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Item Restricted Accessibility of the state financial support for small farmer households in Kazakhstan(Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Public Policy, 2018-11-25) Akkassov, Dulat; Taizhanov, AidosThis paper analyses the process of provision of financial support of the small farmer households by the Government of Kazakhstan. It describes the activities of JSC Fund for Financial Support of Agriculture, as a quasi-sector organization, which provides this financial support; the Farmers Union of Kazakhstan, which presents the interests of farmers; and small farmer households who are the recipients of financial resources. The primary data was collected in the forms of interviews with main stakeholders. The secondary data was represented as the statistical information, reports and international experiences in the literature review. This paper draws the current situation in Kazakhstan in the field of state financial support for small farmer households. The results of the interviews identified the common and non-common factors, which have affected the accessibility of state financial support for farmers. The analysis of key findings showed that the policy-makers are fully aware of the challenges for farmers. Moreover, the Government of Kazakhstan addresses much money and other resources to deal with them. Nevertheless, we conclude that the main obstacles to access to state financial support in Kazakhstan are complicated bureaucracy, low valued collateral in a rural area, and lack of business knowledge and skills among the farmers. Based on the key findings of this research, we recommend farmers to unite into farm cooperatives; in addition, the Government should continue to develop the digital technologies, and introduce large-scale educational programs.Item Restricted After school programs in rural Kazakhstan: a comparative case study(Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Public Policy, 2017) Kozhanbayev, DamirStudies show that children greatly benefit from participating in after school activities: they succeed academically and socially, and are less likely to engage in wrongdoing. There is, however, little information on after school programs in rural Kazakhstan. The goal of this comparative study is to describe and explain how after school programs in rural Kazakhstan are implemented. For this purpose, two villages (in Akmola and Karaganda regions) were visited to collect data from local authorities, schools and parents. While the findings revealed some minor differences, they supported the main assumption that the situation in rural after school programs is poor and that, in fact, there are no significant differences in engaging children after formal school hours in both communities. Recommendations for national and local authorities include adequate funding, focusing on enabling environment for after school programs; increasing residents’ participation in school activities and local governance; building partnerships with academic institutions and other.Item Open Access Agricultural water and energy management in Tajikistan: a new opportunity(Taylor & Francis, 2019-08-07) Xenarios, Stefanos; Laldjebaev, Murodbek; Shenhav, RonanAgricultural water use in Tajikistan is largely based on mechanized irrigation pumps. The farming community cannot afford the cost of the energy used for pumping, resulting in large debts to the service provider. We propose limiting pumping facilities for five years in exchange for energy export to neighbouring countries. The energy export could cover the annual pumping expenditures, pay off agricultural debt and partly rehabilitate the irrigation network. We suggest three scenarios with different pumping energy reductions, and the relevant technical parameters of the set-aside scheme are assessed.Item Restricted The Assessment Of State Support Programs For Smes Development: The Case Of Damu State Program(Nazarbayev University Graduate School Of Public Policy, 2018-11) Imashev, Anuar; Zhumazhanov, ArmanThe purpose of our study is to analyze the effectiveness of the DAMU State Program for the provision of financial support to SMEs. We used an inductive grounded theory approach to build qualitative case study design research method by analyzing the primary data. The data were collected through a semi-structured interview from four randomly selected SMEs in various sectors such as trade, agriculture, and two from medical. Based on data analysis we found out that SMEs are using benefits of the financial support of the DAMU State Program as intended and generally satisfied with conditions and procedures. We provide practical recommendations based on our findings. This study contributes to government officials, policy makers and SME top management to enhance effectiveness and efficiency of their decisions.Item Restricted ASSESSMENT OF THE FACTORS LIMITING GROWTH OF MEDIUM-SIZED BUSINESSES IN KAZAKHSTAN(Graduate School of Public Policy, 2023-11-19) Kokkozov, Dimash; Zhuszhassarova, Meruyert; Myrzatay, GaukharWith the growth of