Call for Proposals: Integrating Community Indicators and Performance Measures

The Community Indicators Consortium (CIC), as part of a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, is seeking proposals to write "Real Stories" of communities, organizations, and/or jurisdictions that have tried, successfully and not so successfully, to integrate community indicators and organizational performance measures.

The Real Stories project is intended to provide real life examples of the advantages and challenges to both community indicator and organizational performance measurement projects as a result of integrating or linking these two types of efforts. The published Real Stories, from 5-20 pages in length, will be used to advance the knowledge of community indicators-organizational performance measures integration and for training and other outreach material to community leaders as a way to improve or inform decision-making and create measurable, positive change in communities.

We are looking for proposals from individuals and groups who are directly involved in these efforts as well as individuals and organizations that work with community indicator and performance measurement projects. A stipend of $2,000 will be awarded for each Real Stories published.Three-to-five Real Stories will be selected for publication in 2010.

The deadline for submitting proposals for the 2010 Call for Real Stories is June 22, 2010. Notification of selected proposals and guidelines for development will be sent on July 15th. The deadline for the written first draft is September 15, 2010.

Visit the CIC web site for more information about the Real Stories project and the call for proposals. You can also download the Real Stories Proposal submittal form for more details, or contact the Project Steering committee at CIPM@communityindicators.net

Sincerely,

Allen Lomax and Cheryle Broom
Integrating Community Indicators and Performance Measures Co-Chairs

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Call for Papers: Housing Data

From: American Housing Survey (AHS) ListServ <ahs@huduser.org>:

Cityscape is a scholarly journal published three times per year by the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development's Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R). You can read more about it an access past issues at http://www.huduser.org/periodicals/cityscape.html . I am the editor of the Data Shop department, which publishes short (3000 word) articles on the use of data in housing and urban research. Data Shop articles are aimed at researchers in these fields and intended to alert them to new data, novel applications of existing data, and the operational difficulties of data use. The official description of the department runs:

"Data Shop, a department of Cityscape, presents short articles or notes on the uses of data in housing and urban research. Through this department, PD&R introduces readers to new and overlooked data sources and to improved techniques in using well-known data. The emphasis is on sources and methods that analysts can use in their own work. Researchers often run into knotty data problems involving data interpretation or manipulation that must be solved before a project can proceed, but they seldom get to focus in detail on the solutions to such problems."

If you are interested in contributing such a note, please send me an abstract by November 13 in order to be considered for the July 2010 issue. The timeline would be I would notify you of selection by December 1, and I would want a draft by February 1, with a final version by February 19. If you are interested in making a contribution but cannot meet these deadlines, please send me an abstract for possible publication in later issues.

Dav Vandenbroucke
Senior Economist
U.S. Dept. HUD
david.a.vandenbroucke@hud.gov
202-402-5890

(Hat tip: Glenn Brown)

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Call for Chapters: Best Practices in Community QOL Indicators

Call for Chapters
Special Volume on
Community Quality-of-Life Indicators: Best Practices V
Published by Springer in the new
Best Practices in Quality-of-Life Research Book Series

Volume Focus: This volume will publish best practices of community quality-of-life indicators projects. The first volume was published by Kluwer Academic Publishers in 2004 (edited by M. Joseph Sirgy, Don Rahtz, and Dong-Jin Lee). The second volume was published by Springer in 2006 (edited by M. Joseph Sirgy, Don Rahtz, and David Swain). The third and fourth volumes were published by Springer (visit www.springer.com and type “Community Quality-of-Life Indicators” in the Search window) and the International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies (both edited by M. Joseph Sirgy, Rhonda Phillips, and Don Rahtz).

For the fifth volume, we are seeking excellent case studies that can be used by community planners, policy makers and others as good examples or “prototypes” of community quality-of-life indicator projects. Papers dealing with theoretical issues in planning, developing, and using community quality-of-life indicators are not suitable for this volume. Instead, they should be sent for review and possible publication in Social Indicators Research (SIR) or Applied Research in Quality-of-Life (ARQOL). The fifth volume will be published in the new book series, Best Practices in Quality-of-Life Research. The book series editor is Dr. Dave Webb of the University of Western Australia.

Volume Editors: M. Joseph Sirgy (Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, USA), Rhonda Phillips (Arizona State University, USA), and Don Rahtz (College of William and Mary, USA)

Submission Deadline: December 31st, 2009

Submit to: M. Joseph Sirgy, Department of Marketing, Pamplin College of Business, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061-0236, USA. Tel: 540.231.5110. Fax: 540.231.3076. E-mail: sirgy@vt.edu

Submission Guidelines:

• The paper should be typed in either Arial or Times Roman, font size 10-12 with a margin of 1 inch on all sides.
• The paper should be typed either 1½ or double-spaced.
• Paper length should not exceed 30 pages in total including references, tables, and figures.
• Reference style: American Psychological Association (APA) style is preferred.
• E-mail attachment is the preferred mode of submission. Submit paper electronically to sirgy@vt.edu.
• All submissions should be original and not previously published. The submitted paper should not be submitted simultaneously to other publication outlets.

Guidelines for Paper Selection and Final Manuscript Preparation:

• Each paper will be subjected to a review by 2-3 referees who are experts in the field.
• The editors in consultation with the referees will make the final decision concerning acceptance or rejection.
• Notification of acceptance or rejection will be sent out by the end of January 2010.
• It is very likely that the editors will request changes to the accepted papers based on the reviewers’ suggestions. We will forward a production schedule once all papers are reviewed.
  

