Consensus building in safety and security: a case study of Fukushima evacuees returning home

This study examines consensus building in environmental and energy policies by analyzing the minutes of the safety and security committee of the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) of the Japanese government, in the context of the discussion of the safe return of Fukushima evacuees after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami and the subsequent Fukushima nuclear disaster. One important issue associated with evacuation policies was the high number of evacuees, if not all, who were not willing to return to their old homes. Although the contents of governmental committee meetings are freely accessible through the internet, they have been rarely analyzed for these purposes. In this study, we used text-mining techniques to analyze NRA committee minutes quantitatively and qualitatively. We have three primary findings. First, the committee attempted to take evacuees’ feelings into account and pragmatically discuss what was needed to restore their lives and livelihoods, as well as to make its meetings transparent and open to the public by, for example, streaming them live on the internet. Second, in earlier committee meetings, government representatives insisted on specific policies made by themselves to control the return of evacuees. However, outside experts at the meetings convinced representatives that decisions regarding issues surrounding the safe return of evacuees should consider the opinions of the evacuees themselves. Third, the NRA reported the outcome of the meetings at a Cabinet meeting to accelerate policies requiring urgent implementation as well as those related to the alleviation of people’s anxieties regarding exposure to radioactivity or those related to equal treatment among those who wanted to voluntarily move away from the affected areas versus those who want to return to their homes. Finally, this analysis further identified a number of issues concerning citizen participation and governance associated with environment and energy policies, all of which need to be overcome in order to establish consensus among concerned stakeholders.     

Are ICTs promoting government accountability?: A comparative analysis of e-governance developments in 19 OECD countries

This paper tries to assess to what extent Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) enable better accountability in public bureaucracies through e-governance initiatives. Accountability has extended its meaning to embrace, besides financial accountability, openness and transparency initiatives which aim at making both the control of government by the citizenry and public discussion between citizens and governments easier. New styles of governance represent a change from traditional bureaucratic systems to pluricentric systems. This article conducts an empirical study of the effect of ICTs on accountability in the central governments of the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and 15 EU countries, the latter representing around 84% of the EU population. Our analysis shows that developments and changes in financial accountability levels depend on both the context and characteristics of public administration styles and on how information is disclosed. The results in the political and citizen dialogue dimensions of public accountability show that the application of ICTs to the public sector, fits well into any kind of public administration style, especially at the billboard stage, since it does not entail substantial changes in the style of the government to citizen (G2C) relationship.     

新农村建设中重建农民组织的几个问题

中国农村推行村民民主选举村委会二十几年并没有取得良好的治理绩效,原因之一是政治民主缺少社会自治的基础。当前,新农村建设中村民选举存在的问题、农民"主体"性缺失问题、农村公共事务无人管理问题、农民不能作为平等权利主体参与市场经济问题、农村行政成本畸高和"交易成本"问题等都凸显出重建农民组织的重要。因此,中国农村最需要的应该是在村庄一级发展农民组织,实行有效的自治。     

财政预决算信息公开问题研究综述

本文从预决算信息公开的概念、重要性、评估、建议四个方面,对预决算信息公开问题进行综述。预决算信息公开在保障公众知情权,加强监督、防治腐败,加快政府转型、促进“服务型”、“责任型”政府建设,推动政治体制改革、提高政府治理能力,实现“中国梦”方面具有重要意义。预决算信息公开的评估主要是根据具体原则要求,设立相对应的评价指标体系进行评估。建立预算公开的顶层制度设计、完善预算公开的相关法律法规、提高预算信息公开的质量和获取的便利性、引入公民参与机制等措施能够提升预决算信息公开的程度。通过综述,得出,即重视和分析预算、决算两方面信息的重要性,并对其进行对比绩效分析来促进财政信息公开。     

Civil Liberties, Democracy, and the Performance of Government Projects

This article uses a cross-national data set on the performanceof government investment projects financed by the World Bankto examine the link between government efficacy and governance.It demonstrates a strong empirical link between civil libertiesand the performance of government of projects. Even after controllingfor other determinants of performance, countries with the strongestcivil liberties have projects with an economic rate of return8–22 percentage points higher than countries with theweakest civil liberties. The strong effect of civil libertiesholds true even when controlling for the level of democracy. The interrelationship among civil liberties, civil strife, andproject performance suggests that the possible mechanism ofcausation is from more civil liberties to increased citizenvoice to better projects. This result adds to the evidence forthe view that increasing citizen voice and public accountability—throughboth participation and better governance—can lead to greaterefficacy in government action.     

