Much is currently getting accounting about how President Obama should re-shape the American Healthcare system. A lot of commentators accede that the accepted adjustment for healthcare in this country is too expensive, awful inefficient and provides diff levels of care, including basal affliction for the 47 actor uninsured Americans.

As a physician with a longstanding absorption in how bloom casework are organized, and who has lived and formed in the USA, Australia and Britain, as able-bodied as consulted to abounding added countries, I accept acerb captivated angle on the types of admonition America should take.

And at one akin they are appreciably simple, and can be abbreviated in three suggestions.

1. A public-private affiliation aesthetics has to be axial to the accomplished re-engineering of the bloom system. America is founded on backer principals, area the accumulation motive is central, and any new admission to healthcare accept to amalgamate this with the allegation to advance amount attainable casework that may be beneath acceptable to anytime accomplish a profit. There accept to be the abeyant for cantankerous investment in all admonition – and with allotment for affliction provided on the base of anniversary or anecdotal accomplished of getting affliction provided, rather than on alone section ante as at present.

Numerous studies accept apparent that if bloom systems can be accustomed the allurement to accommodate superior affliction calmly over authentic time periods, and Kaiser Permanente is an accomplished example, that they can do this. The primary accent of this admission is that it will force added assets into blockage of affliction – to wellness advance – rather than into the analysis of affliction that has already commenced. Of advance in such an ambiance anyone, no amount what their insurance, should be able to accept emergency affliction in any hospital at any time – attainable or private.

The accomplished adjustment accept to be developed with interoperable bloom advice technology systems, including accommodating attainable cyberbanking medical annal and the accouterment of a different bloom identifier for everyone. This admission will abundantly advance the supply of healthcare, and the aegis and aloofness of bloom information.

2. The attainable basal of the healthcare adjustment would cover accepted basal bloom allowance (including adverse affliction insurance) and abounding emergency and abandoned bloom services, as able-bodied as abundant added attainable bloom focus on blockage and bloom promotion.

Attainable programs should aswell aces up abundant of pre/post natal and aboriginal adolescent affliction (by far the a lot of important affliction in the accomplished bloom system) to ensure all mothers and babies are appropriately looked after, and apparently affliction of some appropriate populations who cannot acquiesce clandestine bloom allowance such as the unemployed, some seniors and assertive bankrupt or geographically abandoned groups.

3. The clandestine basal would be adjourned with the aid of tax incentives to animate a lot of humans (or companies) to yield out clandestine allowance with aim that at atomic 80-90% of the citizenry should accept clandestine insurance.

It is acute to adeptness this akin of allowance to be assured that patients accept “skin in the game” and are financially amenable for at atomic a acceptable admeasurement of their healthcare costs, and do not see healthcare as something that is provided by the government for free. The clandestine area should action a abounding ambit of casework from bearing to afterlife – with the adeptness to allegation added for assertive “non-essential” casework such as corrective anaplasty and added alcove areas – but with adjustment to anticipate humans getting afar on area of above-mentioned conditions.

A agenda adjustment for assertive groups, such as the chronically disabled, adjourned by government payments would acquiesce all to admission the clandestine healthcare adjustment depending on need. The allowance action for this clandestine basal needs a complete check to abate authoritative overheads and abridge the transaction action – my appearance of the simplest way of accomplishing this would be to absolute the amount of clandestine allowance companies and accomplish abiding that they are financially applicable and ample abundant to action reasonable adapted levels of healthcare casework to their members.

These 3 accomplish to accouterment bigger care, and fairer admission to care, for all Americans are taken from what I accede to be the best locations of the American, British and Australian bloom systems. No country has a absolute bloom system, and all are abased on the amount cultural philosophies captivated by the alone nation. America is the Land of the Chargeless and can acquiesce to accept the best of what added countries accept attempted as it debates how to advance its healthcare system, and ultimately the backbone and backbone of its people.

Author: Peter Yellowlees
Source: ezinearticles.com
Peter Yellowlees MD has recently published “Your Health in the Information Age – how you and your doctor can use the Internet to work together”. available at http://www.InformationAgeHealth.com and most online bookstores. A shorter version as an e-Book for download to iPhones, Blackberry’s, PDA’s and other mobile devices called “4 Simple steps to Better Health – an Insiders Look” is available at Smashwords at http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1271

by Business Standard, November 16, 2009.

