Amina Sahel, Vincent DeBrouwere, Bruno Dujardin, Guy Kegels, Nejoua Belkaab and Abdelali Alaoui Belghiti
The purpose of this paper is to present an innovative quality improvement intervention developed in Morocco and discuss its implementation. Until 2004, the Moroccan Ministry of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present an innovative quality improvement intervention developed in Morocco and discuss its implementation. Until 2004, the Moroccan Ministry of Health (MoH) encouraged pilots of quality improvement approaches but none of them were revealed to be sustainable. Internal assessments pinpointed factors such as lack of recognition of the participating team’s efforts and lack of pressure on managers to become more accountable. In 2005, Morocco opted for an intervention called “Quality Contest” (QC) targeting health centres, hospitals and health district offices and combining quality measurement with structures ranking, performance disclosure and reward system.
Design/methodology/approach
The QC is organized every 18 months. After the self-assessment and external audit step, the participating structures are ranked according to their scores. Their performances are then disseminated and the highest performing structures are rewarded.
Findings
The results showed an improvement in performance among participating structures, constructive exchange of successful experiences between structures, as well as communication of constraints, needs and expectations between MoH managers at central and local levels; the use of peer-auditors was appreciated as it enabled an exchange of best practices between auditors and audited teams but this was mitigated by the difficulty of ensuring their neutrality; and the recognition of efforts was appreciated but seemed insufficient to ensure a sense of justice and maintain motivation.
Originality/value
This intervention is an example of MoH leadership that has succeeded in introducing transparency and accountability mechanisms (ranking and performance disclosure) as leverage to change the management culture of the public health services; setting up a reward system to reinforce motivation and adapting continuously the intervention to enhance its sustainability and acceptability.
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Amina Sahel, Abdelali Alaoui Belghiti, Vincent DeBrouwere, Filomena Valente Soares, Guy Kegels, Nejoua Belkaab, Isabelle Godin, Sabine Ablefoni, Anselm Schneider and Bruno Dujardin
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the results of the first four years of implementation of a quality program called “Quality Contest” (QC). This program was implemented from…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the results of the first four years of implementation of a quality program called “Quality Contest” (QC). This program was implemented from 2007 onward to improve the quality of hospital services by the Moroccan Ministry of Health. The peculiarity of this intervention, held every 18 months, is that it combines several approaches (self-evaluation, external audits with feedback, hospital ranking, awards and performance disclosure) and focuses on the quality of management.
Design/methodology/approach
The assessment tool used to evaluate the quality of hospital management consists of 80 items. In each contest, a score is attributed to each item based on the score given for self-evaluation and the score given by external auditors. The sum of these scores allows the global performance score of the hospital to be obtained. To compare the performances over time and among hospitals, Wilcoxon signed-rank, Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney and Kruskal–Wallis statistical tests were used.
Findings
The results of the QC organized between 2007 and 2010 revealed that the hospitals participating in all the three contests had significantly improved their performance levels in terms of the quality of management. There was also a significant association between the number of times hospitals participated in the QC and the performance scores attained.
Originality/value
The paper reports an original quality improvement approach in a developing country that succeeded in triggering sustainable improvement dynamics by combining support (feedback) with reward (prizes) and pressure measures (ranking, performance disclosure).
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The purpose of this paper is to develop the Great Green Wall (GGW) Project initially financed by the United Nation’s Global Environment Facility Trust Fund, is a Pan African…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop the Great Green Wall (GGW) Project initially financed by the United Nation’s Global Environment Facility Trust Fund, is a Pan African proposal in greening the Sahel of Africa from West (Dakar) to the East (Djibouti). It aims at reducing poverty and soil degradation in this region, taking into account the effects of desertification and climate change on sustainability of livelihoods.
Design/methodology/approach
Several desertification attenuation projects in Nigeria are employing different methods for maximum benefits obtainable from the objectives of the particular projects. As noted above, however, the approach of GGW is to improve the alternative livelihoods of the people by their active participating in the implementation of the project. It is also noted that environmental impact assessment, community reconnaissance or needs assessments might be initial part of pre-project activities, thereby making the communities more aware and educated of the impending environmental problems.
Findings
Desertification has reached an alarming state in Nigeria. The frontline desert threatened States of Nigeria constitute 43 percent of the land mass of the country. With increased pressure of desertification, exacerbated by a period of prolonged drought of more than 20 years, climate change and human activities, it is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain sustainability in the management of the fragile lands and the region’s ecosystem. Strategic interventions in combating the problem of desertification in Nigeria have attenuated some of the detrimental social, economic and environmental impacts on the affected communities. Programmes and projects have strengthened the resilience of the people, participating in sand dune stabilization, the Great Green Wall Sahara Sahel Initiative, including shelterbelt developments. Government has sustained inputs in environmentally friendly agriculture and also encouraged synergetic collaborative activities with international and national NGOs, international agencies and local institutions.
Originality/value
These results/activities give evidence of the increased public awareness of environmental degradation due to desertification and climate change in Nigeria; the realization in environmental stabilization needs with ready participation of the communities for improved livelihoods in environmental activities and arid agriculture as supported by the National Great Green Wall (NAGGW) program of the country; resulting in internalization of these projects supporting livelihoods for sustainability in the Sahel of Nigeria.
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Abdelhamid Hati and Amina Abdessemed-Foufa
The protection of industrial heritage emerged as a major concern when those buildings and installations representative of the industry, became at risk. North Africa, considered…
Abstract
Purpose
The protection of industrial heritage emerged as a major concern when those buildings and installations representative of the industry, became at risk. North Africa, considered the geographical gateway to European countries, experienced enormous industrial activity during the French colonial era. Industrial buildings such as the flour mills, were built during this era of colonial rule. Today, a lack of legislation concerning industrial heritage has left this type of buildings with no protection, leading this paper to a preservation process. The aim of this paper is to locate and identify the flour mills of the 19th and 20th centuries in Algeria.
Design/methodology/approach
This research consists of cross-referencing data from archived documents against the geographical location.
Findings
The results obtained are the first step in the process of preservation. The success of this research can be summarized as follows: identification of 88.46% of the flour mills in Algeria by means of the inventory data collected, and their location, with the use of a crisp logic, the remaining 9.62% with the use of fuzzy logic by the attribution of a “fuzzy radius” with a total localization and identification of 98.08%.
Originality/value
The use of both crisp (Boolean) and fuzzy logic as part of the geographical localization method.
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Mohamed Ibrahim Nor and Tajul Ariffin Masron
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the extent at which Turkish foreign direct investment (FDI) contributes to the process of peacemaking in host country.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the extent at which Turkish foreign direct investment (FDI) contributes to the process of peacemaking in host country.
Design/methodology/approach
This study utilized a qualitative method and used a focus group discussion and an in-depth interview.
Findings
This study found that Turkish FDI contributes well to the process of peace building in Somalia.
Practical implications
A well-balanced FDI is expected to contribute to the process of peace building in host country because FDI is associated with job creation, technology transfer, private sector enhancement, infrastructure development and social responsibility. These factors increase household income of the host country and contribute to human capital development. By doing so, resource-centered conflicts are reduced and peace is established.
Originality/value
This study is considered as one of the unique studies that have been conducted in the context of post-conflict economy of Somalia. The study investigated the extent at which Turkish FDI contributes to the process of peace building in the host economy and found some interesting evidences, which makes it an appealing work that should be pursued further. This study is not only investigating a novel area of research but also contributes very much to the ongoing policy debate on the recovery and development of post-conflict economies.