Browsing by Subject "Nicaragua"

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Open Access
Assessing Community Based Water Organization Performance in Central America
(2017-06-26) Browning, Neil
What are the effects of household, community, technical, and environmental variables on the performance and resilience of CWOs in dry regions? Since 2014, drought has severely affected Central American economic and health outcomes, necessitating international intervention. 2.5 million people were at risk of food insecurity across the region in 2014, and 65% of homes had no stock of food during the 2015 harvest season. Low-income families living in Central America’s “dry corridor” are affected the most by droughts; the UN’s long-term plan is to build climate resilience in these communities as climate change increases the magnitude and frequency of droughts. Local community-based drinking water organizations (CWOs) are key actors in Central American water provision. In rural and urban peripheral areas, CWOs provide the populace with up to 60% of its drinkable water. As climate change strains water accessibility, these local institutions will require effective management strategies so they have the capacity to handle the resource declines they will experience. I assessed how different independent variables are associated with the adaptive capacity of CWOs and identified attributes that lead to success by conducting regression analyses on a data set from three Central American countries: Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. I also compared the statistically significant outcomes across the three countries. The regressions are based on survey data that has been gathered at the household and CWO level, technical data that was collected by engineers, as well as environmental and census data on the subnational regions in question. First, I examined household reports of water access – defined as number of hours per day. I analyzed how this definition of water access related to household, engineering, community-level, and environmental variables. I found that volumetric pricing and elevation are the key variables to consider when designing an effective governance structure for a Central American CWO. I also determined that it is possible that national norms in CWO procedures may overstate the effect of volumetric pricing. Second, I used three different engineering variables as dependent and analyzed how they were affected by household, community-level and environmental variables. Unlike the hours of service variable, the engineering variables were collected at the community level by engineers, rather than self-reported at the household level. I conclude that elevation and volumetric pricing are the most relevant variables to consider in effective rural water provision. Elevation increases the start-up and maintenance costs of obtaining water. Volumetric pricing should be promoted as well, as it encourages the regulation of scarce water resources in the simplest way. I also conclude that higher elevation communities require more maintenance from community members, and require more expensive and powerful pumping technology.
Open Access
Assessing the Evaluation Methods of the Millennium Challenge Corporation’s Latin American Compact Projects
(2020-11-20) Norman, Savannah
Por décadas, agencias de desarrollo internacional se han esforzado para remediar los desafíos globales del desarrollo. Una de estas agencias es el Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). Este trabajo explora la programación del Millennium Challenge Coporation a través de sus evaluaciones. Específicamente, este trabajo evalúa la solidez técnica de las evaluaciones de los proyectos hondureñas, nicaragüenses, y salvadoreños del MCC, y también lo que los hallazgos y la solidez de estas evaluaciones significan para futuros proyectos en la región. A través de un análisis de documentos, este trabajo encontró que la evaluación promedia fue sólida técnicamente, como uso métricas consistentes, apropiadas, y objetivas. Sin embargo, la estructura de las evaluaciones varió según el autor y la agencia propietaria. Evaluaciones externas no directamente contradijeron los hallazgos de las evaluaciones financiadas por el MCC. Las evaluaciones no fueron inclusivas a los destinatarios originarios de la programación del MCC, los grupos beneficiarios. Entrevistas con los autores de las evaluaciones confirmaron estas conclusiones. Las implicaciones de estos hallazgos incluyen la importancia de procesos de desarrollo que son culturalmente competentes, inclusivos, multifacéticos, y que asimilan el aprendizaje de proyectos ya-completados. Los hallazgos de este trabajo se aplican al proceso de desarrollo y evaluación de Latinoamérica.