The Orissa cabinet chaired by the chief minister Naveen Patnaik today put its seal of approval on the new corporate governance manual drafted by the Hyderabad based Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI).

This will apply to 32 statutory corporations, state owned enterprises where 51 percent or more of the share capital is held by the Orissa government and the companies are registered under Companies Act 1956.The new manual seeks to consolidate the position of the PSEs after various reform measures were implemented in the functioning of these enterprises, industry secretary, Saurabh Garg said.

Garg said, the manual envisages to have efficient and effective board of directors in PSEs. The secretary of an administrative department will develop the mandate for a state owned enterprise in consultation with the chief secretary, secretary in the public enterprises (PE) department and representatives from the finance and the planning and co-ordination department every five year…(continue reading)

Based on the NCIM statement of purpose, it seems that a discussion thread regarding public-private partnership in providing weather services may be of interest to NCIM membership.  While I am certain that many NCIM members are familiar with the book, Fair Weather: Effective Partnerships in Weather and Climate, others may not be.  I have not read this book, nor do I have the ability to put its impact into any sort of context.  If you have an opinion about this book, I encourage you to sound off by posting a comment in response to this blog entry.  The following summary comes from The National Academies Press web site:

“The report examines the roles of the public, private, and academic sectors in providing weather and climate services, the barriers to interaction among the sectors, and the impact of scientific and technological advances on the weather enterprise. The report recommends that the National Weather Service should continue to issue general forecasts and provide unrestricted access to observational data and model results, even though private companies also produce weather forecasts. However, the Weather Service should come up with a new process for deciding whether a particular forecast or weather product should be created by the Weather Service or the private sector.”

Link to book:  http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=10610#description

Posted by:  Tim Hall

PHA-Maymar (A Joint Venture Company (Pvt) Limited)
Pakistan Housing Authority, (PHA) Ministry of Housing & Works while pursuing the Prime Minister’s Housing Program developed a unique model of Public-Private partnership

Bundesweite Kampagne gegen PPP gestartet

Kassel, den 04.10.2009: Aktive aus den verschiedenen Bundesländern sind am Wochenende einer Einladung von attac zu einem Auftakttreffen für eine bundesweite Kampagne gegen PPP (Public Private Partnership) gefolgt.

Die Teilnehmer sind sich darüber einig, dass Privatisierung eine der Hauptursachen für die Weltwirtschaftskrise ist. Mithilfe der Privatisierungsform PPP versucht sich die Baubranche seit Jahren, Milliarden aus öffentlichen Haushalten anzueignen. Unterstützt wird sie dabei von einer mitverdienenden Berater-Branche, die scheinbar neutral daherkommt, aber dennoch den Kommunen und Ländern immer nur eines empfiehlt: PPP für Schulen, für Krankenhäuser, für Gefängnisse, für Straßen und Schienenwege, für Wasserversorgung und für die Übernahme von ganzen Verwaltungen.

Dazu Carl Waßmuth, Mitinitiator des Bündnissen und Vertreter von attac: „PPP enthält den ganzen giftigen Mix aus dem Krisencocktail: Geheimverträge, außerbilanzielle Haushalte, weltweit handelbare Kredite. Das alles bedeutet jede Menge Futter für die nächste Spekulationsblase.“ Die Teilnehmer weisen die sich bildende neue Regierung darauf hin, dass auch die Wähler von schwarz-gelb gegen einen weiteren Ausverkauf des öffentlichen Eigentums sind, wie eine aktuelle Studie belegt (http://dbb.de/dbb-beamtenbund-2006/dbb-pdf/forsa_2009.pdf)

Auf dem Treffen wurden organisatorische Strukturen gelegt und erste Aktionen vereinbart. Es fand auch ein inhaltlicher Austausch statt.

Gemeinsame Forderungen sind:

1. Solide, transparente und demokratisch kontrollierte Investition in öffentliche Güter und Dienste

2. Öffentliches Eigentum und öffentliche Haushalte dürfen nicht mehr das Futter liefern für die Spekulation an den internationalen Finanzmärkten: Unseriöse und spekulative Finanzierungsinstrumente wie PPP und Infrastrukturfonds gehören nicht gefördert, sondern zur Vorbeugung vor der nächsten Krise verboten.

