Month: September 2024

Project: Coaching

Coaching Session 1

This week, you and your coachee will get acquainted, establish parameters, set boundaries, and begin creating a positive coaching rapport. As with any relationship, it is important to allow ample time for each party to feel comfortable with the other. Humor can be a critical element, especially during the early stages of a coaching relationship. Some initial stumbling is to be expected. The effective use of humor can deflect these obstacles and allow you and your coachee to quickly get back on track. 

Coaching is centered completely on the coachee, and it is the coach’s responsibility to stay focused on the coachee’s needs, goals, objectives, and challenges. Coaches don’t provide objectives in a directive manner. Rather, as a coach, your role is to listen, ask probing and appropriate questions, and guide your coachee to individual solutions. Coachees determine their own objectives. Coaches help them clarify those objectives. 

Week 2 Assignment

For your first coaching session, you and your coachee need to prioritize  two key objectives to work on over the next four weeks. You will want to work with your coachee to analyze why those objectives are important to him or her and evaluate the professional improvements that might occur when the objectives are achieved. Make sure to review the  Week 1 instructions for the types of objectives that are appropriate (e.g., work-related concerns). 

(Week 1 Instructions: Here): As a student coach, you will help your coachee determine a few professional development objectives that will be the focus of a four-week coaching relationship. Acceptable objectives include (but are not limited to): managing time, improving communication skills, setting goals, improving task completion, creating long-term career goals, identifying new areas of learning and skill development, and taking positive risks.  Although in real life, most any personal or professional objective can be the topic in coaching, for the purposes of this exercise, you should guide your coachee towards work-related objectives to enhance your experience and professional skill

You will be preparing a weekly coaching report following your sessions. Consider the coaching report to be “case notes” that you can review as needed during the entire coaching process. For example, you might have a question during the third session about something that was determined during the first session. Having a good set of case notes will help you remember what was discussed and the decisions that were made. Accordingly, you need to take the time to organize the case notes into a cohesive report. 

For this first coaching session, submit a coaching report that provides the following information:

· Recap the coaching session (generally 1 to 2 pages)

· Where did the session occur?

· When did it occur?

· Who was being coached?

· Who was the coach?

· Summarize the conversation. Who said what?

· Any key details about the relationship or interaction that need to be recorded? (e.g., impressions, difficulties, opportunities, things that were missed, things to explore in the future, boundaries, parameters, etc.).

· Prioritize two key objectives for the coaching process and analyze why those objectives are important to the coachee (generally ½ to 1 page).

· Evaluate the personal and professional improvements the coachee hopes to make after the objectives are achieved (generally ½ to 1 page).

· Clarify the action steps that you (as coach) need to complete prior to the next coaching session. For example, what information do you need to research? What resources do you need to locate? What follow ups do you need to complete? What skills do you need to refine? (generally ¼ to ½ page). 

Submission Details:

· Submit your coaching report in a three- to four-page Microsoft Word document, using APA style.

Due by 9/29/24 at 3pm CST

Requirements

1. Make certain to include in text citations from your course text in addition to your outside leadership resources within your main  post. This adds credibility to your argument. [Textbook]: Zenger, J. H., & Stinnett, K. (2010). The extraordinary coach: How the best Leaders help others grow (1st ed.) . McGraw Hill. ISBN: 9780071703406

2. No plagiarism will be tolerated. Must be in 7th Edition APA format with cited sources within the last 5 years.

3. No AI support, score must be 0% and less than < 10% score on Turnitin

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Memo Criteria: 1. Evaluated why the proposed coaching partner represents a suitable relationship for the project 2. Well supported by research. 3. The writer’s overall argument and language are clear and tightly focused, leaving the reader with no room for confusion about author’s intent. Text is basically error free, so that a reader would have to purposely search to find any errors that may be present. Using Academic/APA format proficiently. Text is basically error free.

4. Please also build a 4 week step plan to achieve the “goals to accomplish” Coachee: K. Doss Job Title: Senior Enrollment Manager for X-University Relationship: Friend and Former Colleague Friendship Tenure: 10 years Goals to accomplish: 1. 25% active student enrollment increase Month over Month 2. Decrease cancellations of applications by 15% Month over month Objective: 1. To get Advisors more acclimated to Student Platforms, such as ZOOM contact center, which allows Advisors to be more efficient and successful with contacting students in a timely manner which will possibly reduce the cancellations of student enrollments and possibly increase the retention of the students moving forward with the next start in 4 weeks.

DO NOT USE THIS INFORMATION BELOW AS IT WAS USED WITH AN AI-PROMPT. THIS IS ONLY TO BE REFERENCED WHEN CONSTRUCTING THE 1 TO 2 PARAGRAPH MEMO NEEDS!

