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Justice Department to Monitor Elections in California, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Ohio and Texas

The Justice Department announced today that the Civil Rights Division will monitor elections on Nov. 8, 2011, in Alameda County, Calif.; Springfield, Mass.; Humphreys, Leflore, Panola and Wilkinson Counties, Miss.; Lorain County, Ohio; and Jasper, Texas.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department to Monitor Elections in Ohio

The Justice Department announced today that the Civil Rights Division will monitor elections today in Cuyahoga, Hamilton and Lorain Counties, Ohio.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Meeting of the President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons

"For the Department of Justice, our commitment to preventing human trafficking, bringing traffickers to justice, and assisting victims has never been stronger – and our approach has never been more effective. Our work has sent a clear and critical message: that, in this country – and under this Administration – human trafficking crimes will not be tolerated," said Attorney General Holder.




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Justice Department to Monitor Elections in Illinois

The Justice Department announced today that the Civil Rights Division will monitor elections on March 20, 2012, in Cook and Lake Counties, Ill.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department to Monitor Election in Wisconsin

The Justice Department announced today that the Civil Rights Division will monitor the election on April 3, 2012, in Milwaukee.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department to Monitor Election in Wisconsin

The Justice Department announced today that the Civil Rights Division will monitor the election on Tuesday, May 8, 2012, in Milwaukee. The monitoring will ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Voting Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the election process on the basis of race, color or membership in a minority language group. In addition, the act requires certain covered jurisdictions to provide language assistance during the election process. The city of Milwaukee is required to provide assistance in Spanish.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department to Monitor Elections in Texas

The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor municipal elections on May 12, 2012, in Dallas, Galveston, and Jasper Counties in Texas to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department to Monitor Elections in Nebraska

The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor the primary elections on May 15, 2012, in Colfax and Douglas Counties in Nebraska, to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and other federal voting rights statutes. The Voting Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the election process on the basis of race, color or membership in a minority language group. In addition, the Act requires Colfax County to provide language assistance in Spanish during the election process.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department to Monitor Elections in Texas

The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor primary elections on May 29, 2012, in Fort Bend, Harris and Jefferson Counties in Texas, to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and other federal voting rights statutes. The Voting Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the election process on the basis of race, color or membership in a minority language group. In addition, the act requires certain covered jurisdictions to provide language assistance during the election process.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department to Monitor Elections in California, New Mexico, South Dakota and Wisconsin

The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor elections on June 5, 2012, in the following jurisdictions to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and other federal voting rights statutes: Alameda, Fresno and Riverside Counties, Calif.; Cibola and Sandoval Counties, N.M.; Shannon County, S.D.; and the city of Milwaukee.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department to Monitor Elections in South Carolina

The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor primary elections on June 12, 2012, in Fairfield and Williamsburg Counties in South Carolina to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department to Monitor Election in Maryland

The Justice Department announced today that the Civil Rights Division will monitor the municipal election on June 20, 2012, in Crisfield, Md. The monitoring will ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Voting Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the election process on the basis of race, color or membership in a minority language group.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department to Monitor Elections in New York

The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor primary elections on June 26, 2012, in Orange County and Queens, N.Y., to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Voting Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the election process on the basis of race, color or membership in a minority language group.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department to Monitor Elections in Georgia

The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor the elections on July 31, 2012, in Randolph and Washington Counties, Ga., to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Voting Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the election process on the basis of race, color or membership in a minority language group.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department to Monitor Elections in Florida and Wisconsin

The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor elections on Aug. 14, 2012, in the following jurisdictions to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and other federal voting rights statutes: Collier, Hendry, Lee, Osceola and Polk Counties, Fla.; and the city of Milwaukee, Wis.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department to Monitor Elections in Alabama and Arizona

The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor elections on Aug. 28, 2012, in Lanett, Reform, and Phenix City, Ala., and Maricopa County, Ariz., to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Voting Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the election process on the basis of race, color or membership in a minority language group.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department to Monitor Elections in New York

The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor elections on Sept. 13, 2012, in the Bronx, Manhattan and Queens, N.Y., to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Voting Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the election process on the basis of race, color or membership in a minority language group.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department to Monitor Early Voting in Texas

The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor portions of the early voting period for the Nov. 6, 2012, general election in Dallas and Harris Counties, Texas, to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Voting Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the election process on the basis of race, color or membership in a minority language group. Early voting in Dallas and Harris Counties begins on Monday, October 22.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department to Monitor Early Voting in Florida

The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor portions of the early voting period for the Nov. 6, 2012, general election in Miami-Dade County, Fla., to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Voting Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the election process on the basis of race, color or membership in a minority language group.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department to Monitor Polls in 23 States on Election Day

The Justice Department announced today that its Civil Rights Division plans to deploy more than 780 federal observers and department personnel to 51 jurisdictions in 23 states for the Nov. 6, 2012, general election.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department to Monitor Municipal Special Election in South Carolina

The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor the municipal special election on Jan. 8, 2013, in Branchville, S.C., to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Voting Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the election process on the basis of race, color or membership in a minority language group.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department to Monitor Elections in Illinois and Kansas

The Justice Department announced today that the Civil Rights Division will monitor elections on Feb. 26, 2013, in Cook County, Ill., and Seward County, Kan.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department to Monitor Election in Maricopa County, Arizona

The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor the municipal election on March 12, 2013, in the town of Guadalupe, in Maricopa County, Ariz., to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965.