Diskutiert wurde auch die Forderung nach einem Moratorium. Wir fordern alle Kommunalpolitiker auf, geplanten PPP-Verträgen in Parlamenten keine Zustimmung zu geben. Die Politik wird ist aufgefordert

1. Offenlegung der (bisher ausnahmslos geheimen!) PPP-Verträge

2. keine weiteren Geheimverträge zulassen

3. Prüfungsrechte für die Rechnungshöfe vor Unterzeichnung von PPP-Verträgen verbindlich festlegen und die nachträgliche Kontrollbefugnisse erheblich ausweiten

4. PPP und vergleichbare kreditähnliche Rechtsgeschäfte als das behandeln, was sie sind: als Verschuldung

5. Rücknahme der PPP-Beschleunigungsgesetze

PPP hat enorme Volumina in bundesweiten Projekten, deren Anlage und Art der Durchführung das neue Bündnis anprangert. Die Teilnehmer des Treffens sehen sich jedoch vor allem als Partner der die durch verfehlte Bundespolitik verarmten Kommunen. Das Bündnis will erreichen, dass folgende Positionen bundesweit diskutiert werden:

1. Höhere Besteuerung der Vermögenden zugunsten der Kommunen

2. Finanzierung öffentlicher Projekte durch günstige Kommunalkredite auch bei Verschuldung

3. Durchbrechen des Prinzips der Jährlichkeit

Die Parlamente der Kommunen, bei denen aktuell PPP-Projekte in Planung sind, sollten in jedem Fall die Zustimmung zu PPP-Verträgen verweigern, für die Geheimhaltung oder Einredeverzicht gilt.

Gerlinde Schermer, Sprecherin des linken Donnerstagskreises der SPD Berlin, fasst zusammen: „PPP ist Planwirtschaft für Konzerne und Raub am Gemeineigentum.“

Ausgehend von dem Treffen ist nun geplant, das Bündnis gegen PPP bundesweit weiter auszubauen. Interessierte Verbände, Gewerkschaften und Bürgerinitiativen sind dazu aufgerufen, Kontakt aufzunehmen über info (at) ppp-irrweg.de

Im Internet: http://ppp-irrweg.de

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

THE board of directors of the Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD) is looking into partnering with the private sector as part of its long term improvement plans. 

Celso G. Javelosa, MIWD board of directors chair, said they will pattern the collaboration after the public-private partnership (PPP) of the Iloilo City government.

Under the PPP setup, MIWD will invite a private firm that will handle the transmission and distribution operations of the water firm.

Javelosa said the PPP is different from privatization of government-owned and controlled firms.

It’s public-private partnership, not privatization. We will not sell out and let go of MIWD. We will only offer some operational aspects of the water district to private entities,” he added.

Engr. Adrian N. Moncada, MIWD director, said MIWD will maintain regulatory functions over the private sector partner to protect consumers’ interest.

Moncada said one advantage of the PPP setup is faster procurement procedure that will hasten their development projects.

Moncada said MIWD is compelled to follow Republic Act 9184 (Government Procurement Law) which slows down their plans to improve their supply and distribution systems.

One of the major development plans MIWD is implementing is the bidding of the bulk water supply which is seen to improve the pressure, volume and quality of water.

Five companies have signified their intention to join the bidding so far, Moncada said.

The MIWD eyes to distribute 45,000 cubic meters of water to 31,000 consumers in Iloilo City and neighboring towns.

The water firm produces a gross of 45,000 cu m a day from surface and underground sources.

 But MIWD can actually distribute only 26,100 cu m to consumers because some 42% of their production is considered non-revenue water (NRW) or water lost to leakages and pilferages.

Moncada said they will minimize NRW levels by 20-22% in the next 10 years.

“While we increase our volume, we will also reduce our losses. In the case of water utilities in Metro Manila, the average reduction in NRW is 2% per year. If that is our benchmark, we will try to reduce our losses by as much as 22% in 10 years,” Moncada said. 

Real health care reform needs government.