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CSIN Conference: Accountability through Measurement

The Canadian Sustainability Indicators Network (CSIN) is hosting the 2nd National CSIN Conference in Toronto from March 2 to 5, 2010 (Mark your calendars!) In conjunction with that conference, they have an extended a Call for Papers -- submit a short abstract by July 15, 2009. More information is available at CSIN.

The conference looks pretty exciting. Featured guest speakers include Enrico Giovannini, who is fun to listen to and will be able to report on what happened at the OECD’s Charting Progress, Building Visions, Improving Life World Forum in South Korea on October 2009, and Hazel Henderson, who is absolutely fabulous and one of the really amazing thinkers about future sustainability and the key role indicators can play in redefining what's important. (And I double-checked -- you don't have to be Canadian to attend!)

Here's what Christa Rust, CSIN Coordinator, has to say about the conference:

It will showcase an exciting, thought-provoking array of plenary and parallel sessions on vital topics all geared towards strengthening accountability through measurement. The Conference will give delegates the chance to connect with special guest speakers, CSIN members, fellow measurement and reporting practitioners, and to actively participate in a wide range of solutions-based, practical learning workshops. You’ll discuss everything from Accountability through Measurement and the growing role of community indicators to the positive effects that indicators systems and evidence-based decisionmaking are achieving in the world, today.

As many of you are aware, CSIN is housed in the Measurement and Assessment program area at the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) Head Office in Winnipeg. We connect the Institute with international, national, provincial, regional and local communities. Since 2003, our Network has played a key role in the progress toward sustainable development by advancing best practices in measurement and indicator systems across Canada and beyond.

Now as our membership nears 1,000, next March is an ideal time for us to meet and talk, share ideas and insights and look to the future. Accountability through Measurement is our theme. Why? Because the question of how one accurately gauges progress towards social, economic and environmental sustainability–is one of the most profound governance challenges of this century. The focus of our 2010 conference: Measurement Solutions at Work. Our workshops and plenary discussions are geared for professionals eager to learn practical techniques that demonstrate how to develop and evaluate indicator systems and put them to use wherever they work.

2010 Conference themes are: Strengthening Sustainable Development Governance through Measurement, Getting the Message Across – Innovation in the Visualization of Indicators, From Information to Influence–Incorporating Indicators into Decision-Making, Experiences and Best Practices, and The Business of Sustainability Indicators.

Designed to peak your interest, spark lively discussions and directly benefit you in your workplace, workshops will be recorded and available after the event – for a nominal fee – to all CSIN members.

Don’t miss our Special Guest Speakers: Enrico Giovannini of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and from Ethical Markets – author, futurist and syndicated columnist – Hazel Henderson.

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Call for “Real Stories” proposals

Here's an announcement from the Community Indicators Consortium I need to pass along:

Call for “Real Stories” proposals

The Community Indicators Consortium (CIC), as part of a grant with the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, is seeking proposals to write “Real Stories” of communities, organizations and/or jurisdictions that have tried—successfully and not-so-successfully—to integrate community indicators and organizational performance measures.

For the purposes of the Real Stories project:

• Community indicators are generally measures of conditions or outcomes important to community residents, such as sustaining the natural environment or maintaining a vital economy or taking part in arts and cultural activities
• Performance measures are generally management results, outputs of services, efficiency, or outcome measures tracked by specific agencies or organizations that provide services or benefits to the public, such as parks and recreation or maintaining roads and sewers or improving public health and safety.

The Real Stories project is intended to provide real life examples of the advantages and challenges to both community indicator and organizational performance measurement projects as a result of integrating these two types of efforts:

• community indicators would have a greater influence on what governments and organizations do to improve a community and
• governments’ and organizations’ performance measures would be more relevant to the community conditions of the greatest concern to citizens and other key community stakeholders.

Although governments and communities may actually have the same desired ultimate outcomes, and while there are hundreds of community indicator projects and as many or more performance measurement programs, there is limited published information of efforts to integrate these two types of projects. Documenting these stories as well as tools and practices that practitioners have used will allow other communities and jurisdictions to learn from and improve on these integration efforts.

Proposals must be submitted as a Microsoft Word format document using the Real Story Proposal Submittal Form provided at the end of this call for proposals. The information required includes:

• a brief description of the community/jurisdiction to be studied,
• why this community/jurisdiction was chosen for study,
• the major topics or concepts to be covered,
• key tools and processes the community/jurisdiction used for integrating community indicators and performance measures successfully, not-so-successfully, or toward creating opportunities for improvements, and
• proposed methodology for developing the Real Story.

In addition, the following information is required for the proposed the author(s)

• Contact information (name, organization, address, phone number and email address)
• A brief bio
• A brief description of author(s) knowledge or experience with community indicators and/or performance measures.

Please include all information in a single MS Word document, using single spacing, Arial font, size 10. The proposals must also follow the length for each section as listed in the Real Story Submittal Form.

Submittals should be sent to CIPM@communityindicators.net with “Real Story Proposal” in the subject line and the proposal form as an attached Word document. Please do not include additional attachments. Proposals are due no later than June 15, 2009. Only proposals submitted electronically will be considered.

The proposals will be reviewed through a peer review process and those selected will be notified by June 30, 2009. The proposal selection criteria broadly include:

1. Relevance to the benefits of integrating community indicator and performance measurement efforts
2. Barriers to such integration and methods used to removing such barriers
3. The stage of development of the effort studied
4. Demonstrated and documented results
5. Methods and techniques that worked and did not work
6. Potential for replication of the individual community efforts

Authors of the selected proposals will be asked to develop their proposals into fully developed Real Stories (from 5-20 pages in length) by the deadlines listed below. Each Real Story selected should include:
• an in-depth discussion (specific community/jurisdiction and why it was chosen, citizen and key stakeholder engagement, resulting community improvements),
• descriptions of the tools and methods used for integration which could be applicable for other communities, and
• a one-page ‘Project Highlights’ that will provide summaries for specific target audiences of practitioners and decision-makers.