entrepreneurship globally and its potential gains to the economy and society, governments are focusing efforts on creating the fertile ground for their talents to innovate, grow and flourish. Acknowledging the fact that entrepreneurial activity is no one’s priority, state policies and programs aim to foster entrepreneurial culture by easing the burden on business creation and facilitating a supportive environment. Kazakhstan’s policy priorities for entrepreneurship development have been on the agenda of the government over the twenty years with major focus on advancement of the institutional context. Progress in the development of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in the last decenniums has not yet produced results that would allow Kazakhstan to fully benefit from SMEs contribution to employment and economic growth. Statistics on SME performance and their contribution towards GDP falling below the national targets reflects the necessity of further research in quest for the future success of SMEs. This is particularly relevant with the trend in declining number of medium-sized enterprises despite the state efforts to increase their share of contribution to the country's GDP. The thrust of this research, then, is to examine the factors limiting the growth of small enterprises and enhance recognition of the importance of medium-sized businesses that is currently undervalued in state policies.Item Restricted Benchmarking for success – the case of AIFC in comparative perspective(Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Public Policy, 2017) Bekbassarov, TilekThis paper is focused on assessing the chances of the recently announced project of establishing Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC). At the same time Kazakhstan already has an unsuccessful attempt with the regional financial centre of Almaty. But this time the idea of AIFC sticks to the successful DIFC (Dubai) model with all its respective features as an anchor benchmark. Having some country specific differences between United Arab Emirates and Kazakhstan perhaps it is not enough just to make a copy of the center’s model, it’s also important to take into account characteristics of their economy and policy. To take into account other benchmarks like Singapore or Hong Kong would also make sense. The chances of Astana to become an IFC for the target region should be performed in comparative perspective having in mind the long lasting plans of Turkey and Russia to establish Istanbul and Moscow IFCs. Thus the research will be based on cross-country comparative study in following directions: with benchmark models of Dubai and world’s top IFCs; with competitive models such as Istanbul and Moscow and other countries of the target region (Eurasia). The research should be a supportive tool for strategic policy planning and decision making.Item Open Access A BIBLIOMETRIC REVIEW OF THE WATER SECURITY CONCEPT IN CENTRAL ASIA(IOP Publishing, 2020-12-18) Xenarios, Stefanos; Assubayeva, Aliya; Xie, Lei; Sehring, Jenniver; Amirkhanov, Daulet; Sultanov, Alisher; Fazli, SiamacEngineering, economic, social sciences, geophysical, and integrated modeling studies have approached the assessment of water security in Central Asia (CA) in distinct ways. Different indicators and indexes have been introduced to assess the most vulnerable aspects of water use in this region. Until now, though, the suggested approaches are often represented in a fragmented manner, while the relevant indicators cannot fully attribute the vulnerability status of a country or on a regional level. This can result in diverging perceptions of the water security situation in policy dialogues, also affecting bilateral and multilateral relations among the countries in CA. In this study, we conduct a bibliometric review on the approaches and methods that directly or indirectly touch upon the water security perceptions in CA. We employ data mining techniques to explore trends in the conceptualization of water security in the region since the breakup of the Soviet Union by also identifying the water interests and priorities set by each country. The findings reveal that within the last decade, the water security-related studies have given much importance to technical and infrastructural means to protect human livelihoods against global environmental changes but also to foster economic growth. The water governance and management aspects are largely overlooked in favour of more techno-centric approaches. These findings are expected to clarify further the perception of the water security concept within CA by indicating the geophysical, institutional, and historical challenges that need to be met for a mutual understanding among the countries in the region.Item Open Access The Boundaries of Research in an Authoritarian State(SAGE Publications, 2019-09-16) Janenova, SaltanatThis article provides a reflective analysis of a local scholar on methodological challenges of conducting research in Kazakhstan — a post-Soviet, authoritarian, Central Asian country. It specifically addresses the problems of getting