|
(IDRC - IDRIS DATA BASE) [Project value: Quoted in Canadian dollars not deflated]
Education
and Small Industry in Ecuador
This project will analyse the relevance of vocational education for
technological change at the small industry level in Ecuador.
Specific objectives will be examine the current technological profile
of the small industry sector and its capacity to adapt to technological
changes; identify possible profiles of technology supply for the
small industry sector; characterize the contents, quality, and relevance
of technical skills, knowledge of language and mathematics of small
industry workers; examine the relation between workers' technical
skills, knowledge of language and mathematics and actual job requirements;
examine teaching practices and learning processes at vocational schools;
identify norms and administrative procedures in the education sector
that might prevent innovation in vocational training; prepare possible
alternative scenarios of labour force supply and demand for the small
industry sector; elaborate a methodology for the evaluation of the
quality and relevance of vocational education; make recommendations
for vocational training alternatives; and strengthen local research
capacity. Results will be a profile of technology supply and demand
at the short and medium term; a diagnosis of basic skills and knowledge
required for small industry workers; a diagnosis of the relevance
of education for technology innovation; a profile of the small industry
entrepreneurs' opinions and actions related to technological change
and education; a methodology for the evaluation of the quality and
relevance of education; a proposal for the innovation of the vocational
educational system; and the strengthening of the research capacity
at local institutions
Social Policy Research Priorities in Latin America
This project will contribute to inter-institutional discussions about
how to provide timely knowledge and viable inputs to the social policy
making process in Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Peru, and Uruguay. Specifically,
the project will elaborate an inventory of institutions with a potential
to conduct social policy research; provide innovative training or
give technical support for the management of social programs; examine
the areas where these institutions have a critical mass of research
results; examine the real and potential needs of knowledge on social
policy by analysing current public expenditure patterns, most importantly
public and private social programs and projects; make a comparative
analysis of the supply and demand of knowledge to identify key specific
research activities; elaborate a portfolio of strategic and viable
research, training, information, and communication initiatives; promote
inter-institutional and inter-sectoral discussion among key institutions,
research groups, and social actors on strategic social policy research;
and promote networking activities at the regional level between Canadian
and Latin American institutions.
Post-Project Summary:
Comparative studies were carried out by 11 institutions in seven Latin
American countries (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Mexico, Peru,
and Uruguay) that identified research priorities in social policy.
A high degree of commonality in terms of issues and concerns across
the countries was identified. Also, the case studies demonstrated
that there are unexplored opportunities across the region to learn
from experiences of social sectors and program reforms. For example,
research showed that social policies and institutions suffer from
a proliferation of social assistance and anti-poverty programs; incompatibility
and duplication of services and programs; poor monitoring during program
implementation; etc. The project resulted in seven national reports
mapping key social policy areas; a newsletter; a regional electronic
conference on social policy decentralization; and a database of
institutions, researchers, and research projects. The Centre supported
the Canada-Latin America Workshop on Social Policy (93-4309-04),
in Ottawa (October 1994) to bring together the Latin American project
researchers and policymakers with researchers from Canada, Africa,
and Asia. The workshop enabled project institutions to present the
final results of consultations carried out during the project; establish
links with Canadian institutions; and identify potential resources
for the implementation of a regional network. Support continued in
a second phase. Training Information: Training was provided
to individuals who participated in the electronic conference on social
policy and decentralization.
http://www.lapsp.org/PUBLICACIONES/Publicaciones_de_la_Red.htm
Health Systems in the Southern Cone of Latin America
Latin America is facing numerous challenges to its health systems and
services. These include an epidemiologic transition from communicable
to chronic diseases; important demographic changes; rapidly shifting
models of organizing and financing national health systems; inequitable
access to health care; and regional economic integration, in the form
of Mercosur. The Network for Health Systems and Services Research in
the Southern Cone of Latin America (REDE) was founded in August 1994
with a view to improving the quality and utilization of health systems
and services research results. The countries involved in the network
are Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay. This grant will
allow REDE to further its objectives by (1) administering a small grants
fund; (2) articulating high‑quality and priority proposals for the region;
(3) carrying out or supporting educational activities on research methods
applied to health systems; (4) disseminating research results; (5) facilitating
the exchange of ideas, information and support between researchers;
(6) mobilizing financial and political support for research; and 7)
working as an advocate for research in this area. It is expected that
the project will result in a significant increase in the number of trained
researchers, the number of collaborative research projects, and the
quality and quantity of scientific literature in health services and
systems research in the Southern Cone.
Education and Urban Labour Market in Mexico
This project will generate information, a data system, and diagnoses
for the analysis and follow-up of education and employment-policy related
issues in urban Mexico. The products of this study will facilitate
the evaluation of on‑going private efforts on educational innovation,
as well as the implementation of the new educational reform planned
for 1992 within a context of intensive privatization of educational
services. Specifically the project will analyse the relation between
education and employment in the labour market of 16 Mexican cities in
the late eighties; examine the heterogeneity of the urban labour market
and the market operation modalities; determine the market value, importance,
and usefulness of education as perceived by the urban population; create
a data bank with information on the relation between education and
employment; develop technical standards to gather, retrieve, and
store data on education and employment; promote discussion and research
activities about education and employment issues; and develop policy-evaluation
tools and policy-relevant knowledge to support the transformation of
Mexico into a "modern" nation, competitive at the world level.
|