Subas P. Dhakal

Fragile environment in need of resilient carers? A case of regional natural resources management in Perth, Western Australia

The Perth region is one of the 56 designated Natural Resources Management (NRM) regions in Australia. A community-led body – Perth Region NRM (PRNRM) – is in charge of overseeing NRM initiatives in the region. PRNRM heavily relies on Environmental Care Organisations (ECOs) that are involved in a wide variety of activities ranging from managing nature reserves to restoring ecosystems on a voluntary basis. While ECOs have become an integral component of PRNRM, they are often vulnerable because of the uncertain availability of financial and human resources. The way these organisations can overcome resource scarcities and become resilient is therefore significant for the effective delivery of regional NRM arrangements. However, what makes some ECOs in the Perth region more resilient than others is not well understood. This paper responds to this gap and explores the state of ECOs in the Perth region. The paper begins by reviewing the notion of resilience using a social capital lens. Drawing on a survey of ECOs and interviews, the method used for data collection and data analysis is presented next. Finally, the paper makes a case for fostering social capital as a way of enhancing the resilience of ECOs in the Perth region and beyond.

Asset management policies and guidelines of different states in Australia: A comparative analysis

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore and compare the asset management policies and practices of six Australian states – New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania – to improve understanding of the policy context to best shape policy focus and guidelines. Australian state-wide asset management policies and guidelines are an emergent policy domain, generating a substantial body of knowledge. However, these documents are spread across the layers of government and are therefore largely fragmented and lack coherency. Design/methodology/approach – The comparative study is based on the thematic mapping technique using the Leximancer software. Findings – Asset management policies and guidelines of New South Wales and Victoria have more interconnected themes as compared to other states in Australia. Moreover, based on the findings, New South Wales has covered most of the key concepts in relation to asset management; the remaining five states are yet to devel...

A methodological framework for ascertaining the social capital of environmental community organisations in urban Australia

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to ascertain the level of social capital in environmental community organisations (ECOs) in Perth, Western Australia. On a general level, social capital in ECOs is understood as intra-organisational and inter-organisational relationships that organisations maintain through interactions. Design/methodology/approach – This paper utilises quantitative (i.e. survey) as well as qualitative (i.e. interviews) approaches to data collection and analysis. It proposes a methodological framework to measure the level of social capital, and explores the association between the ascertained level of social capital and organisational capabilities. Findings – The results of the survey and interviews reveal that while the level of social capital is needs based, maintaining a higher intensity of organisational relationships puts ECOs in a better position to do more with less. Research limitations/implications – The findings advance the task of ascertaining the level of social capital in...

International aid and cyclone shelters in Bangladesh: adaptation or maladaptation?

This paper examines the unintended prospect of international aid-driven maladaptation in Bangladesh. While attempts by aid agencies to channel scarce resources to finance structural adaptation measures are commendable, complementary non-structural measures remain under the radar. Using an exploratory research approach this paper investigates the state of cyclone shelters in two coastal districts: Chittagong and Coxs Bazar. The findings indicate that the lack of adequate shelter capacity, maintenance funding, and community participation has exacerbated the vulnerability of Chittagongs marginalised urban population. The paper contends that international aid can avoid being maladaptive by accentuating community-based governance and facilitating community capacity to fund the maintenance of cyclone shelters in new ways.

Towards an Integrated Maturity Model of Asset Management Capabilities

Asset service organizations often recognize asset management as a core competence to deliver benefits to their business. But, how do organizations know whether their asset management processes are adequate? Asset management maturity models, which combine best practices and competencies, provide a useful approach to test the capacity of organizations to manage their assets. Asset management frameworks are required to meet the dynamic challenges of managing assets in contemporary society. Although existing models are subject to wide variations in their implementation and sophistication, they also display a distinct weakness in that they tend to focus primarily on the operational and technical level and neglect the levels of strategy, policy, and governance as well as the social and human resources—the people elements. Moreover, asset management maturity models have to respond to the external environmental factors, including climate change and sustainability, stakeholders, and community demand management. Drawing on five dimensions of effective asset management—spatial, temporal, organizational, statistical, and evaluation—as identified by Amadi-Echendu et al. [1], this paper carries out a comprehensive comparative analysis of six existing maturity models to identify the gaps in key process areas. Results suggest incorporating these into an integrated approach to assess the maturity of asset-intensive organizations. It is contended that the adoption of an integrated asset management maturity model will enhance effective and efficient delivery of services.