access to government officials and the quality of data, describes the strategies applied by the researcher to mitigate these obstacles, and discusses the impact of the political environment on decisions relating to the research design, ethical integrity, safety of participants and researchers, and publication dilemma. This article will be of interest both for researchers who are doing or planning to conduct research in Kazakhstan and Central Asia and those who are researching in nondemocratic contexts as methodological challenges of an authoritarian regime stretch beyond the geographical boundaries.Item Restricted Burden of disease attributable to ambient air pollution in Kazakhstan(Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Public Policy, 2018-11-25) Ibrayev, Maxat; Kenzhebek, Aidarbek; Issakova, DanaBackground. Ambient air pollution causes increased mortality from diseases of the circulatory and respiratory systems. The recent Global Burden of Disease study ranked exposure to the ambient particulate matter pollution as one of the top five reasons of premature mortality. Only high blood pressure, smoking, high fasting plasma glucose (prediabetes), high body-mass index and childhood undernutrition were ranked higher than ambient particulate matter. Exposure to the ambient air pollution was attributed to 4.2 million premature deaths worldwide. The overall burden of disease was considerably larger than from such diseases like malaria and HIV-AIDS combined which were attributed 1.5 million deaths combined. Methods. We estimated burden of disease attributable to ambient air pollution across regions and two major cities of Kazakhstan for the years 2005, 2010, and 2015. We conducted spatially resolved analysis at 0.01 x 0.01o (~1 km) grid resolution. By applying the Global Burden of Disease study methodology we calculated relative risks of premature mortality among four disease endpoints – namely ischemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lower respiratory infections. Findings. In 2015 there were total 5970 ambient air pollution attributable mortality cases, 6178 cases in 2010 and 9698 cases in 9698. There was a downwards trend for ischemic heart disease and stroke. Mortality from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lower respiratory infections are on rise. Western and South regions of Kazakhstan are found to be the most polluted areas of the country. During the period of our study there was little change in ambient air pollution attributable mortality. Our sensitivity scenarios showed that pulmonary diseases are the most responsive to the changes in air qualityItem Open Access Cartel parties and cartel party systems(Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Public Policy, 2008-01) Pelizzo, RiccardoThe transformation of Western European Party Systems was associated with the emergence of a new model of party organization: the cartel party.The cartel party differs from previous party models because it is increasingly less an agent of society, has interests on its own, depends on state subsidies and struggles to preserve the conditions under whihc it prospers by distorting electoral competition. Through such a distortion the cartel of parties resembles the behavior of oligopolistic firms. The purpose of this book is to investigate whether and to what extent patterns of inter-party competition resemble the functioning of oligopolistic markets.The results of our comparative analysis reveal that there is a growing gap between voters' demands and party system's political supply. In addition to arguing the implications of these findings for the theory of responsible party government, this books shows that the growing gap between voters' demands and party systems' supply creates the condition for the rise of the parties of the New Extreme RightItem Restricted CHANGE MANAGEMENT IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR: THE CASE OF ONE-STOP-SHOPS (OSSS) IN KAZAKHSTAN(Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Public Policy, 2022-11-20) Abdullah, Mohammad Habib; Abdramanova, Dinara; Bekmagambetova, AspetSince their establishment in 2005, one of the major challenges at One-Stop-Shop Public Service Centers (OSS PSCs) in Kazakhstan has been the ineffectiveness of employees in providing better public services, mainly due to their maladaptation to the change (digitalization). Therefore, the main purpose of this paper is to explore how employees at OSS PSCs in Kazakhstan can be effectively adapted to the change (digitalization) in order to provide world-class public services, particularly by implementing the ADKAR Change Management model in which ‘A’ stands for awareness of the need to change, ‘D’ stands for the desire to support and take part in the change, ‘K’ stands for knowledge of how to change, ‘A’ stands for the ability to implement the change, and ‘R’ stands for reinforcement to sustain the change. The data in this paper was collected mainly from the survey questionnaires which were distributed among 51 employees and semi-structured interviews which were conducted among 