Policy Studies Organization Series – serie

This book analyzes various important aspects of methodology and substance regarding economic, social, and political policy in Africa directed toward achieving more effective, efficient, and equitable societal institutions. The chapters are authored by experts from within Africa and also from Africa research institutes elsewhere. The book combines practical policy significance with insightful causal and prescriptive generalizations. The emphasis is on the role of governmental decision-making and the important (but secondary) role of the marketplace, social groups, and engineering.

This book analyzes various important aspects of methodology and substance regarding economic, social, and political policy in Asia directed toward achieving more effective, efficient, and equitable societal institutions. The chapters are authored by experts from within Asia and also from Asia research institutes elsewhere. The book combines practical policy significance with insightful causal and prescriptive generalizations. The emphasis is on the role of governmental decision-making and the important (but secondary) role of the marketplace, social groups, and engineering.

This volume, comprised of contributions by urban planners and social scientists sets forth accumulated experience directed at improving the quality of life in cities through neighbourhood programmes. Policy issues, housing programmes and job development plans, along with organizational innovations aimed at redistribution of power, are described and evaluated. The book shows that in spite of national and local differences, there are common lines of thinking in the urban planning profession that lead to similar approaches to solving problems of urban neighbourhoods in western countries. In all of them, slum clearance has been substituted by programmes to improve the existing housing stock and to open new opportunities to the local residents. In addition, government-only large projects are being replaced by public-private smaller initiatives. The collection of papers leads to the conclusion that there are reasons and ways to cultivate our neighbourhoods. This may be important in our times, when changing employment arrangements cause a larger proportion of the population to spend more time at home and at its immediate environment, the neighbourhood.

This volume analyzes various important aspects of methodology and substance regarding economic, social and political policy in Africa directed toward achieving more effective, efficient and equitable societal institutions. The chapters are authored by experts from within Africa and also from Africa research institutes elsewhere. It combines practical policy significance with insightful casual and prescriptive generalizations. The emphasis is on the role of governmental decision-making and the important (but secondary) role of the marketplace, social groups and engineering.

Global, national and subnational changes (political, economic, social and demographic) force local governments to search, reactively or proactively, for alternative organizational patterns and management styles. This work explores different approaches toward local government reorientation in selected Western countries, as well as the "reinvention" of local government in Eastern Europe. Eight national case-studies (US, Canada, UK, Germany, Norway, Israel, the Czech Republic and Russia) provide the empirical basis. From a theoretical point of view, the book exposes three main critical factors: the range of policy options facing local governments (strategic choice), their organizational capabilities to cope with major environmental shifts (strategic capabilities), and their capacity for organizational learning (including programmed experimentation, innovation and creativity).

An examination of the role of universities in developing regions. The themes include the development role of a university in peripheral regions as diverse as northern Sweden and southern Israel, and the role of universities in training professional administrators and doctors.

The aim of this book is to clarify what is involved in using decision-aiding software in evaluative decision-making at a non-technical level. Topics covered include the skills that software enhances, the obstacles that it helps overcome, and the applications to diverse fields.

This volume, comprised of original contributions by experienced urban planners and distinguished social scientists, sets forth the accumulated experience directed at improving the quality of life in our cities through neighbourhood programs. Policy issues, housing programs and job development plans, along with organizational innovations aimed at redistribution of power, are described and evaluated.

This book analyzes various important aspects of methodology and substance regarding economic, social, and political policy in Africa directed toward achieving more effective, efficient, and equitable societal institutions. The chapters are authored by experts from within Africa and also from Africa research institutes elsewhere. The book combines practical policy significance with insightful causal and prescriptive generalizations. The emphasis is on the role of governmental decision-making and the important (but secondary) role of the marketplace, social groups, and engineering.

This book analyzes various important aspects of methodology and substance regarding economic, social, and political policy in East Europe directed toward achieving more effective, efficient, and equitable societal institutions. The chapters are authored by experts from within East Europe and also from East Europe research institutes elsewhere. The book combines practical policy significance with insightful causal and prescriptive generalizations. The emphasis is on the role of governmnetal decision-making and the important (but secondary) role of the marketplace, social groups, and engineering.

This book analyzes various important aspects of methodology and substance regarding economic, social, and political policy in Asia directed toward achieving more effective, efficient, and equitable societal institutions. The chapters are authored by experts from within Asia and also from Asia research institutes elsewhere. The book combines practical policy significance with insightful causal and prescriptive generalizations. The emphasis is on the role of governmental decision-making and the important (but secondary) role of the marketplace, social groups, and engineering.