绿色投资者发挥作用吗？——来自企业参与绿色治理的经验研究

本文以2006-2016年沪深A股上市公司为样本,实证检验绿色投资者对企业参与绿色治理的影响作用。研究发现:存在绿色投资者的企业更可能实施绿色行动、增加绿色支出和提高绿色治理绩效。进一步研究表明,绿色投资者对绿色行动的促进作用在弱环保意识地区的企业中更加明显、对企业绿色支出的促进作用在重污染企业和国有企业中更加明显,而绿色投资者对企业绿色治理绩效的提升作用在非重污染企业、弱环保意识地区和国有企业中更加明显。此外,本文还发现更可能实施绿色行动、较高绿色支出和绿色治理绩效的企业,越可能获得绿色投资者的认同;除绿色支出负向影响企业经营绩效之外,绿色行动和绿色治理绩效均有利于提高企业经营绩效。本文研究结论不仅丰富了有关机构投资者和企业绿色治理领域的文献,对完善绿色金融体系和实现绿色发展战略也具有一定的启示意义。     

公众参与、监管信息公开与城市环境治理 ——基于35个重点城市的面板数据分析

依据2011-2017年中国35个重点城市面板数据,考量公众参与、监管信息公开对城市环境治理的影响.结果表明:公众参与度提高能形成对政府环境规制和企业污染排放的监督,降低城市污染物的排放强度;监管信息公开能缓解政府、企业和公众之间的信息不对称,提高公众环境认知能力,强化对公众参与城市环境治理的行为激励.畅通公众环境利益诉求的反馈渠道,构建基于环境监管信息公开沟通平台,有助于提高公众和政府共同推进城市环境治理的积极性和有效性.     

The first steps towards harmonizing public sector accounting for European Union member states: strategies and perspectives

This paper analyses the process that led the European Commission to the decision to develop European Public Sector Accounting Standards (EPSAS) for harmonizing public sector accounting practices within the European Union. The paper finds that there was limited scope in terms of stakeholder participation in the public consultation that served as a basis for the decision. In addition, the decision to adopt EPSAS for EU member states raises questions on the relationship between regional and global governance in the area of public sector accounting.     

城市社区业主委员会发展困境与对策

随着我国经济发展和社会管理的复杂化,多元主体、社区治理是现代社会基层管理的必然方向,业主委员会这一公民自治组织将成为重要的社会互动载体。本文通过梳理社区自治理论及公共治理理论,描述社区业主委员会发展现状并分析其困境,尝试提出突破业主委员会发展瓶颈的对策建议。     

Local Government Audit Committees: A Behaviour Framework for Effective Audit Committee Performance

Stakeholders will always be more receptive to the creation of structured and credible systems that pull participants towards good governance outcomes which serve to remove temptation rather than systems that attempt to push or otherwise coerce people into a state of compliance. This paper uses behavioural theory as an interpretative lens to explain the actions and effectiveness of public sector audit committees. Financial probity, independence to avoid conflicts of interest and conformance to ethical practices are the tenets of effective governance. Audit committees can be one of the mechanisms to monitor the risks of the public sector and the executive management team especially where ‘self‐interest’ conflicts with the governance requirements of legislation, societal norms and community expectations. An effective audit committee can provide behavioural oversight of governance processes, although one cannot legislate for integrity and honesty. The presence of an effective and contributing audit committee in local government negates a councillor from listening or subverting positive actions and provides a signal to external stakeholders of organisational risks.     