Each chosen Real Story will be peered reviewed again before it is recommended for publication. CIC will use an editor to ensure consistency among the Real Stories and clarity of discussion in the Real Stories’ documents. Authors of the Real Stories chosen for publication will receive a stipend of $2,000. Three-to-four Real Stories will be selected for publication in 2009. There will be another call for Real Story proposals in 2010.

Real Stories deadlines
6/15/09 - Submission of Real Stories proposals for peer review
6/30/09 - Notification of selected proposals and guidelines for development
9/18/09 - Submission of Real Stories first draft for peer review
11/15/09 - Approval of final draft Real Stories
12/31/09 - Publication of year-one selected Real Stories

Proposals due no later than June 15, 2009, to CIPM@communityindicators.net

Questions should be emailed to Maureen Hart, CIC Executive Director: at ed@communityindicators.net

For more information about CIC, please visit our web site at www.communityindicators.net

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Call for Presentations: CIC Conference

The Community Indicators Consortium has issued a call for proposals for presentations, panels, posters, and workshops as well as sponsors and exhibitors.

The conference, to be held October 1-October 2, 2009 at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue Washington, USA, has the theme: "Community Indicators as Tools for Social Change: Tracking Change and Increasing Accountability."

More information about the conference, including a PDF for the call for proposals, is available here. Proposals are due by June 4, 2009.

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Call for Papers: Sustainability Conference

SIXTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ENVIRONMENTAL, CULTURAL, ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY
University of Cuenca, Ecuador
5-7 January 2010
http://www.SustainabilityConference.com

Here's a note from the conference organizing committee:

We are particularly excited about holding this year's Sustainability Conference in Cuenca, Ecuador. Ecuador is a country of remarkable environmental and cultural resources, and has made significant progress in their sustenance. The Galapagos Islands, for instance, were designated Ecuador's first national park in 1959 and remain one of the most biologically diverse and unique locations in the world. The Cuenca city center, a UNESCO World Heritage Trust site, continues as a site of picturesque and historically important architecture.

This Conference aims to develop a holistic view of sustainability, in which environmental, cultural and economic issues are inseparably interlinked. It will work in a multidisciplinary way, across diverse fields and taking varied perspectives in order to address the fundamentals of sustainability.

The Conference will includes numerous paper, workshop and colloquium presentations by practitioners, teachers and researchers. We would particularly like to invite you to respond to the Conference Call-for-Papers. Presenters may choose to submit written papers for publication in the fully refereed International Journal of Environmental, Cultural, Economic and social Sustainability. If you are unable to attend the Conference in person, virtual registrations are also available which allow you to submit a paper for refereeing and possible publication, as well as access to the Journal.

Whether you are a virtual or in-person presenter at this Conference, we also encourage you to present on the Conference YouTube Channel. Please select the Online Sessions link on the Conference website for further details.

The deadline for the next round in the call for papers (a title and short

abstract) is 14 May 2009. Future deadlines will be announced on the Conference website after this date. Proposals are reviewed within two weeks of submission. Full details of the Conference, including an online proposal submission form, may be found at the Conference website

- http://www.SustainabilityConference.com/.

We look forward to receiving your proposal and hope you will be able to join us in Cuenca in January 2010.

Yours Sincerely,

Lucia Astidillo

University of Cuenca, Ecuador

For the Advisory Board, International Conference and Journal on Environmental, Cultural, Economic and Social Sustainability

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Call for Proposals: Seminar on Innovative Approaches to Turn Statistics into Knowledge

This looks really interesting:

SEMINAR ON INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO TURN STATISTICS INTO KNOWLEDGE

Note: Presentation proposals are due before April 15.

Main meeting page: http://www.oecd.org/progress/ict/statknowledge

***
While dynamic graphics and communication tools are at the heart of the seminar, the meeting will also focus on a broader range of tools. The seminar will also include the use of videos, as explored by GapMinder and others, and participative approaches, as seen in some web 2.0 initiatives; and – although innovative tools are themselves of great interest, and worthy of being presented at the seminar – the focus of the seminar will be on innovative applications of tools, for example, so-called story-telling applications.

Venue
The seminar is hosted by the US Census Bureau and is arranged jointly by the Census Bureau, the OECD and the World Bank. It will be held on 15-16 July in the headquarters of the US Census Bureau located in Suitland, Maryland, just outside of Washington, DC (metro station "Suitland" on green line).

Format
It will be a two-day seminar in plenum, with no parallel sessions. There will be around 20 presentations and discussants will be allocated to the sessions. A few panels may be organized. The conference will be video recorded, allowing other interested parties to watch it later on the seminar website.

Purpose
The seminar should contribute to the development of tools to help people transform statistics into knowledge and decisions. A first condition for statistics to be used this way is that relevant statistics become known, available, and understood by wider audiences. The seminar is held in the context of the OECD Global Project on “Measuring the Progress of Societies”. It should contribute to one of the goals quoted in the Istanbul Declaration: "produce a broader, shared, public understanding of changing conditions, while highlighting areas of significant change or inadequate knowledge".

Scope
The seminar can be seen as a continuation of the previous seminars organized in Rome and Stockholm and of the first International Exhibition on “Innovative Tools to Transform Information into Knowledge”, organized during the second OECD World Forum on “Statistics, Knowledge and Policy” (Istanbul, 27-30 June 2007).