  • OPA Press Releases

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U.S. and City of New Orleans to Hold Public Meetings to Select Consent Decree Monitor for the New Orleans Police Department

The United States and the city of New Orleans announced today that public meetings would be held regarding a consent decree court monitor for the New Orleans Police Department.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department to Monitor Elections in South Carolina and Port Chester, New York

The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor elections on March 19, 2013, in Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester Counties, S.C., and in the village of Port Chester, N.Y.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department to Monitor Elections in Kansas and Nebraska

The Justice Department announced today that the Civil Rights Division will monitor elections on April 2, 2013, in Finney County, Kan., and Douglas County, Neb. The monitoring will ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and other federal voting rights statutes.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department to Monitor Elections in Mississippi and South Carolina

The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor elections on May 7, 2013, in the towns of Clarksdale, Como and Ruleville, Miss., and in Charleston County, S.C., to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department to Monitor Elections in Texas

The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor municipal elections on May 11, 2013, in the cities of Corrigan, Farmers Branch, Irving and Orange, Texas, to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department to Monitor Election in Nebraska

The Justice Department announced today that the Civil Rights Division will monitor the election on May 14, 2013, in Douglas County, Neb.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department to Monitor Elections in Mississippi

The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor municipal elections on June 4, 2013, in the cities of Brookhaven, Greenwood, Isola, Meridian, Philadelphia and Ruleville, Miss., to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department to Monitor Election in Alabama

The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor the municipal election on June 18, 2013, in the city of Evergreen, Ala., to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department to Monitor Elections in Ohio and New York

The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor elections on Sept. 10, 2013, in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, and in Queens County, N.Y. The monitoring will ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination in the election process on the basis of race, color or membership in a minority language group.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department to Monitor Election in Mississippi

The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor the special municipal election on Sept. 24, 2013, in Hattiesburg, Miss.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department to Monitor Elections in Michigan, New York and Ohio

The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor elections on Nov. 5, 2013, in Detroit and Hamtramck, Mich.; Orange County, N.Y.; and Cuyahoga and Lorain Counties, Ohio.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department to Monitor Elections in Nebraska

The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor elections on May 13, 2014, in Colfax and Douglas Counties, Nebraska, to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting rights statutes.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department to Monitor Elections in California and New Mexico

The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor elections on June 3, 2014, in Alameda and Napa Counties, California, and Cibola County, N.M., to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting rights statutes.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Policy Changes Could Bolster Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs

High rates of opioid prescribing have contributed to the current U.S. opioid epidemic and the steady increase in overdose deaths across the country. Prescribers wrote an all-time high of 255 million opioid prescriptions in 2012, and though that rate has since declined.




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Delegation of Authority Log: Tips for Monitors

We may call them “site inspections”, but it’s not the site that’s being inspected when a regulator visits; it’s the Principal Investigator. Though a PI typically delegates study tasks to other staff members, he or she remains solely responsible for the conduct of the study. In fact, the ICH E6(R2) addendum adds two new sections to the international guidance that emphasize PI supervision.

That’s what makes the Delegation of Authority (DoA) log so important and why regulatory inspectors care about it so much. A DoA log serves as evidence that a PI has assigned study tasks only to those staff members with the education, training, and experience to carry them out. If delegates are unqualified to perform their tasks, subject safety could be at risk and it’s highly likely that the study data would be unusable.



Monitors – you can really make a big contribution here. At the outset of the study, you can verify that your PI has made appropriate delegations and the DoA log is complete. You can cross-match the log with training records, CVs, licenses, and source documents and correct any problems as early in the study as possible. Then, throughout the study, you can verify that the DoA log is being maintained.

Coverage
Without referencing any other site document, monitors can spot two types of DoA log omissions.

(1) Missing Assignments. Are there study tasks to which no one has been delegated? The tasks in a DoA log are often represented by a short code to conserve space. A legend at the end of the log translates the code into its corresponding task. Monitors can compare the legend to the DoA log entries to see if any tasks are omitted.


