Research Reports

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/924

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End date: 2019Subject: search.filters.subject.SOCIAL SCIENCES

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Now showing 1 - 8 of 8
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    Food for thought : increasing nutritional diversity by adapting to droughts in Timor-Leste's permaculture/agroecology garden schools : a research project presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of International Development, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2018) Marra, Peter
    The main aim of the research was to explore community resilience, and specifically whether and how garden schools that use permaculture/agroecology principles may be usefully contributing to adaptation to climate change and nutritional diversity in Timor-Leste. The research also aimed to investigate the challenge of implementing garden schools in Timor-Leste. Specifically, targets of the Sustainable Development Goals relating to water conservation, resilience and food security were utilized to measure the progress of garden schools. The above is embedded in a conceptual agroecology framework that assesses the resilience of food growing systems in relation to climate change as the schools utilize permaculture/agroecology principles, with permaculture being a form of agroecology. Timor-Leste is now faced with extreme climate patterns as a result of climate change that can lead to more prolonged droughts. This study used a qualitative methodolology, which included interviews of teachers with school gardens, to help understand how teachers and their students are adapting to these droughts. The study also examines nutritional diversity in schools and the benefits and challenges of implementing school gardens. Furthermore, the study explores the transfer of nutritional and gardening knowledge from schools to the community to increase community resilience. The research revealed that garden schools internationally improve students’ scientific understanding and agricultural knowledge and their taste for locally grown fruit and vegetables. The school gardens in Timor-Leste have multiple benefits with regard to improving educational outcomes and community resilience as a school garden transforms a schoolyard into a green laboratory for students to learn about nutrition, mathematics and linguistics.
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    Making relationships count : exploring how Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand can use monitoring and evaluation to develop trust-based relationships with tangata whenua partners : a research report presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of International Development, Institute of Development Studies, Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2016) Leuthart, Gretchen
    A culture of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) is now widespread in the development sector. Organisations are expected to measure progress and monitor results in order to determine the impact of their interventions. Yet despite relationships being central to effective development, there are very few frameworks or indicators to help measure the quality of trust - as the foundation of relationships. This research investigates ways to measure trust-based relationships. Drawing on a case study of Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand (Caritas), along with an extensive literature review, this report explores how Caritas can use M&E to reflect trust-based relationships with tangata whenua partners. Perspectives on M&E and specifically measuring trust, are explored from an Indigenous and Maori world view. Semi-structured interviews with five people representing Caritas and two of its Maori partners disclose behaviours that deepen trust. Through this exploration, an ongoing conversation about culturally competent M&E and the centrality of trust-based relationships in expanding evaluation practice is revealed. The insights expressed are presented as ten indicators of trust. Together with a foundational layer relying on cultural competence and shared vision, these indicators form a framework with trust at the centre. The ten signs of trust are; face to face, going beyond the minimally required, challenging and questioning, understanding time, interacting in the in-between spaces, listening genuinely, committing as an organisation, contributing funds and contributing new knowledge and connections. This report concludes that building strong, trusting relationships matters. They do count in order to achieve development that enables shared learning, empowerment and self determination. Cross cultural collaboration will be more meaningful when behaviours taht impact on trust are identified and regularly monitored. The emergent framework can be a practical tool for Caritas to use in monitoring and evaluating trust with its tangata whenua partners. It presents an opportunity to explore and reflect on dimensions of trust from a tangata whenua perspective, opens up the space for more dialogue with partners and invites a more collaborative approach towards doing development.
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    Capacity building and disaster response : a case study of NGOs' response to Cyclone Evan in Samoa : a research report presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Masters of International Development at Massey University, New Zealand
    (The Author, 2015) Pycroft, Virginia
    With natural disasters increasing both in number and economic impact, the challenge for governments is to effectively respond to the needs of affected communities. In difficult conditions, and often with resource constraints, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) have contributed to meeting the needs of affected communities during disaster responses. NGOs usually have flexible structures, which enable them to respond to a rapidly changing environment. They also often have strong links to the communities in which they work, which creates good synergies when responding to disasters. The involvement of NGOs in a disaster response has been discussed widely in the international community. The challenge is to ensure that NGOs have the capacity to respond effectively when the need arises. This report has a particular focus on Samoa and uses a capacity building lens to investigate a disaster response. It looks closely at the ability of NGOs to assist the Samoan government in a disaster response. The report used a document analysis and semi-structured interviews, with representatives from NGOs involved in the response to Cyclone Evan in 2012, to investigate capacity building in NGOs with a view to enabling them to respond effectively in disaster. The key finding of the report is that the ability of NGOs to form relationships with other stakeholders and to maintain those relationships between disaster responses is important to building partnerships that contribute to the effectiveness of a response.
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    Wind in the sails or captain of the Va'a? : the influence of the global education agenda in the Samoan education system : a research project presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of International Development at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (The Author, 2015) Tu'i, Nina Lucia