We want to look at tools and applications for making statistics more popular, while avoiding the pitfalls of populism, over-simplification or propaganda. We want to base all these initiatives on scientific standards, observing the basic principles of objectivity and good communication. We would therefore welcome experts in statistical methodology, cognitive science, and communication as active participants in the workshop.

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Call for Chapters: Community Quality-of-Life Indicators: Best Practices V

Call for Chapters

Special Volume on

Community Quality-of-Life Indicators: Best Practices V

Published by Springer in the new

Best Practices in Quality-of-Life Research Book Series

Volume Focus: This volume will publish best practices of community quality-of-life indicators projects. The first volume was published by Kluwer Academic Publishers in 2004 (edited by M. Joseph Sirgy, Don Rahtz, and Dong-Jin Lee). The second volume was published by Springer in 2006 (edited by M. Joseph Sirgy, Don Rahtz, and David Swain). The third and fourth volumes were published by Springer (visit www.springer.com and type “Community Quality-of-Life Indicators” in the Search window) and the International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies (both edited by M. Joseph Sirgy, Rhonda Phillips, and Don Rahtz).

For the fifth volume, we are seeking excellent case studies that can be used by community planners, policy makers and others as good examples or “prototypes” of community quality-of-life indicator projects. Papers dealing with theoretical issues in planning, developing, and using community quality-of-life indicators are not suitable for this volume. Instead, they should be sent for review and possible publication in Social Indicators Research (SIR) or Applied Research in Quality-of-Life (ARQOL). The fifth volume will be published in the new book series, Best Practices in Quality-of-Life Research. The book series editor is Dr. Dave Webb of the University of Western Australia..

Volume Editors: M. Joseph Sirgy (Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, USA), Rhonda Phillips (State University of New York-Plattsburgh, USA), and Don Rahtz (College of William and Mary, USA)

Special Invitation: Please consider submitting your idea for a chapter as a paper for the IX Conference of the International Society of Quality of Life Studies, Florence Italy, July 19-23, 2009. This will give us a chance to “see the project in action” and help us make a decision concerning its suitability for the volume.  See the conference website at http://www.isqols2009.istitutodeglinnocenti.it/  Submit your abstract to any of the tracks related to community well-being.

Submission Deadline: August 31st, 2009

Submit to: M. Joseph Sirgy, Department of Marketing, Pamplin College of Business, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061-0236, USA. Tel: 540.231.5110. Fax: 540.231.3076. E-mail: sirgy@vt.edu

Submission Guidelines:

• The paper should be typed in either Arial or Times Roman, font size 10-12 with a margin of 1 inch on all sides.

• The paper should be typed either 1½ or double-spaced.

• Paper length should not exceed 30 pages in total including references, tables, and figures.

• Reference style: American Psychological Association (APA) style is preferred.

• E-mail attachment is the preferred mode of submission. Submit paper electronically to sirgy@vt.edu.

• All submissions should be original and not previously published. The submitted paper should not be submitted simultaneously to other publication outlets.

Guidelines for Paper Selection and Final Manuscript Preparation:

• Each paper will be subjected to a review by 2-3 referees who are experts in the field.

• The editors in consultation with the referees will make the final decision concerning acceptance or rejection.

• Notification of acceptance or rejection will be sent out by the end of September 2009.

• It is very likely that the editors will request changes to the accepted papers based on the reviewers’ suggestions. These changes should be completed by the end of November 2009.

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Call for Proposals: Well-being and Place Conference

Well-being and Place: an International Conference

7th -9th April 2009, Durham University, United Kingdom

Organised and hosted by the Centre for the Study of Cities & Regions and the Social Wellbeing and Spatial Justice research cluster of the Department of Geography at Durham University in collaboration with the University’s Wolfson Research Institute.

Keynote speakers
Andrew Simms, Policy Director, New Economics Foundation
Professor Tim Blackman, Director, Wolfson Research Institute, Durham University

Call for papers
Over the last ten years the targets of policy have expanded beyond the purely material and economic to embrace more subjective dimensions of human flourishing. Amongst a range of terms that have entered policy debates, ‘well-being’ has perhaps gained the greatest currency, incorporating both physical and cognitive elements and applied across individual and collective scales of analysis. It is clear that the definition, experience and determinants of well-being will vary in different kinds of places. However, the complex ways in which place and well-being interact remain relatively under-researched and under-theorised.

This conference will draw together research that explicitly links well-being and place. It will advance knowledge and stimulate future directions that are both creative intellectually and timely for contemporary policy debates. The organisers would like to include research from a range of different scales of analysis, across different substantive domains and from both policy-linked and more explorative approaches. The concept of place can be interpreted broadly from geographical locations (urban, rural, city, nation), everyday settings (home, work, school, street, leisure centres) and different scales (individual to international).

We welcome contributions from the academic and policy communities that focus on the relationship between well-being and place, broadly defined. The themes for the sessions will include:

· Home and well-being
· Theory, methods and ethics of well-being
· Transitions: well-being across this life course and the next
· Therapeutic places and unhealthy spaces
· Busy with a purpose; the importance of doing nothing
· Well-being in motion: flows, networks, relations
· and others

Abstracts (200 words) for paper presentations and proposals for panel discussions can be submitted up to 30th November 2008. Please send to Sara Fuller: s.k.fuller@durham.ac.uk. More details about registration and accommodation will be available shortly on the conference website (www.geography.dur.ac.uk/conf/wellbeingandplace).