Our health care system is in desperate need of reform. We spend 16% of GDP on health care – far more than any other country in the world – yet 46 million Americans remain uninsured.

Private insurers avoid the sickest and costliest patients by denying treatment of pre-existing medical conditions or setting premiums according to health status.

Doctors and hospitals drive up costs by charging according to a piecework system (fee-for-service) that rewards them for providing more – but not always medically necessary – care.

Providers try to recoup the cost of treating the uninsured by charging insured patients more, insurers pass on higher premiums to firms that provide insurance, prompting firms to curtail or drop coverage, and the cycle continues.

To halt this vicious circle, government must step in. Effective health care reform need not mean socialized medicine along the lines of Great Britain, where the government owns hospitals, employs doctors and rations non-emergency treatments.

Many countries with national health insurance provide universal coverage and control health care costs without destroying private insurers and providers. However, government plays a critical role in setting the rules of their behavior.

As an example, look at Germany … (more, click Look to Germany for reform model – JSOnline)

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Fifty-nine participants, representing forty-four different businesses around the Truckee Meadows, met on Wednesday, September 16, 2009 to learn more about emergency preparedness. The working group learned about continuity of operations planning (COOP), the H1N1 Virus, and social media tools for emergency management.

The main premise of the partnership is to improve the collaboration between local businesses and local government. Citizens look to local businesses as a measure of recovery from an emergency. Therefore, Washoe County Emergency Management wants to work with local businesses to help them to plan and prepare.

In an effort to assist with preparedness, Aaron Kenneston, Washoe County Emergency Manager, gave a presentation on COOP. These plans can be utilized during any type of emergency to ensure the business is able to protect their investment and stay in business. The campaign Be Ready that Washoe County promotes encourages businesses to learn ways to protect their people, business property, and building structures to prevent business loss from a natural disaster.

This working group is a standing committee, meeting quarterly, to continue to strengthen the partnership between local business and local Emergency Management personnel. If you are interested in joining this committee, please contact our office at (775) 337-5855.

Quo vadis Krankenhausfinanzierung?

Momentan ist die Überlebensfähigkeit vieler Kliniken in Frage gestellt. Der Innovations- und Investitionsdruck steht vielfach im krassen Gegensatz zu den Finanzierungsmöglichkeiten der einzelnen Einrichtungen. Mit diesem Dilemma beschäftigt sich der Kongress „Krankenhausfinanzierung“, der am 12. und 13. Oktober in Mainz stattfindet.

Die Kliniken stehen momentan vor dem Problem, dass öffentliche Mittel und Bankkredite immer knapper werden oder gar nicht mehr zur Verfügung stehen. Es ist also für viele Klinkleiter und -betreiber an der Zeit, sich auf die Suche nach alternativen Finanzierungsformen zu machen. Allerdings sind die Erfahrungen mit diesen Instrumenten häufig noch sehr dünn und auch nicht immer von Erfolg gekrönt.

Trotzdem oder gerade deshalb gilt: „Gerade ein kommunales Krankenhaus muss heute jede Chance ergreifen, die sich bietet – und sei es ein neuer Weg wie PPP, der noch weitgehend unerprobt ist. Pionierarbeit ist selten ohne Risiko, aber eben manchmal notwendig“, sagt Dr. Julia Hefty, Geschäftsführerin der Hochtaunus-Kliniken. Sie wird auf dem Kongress ihr Public Private Partnership Projekt innerhalb eines Krankenhaus-Neubaus vorstellen und über die Erfahrungen berichten.

Hiermit wird schon klar, dass es nicht nur um Finanzierung im engeren Sinne, sondern auch um Gesamtausrichtung, Geschäfts- und Trägermodelle, Spezialisierung, Konzentration, Kooperationen, Zusammenschlüsse und (Teil-)Privatisierung geht und gehen kann.