(2) Gap in Assignments. Due to staff turnover, reassignment, leaves of absence, etc., delegation for a task frequently does not last the duration of the entire study. A column in the DoA log indicates the delegation start and stop date.  Monitors can check to make sure that when the delegation for a task ends for one staff member, it is picked up by another.

Qualifications
Once you’re satisfied the DoA log completely covers all tasks for the duration of the study, you can check to make sure delegates have the necessary qualifications. You’ll want to compare the log with training records, CVs, and medical licenses from the regulatory binder.
  • Has the staffer charged with recording vital signs during a subject visit been formally trained to take blood pressure? Is it documented?
  • Did an incoming pharmacist receive protocol training prior to the start date of his study assignments?
  • Does state law allow a registered nurse to dispense investigational product, or is a nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant required? Does the protocol require only an M.D. conduct certain procedures? Does the DoA log show the requirement is being followed?

Study Procedures
Even after the focus of the monitoring visit moves past the DoA log itself, you should revisit the log during source document review.
  • Have any study tasks been conducted by staff members who have not received official delegation to do so?
  • Perhaps the protocol requires a blinded IP dispenser. If so, has the delegated dispenser conducted any other study procedure?


PI Oversight
The PI is responsible for ensuring subject safety, compliance with the regs and the protocol, and control of the investigational product. That obligation cannot be delegated away. PI oversight is critical to a successful study, and the DoA log is where PI oversight starts.

Procedures that are performed by unqualified or ineligible personnel put both study participants and study data at risk. These are the very things regulatory inspectors work to guard against. Good monitors know it and make verifying the DoA log a priority.

__________________
A version of this article originally appeared in InSite, the Journal of the Society for Clinical Research Sites.







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FedRAMP to Monitor Cloud Service Providers


As of today, the federal government will require that all cloud service providers have Federal Risk and Authorization Program (FedRAMP) approval. FedRAMP is a program meant to standardize the security of cloud services, thus reducing the time and effort that independent cloud providers would need to spend ensuring cloud security. According to a 2013 annual report by the General Services Administration, agencies that use FedRAMP could save 50 percent on staffing and $200,000 in costs overall. FedRAMP will operate under similar rules as the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA), which helps maintain security of federal IT systems, applications and databases. Both FISMA and FedRAMP will provide enhanced protection and scrutiny for federal and independent agencies.

To learn more about cloud computing, read Darrell West’s papers Saving Money Through Cloud Computing and Steps to Improve Cloud Computing in the Public Sector. Visit the FedRAMP website here.

MaryCate Most contributed to this post.

Authors

  • Hillary Schaub
Image Source: © Navesh Chitrakar / Reuters
      
 
 




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Christian Science Monitor – May 31, 2016

      
 
 




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Christian Science Monitor – May 31, 2016

      
 
 




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Monitoring milestones: Financial inclusion progress among FDIP countries


Editor’s Note: This post is part of a series on the 2015 Financial and Digital Inclusion Project (FDIP) Report and Scorecard, which were launched at a Brookings public event in August. Previous posts have highlighted five key findings from the 2015 FDIP Report, explored financial inclusion developments in India, and examined the rankings for selected FDIP countries in Southeast and Central Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.

The 2015 Financial and Digital Inclusion Project (FDIP) Report and Scorecard were launched in August of this year and generally reflect data current through May 2015. Since the end of the data collection period for the report, countries have continued to push forward to greater financial inclusion, and international organizations have continued to assert the importance of financial inclusion as a mechanism for promoting individual well-being and macroeconomic development. Financial inclusion is a key component of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, signaling international commitment to advancing access to and use of quality financial products among the underserved.

We discussed one recent groundbreaking financial inclusion development in a previous post. To learn more about the approval of payments banks in India, read “Inclusion in India: Unpacking the 2015 FDIP Report and Scorecard.”

Below are four other key developments among our 21-country sample since the end of the data collection period for the 2015 FDIP Report and Scorecard. The list is in no way intended to be exhaustive, but rather to provide a snapshot illustrating how rapidly the financial inclusion landscape is evolving globally.   

1) The Philippines launched a national financial inclusion strategy.

In July 2015, the Philippines launched a national financial inclusion strategy (NFIS) and committed to drafting an Action Plan on Financial Inclusion. The Philippines’ NFIS identifies four areas central to promoting financial inclusion: “policy and regulation, financial education and consumer protection, advocacy programs, and data and measurement.”

 As discussed in the 2015 FDIP Report, national financial inclusion strategies often serve as a platform for identifying key priorities, clarifying the roles of key stakeholders, and setting measurable targets. These strategies can foster accountability and incentivize implementation of stated initiatives. While correlation does not necessarily equal causation, it is nonetheless interesting to note that, according to the World Bank, “[o]n average, there is a 10% increase in the percentage of adults with an account at a formal financial institution for countries  that launched an NFIS after 2007, whereas the increase is only 5% for those countries that have not launched an NFIS.”

