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Policy knowledge derived from data, information, and evidence is a powerful tool for contributing to policy discussions and debates, and for understanding and improving the effectiveness, efficiency, and equity of government action. For decades, politicians, advocates, reformers, and researchers have simultaneously espoused this value, while also paradoxically lamenting the lack of impact of policy knowledge on decision making, and the failure of related reforms. This text explores this paradox, identifying the reliance on a proverb of using policy knowledge to supplant politics as a primary culprit for these perceived failures. The evidence in this book suggests that any consideration of the role of policy knowledge in decision making must be considered alongside, rather than in place of, considerations of the ideologies, interests, and institutional factors that shape political decisions. This contextually rich approach offers practical insights to understand the role of policy knowledge, and to better leverage it to support good governance decisions.
According to the Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS), there are thousands of facilities in the U.S. that if destroyed by a disaster could cause casualties, econ. losses, or disruptions to national security. DHS issued the Nat. Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP) in June 2006 to provide the approach for integrating the nation's critical infrastructure and key resources. This report studied DHS's Jan. 2009 revisions to the NIPP in light of a debate over whether DHS has emphasized protection rather than resilience. The report discusses: (1) how the 2009 NIPP changed compared to the 2006 NIPP; and (2) how DHS addressed resiliency as part of their planning efforts. Charts and tables. This is a print on demand edition of an important, hard-to-find report.
Physical activity and participation in athletics provides important health and social benefits for children. Fed. laws help ensure that kindergarten-12th grade schools provide students with disabilities opportunities to participate in physical education (PE) and extracurricular athletics equal to those of their peers. However, national associations have questioned whether students with disabilities receive opportunities similar to their peers. This report examined: (1) what is known about the PE opportunities that schools provide, and how do schools provide these; (2) what is known about the extracurricular athletic opportunities that schools provide, and how do schools provide these; and (3) how the Dept. of Educ. assists states and schools in these areas. Illus.
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The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 established the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCOE) in January 2008 to develop excellence in prevention, outreach, and care for service members with psychological health (PH) conditions and traumatic brain injury (TBI). DCOE consists of six directorates and five component centers that carry out a range of PH- and TBI-related functions. This report discusses: (1) DCOE's budget formulation process; and (2) availability of information to Congress on DCOE. The report reviewed budget guidance, budget requests and performance data. Includes recommendations. Charts and tables. This is a print on demand report.
When the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) became fully operational in 2008, it inherited well over 100 activities, missions, programs, and exercises from other Department of Defense (DoD) organizations. AFRICOM initially conducted these inherited activities with little change. However, as AFRICOM has matured, it has begun planning and prioritizing activities with its four military service components, special operations command, and task force. Some activities represent a shift from traditional warfighting, requiring collaboration with the Department of State, U.S. Agency for Internat. Development, and other interagency partners. This report assessed AFRICOM in five areas with respect to activity planning and implementation. Illustrations.
The retreat of Arctic sea ice combined with expected increasing human activity in the area -- in shipping traffic and oil and gas exploration -- has increased the strategic interest that the U.S. and other nations have in the Arctic. As a result, the Coast Guard is expected to acquire increased responsibilities in the region. This report examined the extent to which the Coast Guard is: (1) coordinating with stakeholders on Arctic issues and operations and what, if any, further opportunities exist to enhance coordination; (2) taking action to identify requirements for future Arctic operations; and (3) taking steps to identify and mitigate challenges to meet current and future Arctic requirements. Includes recommend. Illus. This is a print on demand publication.