Open Access
Assessing the Evaluation Methods of the Millennium Challenge Corporation’s Latin American Compact Projects
(2020-11-20) Norman, Savannah
International development agencies have, for decades, worked to remedy global development challenges. One of these agencies is the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). This study explores the MCC’s Latin American programming via its evaluations. It specifically assesses the technical soundness of the MCC’s Honduras, Nicaragua, and El Salvador evaluations, as well what the findings and soundness of evaluations mean for future projects in the region. Through document analysis, this study found that the average evaluation was technically sound, as it employed consistent, appropriate, and objective metrics. However, evaluation structure varied according to author and proprietor agency. External evaluations did not directly contradict the findings of MCC-sponsored evaluations. Evaluations were not inclusive to the intended recipients of MCC programming, beneficiary groups. Interviews with the authors of evaluations confirmed these findings. The implications of findings include the importance of culturally competent, inclusive, and multi-faceted development processes that assimilate learning from prior programming. Findings are applicable to development and evaluation processes in Latin America.
Open Access
Evaluating Kidney Disease Characteristics, Prevalence, and Risk Factors in León, Nicaragua: A Population-Based Study
(2023) Strasma, Anna
Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is increasingly prevalent worldwide. Several low and middle income countries, including Nicaragua, are particularly affected by CKD of unknown etiology (CKDu). CKDu disproportionately affects young people who lack traditional risk factors for CKD, and it may be due to heat stress, environmental exposures, nephrotoxic medications, or genetic conditions. The purpose of this study is to define the prevalence of CKD, CKD diagnosis awareness in those affected, and determine risk factors for CKD from traditional risk factors and CKDu in Nicaragua. Methods: Surveys and testing of urine and serum for CKD markers were performed in participants 15-59 years old in households of the León municipality in northwest Nicaragua. Surveys included data on demographics, health behaviors, occupation, and medical history. Those with CKD were subdivided into CKD with traditional risk factors and suspected CKDu. Statistical analysis includes proportions, non-parametric comparison tests, and multinomial logistic regression models. Results: CKD prevalence in 1795 study participants is 8.6%, and awareness of CKD among those affected was low (22%). Of those with CKD, 30% were suspected to have CKDu, which was associated with male sex, decreased socioeconomic status, water source of river or well, agricultural occupation, lower BMI, and smoking. Use of nephrotoxic medications and family history of CKD were associated with CKD from traditional risk factors. Conclusions: CKD from both traditional risk factors and CKDu is a significant burden in this region. Our study supports some previous hypotheses of CKDu etiology and emphasizes the importance of CKD screening.
Open Access
International crises and global health electives: lessons for faculty and institutions.
(Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges, 2010-10) Steiner, Beat D; Carlough, Martha; Dent, Georgette; Peña, Rodolfo; Morgan, Douglas R
Student participation in global health electives and community service initiatives is associated with a number of favorable outcomes, and student interest in participating in such experiences is high. Increasingly, medical schools are facilitating and supervising global health opportunities. The inherent risks and uncertainties of global community service deserve careful consideration as schools engage more actively in this area. This article presents how one institution managed three crises in three electives in a single year. The H1N1 flu epidemic impacted a group of students bound for Mexico, a political upheaval affected a student group working in Honduras, and a hurricane threatened a student group in Nicaragua. This article outlines lessons learned from responding to these crises. Well-defined institutional travel policies, clear communication plans in the event of an emergency, a responsible administrative entity for global experiences, and formal predeparture training for students and faculty can help institutions better respond to unpredictable events. A comprehensive examination of these lessons and reflections on how to institutionalize the various components may help other institutions prepare for such events and lessen negative impact on student learning.
Open Access
Where Is the Sandinista Spirit?: Nicaraguan Women’s NGOs and the Return of Daniel Ortega
(2010-12) Kwon, Ji-Hyeun
When Daniel Ortega of the Sandinista Front for National Liberation lost the presidential election of 1990 to Violeta Barrios de Chamorro of the National Opposition Union, the autonomous women’s movement began and the number of non-governmental organizations rapidly increased in Nicaragua. After more than 15 years of neoliberals, moderate socialism came back with Ortega when he won the election of 2006. This research analyzes if any changes in the values, structures and functions of Nicaraguan women’s organizations have occurred since the reelection of Ortega by conducting interviews with four local women’s NGOs: Asociación para el Desarrollo Integral Comunitario, Colectivo de Mujeres de Matagalpa, Grupo Venancia and Servicios Integrales para la Mujer. The case studies of these four women’s NGOs show that the Ortega administration has systematically harassed women’s non-governmental organizations by using explicit and implicit political tools.