Sean M. McDonald

Autonomy in the Southern Borderland of Nepal: A Formula for Security or Cause of Conflict?

Abstract Autonomous movements in southern Nepal have added a new layer of conflict to a volatile political situation. The Maoist armed uprising and pro-democracy movement that abolished the monarchy and initiated a republic unleashed sub-national aspirations for autonomy in the southern borderland region of Nepal. In this article, Madhesi autonomous sentiment in Nepals southern borderland region is explored within the context of ethno-federalist concepts of the role of core ethnic identities and state stability as articulated by Hale and others. This inquiry is undertaken against the backdrop of Nepals Constituent Assemblys (CA) failed efforts to draft a new constitution. Several key disagreements between the main political parties continue to be contentious and could undermine efforts to elect a new CA and restart efforts to draft a new constitution. Among the areas of contention are proposals to redraw internal political boundaries along ethnic lines and proposals to integrate proportional representation into Nepals democratic system. Both of these proposals have significant implications for the power balance between the Madhesi of the Terai and the centre in Kathmandu. The article also explores post conflict concessions by the new democratic government and the role that they have played in both diffusing and exacerbating conflict in the Terai. The Terai borderlands role in Nepals geopolitical position relative to India and China is also considered.

The role of landscape and strategic communication in managing legitimacy between a state and its citizens

The physical landscape has historically played a vital role in defining a polity to people, but modern states have not adjusted it to the needs of the information age. We argue in this conceptual paper that: (1) Modern states should include landscape when communicating their identity. (2) Landscapes possess an emotional equity that could be magnified by social media and other information age media. (3) History demonstrates that premodern and later states understood the communication power of landscape. (4) A shift from natural landscape to culturally perceived boundaries undermined the legitimacy of many states partly by weakening their identity. (5) A return to historical, often premodern perception of landscape as a communication asset would help states harness landscapes communication power.

Communicating Identity in the Ottoman Empire and Some Implications for Contemporary States

Do premodern states have anything to suggest to governments managing their identity in this era of communication volatility? The techniques used by the Ottoman Empire repay close study. The Empire lasted for more than six centuries, almost living up to its imperial motto: “The Eternal State.” It faced the problem of cultivating an identity for a remarkable range of geographic, religious, cultural, and ethnic identities. How did it project an identity strong enough to counterbalance potential internal stresses? We investigate the communication techniques used by the Ottomans and the relationship between centralized and decentralized identities in their Empire. Finally, we discuss the pressures on modern governments created by the collision between information technology, globalization, and current “Westphalian” approaches to identity. We offer alternative approaches for modern states and superstates like the European Union, seeking to create or renew their identity with their diverse inhabitants.

A new view to assist public agency development

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to expand the research into the “micro-level” of the effects of evidence-based activity on organisational change by focusing on an economic development agencys (EDAs) effort to spread the use of standardised measurements to improve accountability for the use of public funds. Design/methodology/approach – The authors interviewed 19 key managers and staff of a large British EDA. Participant comments revealed concerns deeper than the technical measurement issue the agency brought in to study. The authors reconceptualised these concerns using the notion of a centre of calculation. Findings – Although the EDA focused on standardised measurement as a technical issue, the authors find organisational issues such as the need to reconcile differing perceptions of the importance of measurement, a desire to improve organisational learning and a tension between analysts and project managers impeding accountability efforts and delaying agency growth. Research limitations/implica...

Structural changes in Scottish ICT manufacturing sector 2001–2003: the impact on Research and Development

The paper identifies changes in the structure of the Information & Communications Technology (ICT) manufacturing sector in Scotland, with specific reference to the major closures and redundancies during the period 2001–2003, and examines the implications of these changes for the development of the Scottish knowledge economy. However, the economic outputs of the sector, as measured by GVA, has been less severely affected and changes in the scale, composition and character of industry R&D, suggest that the indirect contribution of the sector to the development of a knowledge economy are likely to be more prevalent than in the past.

Measuring the outcomes and impacts of innovation interventions: assessing the role of additionality

Additionality is a main technique in the evaluation of innovation, yet there is debate on the theoretical basis, and appropriate application of the technique, when measuring value for money and economic impact. This paper assesses additionality in measuring the outcomes and impacts of innovation interventions, describing the development and use of additionality, and presenting an organising framework. A review is made of the use of the method across a number of micro-evaluations of regional policy interventions, and a series of innovation-related programmes within a regional development agency. The review confirms limitations of the technique in theory and current practice, but using a standardised approach, demonstrates the potential role of the technique in identifying the relative benefits of R&D interventions, and as such, providing a valid contribution to the evidence base informing innovation policy and practice.