10 employees at 10 branches of One-Stop-Shops (OSSs) in Astana city. Based on the main findings of this research, there is a positive correlation between each element of the ADKAR Change Management model and effective performance of employees, especially at OSS PSCs in Kazakhstan. The limitation of this paper is in its scope since the main findings of this paper are based on the data collected only from Astana city. Limited literature is also another limitation of this paper. However, the findings of this paper can be used by the government of Kazakhstan to improve employees’ productivity at OSS PSCs as well as in other countries with similar contexts; it can also be used for further relevant researches and class discussions.Item Restricted COMMUNICATION STRATEGY ABOUT THE PROJECT OF THE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT IN KAZAKHSTAN(Nazarbayev University, Graduate School of Public Policy, 2023-11-05) Akynov, Tomas; Gninenko, Saltanat; Kartpay, AldiyarOver the last two decades, the Kazakhstan government has discussed constructing a Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) to pursue an energy security agenda and, more recently, carbon neutrality. However, government communication on this topic has been inconsistent and intermittent, and in the past four years, we observed an increase in communication conducted by the government. The NPP, being a grand project with multiple stakeholders and complex implications for the country, deserves close attention and careful consideration from the country as a whole. Thus, this paper aims to study the communication strategy regarding the construction of NPP in Kazakhstan. A modified Laswell model is used as a conceptual framework to analyze communication in terms of “Who, Says What, in Which Channel, to Whom, with What Feedback,” where the last category replaces measuring the effectiveness of communication due to its recency. Semi-structured interviews with two groups, representing government officials responsible for the communication and the expert community and civil society activists providing feedback on the communication strategy, contributed to the findings of this research. In addition, documents related to the PR campaign, the results of sociological research, and the social media pages of the primary stakeholders in communication were analyzed. The two key stakeholders responsible for the communication are Kazakhstan Nuclear Power Plants (KNPP) LLP and the Ministry of Energy (MoE). The themes they cover are energy deficiency, experts’ opinions on the NPP, peaceful nuclear, and other materials informing the population about the benefits of nuclear energy. However, the second group is quite negative about the reasons provided by the KNPP, MoE, and the government, emphasizing the lack of addressed risks and concerns. The paper ends with the relevant recommendations that seek to improve the communication strategy of the MoE and KNPP on the project of NPP.Item Restricted The Comparative Advantages Of Kazakhstan In The Global Space Industry(Nazarbayev University Graduate School Of Public Policy, 2018-11-25) Kangozhin, Ilyas; Zhekey, Bakhyt; Koldassov, AidosThis project aims to identify the comparative advantage of the Baikonur cosmodrome in the global space industry. The project study includes the prospects for the development of the Baikonur cosmodrome as a community and aerospace center. The research analysis focuses on the Baikonur cosmodrome’s financing, technological, scientific utilization and identification of comparative advantages of the cosmodrome based on comparative advantage framework. The recommendations suggest to increase financing, promote private sector participation and further international engagement. Currently, Russian Federation is one of the active international participant. The research findings observed that the Baikonur cosmodrome has four comparative advantages such as its geographic location, reliable technologies, skilled workforce and potential area for international cooperation. This paper aimed to provide Baikonur cosmodrome’s comparative advantages in comparison with other international space ports.Item Restricted A Comparative Study of Gender Equality perception among top-ranked officials from public, quasi-government and private sector in Kazakhstan(Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Public Policy, 2017) Mukhamejanova, Zhansulu; Tungatarova, ZhanerkeFrom the period 1990 Kazakhstan underwent through dramatic and unstoppable changes with tremendous consequences on the economic strategy and cultural values. With globalization processes that triggered the westernization of ideology, the minds and the mentality of the whole population entirely changed emphasizing the position of women. Taking into consideration these consequences of economic and ideological changes, participation and engagement of women in different spheres of the society should have been uplifted to the level of male representatives. Change is taking place, but not as quickly as in numerous parts of the Western world....Item Restricted