Dr Beverley A Searle
Research Fellow
Department of Geography
University of Durham
South Road
Durham DH1 3LE

Telephone: 0191 334 1901
Fax: 0191 334 1801

New from The Policy Press:
WELL-BEING; In search of a good life?
Beverley A. Searle
For further details visit http://www.policypress.org.uk

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Call for Abstracts: Sustainable Development Indicators Conference

I thought you might be interested in this conference:

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We would like to announce the international conference EMAN 2009: Environmental Accounting and Sustainable Development Indicators which will be held on April 23-24, 2009 (Thursday-Friday) in Prague, the Czech Republic.

The conference has been included into the official program of Ministry of the Environment during the Czech Republic's presidency of the European Union. It is the 12th conference in the series of annual events promoted by the EMAN-EU network. It is also the 5th Conference organized by Jan Evangelista Purkyne University in Usti nad Labem on the theme of environmental accounting and sustainable development.

We are aiming to bring together around 250 experts, academics, statisticians and officials to discuss to promote awareness of sustainable development concepts and tools by using indicators and environmental accounting framework.

Come and get a perfect opportunity to spend a wonderful weekend in Prague, the beautiful capital of the Czech Republic!

Themes
This year’s conference will be focused at Environmental Accounting and Sustainable Development Indicators both at micro and macro levels.

Micro Perspective
- Corporate sustainability accounting,
- Corporate sustainability accounting tools,
- Corporate sustainability reporting,
- Corporate sustainability reporting tools,
- Environmental accounting best practices,
- Environmental benefit accounting,
- Latest developments and trends in environmental management accounting.

Macro Perspective
- Accounting of ecosystem stocks and services,
- Accounting of environmental activities and transactions,
- Carbon accounting,
- Damages, externalities and welfare: valuation, accounting and indicators,
- Ecological footprint accounting,
- Land use and land cover accounting,
- Material and energy flow accounting,
- Measurement of de-coupling and EKC testing,
- NAMEA,
- Water Framework Directive consequences,
- Environmental modeling.

Dates and Deadlines
20. 10. 2008 Registration start and call for abstracts
31. 12. 2008 Deadline for abstracts submission
20. 01. 2009 Notification of paper acceptance
23. 03. 2009 Deadline for submission of full papers
15. 04. 2009 Deadline for registration

For more information please visit: http://www.ea-sdi.ujep.cz/
Register at: http://www.ea-sdi.ujep.cz/en/conference-2009/registration.html
Call for abstracts: http://www.ea-sdi.ujep.cz/en/conference-2009/call-for-abstracts.html

We are looking forward to see you in Prague!

On behalf of the organization committee:
Iva Ritschelova,
rector of Jan Evangelista Purkyne University in Usti nad Labem,
the Czech Republic.

Please direct your questions and suggestions to conference@ea-sdi.ujep.cz

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Conference Announcement and Call for Proposals

Michele Collins, over at the Public Performance Measurement Reporting Network, asked that I share this with you. It's not too late to get a proposal in for the conference! The conference rates are remarkably inexpensive, so take a look and see if you can attend.

Announcing the Second Annual
Public Performance Measurement and Reporting Conference
January 23-24, 2009
at the School of Public Affairs and Administration
Rutgers University, Newark
Download the Conference Brochure

Call for Papers, Proposals and Workshops:

The Public Performance Measurement and Reporting Network invited proposals for presentations, papers, panels, workshops, and case studies for its second annual conference. The conference will provide a forum to highlight performance measurement and reporting in action, including challenges, successes, and areas for continued development.

Who Should Attend:

Local, State and federal government managers and officials engaged in performance measurement and reporting; public and nonprofit professionals; researchers, faculty, and students dedicated to measuring, reporting, and improving public sector and nonprofit performances, and private-sector consultants and employees who contract with federal, state or local governments for performance measurement and reporting initiatives.

Submit Proposals by October 15, 2008 to:
ppmrn@andromeda.rutgers.edu

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Call for Papers: International Review of Qualitative Research

INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH (IRQR) is seeking submissions.
IRQR encourages the use of critical, experimental and traditional forms of qualitative inquiry in the interests of social justice. We seek works thatare both academically sound and partisan, works that offer knowledge-based radical critiques of social settings and institutions while promoting human dignity, human rights, and just societies around the globe.

Submissions to the journal are judged by the effective use of critical qualitative research methodologies and practices for understanding and advocacy in policy arenas, as well as clarity of writing and willingness to experiment with new and traditional forms of presentation.

International Review of Qualitative Research
Sponsored by International Center for Qualitative Inquiry
Norman K. Denzin, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Quarterly in May, August, November and February
512 pp.

For more information, including submission guidelines, please visit the link below: http://www.lcoastpress.com/journal.php?id=8

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Call for Proposals: CCN Conference

I received this invitation, and must admit I don't know the organization. They don't appear to have any members in the U.S., which may be one reason I'm not familiar with them. If anyone has more information, please let me know. I thought you might be interested in knowing more about this, however.

The Consumer Citizenship Network takes this opportunity to invite you to contribute to the sixth Consumer Citizenship Network international conference, entitled: “Making a Difference--Putting consumer citizenship into action” to be held 23-24 March 2009 at the Technical University of Berlin in Germany.

The growing imbalances of social, economic and ecological systems are increasingly visible as prices for food and energy rise around the globe, the availability of many resources declines and the devastating effects of climate change touch the lives of rich and poor alike. The sixth international conference of the Consumer Citizenship Network will investigate the proactive role of the consumer in the transition to more sustainable human development around the world.Educators, researchers and professionals are invited to submit papers related to the themes mentioned below.