K. Doss, the Senior Enrollment Manager for the X-University, represents a suitable coaching partner for this project. As a friend and former colleague with a decade-long relationship, a strong foundation of trust and mutual understanding already exists, which is crucial for effective coaching (Zenger & Stinnett, 2010, p. 31). Additionally, her role as a senior manager overseeing enrollment aligns with the project’s goals of increasing active student enrollment and reducing application cancellations.

Research suggests that successful coaching relationships are built on trust, open communication, and a shared commitment to growth (Campone, 2015, p. 47). The long-standing friendship and professional history with K. Doss provide a solid basis for these essential elements. Furthermore, her position as a senior leader in the enrollment process gives her the authority and influence to implement changes and drive the desired outcomes.

To achieve the goals of a 25% month-over-month increase in active student enrollment and a 15% reduction in application cancellations, a structured four-week step plan could be implemented:

Week 1: Conduct a comprehensive assessment of the current enrollment processes, identifying bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and areas for improvement. Gather data and feedback from advisors and students to understand their challenges and pain points.

Week 2: Develop a training plan to upskill advisors on the ZOOM contact center platform, ensuring they are proficient in utilizing its features to streamline communication and follow-up with prospective students. Implement a pilot program with a select group of advisors to test the effectiveness of the new approach.

Week 3: Evaluate the pilot program’s results and make necessary adjustments. Roll out the ZOOM contact center training to the entire advisor team, providing ongoing support and coaching to ensure successful adoption and implementation.

Week 4: Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) related to enrollment and application cancellations. Celebrate successes and identify areas for further improvement. Establish a continuous feedback loop with advisors and students to maintain momentum and drive sustained progress.

By leveraging the existing trust and rapport with K. Doss, coupled with a structured approach and ongoing coaching support, this project has a strong foundation for achieving its goals and driving positive change in the enrollment process.

References:

Campone, F. (2015). Where’s the evidence? A call for research to support coaching practice. International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring, 13(1), 41-59.

Zenger, J. H., & Stinnett, K. (2010). The extraordinary coach: How the best Leaders help others grow (1st ed.). McGraw Hill.

DO NOT USE THIS INFORMATION BELOW AS IT WAS USED WITH AN AI-PROMPT. THIS IS ONLY TO BE REFERENCED WHEN CONSTRUCTING THE 1 TO 2 PARAGRAPH MEMO NEEDS!

K. Doss, a Senior Enrollment Manager for X-University and a friend of 10 years, represents a suitable coaching partner for this project. As a former colleague, there is already an established rapport and trust, which is crucial for effective coaching relationships (Zenger & Stinnett, 2010, p. 37). Additionally, her role as an enrollment manager aligns with the project’s objectives of increasing student enrollment and reducing application cancellations, making her an ideal candidate to benefit from coaching in these areas.

The proposed coaching relationship is well-supported by research, which highlights the importance of mutual trust, respect, and a shared understanding of goals between the coach and coachee (Campone, 2015, p. 47). Furthermore, the objectives of improving communication skills, setting goals, and identifying areas for skill development align with the acceptable objectives outlined for this project (Zenger & Stinnett, 2010, p. 63).

To achieve the goals of a 25% active student enrollment, increase and a 15% decrease in application cancellations month over month, the following four-week step plan is proposed:

Week 1: Establish a clear understanding of the current enrollment and cancellation rates, as well as the processes and systems in place. Identify potential areas for improvement and set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals (Zenger & Stinnett, 2010, p. 71).

Week 2: Focus on improving advisor proficiency with the ZOOM contact center platform. Provide training and coaching on effective communication strategies, time management, and leveraging the platform’s features to enhance student engagement and responsiveness.

Week 3: Implement strategies to streamline the enrollment process and reduce application cancellations. This may include improving communication with prospective students, addressing common concerns or pain points, and enhancing the overall student experience.

Week 4: Evaluate the progress made, celebrate successes, and identify areas for continued improvement. Establish a plan for ongoing coaching and support to sustain the positive changes and ensure long-term success in achieving enrollment and retention goals.

References:

Campone, F. (2015). Where’s the evidence? A call for research to support coaching practice. International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring, 13(1), 41-59.

Zenger, J. H., & Stinnett, K. (2010). The extraordinary coach: How the best Leaders help others grow (1st ed.). McGraw Hill.

