Local Area Plans: Best Practice Manual

This Manual has been prepared as a companion document for the Planning Guidelines, Local Area Plans: Creating Sustainable Communities - Guidelines for Planning Authorities (Hereafter referred to as ‘The Planning Guidelines’).

The aim of the Manual is to reinforce the key aspects of the Planning Guidelines by emphasising better and more consistent processes and highlighting examples of good practice.

User behaviour, best practice and the risks of non-target exposure associated with anticoagulant rodenticide use

Usage of anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) is an integral component of modern agriculture and is essential for the control of commensal rodent populations. However, the extensive deployment of ARs has led to widespread exposure of a range of non-target predatory birds and mammals to some compounds, in particular the second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SCARS). As a result, there has been considerable effort placed into devising voluntary best practice guidelines that increase the efficacy of rodent control and reduce the risk of non-target exposure. Currently, there is limited published information on actual practice amongst users or implementation of best practice. We assessed the behaviour of a typical group of users using an on-farm questionnaire survey. Most baited for rodents every year using SGARs. Most respondents were apparently aware of the risks of non-target exposure and adhered to some of the best practice recommendations but total compliance was rare. Our questionnaire revealed that users of first generation anticoagulant rodenticides rarely protected or checked bait stations, and so took little effort to prevent primary exposure of non-targets. Users almost never searched for and removed poisoned carcasses and many baited for prolonged periods or permanently. These factors are all likely to enhance the likelihood of primary and secondary exposure of non-target species. (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Survey of challenges and best practice strategies for participant recruitment to research projects in northern ireland

Participant recruitment is understood to be one of the most difficult aspects of the research process. Researchers are now devoting increasing amounts of time and resources to understand how participants decide to take part in research and what researchers can do to make their work appeal to potential participants. The purpose of the study is to assess the problems experienced by researchers in Northern Ireland when recruiting human participants into trials and studies and to gain insight into how researchers handle and overcome these issues. The main research question being addressed by this research is to develop an understanding of the problems experienced by staff when recruiting human participants to research projects. Methods used to increase study recruitment were also examined. The participants in this research are investigators and other associated staff on research studies based in Northern Ireland. Potential participants were identified through contacts with research active organizations such as the academic researchers in Queen’s University Belfast and research physicians and clinical trialists employed by the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust. Each organization forwarded on the survey request via email or newsletters. Researchers willing to take part accessed the questionnaire through the Survey Monkey website. This study utilised a cross-sectional questionnaire design.

Construction Dispute Resolution in Ireland during Recession: Best Practice for Small-to-Medium Enterprises

The purpose of this paper is to identify best practice construction dispute resolution in small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) within Ireland during the recent economic recession. A sequential mixed methodology encompassing a detailed literature review, case studies, and questionnaire survey is adopted, with results analyzed using both exploratory (data reduction) and confirmatory (structural equation modelling) factor analysis. The results show that four core aspects should be adopted by SMEs to achieve best practice construction dispute resolution in recession: third-party intervention, adoption of a streamlined process, proactive party characteristics, and the use of legal professionals. Numerous studies of this subject have been conducted; however, no research has been done to date documenting best practice in construction dispute resolution within SMEs, particularly in light of the economic recession in Ireland. It is clear that dispute resolution in Ireland is currently undergoing fundamental changes, and time is necessary to see if the new Construction Contracts Act 2013 will help this practice. Therefore, it is a fundamental requirement for project management and legal professionals to acknowledge the changing environment attributable to the economic downturn and the resultant SME best practices in dispute resolution. This paper fulfills a gap in knowledge with the emergence of the economic recession and the evolution of best practice in dispute resolution within SMEs in the Irish construction sector.

Developing a best practice model for partnership practice between specialist palliative care and intellectual disability services: a mixed methods study

Background: The lack of access to good quality palliative care for people with intellectual disabilities is highlighted in the international literature. In response, more partnership practice in end-of-life care is proposed. 
Aim: This study aimed to develop a best practice model to guide and promote partnership practice between specialist palliative care and intellectual disability services. 
Design: A mixed methods research design involving two phases was used, underpinned by a conceptual model for partnership practice. 
Setting/participants: Phase 1 involved scoping end-of-life care to people with intellectual disability, based on self-completed questionnaires. In all, 47 of 66 (71.2%) services responded. In Phase 2, semi-structured interviews were undertaken with a purposive sample recruited of 30 health and social care professionals working in intellectual disability and palliative care services, who had provided palliative care to someone with intellectual disability. For both phases, data were collected from primary and secondary care in one region of the United Kingdom. 
Results: In Phase 1, examples of good practice were apparent. However, partnership practice was infrequent and unmet educational needs were identified. Four themes emerged from the interviews in Phase 2: challenges and issues in end-of-life care, sharing and learning, supporting and empowering and partnership in practice. 
Conclusion: Joint working and learning between intellectual disability and specialist palliative care were seen as key and fundamental. A framework for partnership practice between both services has been developed which could have international applicability and should be explored with other services in end-of-life care.