Submission date for proposals (abstracts) of 250 words for a presentation, a paper, a poster, a symposium or an opinion article for the upcoming CCN conference is 1st December 2008 to the CCN Core Unit ccn@hihm.no

Presentations should address one or more of the following themes:

Track 1: Understanding Consumer Citizenship Behaviour- What perspectives can we employ to investigate the global consumer’s decision making process?- Which factors hinder a broader diffusion of consumer citizenship behaviour?- What incentives and enabling systems can help consumers to consume socially responsible?- Which methods can help to evaluate and illustrate the social and ecological consequences of consumer behaviour?

Track 2: Education for Consumer Citizenship a)Education at schools and Universities b)General Consumer Education- Which approaches to consumer citizenship education are most effective?- What challenges and opportunities exist when teaching about long term global goals for sustainable consumption?- How can education lead to choosing sustainable lifestyles?- How can education stimulate creativity for inventing sustainable solutions?- What kind of research is necessary for the development of consumer citizenship education and education for sustainable consumption?- What is the relationship between consumer citizenship education and education for sustainable consumption?

Track 3: Co-operating for Consumer Citizenship- How can co-operation for consumer citizenship be improvedo between producers and consumers,o between authorities and citizens,o between schools and communities,o between researchers and activists,- What are exemplary community-based initiatives for responsible consumption (urban or rural)?

Especially welcomed are contributions, which - raise critical issues like economic growth or consumer sufficiency, - go beyond the cognitively oriented mainstream of consumer citizenship education and research, - focus not only on Europe and OECD-countries but also on developing countries and ‘one world’ issues, - reflect the state of the art of consumer behaviour (e.g. in marketing or consumer psychology).

Practical information concerning the conference can be found in the conference invitation attached or on the CCN website: www.hihm.no/concit .

If you need additional information, kindly contact us at the CCN Core Unit. ccn@hihm.noWe apologize for cross sendings.

Yours sincerely,
Associate Professor Victoria W. Thoresen
The Consumer Citizenship Network, Project Manager
Hedmark University College
Postboks 4010 Bedriftssenteret
2306 Hamar, Norway

The Consumer Citizenship Network (CCN) (www.hihm.no/concit ) is an interdisciplinary network of educators, researchers and civil society organizations, (including UNESCO, UNEP and Consumers International) who recognize the pressing need for constructive action by individuals in order to achieve sustainable consumption and global solidarity. The Consumer Citizenship Network has, since 2003, developed interdisciplinary approaches to central issues dealing with the balance between material and non-material well-being and with how one can translate ethical values into everyday practice through conscientious participation in the market. CCN also brings together expertise in the fields of citizenship-, environmental- and consumer education to further develop research and good practice for teaching and accessing consumer citizenship education. The Network consists of 133 institutions in 37 countries.The project targets lecturers, researchers and teacher trainers in higher education; students, professionals working with children and young people, public authorities, and associations dealing with citizenship training, sustainable development and consumer issues... By focusing on social responsibility, the CCN addresses the growing international concern for implementation of norms and behaviour which support sustainable development and cooperation.

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Call for Papers: Neighborhood Renewal

Invitation received via NAPC (National Association of Planning Councils) -- I think if you ask nicely they'll let you subscribe. I thought both the conference and the call for papers might be of interest to some of the readers here:

Neighbourhood – The International Journal of Neighbourhood Renewal
http://www.ijnr.co.uk/
Annual International Neighbourhood Renewal Conference / Annual International Neighbourhood Renewal Awards London Nov 2009 – Free Delegate / Display Space Offer

I wanted to take this opportunity to update you on the development of the International Journal of Neighbourhood Renewal which will promote good practice in this field of public policy. The first edition of the Journal will be published on the 1st September 2008 and the first year of Journals will contain a range of informative articles from around the world. If you would like to subscribe now to the Journal, then please visit the website. Alternatively Stuart from my office will be in touch with you shortly to discuss this matter in more detail, In summary subscription fees are as follows per annum:

(a) £149 per annum for a quarterly hard copy, free electronic access for all in the team and 50% off other conferences organised by Holden Publishing. This rate also qualifies you for a free display space / free delegate pass at the Inaugural Annual Conference of the International Journal of Neighbourhood Renewal / Annual International Neighbourhood Renewal Awards at the Central Hall Westminster on the 19th and 20th November 2009 if you subscribe before 4th August 2008.
(b) £49 per annum for electronic access and 10% off other conferences organised by Holden Publishing.

If you would like to submit a paper for future inclusion in the Journal then please follow the link http://www.ijnr.co.uk/call_for_papers.html and submit a paper at any time. I look forward to welcoming you as a subscriber to ‘Neighbourhood’ or as one of our contributors.

With kindest regards,

Ray.

Ray Holden
Director of Development
Holden Publishing
UK Office
Horton House
Exchange Flags
Floor Five
Liverpool
L2 3PF
UNITED KINGDOM
Phone: +44 (0)845 6025280
Fax: +44 (0)151 2445401

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Input Needed: What Makes a Successful Set of Progress Indicators?

Kate Scrivens, in the latest Newsletter on Measuring the Progress of Societies (PDF) from the OECD, asks "What makes a successful set of indicators?" She outlines the questions that need to be answered in order to approach this issue, including how to define success, and describes the work undertaken by the OECD to report on what success looks like.

To do that, she needs your help. They're looking to complete the report by December 2008. They need examples of successful indicators projects from all over the world, run by different kinds of organizations, and ranging from international and national indicator sets to the subnational, community, and even neighborhood indicators. Here's what she's asking:

If you are an expert or practitioner in the field of indicator development, the research team would be particularly interested in hearing from you. For more information, contact Kate Scrivens; katherine.scrivens@oecd.org

I hope you can share your success stories with this project. Please read the newsletter article (it's on pages 4 and 5 of the newsletter) for more information.

