 1970, quando os organismos estatais ligados ao sector do turismo deram início à definição de amplas agendas nacionais para o desenvolvimento da indústria do turismo para períodos de longo prazo, com descrições claras sobre a posição que o turismo ocupa no âmbito do desenvolvimento da economia nacional; sobre as metas que se pretendem alcançar e a forma como elas serão atingidas. O enorme crescimento do turismo, o envolvimento dos governos e os impactos negativos do turismo que foram registados nos países em desenvolvimento ajudou a trazer ao debate académico a análise sobre as políticas públicas do turismo no final dos anos 80 e início de 90 do séc. passado. Neste estudo inventariou-se o quadro legislativo das políticas públicas do turismo em Angola e fez-se o enquadramento sociológico da Política Nacional e do Plano Diretor do turismo em Angola; identificaram-se os atores que intervêm na execução das políticas públicas do turismo em Angola e o seu sentido social, assim como os fatores centrais propiciadores do desenvolvimento social e económico em contexto local (Huíla). Isto permitiu determinar o perfil e tipologias resultantes da contribuição do quadro de Políticas Públicas de turismo para o nível de promoção do desenvolvimento social local em Angola, ajudando-nos a tentar perceber até que ponto as políticas públicas do turismo em Angola se constituem como fator de desenvolvimento social local. Partindo do perfil e tipologias resultantes da contribuição do quadro de Políticas Públicas de turismo e com base nos resultados obtidos através da análise de conteúdo das entrevistas, construiu-se uma proposta de modelo de políticas públicas de turismo propiciadoras do desenvolvimento local sustentável em Angola baseada numa lógica de ação coletiva, capaz de salvaguardar a sustentabilidade económica, política, social e territorial; ABSTRACT: Public policies in tourism became a priority of developed country governments and less developed countries from the 1970s, when the state bodies linked to the tourism sector began the definition of a broad national agenda for the development of the tourism industry for long-term periods, with clear descriptions of the position that tourism occupies in the national economic development; on the goals they want to achieve and how they will be achieved. The tremendous growth of tourism, the involvement of governments and the negative impacts of tourism were registered in developing countries and helped to bring the academic debate analysis on public tourism policies, in the late 80s and early 90s of the past century. In the legislative framework, we inventoried public tourism policies in Angola that later became the sociological framework of the National Policy and Plan for tourism in Angola; we identified the actors involved in the execution of public tourism policies in Angola and its social meaning, as well as the central factors conductive to social and economic development in the local context (Huila). This allowed to determine the profile and types resulting from the tourism Public Policy framework contribution to the level of promotion of local social development in Angola, helping us in this way to try to understand to what extent public tourism policies in Angola work as a local social development factor. From the profile and types resulting from the tourism Public Policy framework contribution and based on the results obtained from the interviews, we constructed a proposed model of public policies which encourage a more sustainable local development kind of tourism in Angola, based on a logic of collective action, able to safeguard the economic, political, social and territorial capitals.

Stability of the learning and development survey : findings for mature aged local government and private healthcare organisations.

This article investigates work related learning and development amongst mature aged workers from a lifespan developmental psychology perspective. The current study follows on from research regarding the construction and revision of the Learning and Development Survey (LDS; Tones & Pillay, 2008). Designed to measure adaptive development for work related learning, the revised LDS (R-LDS) encompasses goal selection, engagement and disengagement from individual and organisational perspectives. Previous survey findings from a mixed age sample of local government workers suggest that mature aged workers aged over 45 years are less likely to report engagement in learning and development goals than younger workers, which is partly due to insufficient opportunities at work. In the current paper, exploratory factor analysis was used to investigate responses to the R-LDS amongst two groups of mature aged workers from a local government (LG) and private healthcare (PH) organisation to determine the stability of the R-LDS. Organisational constraints to development accounted for almost a quarter of the variance in R-LDS scores for both samples, while remaining factors emerged in different orders for each data set. Organisational opportunities for development explained about 17% of the variance in R-LDS scores in the LG sample, while the individual goal disengagement factor contributed a comparable proportion of variance to R-LDS scores for the PH sample. Findings from the current study indicate that opportunities for learning and development at work may be age structured and biased towards younger workers. Implications for professional practice are discussed and focus on improving the engagement of mature aged workers.

