Congress has broad authority to impose requirements upon the federal procurement process, that is, the process whereby agencies obtain goods and services from the private sector. One way in which Congress has exercised this authority is by adopting measures to promote contracting and subcontracting between “small businesses” and federal agencies. Chapter 1 describes the various federal programs, requirements, procurement officers, and procurement offices involved in promoting federal contracting and subcontracting with small businesses, small disadvantaged businesses (SDBs), SDBs participating the SBA’s “8(a) Program,” Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) small businesses, women-owned small businesses (WOSBs), and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses (SDVOSBs). Chapter 2 discusses the extent to which selected federal agencies demonstrated compliance with thirteen section 15(k) requirements for OSDBUs and SBPAC review process results. Chapter 3 examines what contracting officers consider when assigning NAICS codes to federal contracts and the status of efforts to clarify code assignment and industry views on NAICS code assignment and the number and outcomes of appeals. Chapter 4 reports on SBA’s development of criteria and guidance on using a risk-based approach for certifying and recertifying HUBZone firms, and SBA’s implementation of the revised policies and procedures for firms located in Puerto Rico. Chapter 5 examines the extent to which SBA and the participating agencies have implemented these benchmarks, including assessing businesses against them and establishing the consequence of not meeting them. The federal tax burden on small firms and its effects on their formation and growth have long been matters of legislative concern for Congress. This abiding interest has helped pave the way for the enactment of a series of tax laws in recent years that included targeted tax relief for a number of small businesses as discussed in chapter 6.

Naturerfahrungen haben positive Wirkungen auf die seelische Entwicklung, Gesundheit und Wohlbefinden und können geradezu als ein Element eines „guten Lebens“ interpretiert werden. In diesem Buch wird dieser Zusammenhang auf Lern- und Bildungskontexte bezogen. Bei Bildungsprozessen geht es nicht nur um die Übernahme von relevanten Inhalten, sondern um eine Berührung, Konfrontation und Transformation des Subjekts. Die zentralen Annahmen dieses Buches sind erstens, dass eben dies durch Naturerfahrungen eröffnet werden kann, und zweitens, dass dies auch (fachliche) Lernprozesse positiv beeinflussen kann.

Experiencing nature has positive effects on mental development, health, and well-being, and can be interpreted as an element of a “good life.” This book relates this connection to learning and educational settings. Educational processes in biology education are defined not only by the acquisition of relevant subject matter but also about the encounter, confrontation, and transformation of the self. The central assumptions of this book are, firstly, that the latter can be facilitated through nature experiences, and secondly, that this can also positively influence (subject-specific) learning processes.

Congress has broad authority to impose requirements upon the federal procurement process, that is, the process whereby agencies obtain goods and services from the private sector. One way in which Congress has exercised this authority is by adopting measures to promote contracting and subcontracting between “small businesses” and federal agencies. Chapter 1 describes the various federal programs, requirements, procurement officers, and procurement offices involved in promoting federal contracting and subcontracting with small businesses, small disadvantaged businesses (SDBs), SDBs participating the SBA’s “8(a) Program,” Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) small businesses, women-owned small businesses (WOSBs), and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses (SDVOSBs). Chapter 2 discusses the extent to which selected federal agencies demonstrated compliance with thirteen section 15(k) requirements for OSDBUs and SBPAC review process results. Chapter 3 examines what contracting officers consider when assigning NAICS codes to federal contracts and the status of efforts to clarify code assignment and industry views on NAICS code assignment and the number and outcomes of appeals. Chapter 4 reports on SBA’s development of criteria and guidance on using a risk-based approach for certifying and recertifying HUBZone firms, and SBA’s implementation of the revised policies and procedures for firms located in Puerto Rico. Chapter 5 examines the extent to which SBA and the participating agencies have implemented these benchmarks, including assessing businesses against them and establishing the consequence of not meeting them. The federal tax burden on small firms and its effects on their formation and growth have long been matters of legislative concern for Congress. This abiding interest has helped pave the way for the enactment of a series of tax laws in recent years that included targeted tax relief for a number of small businesses as discussed in chapter 6.

Naturerfahrungen haben positive Wirkungen auf die seelische Entwicklung, Gesundheit und Wohlbefinden und können geradezu als ein Element eines „guten Lebens“ interpretiert werden. In diesem Buch wird dieser Zusammenhang auf Lern- und Bildungskontexte bezogen. Bei Bildungsprozessen geht es nicht nur um die Übernahme von relevanten Inhalten, sondern um eine Berührung, Konfrontation und Transformation des Subjekts. Die zentralen Annahmen dieses Buches sind erstens, dass eben dies durch Naturerfahrungen eröffnet werden kann, und zweitens, dass dies auch (fachliche) Lernprozesse positiv beeinflussen kann.

Experiencing nature has positive effects on mental development, health, and well-being, and can be interpreted as an element of a “good life.” This book relates this connection to learning and educational settings. Educational processes in biology education are defined not only by the acquisition of relevant subject matter but also about the encounter, confrontation, and transformation of the self. The central assumptions of this book are, firstly, that the latter can be facilitated through nature experiences, and secondly, that this can also positively influence (subject-specific) learning processes.