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Despite growing evidence of the impact of school facilities on wellbeing and educational outcomes, no attention has been given to understanding this impact in relation to the interrelationship of design and procurement and their combined effect. This paper aims to address this gap by presenting the outcomes of a study of the design/procurement relationship pre-opening and post-opening of schools.

Qualitative case study methodology enabled in-depth exploration of six Australian Government schools procured through “public private partnerships” (PPP) or “design & construct” (D&C) and “design, bid, build” (DBB). Data collected through interviews with architects, education department officers, school principals and teachers were analysed thematically using techniques aligned with grounded theory methodology.

The paper reports three key findings: pre-opening of schools, budget impacts design similarly for procurement across PPP and (D&C/DBB) case schools; pre-opening of schools, prescriptive design impacts procurement similarly across PPPs and D&C/DBB schools; post-opening of schools, procurement impacts design and school operation in different ways across PPP and D&C/DBB schools. These findings point to a fundamental finding that it is design and procurement together that impacts well-being and educational outcomes as experienced by principals and teachers.

This research may be of practical value for education departments, architects, facility managers, school principals and teachers.

This paper provides original evidence of the relationship between procurement and design and their combined impact on student well-being and educational outcomes.

The purpose of this paper is to understand the difficulties in implementing models of housing, and to help address the lack of accessible and affordable private housing for people with disability in Australia. In responding to this aim, the study formulated an ecological map of housing models, which are examined in this paper in terms of their underlying assumptions of vulnerability.

The study involved explanation building, using a multiple case study approach, informed theoretically by an ecological framework. It included organisations, families and individuals with disability.

For the purpose of this paper, the study revealed a direct relationship between the nature of the housing models proposed, and assumptions of vulnerability. In the context of the study findings, the paper suggests that attempts to address individual housing needs are more likely to achieve a positive outcome when they are person driven, from a premise of ability rather than disability. Overall, it invites a “universalistic” way of conceptualising housing issues for people with disability that has international relevance.

This paper highlights how assumptions of vulnerability shape environmental responses, such as housing, for people with disability.

This paper is based on a study that reconciled a person-centred philosophy with an ecological appreciation of the external and internal factors impacting housing choice for people with disability.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the behavioural determinants of work-related benefits claimants’ training behaviours and to suggest ways to improve claimants’ compliance with training referrals.

Qualitative interviews were conducted with 20 Jobcentre Plus staff and training providers, and 60 claimants. Claimants were sampled based on whether or not they had been mandated to training and whether or not they subsequently participated. Along with general findings, differences between these groups are highlighted.

Claimants’ behaviours are affected by their capabilities, opportunities, and motivations in interrelated ways. Training programmes should appreciate this to better ensure claimants’ completion of training programmes.

Whilst past papers have largely examined a limited number of factors that affect claimants’ training behaviours, this report offers a synchronised evaluation of all the behavioural factors that affect claimants’ training behaviours.

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