Unter Moderation von Prof. Dr. Dr. Wilfried von Eiff vom Zentrum für Krankenhausmanagement werden auf dem Kongress mehrere erfolgreiche Projekte in diesem Zusammenhang vorgestellt. So kommen neben den Hochtaunus-Kliniken noch das St. Elisabethen-Hospital Beckum, das Klinikum Saarbrücken, die HSK-Gruppe, die Märkischen Kliniken und das Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg zu Wort – alles sehr unterschiedliche und individuelle Beispiele für erfolgreiche Finanzierung und Umorganisation von Einrichtungen verschiedener Größenordnung und Trägerschaft. Es gilt wie immer: Viele Wege führen zum Ziel, man muss nur den für sich passenden finden und diesen dann konsequent gehen.

 www.krankenhaus21.de

zyakaira notes: With more than 400 funds already operating in China, the government is taking steps to formalize regulation as this may be the big ticket boost need for the Chinese economy to grow. Understandably, the first few funds are mostly equity focussed domestic funds.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc.(GS), also is planning to raise a domestic private-equity fund for his Beijing-based Hopu Investment Management Co., after raising $2.5 billion from overseas investors. Tax rate differences between Hongkong and China may not be addressed in one go in upcoming regulation

(Bloomberg) Blackstone Group LP’s(BX) joint venture with Shanghai’s government may be a first step in China’s effort to build its own private equity industry as the government seeks to foster corporate governance and strengthen capital markets.

Blackstone, the world’s biggest private equity firm, will set up a 5 billion yuan ($732 million fund), marking the first partnership between a global buyout firm and the Chinese government.

The Blackstone Zhonghua Development Investment Fund will be created with the newly formed government of Pudong New Area, Blackstone said in a statement Aug. 14.“The long-term goal is Chinese private equity,” said Adam Segal, a senior fellow of China studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.

“The Chinese don’t want their industry to be dominated by Blackstone and Carlyle.”The venture is part of China’s plans to establish itself as a major player in the global economy, said Doug Guthrie, a professor of management at New York University’s Stern School of Business. During the 1980s, China was aiming to be the world’s biggest manufacturer. In the 1990s, the country was seeking partnerships with multinational companies, including financial firms.

Now they want to develop their capital markets, he said.“This has nothing to do with needing capital and everything to do with gaining the institutional know-how to do it on their own,” Guthrie said.Targeting ShanghaiThe fund will target investments in Shanghai and neighboring areas. China and Blackstone didn’t disclose the structure of the fund. Blackstone spokesman Peter Rose declined to comment beyond the statement.

Blackstone will be the first global private-equity firm to secure investment from a tier-one city government in China.The agreement signifies China’s endorsement of private equity to bolster corporate governance and profit, said Vincent Chan, co-founder of China-focused fund Spring Capital Asia Ltd. TPG, Carlyle Group and KKR & Co. haven’t established domestic funds.

via Blackstone’s Shanghai Venture May Boost Chinese Private Equity – Bloomberg.com.

Sam Pitroda for NIHA with Cabinet Rank…

Vijay M. Deshpande

It is reported that Sam Pitroda may be appointed to head National Information Highway Authority (NIHA) with cabinet rank like Nandan Nilekani. That is a welcome move. In my blog dated July 8, 2009 on the budget, I had mentioned about “privatization of CEOs” for government projects and need to bring in people like Nandan Nilekani for large ticket government projects for effective implementation. In another blog on disinvestment I had mentioned about need to bring in people like Sam Pitroda to head Air India for restructuring purposes. I am happy to know that Mr.Sam Pitroda is tipped to head NIHA with cabinet rank.

What I can see is a clear emergence of “A Creamy Layer” of executive wing of the cabinet manned by professionals. Hitherto, occasionally, even professionals have been made cabinet rank ministers for running ministries as was the case with PM himself. However, first time we see a distinct difference in role of a cabinet rank minister with concern for accountability for results. One would say that the cabinet ministers are all accountable. Well, yes! But there seems to be a sense of helplessness when it comes to performance evaluation and accountability of political class. This gets overshadowed by political considerations and compulsions of coalition.

With cabinet ministers like Nandan Nilekani and Sam Pitroda the focus is on getting the best people for executing most difficult and path breaking government projects. National Information Highway Authority would deal with e-initiatives of the government including e-governance, e-learning, e-health. It will establish national connectivity between India and Bharat. The digital divide is likely to be bridged providing for capturing more accurate data, implementation of projects, real time assessments and faster decision making. Integrity of data and speed of communications also means possibility of delegation of powers for implementation of projects cutting down the red tape.

