Conference Agenda

Problem Statement and Purpose

Accessing maternal health care in Uganda remains a challenge with only 65% of childbirth deliveries performed by skilled health workers (Cumber et al., 2022). Thus, the remaining 35% of births are conducted either by community members such as traditional midwives or family members. This is in part due to the top-down approaches unable to meet maternal health care needs of rural women, partly conditioned by international donors. The involvement of users and communities through co-production is recognized for improving public service delivery (Jo & Nabatchi, 2016; Verschuere et al., 2012). Particularly, the legal and policy framework has been identified as a necessary condition to foster collaboration between public service professionals and service users/ communities (Brandsen, et al., 2012). However, there is limited evidence on how the health policies support user and community engagement and the practicability of these policies in improving maternal health care provision in Uganda. This paper aims to understand the existing legal and policy provisions for community and user involvement and map out the different actors and their roles in maternal health care provision. So we ask: What policies and legal frameworks underpin user and community engagement in the co-production of maternal health care services in Uganda?

Methodology

This qualitative study, which is part of the broader ethnographic field work at Bwindi Community Hospital (BCH) will analyze various legal and policy documents on maternal health care provision. These will include among others, national health strategic plans, the Uganda constitution, BCH strategic plans and minutes of the meetings from the maternal and child health care unit. Document analysis will be supplemented by key informant interviews at BCH (executive director, District Health Officer, head of gynaecology, senior midwife and head of community engagement unit). Data will be analyzed through thematic analysis by identifying the emerging themes from interviews.

Findings

The findings will provide insights into how the available policies and legal frameworks support (or do not support) community engagement in maternal health care provision. The various actors and their roles in maternal health provision will be identified. The findings will further point to the practicability of these policies in maternal health care provision in Bwindi community, highlighting the possible challenges faced in this kind of implementation process, as well as informing multi-level governance on the importance of people-centered health care provision. This is an ongoing study. Detailed findings will be presented in the final paper.

Proposals

This study proposes possible ways of improving maternal health service provision through co-production. For this to be effective, a clear supportive and legal framework that mandates service users and providers to actively engage in co-production is necessary. These policies must be comprehensive enough to address gaps at the different multi-level governance systems. These should not only be implemented at local levels, but be evident in international policies which in part influence service provision especially in developing countries, who are recipients of donor funding.

References

Brandsen, T., & Helderman, J.-K. (2012). The Trade-Off Between Capital and Community: The Conditions for Successful Co-production in Housing. VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, 23(4), 1139–1155. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-012-9310-0.

Jo, S., & Nabatchi, T. (2018). Case study—co-producing recommendations to reduce diagnostic error. In Co-Production and Co-Creation (pp. 161-163). Routledge.

Verschuere, B., Brandsen, T. & Pestoff, V. (2012). Co-Production: The State of the Art in Research and the Future Agenda. Voluntas, (23, 4), 1–19.

Problem Statement and Purpose

Intra-Africa migration presents a number of challenges to South Africa since the country is still addressing the legacy of its historical past of apartheid and striving to address the imbalances of the past. Although the government has, over the years, devised a number of policies and programs to address the imbalances of the past and strive to alleviate poverty, the majority of the country’s citizens still fall below the poverty line. The non-profit sector plays a crucial role of filling the gaps and above all, reach communities that are not benefiting from the government programs such as refugees and undocumented migrants. This article examines the contributions made by NGOs towards support migration management initiatives in South Africa. The aim is to determine how South Africa manages migration and analyze some of the challenges facing the country in terms of the management of the flow of migrants before suggesting how collaboration and partnership could be fostered between government-NGOs.

Methodology

The article is guided by the following research questions: i. How does South Africa manage the inflow of migrants? ii. What are the challenges facing the country in terms of migration management? And finally, iii. What contributions do NGOs make towards humanitarian actions or initiatives? To answer these questions, the article follows a qualitative methodology and it relies on the review and analysis of secondary data. Based on a case study analysis, the article reviews the available literature in a form of articles, books and official documents relating the work done by NGOs in developing countries with a specific reference to South Africa. Specific cases of NGOs operating in local government in South Africa will be examined with the aim of highlighting their contributions to the provision of services to migrants.