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Memo on Coaching Partnership

Student Name

Lecture Name

Course

Date

Memo on Coaching Partnership

My coachee, is the Senior Enrollment Manager at X-University, K. Doss oversees the admissions team and also promotes student enrollment. Being connected with K. Doss for more than ten years and having worked together in the past, I have considerable knowledge of her leadership style and the difficulties she faces, which makes her effective for this coaching project. The relationship mirrors a high regard for each other, along with honesty that permits us to develop the trust essential for success within coaching situations (Zenger & Stinnett, 2010). Our coaching target is to raise student enrollment and to cut down on cancellations, which is directly related to her current situation and gives this partnership relevance for future career growth. In addition to that, her willingness to increase her skills and her leadership role creates a slight chance to execute coaching strategies that can result in visible outcomes, including her goals as well as the course’s objectives.

This kind of coaching relationship is especially appropriate because it deals with concrete, measurable objectives while leaving the opportunity for strategic planning and growth. Coaching effectiveness has been evidenced in terms of work outcomes; organizational coaching is understood to be most effective when the focus is on specific, achievable goals like communication and the completion of tasks (Stoetzel & Taylor-Marshall, 2022). Further, the challenges faced by Doss relate to targets like ZOOM and advisor-student communication, making it easier to apply a framework towards coaching intercession. These goals are relatively precise: to raise the number of students by 25% and reduce the number of cancelled applications by 15% wherefrom comes the basis for the coaching process. These metrics give a good starting point to evaluate the progress which makes our coaching sessions goal-oriented, meaningful, and helpful to the professionals.

References

Stoetzel, L., & Taylor-Marshall, S. (2022). Coaching for change: redefining the concept of change within a practice-based coaching model.  International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education,  11(4), 452-466.

Zenger, J. H., & Stinnett, K. (2010).  The extraordinary coach: How the best Leaders help others grow (1st Ed.). McGraw Hill. ISBN: 9780071703406

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Executive Summary

<Your Name>

The University of Arizona Global Campus

GEN499: General Education Capstone

<Your Instructor’s Name>

<Date>

The Problem

In a short paragraph, describe the problem using the 5W1H method. View the Week 5 Model Executive Summary for guidance on each section’s content and approximate length.

Next, state the problem statement clearly and succinctly.

Background Overview

Briefly explain whether the problem exists in a personal or professional context.

In one or more paragraphs, describe any cultural influences that may have caused or contributed to the problem. Include your description of the problem, as examined through a cultural lens, from the Week 2 Discussion. Consider any biases around the situation.

Briefly evaluate the urgency of the problem. Explain why you think the problem is important. 

Research Results

In a paragraph, share the results of your theoretical investigation and data collection. Include the results of interviews conducted about the problem from Week 3.

In one or more paragraphs, share the results of your examination of sources for bias and trustworthiness. Include research and data results from Week 3. Review the Integrating Research resource for help incorporating sources into your writing. Cite any outside resources using in-text citations, referring to the APA Citing Within Your Paper resource for guidance.

Potential Solutions

Describe at least two potential solutions. Create a well-developed paragraph here for one solution.

Create a second well-developed paragraph here for the next solution.

Assess the realistic expectations to implement each solution. Evaluate the benefits and barriers to each potential solution. 

Identify the preferred solution and explain the choice. 

Recommendation

Explain how you can serve as a change agent for this problem. In a short paragraph, describe the degree of change you can reasonably expect to achieve. 

In one or more paragraphs, discuss how you can motivate others to be agents of change for this problem. Consider your audience and how you can get their buy-in.

Briefly state your action plan to implement the solution. 

References

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of article. Title of Periodical, volume #(issue #), pp–pp. https://doi.org/xx.xxxxxxxxxx

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of book. Publisher. http://doi.org/xxx.xxxx.xxxxxxxx

Author, A. A, (Year). Title of work. In A. Editor & B. Editor (Eds.), Title of book anthology (edition, if other than the first, pp-pp.) Publisher. URL (Original work published date)

Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of webpage. Site Name. URL

**Include at least four credible sources in addition to the textbook. For help formatting your reference entries, please see APA: Formatting Your References List . Be sure that each source you’ve used has both an in-text citation and a references list citation.

For this assignment, you do not need to format your work with double-spaced lines, indented paragraphs, or a hanging indent for your references. For professional writing, use double-spacing between paragraphs.

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Tashina Tupai

Sep 12 8:59pmLast reply Sep 16 8:14pm

Reply from Tashina Tupai

Hi Class,

During the interview, I had the opportunity to speak with a woman who’s a veteran, about the difficulties that women in the military often encounter. Her personal experiences shed light on the issues, at hand specifically addressing gender discrimination, harassment and the obstacles women may come across in a male centered military setting.

Interview Questions and Responses:

· What motivated you to join the military, and how did your expectations compare to your actual experiences as a woman in the armed forces?                                         She joined seeking personal growth and educational benefits but was surprised by the unequal treatment and the need to constantly prove herself in a male-dominated environment.

· Can you share some of the unique challenges you faced as a woman during your time in the military that your male counterparts may not have encountered?She explained that women were often excluded from leadership opportunities and informal networks, creating an uphill battle for women to demonstrate their capabilities.