Each ministry functions with long terms plans as well as short term. But they are within ‘routine context” of a National 5- year Plan of the planning commission. In spite of all such plans and ministries, Rajiv Gandhi felt the need for his technology missions though they all were not necessarily successful. Rajiv Gandhi was looking at the essence of missionary zeal and sharp focus to execute the plans. Unfortunately, with the change of government, the plans are abandoned. Latest example is of national project for linking the rivers of north and south. Their foot prints are lost in the sands of time. These are the kind of projects which have the potential of a truly strategic lift off for the country.

Be Unique ID Authority project or NIHA project, their strategic importance is very high for putting India into different trajectory of growth as a modern nation. In fact both of them are interlinked for mutual success. The ministries should not be burdened with such strategic projects since neither they have wherewithal to manage them nor political will. And yet these projects are highly critical for national development & growth. These projects are needed by the nation, even if it is not on political agenda of any party for elections. A success or failure of any such project may not mean anything to common man and yet if not done it is a tremendous setback for the nation.

The picture therefore emerging is that there should be a separate wing of cabinet for “Authorities” executing projects of truly strategic importance and far reaching consequences. They are not to be mixed up with the regulatory authorities. These projects are enablers for other ministries to implement their plans as detailed in National 5-year Plans. Such projects should not be abandoned due to changes in government and must be guaranteed for completion by constitutional process. Since the ministers in charge of such projects are not elected representatives, they may be allowed to continue, even if there is a change in the government, till either their term is complete or the project is completed.

We need similar treatment for projects in say agriculture & rural development. In UPA I and now in UPA II also, importance of agriculture was secondary to sports, or cricket, if I may say so. If Dr.Verghese Kurian was to head an “Authority” once again, we can have “White Revolution II ” which is needed. Or if Dr.M.S.Swaminathan could head an “Authority” to increase agricultural productivity, it can make considerable difference to our farmer’s lot (instead of loan waivers to avoid suicides). If an “Authority” on plasticulture is established on similar footing there would be tremendous potential for harnessing drip irrigation in the times of poor mansoons and increasing acreage under cultivation. We could just stop blaming El Nino every time and go on to cheer up farmers!

Performance of power sector is poor with power generation lagging behind the targets with no major power plants commissioned since 2003. 1500 MW (largest Hydro Electric project in India) Nathpa Jhakri Power Project in Himachal Pradesh took 11 years to be completed in 2003 after planning for 30 years. Ultra Mega Power Projects (UMPP) have yet to kick off. We have perennial power shortages and black outs while we dream of making a Shanghai out of Mumbai. This is what happens if it is left to normal supervision of the concerned ministry. Any moves for add-on cabinet minister?

Any business organization has two distinct activities and therefore people to manage them–one is strategic and the second operational or tactical. What we have had till now is governance in operational mode. Exceptionally, we have had few areas identified clearly with strategic importance such as “National Security Advisor” or “Special envoy of prime minister for Afghanistan”.  Practically, every major and critical ministry has a scope to have another cabinet rank minister from private-professional category to transform the field and to raise the bar of performance. How is that for “Public Private Partnership”?

By the time UPA II innings comes to a close, we should have fairly good experience and assessment of this model of executing projects of national importance. May be in future we have key ministries split with cabinet rank ministers for strategic (professionals) and operational (political) goals for effective governance. As I can see the potential of this experiment, we may have to restructure the future cabinets on these lines for effective governance and delivery. If I may add, it would then be truly “inclusive” (of professionals) government.

Dr. Man Mohan Singh has made path breaking decisions to induct Nandan Nilekani and now, as is reported, Dr. Sam Pitroda in waiting. May the breed of such performing authorities grow by the day!

Vijay M. Deshpande

Corporate Advisor,

Strategic Management Initiative

Pune

August 13, 2009

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Visit www.strami.com 

Jim Fruchterman is the founder of Benetech. A technology entrepreneur and engineer, Jim Fruchterman has been a rocket scientist, founded two of the foremost optical character recognition companies, and developed a successful line of reading machines for the blind. He is now a leading social entrepreneur through his deliberately nonprofit technology company, Benetech. Benetech concentrates on applying technology to human rights and literacy for people with disabilities. Fruchterman has won numerous awards for his work, including the 2006 MacArthur Fellowship and the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship in 2004 and 2006. He has also been recognized by the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship as an Outstanding Social Entrepreneur.