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Call for Sessions: ACHI

Call for Sessions due August 8: Association for Community Health Improvement

The Association for Community Health Improvement (ACHI) is accepting proposals through August 8 for concurrent breakout sessions for its March 11-13, 2009 national conference in Los Angeles, California. Conference session will address: community health assessment; community benefit; health in the social and built environment; and building the skills of community health leaders.

This event features more than 450 professionals from hospitals, health systems, foundations, public health, and community health organizations in a gathering that stimulates real change and improvement in how community health programs are planned, delivered, and assessed. Visit the conference Web site (www.communityhlth.org) for information on topic tracks and submission guidelines. Write to communityhlth@aha.org with questions.

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Call for Papers: Social Determinants of Health

From the NNIP Listserve:

Social determinants of health: a call for papers

The Lancet, Volume 371, Number 9627, 31 May 2008

Website: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140673608607722/fulltext

“…..On Nov 8, 2008, The Lancet will publish a theme issue devoted to the social determinants of health. We invite submission of research papers, reviews, viewpoints, and comments with an emphasis on action—what the doctor, public-health worker, policy maker, and politician can do to reduce inequalities and tackle the broad interplay of economic and social forces affecting health.

This theme issue will be produced in parallel with a conference being held in London (Nov 6–7,2008) called :Closing the Gap in a Generation: Health Equity Through Action on the Social Determinants of Health

The conference also aims to identify actions based on recommendations set out by the WHO Commission on the Social Determinants of Health. That Commission, chaired by Michael Marmot, will publish its final report after the summer. Launched in 2005, the Commission has used an ambitious process of knowledge networks, country consultations, and wide engagement with civil society and academia to devise a global strategy to realise longstanding hopes for health equity.

One telling example of the complexity the Commission will have to grapple with was provided last week by Save the Children. In its report The Road Less Travelled: Barriers to Poor Children's Healthcare Utilisation in Developing and Transitional Countries, Save the Children described how the child mortality gap is widening in the world's poorest countries. Transport can cost as much as half the total cost of health care. Corruption can be a major obstacle to preventive services, such as vaccination. And high drug prices can dissuade families from purchasing the care they need.

In the Commission's interim report, Marmot described health as “a universal human aspiration and a basic human need”. Although that view commands wide medical and political support, translating this vision into a practical, realisable, and affordable plan has proven beyond the ability of most nations. The Commission's work is an opportunity to turn advocacy into action. The Lancet invites clinical and public-health scientists and practitioners to make their contribution to this unprecedented international event….”

WHO: http://www.who.int/social_determinants/en/

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Call for Papers: Marketing Strategies for Public Performance

International Journal of Public Sector Performance Management (IJPSPM)

Call for Papers

Special issue: “Marketing strategies for Public performance”

Guest Editor:
Professor Tony Proctor, Chester Business School, University of Chester.

Marketing in the public sector faces challenges both a regional and national level. In particular, there is emphasis on performance management and the adoption of an approach to business that parallels that in the profit making private sector. As public organisations aim to produce impacts on their external environment, their performance needs to be measured, not only at the internal level but also at the external level. This is the reason why marketing approaches and their specific tools have a key role to play in the management and measurement of public performance.

The creation of initiatives between public and private sectors, involving partnerships and joint ventures companies, and, the emphasis on changing attitudes and behaviour in Society, have focussed attention on making strategic decisions in increasingly market-oriented ways. A successful adoption of a market orientation allows the public sector to become better positioned to exploit emerging opportunities. Recognition of opportunities that exist, the marketing orientation required to exploit these opportunities and the enabling strategies demanded are key to the future development of public sector organisations in the 21st century.

Theoretical and empirically-based papers are being sought for a special issue of IJPSPM which will explore to what extent marketing can, should and indeed must improve the customer orientation within the public sector and the ways in which this goal can best be achieved. The exploration of key marketing challenges and the identification of best practice in differing marketing contexts are highly topical and important. Papers adopting a theoretical approach are welcome provided they deal with new marketing tools and approaches. However, priority will be given to papers which concentrate on empirical researches (cases studies). The general theme of the special issue will be around how public sector executives plan strategic marketing activities to increase performance within their organisations.

This special edition aims to inform readers on the processes and the consequences of adopting marketing approaches within public sector. It will focus on “marketisation” (increase performance in service delivery) and social marketing in order to link these integrated marketing approaches to performance that relies not only on promotion and communication, but also on the will to identify the needs of their public. Areas that may provide an appropriate focus include (but are not necessarily limited to):

· Diversity of the demand the public manager has to face with (consumers, users, voter, tax payers). Which marketing tools are more adapted to cope with this specific demand?
· Market segmentation, targeting and positioning approaches – traditional or new approaches more adapted to public services.
· How new public services are adapted to meet the needs of a specific demand
· Analysis of users’ satisfaction within public sector organisations.
· Targeting specific publics to reach social goals.
· How marketing tools are used and adapted in order to reach performance in changing social behaviours?
· Value based marketing
· Innovation and improved service delivery through public-private partnerships and networks or co-operation with other public sector providers
· Measuring short and long term future demand for services
· Effective delivery of customer service to reflect and reinforce the desired corporate brand image
· Methods of improving customer service
· Issues regarding pricing of services in the public sector
· Marketing communication approaches
· Social marketing in practice
· E-marketing and the public sector customer.

All manuscripts must be submitted in line with the guidelines for the International Journal of Public Sector Performance Management .