Sustainable urban development : formulation of indicator-based residential sustainability assessment framework for local level

Purpose–The purpose of this paper is to formulate a conceptual framework for urban sustainability indicators selection. This framework will be used to develop an indicator-based evaluation method for assessing the sustainability levels of residential neighbourhood developments in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach–We provide a brief overview of existing evaluation frameworks for sustainable development assessment. We then develop a conceptual Sustainable Residential Neighbourhood Assessment (SNA) framework utilising a four-pillar sustainability framework (environmental, social, economic and institutional) and a combination of domain-based and goal-based general frameworks. This merger offers the advantages of both individual frameworks, while also overcoming some of their weaknesses when used to develop the urban sustainability evaluation method for assessing residential neighbourhoods. Originality/value–This approach puts in evidence that many of the existing frameworks for evaluating urban sustainability do not extend their frameworks to include assessing housing sustainability at a local level. Practical implications–It is expected that the use of the indicator-based Sustainable Neighbourhood Assessment framework will present a potential mechanism for planners and developers to evaluate and monitor the sustainability performance of residential neighbourhood developments.

Gender patterns for aspirations for transitional employment and training and development in local government

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine the patterns of transitional employment (TE) aspirations and training and development (T&D) needs of women within local government. Design/methodology/approach – A quantitative survey methodology was used to identify aspirations in a sample of 1,068 employees from the Australian Local Government Association. Findings – Mature-aged women were very interested in continuous learning at work despite their limited formal education. Their training preferences consisted of informal delivery face-to-face or online in the areas of management or administration. Younger women were interested in undertaking university courses, while a minority were interested in blue collar occupations. Practical implications – Through the identification of patterns of TE and T&D aspirations, long term strategies to develop and retain women in local government may be developed. Findings suggest that mature-aged women would benefit from additional T&D to facilitate entry into management and senior administration positions, as well as strategies to facilitate a shift in organizational climate. Social implications – Mature-aged women were found to be a potentially untapped resource for management and senior administrative roles owing to their interest in developing skills in these fields and pursuing TE. Younger women may also benefit from T&D to maintain their capacity during breaks from employment. Encouragement of women in non-traditional areas may also address skill shortages in the local government. Originality/value – Mature-aged women were found to be a potentially untapped resource for management and senior administrative roles owing to their interest in developing skills in these fields and pursuing TE. Younger women may also benefit from T&D to maintain their capacity during breaks from employment. Encouragement of women in non-traditional areas may also address skill shortages in the local government.

The link between age, career goals, and adaptive development for work-related learning among local government employees

More recently, lifespan development psychology models of adaptive development have been applied to the workforce to investigate ageing worker and lifespan issues. The current study uses the Learning and Development Survey (LDS) to investigate employee selection and engagement of learning and development goals and opportunities and constraints for learning at work in relation to demographics and career goals. It was found that mature age was associated with perceptions of preferential treatment of younger workers with respect to learning and development. Age was also correlated with several career goals. Findings suggest that younger workers’ learning and development options are better catered for in the workplace. Mature aged workers may compensate for unequal learning opportunities at work by studying for an educational qualification or seeking alternate job opportunities. The desire for a higher level job within the organization or educational qualification was linked to engagement in learning and development goals at work. It is suggested that an understanding of employee perceptions in the workplace in relation to goals and activities may be important in designing strategies to retain workers.

Development of a sewerage infrastructure buffer assessment tool for local authorities

Urban expansion continues to encroach on existing or newly implemented sewerage infrastructure. In this context, legislation and guidelines, both national and international, provide limited direction to the amenity allocation of appropriate buffering distances for land use planners and infrastructure providers. A review of published literature suggests the dominant influences include topography, wind speed and direction, temperature, humidity, existing land uses and vegetation profiles. A statistical criteria review of these factors against six years of sewerage odour complaint data was undertaken to ascertain their influence and a complaint severity hierarchy was established. These hierarchical results suggested the main criteria were: topographical location, elevation relative to the odour source and wind speed. Establishing a justifiable criterion for buffer zone allocations will assist in analytically determining a basis for buffer separations and will assist planners and infrastructure designers in assessing lower impact sewerage infrastructure locations.