The constitutional reform in Kazakhstan: Nur Otan’s role in legitimizing the procedure of constitutional change(Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Public Policy, 2017) Didarbekov, Ualikhan; Aitmukash, MariyamAfter being a country with a powerful presidential system for last 26 years, Kazakhstan introduced a few but essential changes into its constitution this year. As a democratic country, Kazakhstan has undergone several significant constitutional reforms since its independence from the Soviet Union. The last one had occurred recently when the President of the country, Nursultan Nazarbayev, offered a transfer of power from President’s Administration onto Parliament and Prime Minister’s Office of Kazakhstan. The aim of these recent changes was to strengthen the Parliament’s role in dealing with legislations and make Prime Minister's Office more independent in developing a social and economic condition of the country. Indeed, president of the country wants to make ministries of the Republic of Kazakhstan to be more independent and strong in solving the inner problems of the country, while he is focusing on more global issues. Thus, the president’s decision to distribute the power was made only to improve and develop the state’s current political and economic conditions. Since good governance is the key to economic development, this decision of N.Nazarbayev was supported by many actors in the country including the "Nur Otan" Democratic People's Party (Nur Otan). In this paper, we discuss this transfer of power from the president to other branches of government such as parliament and ministries. To do so, researchers analyzed this particular constitutional reform from the viewpoint of the Nur Otan, people, and the international community...Item Restricted Constitutional Reforms in Kazakhstan: were they participative and responsive?(Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Public Policy, 2017) Imanaliyev, Zhandos; Zhumabekov, NarimanTwenty-five years after the Republic of Kazakhstan became independent ‘almost by accident’, the continuous improvement of the country's governance system is on the top of its political agenda. Over the last years, decision-makers in Astana have been working hard to improve Kazakhstan’s governing structures on all levels, realizing that the future development of the country depends on the quality of political decision-making, effective policy implementation, and accountable communication between the state’s institutions and citizens. Especially the latter point has been highlighted as crucial for improving the young Republic’s democracy, and for making it last. In this thesis, we study President Nursultan Nazarbayev’s recent decision to transfer central aspects of presidential power onto other branches of the government, thereby strengthening the role of the Parliament as the supreme representative body exercising legislative power. To do so, we analyze the most recent wave of constitutional reform from the perspective of the government, citizens, and the international community; and compare developments in Kazakhstan with similar reforms taking place in other countries. To contextualize our claims, we also explore the constitution of Kazakhstan, paying special attention to how, when and by whom it was written, and what kind of amendments were made to it over time. The main Research Question of this thesis is why and by whom recent constitutional reform were initiated, and whether they were participative or responsive in nature. In answering this question, we attempted to measure the effectiveness of implementing recent reforms through conducting surveys among interested groups, opinion polls, and analysis of other data sources. On the basis of these data, we consider whether – and if yes, how - recent reforms will give impetus to the development of democratic structures in Kazakhstan, and contribute to the well-being of its people....Item Open Access Digitisation to optimise administrative procedures: a case study of Nazarbayev University(Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Public Policy, 2019-11-10) Turarkyzy, Meruyert; Nurtaza, AigerimThe term “Digitisation” has nowadays been mentioned in every talk, speech and in the leaders’ plans for nations. In fact, it has become a trend for public and private organisations to digitise as much as possible, including giant sectors of economy such as healthcare, education and public service as such. It can certainly be said that Kazakhstan does not stand as an exception, but proactively engages into programmes which are supposed to increase the overall efficiency. Although policy implementers act on the belief that digitisation of services is a great initiative aimed at optimising procedures for consumers, there are many milestones which appear in the way to effective implementation. Nazarbayev University is another organisation which, positioning itself as a modern and up-to-date university, attempts to adopt the latest digital changes....Item Restricted Divorced mothers in Kazakhstan: A preliminary assessment of their