Securing the Future of Urban Environmental Sustainability Initiatives in Australia

Australia has increasingly been dependent on the interest and capacity of community organisations across the country in order to accomplish environmental sustainability initiatives (e.g. urban nature protection). A comprehensive understanding of how these organisations thrive can be valuable not only for cities like Perth, where two-thirds of bushlands and wetlands have been lost in the past 150 years, but also for government strategies that seek to support these initiatives. This article draws on a systems perspective and utilises a mixed-methods approach to assess the organisational capacity–viability nexus. Findings suggest that inter-organisational ties facilitate a continuous positive feedback mechanism whereby organisations are able to acquire enough inputs and yield significant environmental outputs so that they can keep functioning until their missions are fulfilled. Based on the evidence the article discusses the potential ways to secure the future of urban environmental sustainability initiatives in Perth and beyond.

The state of multi-purpose cyclone shelters in Bangladesh

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the state of management practices of existing multi-purpose cyclone shelters (MPCS) facilities across the 16 coastal districts in the country, in the context of an identified need for 5,500 new MPCS facilities in Bangladesh. Design/methodology/approach – A “multi-capitals” framework – a conceptual model for appraising the state of MPCS facilities based on seven forms of capital resources – is adopted. Findings – MPCS facilities are not equitably distributed across the 16 coastal districts to cater to the needs of the highly vulnerable population. Nearly 9 per cent of the existing shelters are unusable in the event of cyclones. Once built, MPCS facilities have no maintenance funding and only around 19 per cent of shelters have a governance mechanism that enables community participation. A strong correlation (r = 0.65) was detected between the availability of maintenance funds and provision for community participation. Research limitations/implications – The...

Bridging the energy access divide for sustainable development in South Asia: policies and prospects in Nepal

Bridging the energy access divide is critical for meeting Nepal’s social and economic development objectives. Under the assumption that there are fertile opportunities for linking energy policy and market prospects, this paper explores the central question: ‘to what extent is the current policy environment in Nepal conducive to the uptake of solar energy at the household level?’ The paper makes use of an exploratory research approach to data analyses in order to address the research question. The findings reveal that the country’s renewable energy market is still in its infancy. Although donor-driven subsidy policy has been successful in promoting the uptake of solar energy, exclusivity of subsidy mechanisms coupled with the lack of cross-sectoral policy harmony are hindering the uptake of solar energy. The paper ends with a discussion on the need for a market-centric impetus to facilitate a renewable energy sector in Nepal.

A comparative study on asset management capability maturity models

Asset service organisations often recognise asset management as a core competence to deliver benefits to their business; however, it is less clear about how organisations know whether their asset management processes are adequate. This paper contends that asset management maturity models, which combine best practices with identified competencies, may provide a useful approach to test the capacity of organisations to manage assets. Existing capability maturity models are subject to wide variations in their implementation and sophistication. Drawing on five dimensions of effective asset management - spatial, temporal, organisational, statistical and evaluation - as identified by Amadi-Echendu et al. (2010), this paper undertakes a comprehensive comparative analysis of six existing maturity models to identify the gaps in key process areas. Results suggest incorporating these dimensions into an integrated approach to assess the maturity of asset-intensive organisations would provide a comprehensive approach towards assessing capabilities of asset service organisations.

Youth unemployment amidst aged care workers shortages in Australia: Why care about the millennials?

Purpose The broader challenges of youth employment and ageing population have collectively received global attention in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Under the assumption that there are fertile opportunities to judiciously address the youth unemployment and labour shortages within the aged care sector, this paper draws on the experiences of millennial aged care workers (MACWs) in Western Australia (WA). Design/methodology/approach The paper makes use of an exploratory research approach which involved three aged care facilities in WA. A total of 19 semi-structured interviews with MACWs (n=14), human resources managers of aged care facilities (n=3), government official (n=1), and a union representative (n=1) were carried out. Findings The results revealed that millennials prefer positive working relationships with managers, co-workers and residents, flexible work schedules and value the altruistic nature of the profession. In addition, unsupportive work environment and workplace pressure to sati...