Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This paper develops a theoretical framework for analyzing the barriers to domestic environmental policy making and protection in developing and transition countries, whether they stem from the lack of political will, capacity constraints in the state or civil society, or both. Until now, most attention has focused on whether or not developing and transitional countries have capacity to address global problems. Therefore, the paper argues that there is a need to further examine the capacity of these countries to protect national or regional environmental issues. Second, the paper argues that there is a need to examine whether countries have the capacity to engage in the full spectrum of the policy making process, from problem identification, to policymaking and evaluation. Finally, the paper posits that there is a critical relationship in all countries between capacity and political will to address environmental concerns – not all environmental failures stem from a lack of capacity; many failures result primarily from a lack of political will, or from a combination of both factors. Therefore, capacity building programs that only focus on a perceived lack of capacity and do not address the lack of political willingness to protect the environment, will not be effective.
While both political will and capacity to protect the environment are necessary factors to protect the local and regional environment in developing and transitional countries, political will is the determining factor. If developing or transitional countries have the political will to protect the environment, but lack capacity, state agencies and NGOs will work to build capacity. A key constraint that limits political and action to protect the environment is the existence of powerful interests that are benefiting from environmental exploitation, and the government's lack of willingness to take effective action against these interests. Here, strong societal capacity and well-developed NGOs play an important role in putting pressure on the Government to change its position and address a certain issue. The paper primarily draws on insights from environmental policy making in the transitional Republic of Armenia, but it contends that the theory could apply well to the situation in other developing and transitional countries.

Publication Type: Abstract
Abstract: Part of a larger study on the impact of leadership development, this paper examines how participants in a 1987 Tomorrow’s Leaders Today Program (TLT) used the assets they developed during the program in human capital (skills and knowledge), political capital (understanding how things get done, how decisions get made, and who you need to know and work with), and social capital (relationships within the group and to outside stakeholders and resources) to impact community-level assets and thus community capacity. Using a grounded-theory approach, we identified key concepts in understanding what leadership is and how it works in a community context to construct an open-ended interview protocol. Based on the results, we find that the participants can identify how the training led to increased community assets, yet upon analysis of these data, we conclude that this asset building did not significantly impact community capacity.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Argues for building an anticipatory, future-shaping capacity to manage for sound governance in the age of rapid globalization and hyper-uncertainty; offers as a modest prescription for survival strategic capacities to manage for public governance.

Publication Type: Roundtable
Abstract: This session chronicles work of a four-year institution with community colleges in the implementation of completion programs for students earning a new Associate of Arts in Teaching degree.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This session describes the process of action research for all elementary education candidates culminating in a campus “Celebration” that documented both candidate impact on student learning and program outcomes.