Immigration and the path dependence of education: the case of German‐speakers in São Paulo,Brazil (1840–1920)

This article studies the path dependence of human capital accumulation in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. It focuses on the impacts of German‐speaking immigrants on education through three channels: their share of the population in the nineteenth century, their on‐the‐job skills, and the schools they founded. Using a new dataset based on almanacs from 1873 and 1888, these effects are evaluated for the nineteenth, early twentieth, and early twenty‐first centuries. The article shows that the institutionalized demand for education of these immigrants, reflected by the establishment of schools, was their main contribution to the accumulation of human capital. The effect of German schools on educational levels required a period to mature and dissipated over time. Nevertheless, its influence was substantial at the beginning of the twentieth century, affecting enrolment levels in private and state schools, a result that suggests the existence of spillover and contagion effects. Moreover, current indicators for stocks and flows of human capital in São Paulo are strongly associated with their historical levels. At the same time, this path dependence is conditional on the type of school: while a positive persistence is found for the private system throughout the twentieth century, convergence occurred in state schools.     

The economics of the private finance initiative

This article outlines and assesses the private finance initiativein the UK. The initiative has been slow to develop despite pressurefrom governments (anxious to limit the PSBR) and several revampsto facilitate the PFI approach. Within a PFI project there arebeneficial incentives to avoid cost over-runs but not to reducecosts where they affect long-run services. These incentivesand the limits to their effectiveness are explored. Such contractsrequire the transfer of risk from the public to the privatesector. the role and pricing of risk in the PFI is analysed.It is argued that the PFI does not value risk correctly andthat the value for money test is biased against private-sectorprovision. Policy implications are discussed, including a revampof the value for money test and the introduction of explicitassessment of the impact of potential renegotiation and othercontractual difficulties.     

Financial improvement planning in local governments in Southern Africa,with special reference to Zambia

Continuing decentralisation in most developing countries increases pressure on local governments to manage more functions and services and larger budgets. In this context, financial improvement planning (FIP) is a strategy that can be used by local governments wishing to improve or ‘fine‐tune’ their financial performance, and especially by those facing serious financial difficulties. This article examines the application of FIP in the town of Kitwe, Zambia, which faces financial difficulties within a national decentralisation framework characterised by several policy and fiscal deficiencies. The article covers how an FIP framework was developed, undertaken and the resultant interventions structured. Implications regarding the role, design and techniques of FIP in local governments within a decentralisation policy framework are elaborated upon. Effective decentralisation in southern African countries requires local governments to undertake sound financial management. In turn, this requires local governments to embrace challenging local policy processes. Development of FIP techniques, and strengthening local capacity and policy to support them in local governments, should be ingredients of any country's decentralisation programme.     

Meeting Magnet research evidence-based practice expectations through hospital-based research centers

Hospital-based nursing research centers can create the structures and processes needed to promote and sustain research and evidence-based practice (EBP) and assist in the monitoring of care delivery outcomes. At the University of Rochester Medical Center, New York, a highly successful nursing research center has succeeded in creating a Magnet environment that incorporates research and EBP into strategic planning, individual employee performance review, and organizational processes. Support of a hospital-based research center can provide the foundation for an infrastructure that supports achievement of Magnet designation research and EBP criteria. The costs pertain primarily to the staff required to develop and manage the center and the educational programs offered through it. Based on the experience at this center, administrators should plan 3-5 years before significant impact is seen in terms of numbers of consultations performed and tangible increases in staff and leadership participation in research and EBP initiatives.