社区治理中的公共参与和基层管理

社区治理是目前我国多元化社区组成与加强社会管理的必然选择。在我国,社区作为国家与社会的连结点,社区治理的实现需要基层管理与公共参与之间的良性互动。本文通过分析社区基层管理与公共参与的不可或缺以及二者之间互动存在的问题,旨在探索中国特色社区治理的改进之路。     

CalPERS基金运作机制及对我国企业年金的借鉴

本文研究了美国最大的公共养老基金——加利福尼亚州公共雇员养老基金（CalPERS）的运作机制，包括治理横式、参与公司治理以及投资组台构成等，分析了CalPERS的改革动向及其含义，提出了强化我国企业年金理事会职责，改革企业年金理事会成员构成、引入外部独立理事、积极参与公司治理、投资组合多样化等政策主张。     

“How are you vulnerable?”: Using participation for vulnerability analysis in emergency planning

Scientists in many fields of research have developed models, theories, and concepts attempting to grasp and manage dangers that are often difficult to imagine. Among the different perspectives, the science and technology studies (STS) vulnerability approach seems very promising. Relying on a constructivist paradigm, it is based on an inductive collection and analysis of a wide range of factors, with a particular focus on cultural factors and actual day-to-day practices. In this paper, we present the roots of this approach and we display findings based on three case studies exploring emergency planning in three different contexts (a city near a SEVESO plant, a school near a nuclear plant, and a city confronted to multiple catastrophic scenarios). The cases studies were realized by conducting three Focus Groups with different types of stakeholders (citizens, teachers, firemen, decision-makers, etc.). After presenting the results of the case studies, we discuss how stakeholders’ participation can inform such type of vulnerability analysis in the context of emergency planning. We argue that participation fosters a deep understanding of actual safety governance practices which allows innovative results to emerge as well as it initiates a learning process among the participants. It contributes to questioning the relations between decision-makers, experts, and citizens. It has the potential of bypassing the positivist and quantitative rationale of safety, and thus, of redefining the vulnerability governance. As a conclusion, we question the role of such STS vulnerability approach within the actual vulnerability governance.     

信息透明度、公司治理与中小股东参与

本文利用深交所社会公众股东网络投票的数据,研究了公司信息透明度、中小股东参与公司决策与治理以及其他治理机制之间的关系。经验证据表明当公司信息透明度越差,中小投资者参加投票的积极性越高。上市公司的股权结构会影响中小股东的投票参与率,并且上述关系在信息透明度更差的公司中更显著。进一步分析发现,中小股东参与公司治理能够提高公司未来绩效,并且这种绩效改善在信息透明度更差的公司中更为明显。本文说明中小股东参与公司治理能有效地缓解代理问题,而公司信息透明度会影响其效果的发挥。     

With a Little Help From My Friends: Managing Public Participation in Local Government

As the system of Best Value develops and matures, this article argues that there is a need within the literature for more research into the micro-management processes of public participation within local government. The article presents the findings of a study into the management of 'friends' groups as a form of public participation in a Best Value pilot council for parks and grounds maintenance situated in northern England. The conclusion is that this form of innovative community involvement is unlikely to be successful without substantial two-way commitment on the part of both the local council and the community, and unless parks officers are able to manage groups of this kind through their clearly demarcated developmental stages.     

Co-commissioning of public services and outcomes in the UK: Bringing co-production into the strategic commissioning cycle

Commissioning as a planning, resource mobilization and prioritization activity needs to harness user and community co-production of public services and outcomes. Based on a public value model, we map how commissioners can go beyond traditional consultation and participation processes to achieve co-commissioning with citizens. Moreover, we discuss how public sector organizations can use their strategic commissioning process to support and embed citizen voice and action in their problem prevention, treatment and rehabilitation strategies to achieve the quality of life outcomes desired by both citizens and public service commissioners.     