Benetech is a strong example of social entrepreneurship.We are part of a growing movement of people taking new approaches to solving social problems. A hallmark of this movement is approaching these problems in partnership with the communities we want to help. This approach melds features from business and the social sector, creating hybrid solutions.

In some cases, the people we want to serve are our customers, providing the market-based feedback that keeps us focused on the needs of our users.

In other cases, there is no revenue model, but the value exchanged is still real and shapes our accountability to our partners.

In general, social entrepreneurs are tackling market failures, meeting needs where business entrepreneurs are unlikely or unwilling to fulfill. Yet, treating the communities we serve more like customers than the recipients of charitable beneficence reflects the new realities of global society. More to the point, it works.

Sources:

To read more about benetech:  http://www.benetech.org/index.shtml

The case download:  http://www.benetech.org/about/downloads/INNOVATIONS-3-3_Fruchterman.pdf

Reminder: Read the case…interesting Insights!!

We created Footprintsnetwork.org and the technology behind it whilst running a global travel insurance company, WorldNomads.com. We looked to harness our community to make micro-donations every time they bought a travel insurance policy to fund a sustainable community project managed by various NGO’s around the world.

We knew we couldn’t do what we wanted in terms of funding without the business to support it. We were also committed to harnessing our community, as like us, travellers who have seen the positive impact community projects can have in developing countries.

Our challenge after that was to redesign the technology so any e-commerce engine could build Footprints into their business model. Now we’ve done that, imagine the impact you could make from the potential millions of micro-donations made each day online.

Providing transparency, accountability and reporting, even on a $2 donation, quickly erodes that ever growing charity cynicism and proves that CSR can be both effective and inspiring.

—Chris Noble

Praha hlavní nádraží, is the main train station in Prague. Opened in 1871, it was extended several times, in 1901, 1909 and in the 1970’s. Depending on which side of the station you are entering the building, the impressions can be radically different. I eventually had the opportunity to discover the station and its three main historical layers from the oldest to the newer ones.

First an old art nouveau building, with the famous Fanta cafe and a second-hand clothes hall in one of the tall galleries. An old century remains, the atmosphere may be weird for some visitors, or completely charming, as I thought. Moving further, some stairs going down offer a view a long, dark and partly destroyed 1970’s corridor going under the tracks the hall on the other side of the station. On the opposite entry of this hall, fancy walls, glasses and electronic displays suddenly appear. A completely new hall, renovated, still in construction on some parts. It reminded me some airports, or the main station in Berlin. Shops, everywhere. And some signs, explaining that there is a “modernization” of the station, still in progress.

After some researches, I found out that the railway systems in Czech Republic is concerned by an European operational program, “co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Cohesion Fund under the Convergence Objective “.

According to the European Commission website, this program “ aims to improve accessibility by focusing on constructing and upgrading the Trans-European Transport Networks (TEN-T) network, introducing modern management methods and setting up advanced transport technologies. The completion of the backbone network will enhance the overall transport networks and improve accessibility for the individual regions and their connections. Improving the transport networks, building additional facilities, reducing their environmental impact (e.g. noise barriers) and improving transport quality for users will facilitate the development of transport connections among and within regions, thereby contributing to worker mobility and employment, improved competitiveness and increased quality of life for citizens.”

Some sections of these “renovation and modernization” of the station are financed by the Czech State, and this European Fund. An other, larger part, because it concerns the entire station, is financed through a lease to Grandi Stazioni, an Italian company owned at 60% by the Italian public railways. Grandi Stazioni is in charge of the 13^th biggest station in Italy, and ran the Roma Termini station “modernization” as well. For Prague’s main station, Grandi Stazioni finances the renovation in exchange of a 30 years lease, it expects to get its investment back thanks to the commercial activities in this renovated station. As was explaining the architect Patrik Kotas, in charge of this project, to Radio Praha :

“The main purpose is that there won’t be groups of people that expect the same services as at a street market. What we want are clients similar to those at an airport. And for sure there should not be stands with sausages, bread and mustard served on plastic plates and beer in plastic cups.” And also to say, about the architects of the previous building, who have to give their prior agreement for some changes, “I think that the main worry is the aim of Grandi Stazioni, which is to bring commercial elements to the main station. It might give rise to a fear that it will be turned into a shopping mall. But that is not going to happen. As long as I am a part of the project it isn’t going to happen.”