    The aim of this research was to explore the influence of an international education agenda, particularly through the Education for All goals and Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 2, on the education system of Samoa. The findings of the research indicate that the priorities of the Samoan education policy are closely related to this second Millennium Development Goal, in particular with regards to access to education. Samoan education policies also relate to the emerging Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) when addressing educational quality. The emphasis on international goals is problematic as these goals do not take into consideration the context or culture-specific needs of the country, but rather reflect a combination of various underlying theories such as rights-based approaches and economic theories. The involvement of donors in the education system of Samoa was found to be strongly influenced by MDG 2. It also became evident that donors give priority to their own interests and their funding can easily change as priorities in development shift. This research has also found that there is an indigenous education agenda being constructed by rich academic discussions about the goals and purpose of education in the Pacific. These discussions are reinforced by selected regional initiatives, such as the Re-thinking Education Initiative and the Pacific Regional Initiative for the Delivery of basic Education (PRIDE). Pacific education experts point out the importance of education being culturally relevant, as the current system is perceived as an alien force, and describe how, by its nature, the education system imposes incompatible values on the children of the Pacific. The Samoan education system was found to set its own course, while also incorporating international goals, donor priorities, the national level priorities and ideas presented by Pacific authors on education.
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    Learning English for a life of choice in New Zealand : a case study of Afghan women refugees' bilingual class experiences in Palmerston North : a research project presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of International Development Development Studies, Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand
    (The Author, 2015) Hermawan, Erika Soraya
    This thesis looks at the experiences of a group of women refugees learning English as part of their resettlement in New Zealand. The women’s husbands were working as interpreters for the New Zealand Police in Bamiyan, Afghanistan. To ensure their safety after the New Zealand Police were withdrawn, these Afghan families were invited to resettle in Palmerston North, New Zealand. To attain in-depth results, this research report focuses on the women’s efforts to integrate within the social life of New Zealand and their experiences in acquiring English as a tool to their successful resettlement program. A small study was conducted in the context of an English Language Partners’ (ELP) Bilingual English for Speakers of Other Language (ESOL)-Literacy class for refugees. Participants for this research were five Afghan women, two ELP’s ESOL teachers, and one of the women’s husbands. The methods used were semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, classroom observation, and curriculum analysis. This report is framed within adult pre-literacy education and investigates whether women refugees become empowered through taking literacy classes. Findings show that there are links between language acquisition within the refugees’ resettlement process and personal empowerment. Afghan women’s acquisition of English language skills has brought more personal control over their mobility and has changed relationships with their husbands to some extent since moving to New Zealand. Furthermore, the woman’s learning experiences have brought them to a level where they can move on from ELP to a higher English level class.
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    Evaluating contestable grants in facilitating NGO-government collaborative projects to create safer, peaceful communities : a case in Papua New Guinea : a research presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of International Development in Development Studies at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (The Author, 2014) Camilus, Betty
    Monitoring and evaluation is a key feature in contracting relationships between government, donors, private sector, NGOs and the wider civil society in law and justice service provision. However, less effort are placed on evaluating the impacts of NGO-Government collaborative projects funded with contestable grants to create safer, more peaceful communities. This research explores the role of monitoring and evaluation of projects funded with contestable grants focusing on issues and challenges raised by the lack of evaluation and identifies ways in which local communities define a successful collaborative NGO-Government project. The research proposes a potential evaluation pathway as a culturally appropriate monitoring and evaluation tool.
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    Indigenous rights and development : inequality constraints in Brazilian cities : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Master of International Development at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (The Author, 2013) Souza Zaiden, Soraya
    This thesis aims at identifying how indigenous rights, as part of a human rights approach to development, have been addressed by urban welfare policies in Brazil. As a starting point, this desk based study is primarily focused on an analysis of the impacts of urbanisation on indigenous livelihoods. Despite not being a new trend, urbanisation of indigenous people has exposed their situation of deprivation and disadvantage, and the increasing pressures of assimilation policies. Social indicators of urban indigenous communities’ wellbeing have pointed to a growing gap between indigenous and non-indigenous population. The access to distinct basic welfare provision is not only determinant in reducing disparities but would also represent the compliance of a state with the indigenous rights framework. This thesis investigates if and how the Brazilian social agenda is in compliance with and indigenous rights framework. The Brazilian government acknowledged Brazil as multi-ethnic, which is reflected in the domestic legal framework, and also in the ratification of international covenants and declarations related to indigenous rights. However, the need of the urban indigenous population for differentiated service provisions has represented a challenging matter in policy making. The existence of an implementation gap between the indigenous rights framework and their effective application is a relevant theme for analysis and evaluation, in order to identify the factors that are hindering state compliance with the standards that have already been legislated. To this regard, the experience of urban indigenous communities in Brazil is explored in two case studies, related to the Pankararu, in Sao Paulo, and the Terena, in Campo Grande. The outcomes of the mainstream welfare policies are also investigated through the lens of urban indigenous communities. Ultimately this thesis unveils the potential of the Brazilian state, as the duty-bearer of indigenous rights, as capable and responsible to unleash the realisation of indigenous expectations to overcome powerlessness, economic underdevelopment and cultural disruptions.
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    The evolution of benefit sharing agreements in Papua New Guinea : what are the lessons learnt and what are the prospects for the future? : a research presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of International Development in Development Studies at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (The Author, 2013) Anoser, Killian Saulmai
    With an abundance of natural resources, the extractive and fishery exploitation at a developed stage, Papua New Guinea (PNG) should have been at the top end of the developing world, however, this has not materialised. PNG is going through the dilemmas of development through high rate of resource exploitation and unequal distribution of benefits that is having detrimental effect on the economy and general living standard. Many have questioned why this situation has existed without being addressed. It is also acknowledged here that there has been much literature that has been written on the environment and social impacts of resource project, however, there has been little written on the benefits flowing through to those people affected by resource developments. This report attempts to address those benefit sharing issues. A review of past and current projects and how they distributed benefits has provided a baseline from which the most important elements for future benefit sharing have been identified. These are that BSA are negotiated, legally binding agreements that recognise property rights, are internationally recognised, they allocate and demarcate responsibilities and ensure development coherence. Using these characteristics, a fair and equitable benefit sharing could then be developed for resource projects in Papua New Guinea.