Knowledge balance sheets in Austrian universities: The implementation,use, and re-shaping of measurement and management practices

The aim of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of how a mandatory external (mostly) non-financial reporting process, labelled Knowledge Balance Sheets (KBS), is interpreted and used by different stakeholders in the Austrian university system. We are also interested in how the content and structure of the report transforms over time, how the possible link to the internal management control agenda is made, and how it reshapes organizational routines. The paper applies a critical approach where mostly non-financial, intellectual capital-related measurement, management, and reporting processes and structures are being questioned and discussed from different perspectives.This study is based on a qualitative case study approach where a number of semi-structured interviews have been conducted in various Austrian universities at different management levels over a period of approximately one year. In addition, interviews have been held with other stakeholders of universities (e.g., representatives from the ministry) and with members of the working group dealing with the KBS at the supra-university level. An inductively oriented methodology was chosen to obtain a deeper understanding of the current (management) interpretation and use of the KBS, both externally and internally. This paper aims to investigate the practice of KBS in order to build new knowledge relating to both externally oriented reporting and internally oriented management control.The findings indicate that as a reporting-tool, the KBS is embedded in a broader framework of governance and accountability regarding public universities, and interlinks the following different reporting-formats: (1) the KBS itself, (2) the performance report, and (3) the financial statement of accounts. Rectors, deans, and management accountants have highlighted different parts of the framework as important and problematic. However, it is obvious that governing via externally oriented reports and rules of accountability also has relevance to internal management decision and control agendas.Furthermore, there is an on-going debate about measuring, benchmarking, and standardizing qualities within and between universities. Scientific professionals generally question the viability of only one standardized reporting format for scientific outcomes, while the administrative staff usually promotes the necessity of such a report – for example, with respect to benchmarking routines. By analysing the practices triggered by KBS reporting, we contribute to the discussion of how performance (measures and targets) can be represented, interpreted, and acted upon within public organizations in general and within public universities in particular.     

塑造政治人:高校政治学专业培养目标释义

本文从宏观和微观两重视角出发,阐释了政治学专业对于培养人的内在品质与公共价值、公共政治意识、公民品质、公共之善的重要性。指明了我国高校政治学专业培养目标的现状及其面临的诸多问题。并结合当前形式,从教学模式、学校管理、社会需求等方面阐释了其优化路径。     

A literature review on the relationship between risk governance and public engagement in relation to complex environmental issues

Abstract

Over the last two decades demands for greater public engagement have emerged in policy circles and academia, particularly when it comes to risk-related decision-making, or risk governance. However, the literature shows there is a lack of evidence when it comes to the impact of public engagement initiatives and significant questions remain over who to include, what processes to follow and what outcomes to expect. Furthermore, the literature exhibits contradictions in how researchers with different theoretical approaches attempt to answer these kinds of questions. This paper therefore proposes a systematic literature review in order to map the current breadth and variation in the literature and to identify any major variations from previous findings. A methodical search query has been applied to Scopus and Web of Science to search for academic articles. These were subsequently assessed for their suitability through a structured literature selection process. The results identify a number of methodologically different approaches in which knowledge on risk governance and public engagement has been developed. These diverse approaches are eventually grouped into clusters based on similarities in co-citations and references that are identified through bibliometrics and a subsequent content analysis. The proposed clusters have been labeled risk governance; environmental science, policy and governance; disaster risk management; science and technology studies; post-normal science; and public understanding of science. These six clusters are ultimately discussed and differentiated based on their main features which is particularly relevant for researchers and policy-makers seeking to get an understanding of, or broaden their disciplinary engagement with, risk governance and public engagement.     

党组织参与治理与国有企业金融化

本文基于中国特色国有企业公司治理视角分析党组织参与治理在解决国有企业金融化中的作用,并以2006—2018年A股国有上市公司为样本进行实证检验。理论分析方面,通过整合金融化“预防性动机”“投机动机”和“盈余管理动机”构建综合的机制分析框架。实证研究发现,党组织通过“双向进入”“交叉任职”参与治理,有效抑制了企业金融化的“投机动机”和“盈余管理动机”,显著降低了国有企业金融化程度。党组织参与治理的效果在“讨论前置”实施前后、不同层级国有企业间以及不同方式的“双向进入”安排中存在显著差异。进一步研究发现,党组织参与治理对金融资产收益率没有影响,但显著提高了风险金融资产的市场价值。本文有助于丰富和发展中国情境下公司治理理论,为抑制国有资本“脱实向虚”、促进实体经济健康发展提供了政策启示。