Review of Marine Spatial Planning Best Practice of Relevance to Ireland

Making room for new marine uses and safeguarding more traditional uses, without degrading the marine environment, will require the adoption of new integrated management strategies. Current management frameworks do not facilitate the integrated management of all marine activities occurring in one area. To address this issue, the government developed Harnessing Our Ocean Wealth – An Integrated Marine Plan (IMP) for Ireland. Harnessing Our Ocean
Wealth presents a ‘roadmap’ for adopting an integrated approach to marine governance and for achieving the Government’s ambitious targets for the maritime sector, including: exceeding €6.4 billion turnover annually by 2020, and doubling its contribution to GDP to 2.4% by 2030. As part of this roadmap, Harnessing Our Ocean Wealth endorses the development of an appropriate Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) Framework. One way to develop an MSP Framework is to learn from early adapters. Critical assessments of key
elements of MSP as implemented in early initiatives can serve to inform the development of an appropriate framework. The aim of this project is to contribute to the development of this framework by reporting on
MSP best practice relevant to Ireland. Case study selection and evaluation criteria are outlined in the next section. This is followed by a presentation of case study findings. The final section of the report focuses on outlining how the lessons could be transferred to the Irish context.

Autism and ABA: Best Practice in America and the Way Forward for Europe.

According to recent estimates, 1 in each 68 new-borns will be diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the USA (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014), while 1 in every 29 children will be diagnosed with ASD in the UK (Dillenburger, Jordan, McKerr, & Keenan, 2015). Individuals diagnosed with ASD share a set of characteristics at varying levels of severity: impairments in social communication skills and presence of restricted interests and repetitive behaviours (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).Notwithstanding these figures, little effort has been placed in European countries’ policies for reaching an early diagnosis. This has a detrimental effect on future prognosis for children with ASD, since research has clearly shown that when evidence-based interventions are accessed early in life, they can lead to great improvements on the overall functioning of children with ASD, including significant gains in social communication and reduction of inappropriate behaviours (Dawson, Rogers, Munson, Smith, Winter, Greenson, Donaldson, & Varley, 2009).Additionally, when looking at the services available for children with ASD and their families in Europe, it seems that not much improvement has been made in the last decades. Traditional eclectic approaches and a wealth of non-scientific methods seem to be available and often recommended by public bodies, while state-funded evidence-based interventions are not offered as part of the education or health system. Given that there is a wealth of evidence on the effectiveness of interventions based on the science of ABA, it seems that specific action is required to correct the situation, respecting children’s right to effective treatment and inclusion.In the present paper, these issues are fully discussed and recommendations for best practice are offered.

Genetic provenance and best practice woodland management: a case study in native alder (Alnus glutinosa)

In recent years, the native woodlands of Europe, including those of Britain and Ireland, have increasingly come under threat from a range of biotic and abiotic factors, and are therefore a conservation priority demanding careful management in order to realise their inherent ecological and cultural benefits. Because the distribution of genetic variation across populations and regions is increasingly considered an important component of woodland management, we carried out a population genetic analysis on black alder (Alnus glutinosa) across Northern Ireland in order to inform “best practice” strategies. Our findings suggest that populations harbour high levels of genetic diversity, with very little differentiation between populations. Significant F IS values were observed in over half of the populations analysed, however, which could reflect inbreeding as a result of the patchy occurrence of alder in Northern Ireland, with scattered, favourable damp habitats being largely isolated from each other by extensive tracts of farmland. Although there is no genetic evidence to support the broad-scale implementation of tree seed zones along the lines of those proposed for native woodlands in Great Britain, we suggest that the localised occurrence of rare chloroplast haplotypes should be taken into account on a case-by-case basis. This, coupled with the identification of populations containing high genetic diversity and that are broadly representative of the region as a whole, will provide a sound genetic basis for woodland management, both in alder and more generally for species that exhibit low levels of genetic differentiation.

Impact of an evidence-based online module on best practice in physical therapy for children with developmental coordination disorder: a mixed methods study

Aims : This study evaluates the impact of a Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) evidence-based online module including synthesized resources, practical strategies, and interactive component on self-reported physical therapist (PT) knowledge, skills, and practice. Methods : PTs from across Canada completed questionnaires before, immediately after, and 2 months following completion of the module. Questionnaires used 7-point Likert scale items and short open-ended questions; analyzes used paired t-tests and a thematic approach. Results : Fifty PTs completed both pre- and post-questionnaires; 41 of these completed the follow-up questionnaire. Most items (79%) evaluating self-reported knowledge and skills increased significantly following module completion and this increase was maintained two months later. Most participants (92%) reported an increase in their confidence to provide DCD evidence-based services. Participants plan to modify their evaluative practices (e.g., involving children in goal setting) and their management of DCD (e.g., using best practice principles, providing resources to families and physicians). At the 2- month follow-up, 46% of participants had returned to the module to review information (e.g., video, resources) or to download handouts. Conclusion : An online module developed collaboratively with PTs has the potential not only to increase PTs’ knowledge, but also to support them in implementing evidence-based services for children with DCD.