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The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, the paper considers the level of congruence between contribution analysis and public value. Second, based on the Scottish context, the paper examines how contribution analysis can be used as a method to support public managers to demonstrate value within partnership contexts in times of acute governance challenges (including in times of austerity).

The empirical underpinning of the paper emerges from strands of applied public sector experience and consultancy with national agencies. The author was a public manager (up to 2013) within a national government agency – NHS Health Scotland. The research is also informed by data gathered as an academic consultant in contribution analysis with national partnership-based agencies (Healthcare Improvement Scotland and Education Scotland, 2013-present) through a series of workshops as part of consultancy activity on capacity building in relation to evaluation methodology and practice.

Based on research and experience with three national public sector agencies in Scotland, the paper demonstrates how public managers, despite difficult challenges, have adopted contribution analysis and how this has served to facilitate public value.

In a time when public managers are facing acute challenges in demonstrating the impact of their programmes and services due to the dynamics of complex governance systems coupled with the pressure of austerity, this research helps to equip public managers with strategies to enable the demonstration of public value in pragmatic terms.

This paper outlines current developments in a local health service in Ireland. It involves the integration of its mental health and addiction services, within the context of a primary, community and continuing care (PCCC) setting. The paper describes how the transformational process was initiated and how the clinicians embraced the opportunity of the co‐location of services to advance the assessment and treatment of dual diagnosis.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the governance and policy-making challenges in the context of “wicked problems” based on the case of pandemic influenza.

The case study research is based on an analysis of official documentation and interviews with policy elites at multiple levels of UK governance.

Results of this study show that policy actors regard risk communication, the dynamics of international public policy and UK territorial governance as the main governance challenges in the management of influenza at a macro-level. The paper also serves to identify that although contingencies management for epidemiological issues require technical and scientific considerations to feature in governance arrangements, equally there are key “wicked problems” in the context public policy that pervade the health security sector.

The study indicates the need to build in resources at a national level to plan for policy coordination challenges in areas that might at first be seen as devoid of political machinations (such as technical areas of public policy that might be underpinned by epidemiological processes). The identification of the major governance challenges that emerge from the pandemic influenza case study is a springboard for a research agenda in relation to the analysis of the parallels and paradoxes of governance challenges for health security across EU member states.

This paper provides a novel interrogation of the pandemic influenza case study in the context of UK governance and public policy by providing a strategic policy lens from perspective of elites.

Developing a dual diagnosis service in Cork, Ireland by way of participatory action research (PAR) background: internationally there is a growing consensus regarding the ideal of integrated treatment. In Ireland, recommendations identified the need for multi-disciplinary team integration and client participation being central to service development. Such recommendations collectively fit most appropriately with PAR, the methodological and theoretical framework best suited to achieve the objectives of the inquiry. PAR's inclusive philosophy creates processes of negotiation, self-reflexivity and exploration of power issues with the lived experience of communities. Key elements of this approach facilitate the development of emancipatory and participatory democracy whilst highlighting identified social issues through research, learning and action. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Cyclical processes of planning, action, observation and reflection in cycle one have facilitated the introduction of PAR's methodological framework into the existing public health (Health Service Executive) system of primary care addiction and mental health services. Developing stakeholder relationships in decision making processes has been pivotal in cycle 1 as the process of collective engagement evolves. Stakeholders begin to experience their collective participation in the methods adopted and a collective sense of ownership and commitment to the iterative process begins to take shape. Stakeholders in cycle 1 have participated in multiple data generation methods including: informal interviews, planned discussion and focus groups, multidisciplinary team meetings, testimonials, observations and reflections.

Cycle 1 of this PAR inquiry has engaged stakeholders (service users and their families, practitioners including; academic/practitioners, a consultant psychiatrist, psychologist, mental health nurses, an occupational therapist, psychotherapists, an acupuncturist, an addiction counsellor, an art therapist) in an integrated process of inquiry. PAR methods adopted in this cycle have facilitated particular dual diagnosis service developments and emerging initiatives (previously unidentified). Actions collaboratively planned for and illustrated in this paper include: the implementation of a psychotherapy group and implementing direct access to an acupuncture clinic.

Stakeholders collaboratively experience PAR's methodological and theoretical approach which has facilitated service developments in cycle 1 of the inquiry. This sets the stage for the completion of actions already in motion and for further initiatives to continue to evolve as cycle 2 processes emerge.

The purpose of this paper is to identify key themes within the blended learning literature and to develop a series of practical recommendations to facilitate the successful adaptation and implementation of a “blended approach to learning delivery”.

The literature was reviewed and informed a series of recommendations for organisations considering adopting or implementing blended approaches to teaching and training.

Several key themes centering on the importance of evaluation, skills training, pedagogy, human factors, technology and implementation were identified. The emerging themes informed a series of practical recommendations to assist organisations considering blended learning approaches. Findings highlight the current limitations in the evidence base.

The identified key themes and practical recommendations provide a useful assist to organisations considering adopting and implementing blended approaches to teaching and training.

The paper highlights key areas for development in the blended learning literature and at the organisational level.

The paper draws together a range of somewhat unusual machine vision applications, with an integrating overview.

The National Centre for Engineering in Agriculture is amassing a portfolio of projects involving machine vision. These include identification of animal species, visual counting of macadamia nuts, analysis of animal behaviour and a number of quality control functions. DirectX tools have been developed and are applicable across a wide range of applications, while theory is extended in several ways.

Most of the projects are still in progress, but results are reported on the degree of success of a range of methods. Strategies and algorithms are discussed.

Vision‐based solutions are applied to a diversity of tasks. There will be a continuing stream of such problems with abundant opportunities for research.

The projects are in essence practical, although they have inspired new methodologies. They are conducted in close collaboration with the industries involved and will be deemed to have failed if the outcome is not put to commercial use.

The paper draws together a portfolio of projects, allowing an analysis to be made of the features that unite and differentiate them. It will be of interest to both researchers and those with instrumentation problems.

To review recent developments in machine vision hardware and techniques, as revealed in the Image Processing and Optical Technology Exhibition, 2006.

Different sections of the paper examine new cameras and their interfacing, smart cameras with DSP processors, a powerful framegrabber, high intensity light emitting diode (LED) lighting, and developments in teraherz sources and detection.

Smart cameras now exist with greater processing speed than a PC. A new generic programming interface aims to ease the incompatibilities of digital cameras. Water cooling has produced a very intense and long life LED light, and a novel goniophotometer has no moving parts. Rapid advances are occurring in the field of terahertz imaging.

Provides an update on machine vision technology for scientists and engineers generally, and a source of contact information for specialists to follow up where necessary.