Findings

The findings of the study reveal that the current context of South Africa is characterized by population growth due to internal and external movements which put a tremendous pressure on government’s capacity to deliver certain essential services. Therefore, there is a need for collaboration and partnership between government and the non-profit sector. This paper is relevant as its topic falls under the current main theme of “Alternative Service Delivery and Sustainable Societal Responsiveness” as suggested by IASIA for this year’s annual conference. In this era of governance, the government needs to rely on other actors to solve the problems it is confronted with.

Proposals

The article stresses that NGOs can indeed play a supportive role and alleviate the burden the government is carrying in addressing some of the pressing crises, particularly issues related to migration crises. South Africa being a powerhouse on the African continent, it will always be confronted to migration crises since many Africans consider South Africa as a destination of choice for finding greener pastures.

References

As the international politics of cross-border mobility becomes more complex, there is a growing need to comprehend the evolution and rationale behind a variety of state migration management practices. The notion of the “migration state” is key for understanding the central role that international migration management plays in the strategies and policies of contemporary states (Adamson & Tsourapas 2020:854).

Tshiyoyo (2019:129) stresses that in a number of developing countries, non-profit organizations (NPOs) play an indispensable role in bridging the gap between governments and citizens particularly in the provision of basic services such health, water, sanitation, education, to name but a few.

Nwauche and Flanigan (2022:119) insist that the services NGOs provide in areas such as early childhood development, education, health care, skills development, food security, elder care, and other arenas form part of South Africa’s framework for achieving its long-term development goals. Also aligned to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this government-NGO shared vision for development highlights the importance of NGOs in the development ecosystem.

Problem Statement and Purpose

Problem Statement

The African primary education sector faces numerous challenges, reflecting a combination of socio-economic, cultural, and infrastructural factors as well as rising insecurity and forced displacement. These challenges lead to limited access and lower student performance in some parts of Africa. Efforts by governments to address these challenges resulted in an alternative governance arrangement visa vis a co-productive strategy that brings together schoolteachers, parents, and the community to participate directly in the governance and management of primary schools. Research suggests that to organise co-production in primary schools, it is important to have school leaders who can convene these interdependent stakeholders together to collaborate, dialogue, and offer contributions to achieve educational outcomes (Bello & Voets, 2024). However, despite its recognised importance, the dynamics of convening stakeholders in the context of co-production receive less attention. To build on this gap, this study examines the concept of convening leadership in co-production of educational services. Drawing from the work of Clary (2021) and Wenger-Trayner and Wenger-Trayner (2021), convening leadership in this study refers to the practice of organising groups of parents and community members to mobilise resources and collective actions towards common educational goals. The research question guiding this study is how do primary school leaders convene parents and community members to participate in school governance and contribute to educational development?

Methodology

The paper adopts a comparative case study to examine the concept of convening leadership approach in co-production. We conducted 34 in-depth interviews with school leaders, parents and community members of Kenya and Nigeria's school governance and management committees. Similarly, documents such as minutes of school-parent and community meetings, school development plans, as well as participant observations, were used to supplement the interview results.

Findings

The study revealed that school leaders in Kenya and Nigeria face distinct contextual challenges. It further indicates that to address these challenges, school leaders convene co-production by performing tasks such as initiating and organising co-production through regular meetings with parents and community members, setting the agenda, and encouraging productive discussions. They also create a conducive environment for dialogue and collaboration, leading to meaningful outcomes. Additionally, the study identifies several key factors influencing the effectiveness of leadership across Kenya and Nigeria, such as organisational autonomy, resource allocation, and stakeholder dynamics.

Proposals

The study proposes that convening leadership can have the potential to enhance the leadership capacity of primary school leaders to address complex issues and adapt to changing circumstances. By harnessing the collective expertise and resources of parents and community members, school leaders can effectively respond to diverse needs and challenges, thereby promoting continuous improvement in the provision of educational services.

References

Bello, M. M., & Voets, J. (2024). Exploring the capacity of school leaders in the co-production of Educational Outcomes in selected primary school schools in Kenya. IIAS-KSG Conference 2024, Mombasa, Kenya.

Clary, P. A. (2021). Convening leadership on the commons: Initiating stakeholder networks to solve complex global issues. In Reimagining leadership on the commons: Shifting the paradigm for a more ethical, equitable, and just world (pp. 191-203). Emerald Publishing Limited.

Wenger-Trayner, E., & Wenger-Trayner, B. (2021). Systems convening: A crucial form of leadership for the 21st century.