2) Peru adopted a national financial inclusion strategy.

With support from the World Bank, Peru’s Multisectoral Financial Inclusion Commission established an NFIS that was adopted in July 2015 through a Supreme Decree issued by President Ollanta Humala Tasso. The strategy contains a goal to increase financial inclusion to 50 percent of adults by 2018. This is quite an ambitious target: As of 2014, the World Bank Global Financial Inclusion (Global Findex) database found that only 29 percent of adults in Peru had an account with a formal financial services provider. The NFIS also commits the country to facilitating access to a transaction account among at least 75 percent of adults by 2021.

Peru’s NFIS emphasizes the promotion of electronic payment systems, including electronic money, as well as improvements pertaining to consumer protection and education. Advancing access to both digital and traditional financial services should boost Peru’s adoption levels over time. As noted in the 2015 FDIP Report, while Peru’s national-level commitment to financial inclusion and regulatory environment for financial services are strong, adoption levels remain low (Peru ranked 15th on the adoption dimension of the 2015 Scorecard, the lowest ranking among the Latin American countries in our sample).

3) Colombia updated its quantifiable targets and released a financial inclusion survey.

The 2015 Maya Declaration Progress Report, published in late August 2015, highlights a number of quantifiable financial inclusion targets set by the Ministerio de Hacienda y Crédito Público de Colombia (Colombia’s primary Maya Declaration signatory) relating to the percentage of adults with financial products and savings accounts. For example, the target for the percentage of adults with a financial product is now 76 percent by 2016, up from a target of 73.7 percent by 2015. The goal for the percentage of adults with an active savings account in 2016 is now 56.6 percent, up from a target of 54.2 percent by 2015. To learn more about concrete financial inclusion targets among other FDIP countries, read the 2015 Maya Declaration Progress Report.

In July, Banca de las Oportunidades, a key financial inclusion stakeholder in Colombia, presented the results of the country’s first demand-side survey specifically related to financial inclusion. As noted by the Economist Intelligence Unit, previous national-level surveys conducted by entities such as the Superintendencia Financiera and Asobancaria have identified supply- and demand-side indicators pertaining to various financial services. As discussed in the 2015 FDIP Report, national-level surveys that focus on access to and usage of financial services can help identify areas of greatest need and enable countries to better leverage their resources to promote adoption of quality financial services among marginalized populations.

4) Nigeria’s “super agent” network enables greater access to digital financial services.

In September 2015, telecommunications company Globacom launched a “super agent” network, Glo Xchange, which can access the mobile money services of any partner mobile money operator. The network has been launched in partnership with four banks. Globacom was given approval in 2014 to develop this network; since then, the company has been recruiting and training its agents. About 1,000 agents will initially be part of this system, with a goal to recruit 10,000 agents by September 2016. Expanding access points to financial services by building agent networks is hoped to boost adoption of digital financial services.

Despite having multiple mobile money operators (19 as of October 2015, according to the GSMA’s Mobile Money Deployment Tracker), Nigeria’s mobile money adoption levels have not reached the degree of success of some other countries in Africa: The Global Findex noted that less than 3 percent of adults in Nigeria had mobile money accounts in 2014, compared with over 30 percent in Tanzania and about 60 percent in Kenya. Nigeria’s primarily bank-led approach to financial services, which excludes mobile network operators from being licensed as mobile money operators, is one factor that may have constrained adoption of mobile money services to date. You can read more about Nigeria’s regulatory environment and financial services landscape in the 2015 FDIP Report.

We welcome your feedback regarding recent financial inclusion developments. Please send any links, questions, or comments to FDIPComments@brookings.edu.

Authors

Image Source: © Romeo Ranoco / Reuters
       




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Life with a Sense home energy monitor: More devices, real savings

I knew that real-time data on our energy use would be interesting. But I wasn't sure how much it would actually save us.




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Sentinel-5P puts eyes in the sky to monitor progress in reducing atmospheric pollution

The successful launch of Sentinel-5P means scientists will soon have access to the most accurate monitoring yet of pollution and climate change related gases in earth's atmosphere




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Indoor Air Quality: Causes Of, Testing, and Monitoring Indoor Air Pollution

Pollution from power plants, cars, and other transportation is a well-known contributor to outdoor air pollution, but our indoor air quality is often worse; it can be up to 10 times worse for you than the air outside. Microbial pollutants like mold,




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Harness monitors health and well-being of guide dogs

The tech helps owners take care of their dogs the way the dogs take care of them.




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Satellite-connected Raspberry Pi cameras allows for real-time monitoring of Antarctic penguins

Scientists will be able to easier monitor the population of penguins, thanks to a high-tech solar-powered remote camera setup.