As the station was apparently insecure, the aim was also to prevent the homeless from staying in the station: Changing the environment at the main train station, changing its character and surrounding, is going to push away those groups – they will not feel comfortable there anymore.”

These statements go back to 2006. When I entered the new part of the station I had a feeling confirmed by these design principles supported by the architect:

Homeless are not in the station’s new part which is indeed too fancy. But they are just outside the building, in front of it. When you can’t fight poverty and homelessness, you hide it. Design is a way to do it.

Private-Public partnership works, but the fears of a new shopping mall, were right I guess. No public space, many shops. Maybe the “modernization” still in progress is about to improve this aspect. The architect was indeed underlining that it wouldn’t be only about these 11,000 square meters of retail spaces : “It’s also about creating space for social interaction. No one would want this station to simply become a shopping mall. A train station should be a meeting place.“

However, if we look again to the goals of the European Transport Programs, it is to improve infrastructures “contributing to worker mobility and employment, improved competitiveness and increased quality of life for citizens”. But here citizens aren’t the homeless; citizens are workers, expected to be good consumers as well.

References

http://www.szdc.cz/en/pro-media/tiskove-zpravy/praha-hlavni-nadrazi.html

http://www.thepraguepost.com/articles/2008/12/10/main-train-station-facelift-unveiled.php

http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/country/prordn/details_new.cfm?gv_PAY=CZ&gv_reg=ALL&gv_PGM=1023&LAN=7&gv_per=2&gv_defL=7

http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/country/prordn/details_new.cfm?gv_PAY=CZ&gv_reg=ALL&gv_PGM=1023&LAN=7&gv_per=2&gv_defL=7

http://www.radio.cz/en/article/47368

http://www.sydos.cz/cs/rocenka-2005/yearbook/htm_uk/uvod.html

http://www.grandistazioni.it/

http://www.ebrd.com/new/stories/2006/060502.htm

http://www.myczechrepublic.com/prague/main-train-station.html

http://old.radio.cz/en/article/80599

Detik.com 14/09/09
summary : Aroma pembagian risiko kepada Pemda oleh Pemerintah Pusat tampak kental pada penyediaan ketenagalistrikan di masa datang. Padahal cara berpikir dan kemampuan finansial Pemda-Pemda belum semua sehat.

Seperti kita ketahui bahwa selama ini PT PLN (Persero) sebagai satu-satunya Badan Usaha Milik Negara (BUMN) ketenagalistrikan dan menikmati subsidi dari Pemerintah untuk menutupi kerugian operasi. Dengan adanya perbedaan antara biaya pokok produksi (BPP) listrik saat ini sekitar Rp. 1.030/kwh dan tarif dasar listriknya (TDL) rata-rata hanya sekitar Rp. 630/kwh, PT PLN memang memerlukan subsidi yang cukup besar (sekitar Rp. 48 triliun) karena sejak tahun 2004 Pemerintah tidak menyetujui adanya kenaikan TDL.

Melihat besarnya subsidi yang harus ditanggung Pemerintah pada tahun anggaran 2009 sebesar Rp. 48 triliun dan pada tahun anggaran 2010 sebesar Rp. 37,8 triliun , PT PLN Persero harus bekerja keras untuk menaikan TDL sampai  sekitar 30% agar margin keuntungan 5% seperti keinginan Panitia Anggaran DPR-RI.

Berdasarkan UU Ketenagalistrikan yang baru maka tugas PLN menjadi semakin sulit untuk kreatif karena nantinya tidak ada TDL yang bisa dikembangkan secara business to business, seperti tarif multiguna yang sekarang ada. PT PLN akan kembali menjadi perusahaan plat merah asli, layaknya Perum bukan lagi Persero, menunggu apa saja keputusan Pemerintah dan DPR.

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