Diversification for sustainable development in rural and regional Australia : how local community leaders conceptualise the impacts and opportunities from agriculture, tourism and mining

Although the multiple economic, environmental and social challenges threatening the viability of rural and regional communities in Australia are well-known, little research has explored how community leaders conceptualise the impact and opportunities associated with economic diversification from agriculture into alternative industries, such as tourism and mining. This qualitative research, utilising the Darling Downs in Queensland as a case study, documents how 28 local community leaders have experienced this economic diversification process. The findings reveal that local community leaders have a deep understanding about the opportunities and challenges presented by diversification, articulating a clear vision about how to achieve the best possible future for their region. Despite excitement about growth, there were concerns about preserving heritage, the increased pressure on local infrastructure and an ageing population. By documenting local leader’s insights, these findings may help inform planning for rural and regional communities and facilitate management of the exciting yet challenging process of growth and diversification

Perceptions and expectations for learning and development for older workers within Queensland local government councils : a case study

Current literature warns organisations about a global ageing phenomenon. Workplace ageing is causing a diminishing work pool which has consequences for a sustainable workforce in the future. This phenomenon continues to impact on local government councils in Australia. Australia has one of the world’s most rapidly ageing populations, and there is evidence that Australian local government councils are already resulting in an unsustainable workforce. Consequently, this research program investigated the role of older workers in the Queensland local government workplace in enabling them to extend their working lives towards transitional employment and a sustainable workforce in the future. Transitional Employment is intended as a strategy for enabling individuals to have greater control over their employment options and their employability during the period leading to their final exit from the workforce. There was no evidence of corporate support for older workers in Queensland local government councils other than tokenistic government campaigns encouraging organisations to "better value their older workers". (Queensland Government, 2007d, p.6). TE is investigated as a possible intervention for older workers in the future. The international and national literature review reflected a range of matters impacting on current older workers in the workforce and barriers preventing them from accessing services towards extending their employment beyond the traditional retirement age (60 years) as defined by the Australian Government; an age when individuals can access their superannuation. Learning and development services were identified as one of those barriers. There was little evidence of investment in or consistent approaches to supporting older workers by organisations. Learning and development services appeared at best to be ad hoc, reactive to corporate productivity and outputs with little recognition of the ageing phenomenon (OECD, 2006, p.23) and looming skills and labour shortages (ALGA, 2006, p. 19). Themes from the literature review led to the establishment of three key research questions: 1. What are the current local government workforce issues impacting on skills and labour retention? 2. What are perceptions about the current workplace environment? And, 3. What are the expectations about learning and development towards extending employability of older workers within the local government sector? The research questions were explored by utilising three qualitative empirical studies, using some numerical data for reporting and comparative analysis. Empirical Study One investigated common themes for accessing transitional employment and comprised two phases. A literature review and Study One data analysis enabled the construction of an initial Transitional Employment Model which includes most frequent themes. Empirical Study Two comprised focus groups to further consider those themes. This led to identification of issues impacting the most on access to learning and development by older workers and towards a revised TEM. Findings presented majority support for transitional employment as a strategy for supporting older workers to work beyond their traditional retirement age. Those findings are presented as significant issues impacting on access to transitional employment within the final 3-dimensionsal TEM. The model is intended as a guide for responding to an ageing workforce by local government councils in the future. This study argued for increased and improved corporate support, particularly for learning and development services for older workers. Such support will enable older workers to maintain their employability and extend their working lives; a sustainable workforce in the future.

The local library across the digital and physical city : opportunities for economic development

This paper considers the role of the public library as a community hub, engagement space, and entrepreneurial incubator in the context of the city, city governance, and local government planning. It considers this role from the perspective of library experts and their future visions for libraries in a networked knowledge economy. Public libraries (often operated by or on behalf of local governments) potentially play a pivotal role for local governments in positioning communities within the global digital network. Fourteen qualitative interviews with library experts informed the study which investigates how the relationship between digital technology and the physical library space can potentially support the community to develop innovative, collaborative environments for transitioning to a digital future. The study found that libraries can capitalise on their position as community hubs for two purposes: first, to build vibrant community networks and forge economic links across urban localities; and second, to cross the digital divide and act as places of innovation and lifelong learning. Libraries provide a specific combination of community and technology spaces and have significant tangible connection points in the digital age. The paper further discusses the potential benefits for libraries in using ICT networks and infrastructure, such as the National Broadband Network in Australia. These networks could facilitate greater use of library assets and community knowledge, which, in turn, could assist knowledge economies and regional prosperity.

The development of shared understandings of assessment policy : travelling between global and local contexts

In this paper, teachers’ enactment of assessment policy within demands for accountability and consistency of teacher judgements is considered. Evidence is drawn from a qualitative study involving 50 middle school teachers from Queensland, Australia, who participated in online social moderation meetings with teachers located in dispersed areas around the state. The study presents how travelling policy is embedded in local histories and cultures, in particular within systems of accountability; and the different layers of what may be considered ‘local’. The paper examines the intersections of travelling and embedded policy, and global and local contexts as these are enacted through online moderation meetings.