financial and social issues(Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Public Policy, 2016) Okanova, AinaraThis research assesses the economic and social issues faced by middle-income divorced mothers heading single-parent families with minor children in Kazakhstan. The economic and social status of divorced-mother families in Kazakhstan is an unexplored area of research. Current Kazakhstani laws do not recognize the legal status of divorced mothers. Therefore, after divorce, a family’s status is recognized as “incomplete family.” This research provides a preliminary assessment of the economic and social difficulties faced by divorced mothers. It is the author’s goal to identify particular problem areas and policy challenges relevant to divorced mothers in the area of economic and social stability. Interviews with key stakeholders were performed to 1) assess the current difficulties faced by divorced mothers, 2) identify the conditions of legal support offered to divorced mothers that face problems recovering alimony payments from their ex-partners, and 3) understand the extent of social support that divorced mothers receive from the government. This research concludes with an offering of numerous policy recommendations for each of the major issues identified.Item Open Access DO IMPERFECTIONS IN LEGAL SYSTEM DISTORT REAL CASES OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING VICTIMS IN KAZAKHSTAN(Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Public Policy, 2020-11-29) Kangozhina, Aliya; Ibragimova, Inara; Zhumagaliyev, ArdakThe human trafficking is one of the most profitable international crimes. Unfortunately, Kazakhstan is among notoriously known countries where human trafficking takes all possible forms. Being a country of origin, destination and transit, despite all the anti-human trafficking measures, this year Kazakhstan has been placed on the 2nd “tier” list of countries according to the Report of the US Government. It indicates that undertaken measures are not sufficient and the situation has deteriorated. One particular issue is that statistically the numbers of human trafficking cases are decreasing, which does not fit into preliminary information about increasing migration flows, the establishment of a whole Interdepartmental Commission on combating illegal export, import and trafficking in human beings and a major increasing concern about this issue by the Government. The goal of this study is to determine what are the factors that cause or influence distortions in the real numbers of human trafficking. For the purposes of this research several focus groups of respondents were interviewed in order to get a maximally full understanding of the reasons for these distortions. Lawyers, police officers, rehabilitation centers, NGOs and members of the Interdepartmental Commission altogether provided valuable insights. Our research findings allowed us to establish four main groups of factors - legal, social, economic and political - that have a negative impact on the process of detecting and investigating human trafficking cases, and as a result on a statistical reflection of these crimes. Precise recommendations are proposed as possible solutions on how to improve the system and dismantle future mishaps in recording data.Item Restricted Effectiveness of Public Councils as a mechanism for citizen engagement in local policy making(Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Public Policy, 2017) Rakhimov, Kamildin; Zhakelov, ShyngysGovernments are responding to growing pressure to increase accountability, transparency and citizen engagement. A review of citizen engagement literature reveals various ways of interaction between government and citizens, and also highlights the importance of holding government accountable and open for inclusive economic growth and social well-being. In this regard, in December 2015 Kazakhstan approved the timely Public Councils’ Law to enhance the transparency of state decision making and promote citizen engagement. In this paper, the focus is on how public councils have been effective in fulfilling their role as a consultative mechanism for government oversight, and identification of barriers and catalysts for successful implementation of Public Councils. In order to achieve these objectives, OECD evaluation framework with ten suggested criteria on government-citizen engagement were used on Public Council of Almaty city and Atyrau region. The findings state noticeably different implementation of Public Councils in Almaty city and Atyrau region mainly because the Law is quite general, and thus allows room for different interpretation. Qualitative research methods such as interviews with Public Council members, observations by attending Public Council meetings and secondary data analysis were used to collect the data for the research. Furthermore, evidence obtained from the research proposes recommendations on amendments to the Law and specific suggestions on operational improvements of the work of Public Councils.
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