Important Dates
Submission of full paper before: 1st November, 2008
Notification of acceptance before: 15th February, 2009
Submission of final and revised manuscripts: 1st April, 2009

Editors and Notes
You may send one copy in the form of an MS Word file attached to an e-mail (details in Author Guidelines) to the following:

Tony Proctor
E-mail: tony_proctor@btinternet.com

with a copy to:
IEL Editorial Office
E-mail: ijatm@inderscience.com

and:
Marcel Guenoun
E-mail: marcel.guenoun@univ-cezanne.fr

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Conference and Call for Papers: Quality of Life

Fourth International Conference QoL 2008:
Quality of Life Improvement through Social Cohesion
Wrocław, 15-18 September 2008

SCOPE OF THE CONFERENCE
The QOL’2008 Conference aims at providing a forum for scientists to exchange up-to-date knowledge and also at setting goals for future research.

Three previous Conferences on Quality of Life Research, organised by us, took place in September 9-11, 1999, in September 18-20, 2002 and in September 14-16, 2005. List of publications after these conferences can be found on website: http://statystyka.ae.wroc.pl/english/publikacje.htm.

All aspects of quality of life will be considered, ranging from the description of the real data to fundamental methodological questions with particular emphasis on the various aspects of improving the quality of living.

The topics of the Conference include among others:
- social indicators and reporting,
- life’s domain oriented researches,
- social cohesion,
- comparative studies,
- economic aspects of quality of life,
- welfare society,
- philosophical and methodological aspects of quality of life research,
- health-oriented quality of life.
The Program Committee expects survey papers as well as original contributions.

ORGANISER
Department of Statistics at Wrocław University of Economics http://statystyka.ae.wroc.pl/english/index.html
General Chairman:
Prof. Walenty Ostasiewicz
Program Committee Members
Prof. Mario Bolzan
Prof. Stanisław Maciej Kot
Prof. Wolfgang Glatzer
Prof. Irena E. Kotowska
Prof. Achille Vernizzi

CALL FOR PAPERS
Abstracts of the conference papers written in English should be submitted to:
Dr Dariusz Biskup
e-mail: dariusz.biskup@ae.wroc.pl
The only restriction for the format of the abstracts and the full papers is they should be written in Microsoft Word 1997-2003.

OUTLINE OF CONFERENCE PROGRAM
September 15, 2008 (Monday):
Registration and Welcome Party
September 16-17 (Tuesday-Wednesday):
Sessions with English language
Evenings of Tuesday and Wednesday:
Banquet and social events
September 18 (Thursday):
Sessions with Polish language admissible

CONFERENCE SITE
“Wrocław” Hotel
Wrocław, Powstancow Slaskich str. 7
http://www.orbis.pl/en/orbishotels/wroclaw/hotel_orbis_wroclaw

REGISTRATION ON WEBSITE
Registration should be made by April 30, 2008. The registration form is available on the conference website: http://statystyka.ae.wroc.pl/qol2008. Deadlines given on website are not strict, because we still are waiting for new participants, but Organizing Committee is able reserve accommodation only for anybody registered till the end of April. Organizers will help later registered participants in finding accommodation.

CONFERENCE FEE
The conference fee will be 250 EURO (=900 PLN). This includes a copy of the conference proceedings, attendance at seminars, lunches, refreshments and the conference dinner.
The deadline for the payment is 31st of May, 2008.
Name of the bank: BANK ZACHODNI WBK S.A. 17 O/WROCLAW
Address of the bank: 50-373 Wroclaw, Powstanców Slaskich str. 145
The account number: PL 07 1090 2529 0000 0006 3400 0503 with title "QOL2008"
Recipient’s name: Akademia Ekonomiczna we Wroclawiu
Bank SWIFT code: WBKPPLPP

CONFERENCE LANGUAGE
The official language of the sessions in two first days of conference will be English. Last day Polish language is also admissible.

CONFERENCE PUBLICATIONS
Accepted papers which will arrive before June 15 will be published in the conference proceedings. Selected papers will be published in the form of contributed volume.

ACCOMMODATION
It will be possible to make reservations for the “Wroclaw” hotel. Price for a single room is about 65 EURO per night or 40 EURO for a place in a double room.
It will be also possible to make reservations in a student hotel (about 15 EURO per night)
Details about the possible hotel reservations will be available at the conference website.
It is possible to make reservations for the “Wroclaw” hotel (http://www.orbis.pl/en/wroclaw/hotels/orbis_wroclaw). Price for a single room is about 65 EURO per night or 40 EURO for a place in a double room. It is also possible to make reservations in a student hotel (about 15 EURO per night).If you'd like to make a reservation, please send an email containing:1. Name of the person (persons) and number of places to be reserved. 2. Name of the hotel (“Wroclaw Hotel” or Student Hotel).3. Date of the arrival (not earlier than the 15th of September).4. Date of departure (not later than the 18th of September).5. Type of room (single or double).to dariusz.biskup@ae.wroc.pl till the end of April. After this deadline all the reservations will have to be done individually by the conference participants.

CORRESPONDENCE
All correspondence should be addressed to:
Dr Dariusz Biskup
Department of Statistics
Wrocław University of Economics
Komandorska 118-120
53-345 Wrocław, Poland
Tel. +(48 71) 36 80 356
Fax. +(48 71) 36 80 356
e-mail: dariusz.biskup@ae.wroc.pl

CONFERENCE NEWS
All the information on the Conference will be available at http://statystyka.ae.wroc.pl/qol2008.
The registered participants will be also informed about further details on the conference by e-mail.

Best regards
Cyprian KozyraCyprian.Kozyra@ae.wroc.pl

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