· Did you ever experience or witness gender-based discrimination or harassment? How was it handled by your chain of command?                                 She faced harassment in the form of inappropriate comments and behavior. When reported, her concerns were not taken seriously by the chain of command, who often dismissed the issue or downplayed it.

· How did being in a male-dominated environment affect your professional development and career progression in the military?                                           She felt that women had to work harder than men to earn promotions and recognition, often being passed over for leadership roles in favor of less experienced men.

· Were there specific roles or opportunities you felt were harder to access because of your gender?                                           She mentioned an unspoken resistance to women in combat roles, even when those roles were officially open to women, making it harder for her to pursue the positions she was interested in.

· How did you balance the demands of military life with personal or family responsibilities, and do you think women in the military face additional pressures in this regard?                                             She acknowledged that balancing military life with family was particularly challenging for women, who often face added pressure to fulfill traditional caregiving roles on top of their military duties.

· What were the attitudes of your peers and superiors toward women in leadership positions? How did it impact your work environment?                                         While some peers and superiors were supportive, she encountered resistance from others, especially older male soldiers. This created a tense work environment, particularly when women were placed in leadership roles.

· What improvements do you think the military has made (or needs to make) in terms of supporting women service members?                                               She believes the military has made progress, such as opening more roles to women and improving the reporting of harassment, but she emphasized that more needs to be done to change the culture and hold leaders accountable for addressing these issues.

· Looking back, do you feel that women are adequately represented and respected in military culture? Why or why not?         She feels that women are still underrepresented, especially in leadership positions. While respect varies by unit, women are often still seen as outsiders or less capable in military culture.

· What advice would you give to women who are currently serving or considering joining the military based on your experiences?                                           She advised women to be prepared for challenges, to work hard, and to find mentors who can support them. Despite the obstacles, she emphasized that women can succeed in the military and make a difference.

Overall, the phone interview provided valuable insight into the unique challenges women face in the military. The interview process went smoothly, and I appreciated the interviewee’s openness in sharing her experiences. If I could do it again, I would prepare more follow-up questions to explore certain topics in more depth. The results were as expected, confirming that issues like harassment, gender bias, and barriers to leadership persist, despite some improvements.

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Workforce Issue Affecting the HSO: Telemedicine

In the telemedicine health services organization (HSO), a significant workforce issue arises from the rapid expansion of telemedicine technology and its associated challenges, such as workforce preparedness, technology training gaps, and the burnout of healthcare professionals. As telemedicine becomes more integral to healthcare delivery, the workforce must adapt to digital tools, overcome resistance to change, and address the emotional strain caused by increased virtual patient interactions. Many healthcare workers are inadequately trained or feel underprepared to handle the technological complexities of telemedicine, exacerbating burnout and hindering optimal care delivery.

Article 1: APA Citation: Shaw, S. E., Seuren, L. M., Wherton, J., Cameron, D., A’Court, C., Vijayaraghavan, S., … & Greenhalgh, T. (2021). Video consultations between patients and clinicians in diabetes, cancer, and heart failure services: Qualitative study using conversation analysis. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 23*(2), e25541.

Purpose of the Publication: The study aimed to evaluate how video consultations in telemedicine impact patient-clinician interactions and patient care in specialized fields like diabetes, cancer, and heart failure.

Author’s Conclusion or Results of Research: The authors concluded that while video consultations facilitate access to care, they introduce communication challenges that impact clinical decision-making, especially when diagnosing complex conditions. Clinicians also expressed concerns about burnout due to the high cognitive demands of telemedicine.

How This Relates to Your HSO: This article highlights the increasing cognitive load on clinicians using telemedicine, which directly ties to the workforce issue of burnout in telemedicine. The need for better training in communication and diagnostic techniques in a virtual environment aligns with the workforce preparedness concerns in telemedicine. Additionally, this study illustrates the challenge of maintaining the quality of care during virtual consultations, which is a key aspect of telemedicine’s growth in specialized services.

Critical Appraisal Tool Used: Research-based critical appraisal tool. The “Relevance to Practice” and “Applicability of Results” sections were instrumental in determining the article’s suitability for addressing burnout and communication challenges.

Level of Evidence & Quality Rating: Level II evidence (qualitative study), high quality due to its robust methodology and relevance to telemedicine’s workforce issues.

This article was chosen because it addresses communication challenges and clinician burnout—key factors impacting the workforce in telemedicine. It provides real-world insights from specialized services, making it directly applicable to a telemedicine HSO. Furthermore, the findings offer practical implications for workforce training and operational improvements in telehealth.

Article 2: APA Citation: Dyrbye, L. N., West, C. P., Johnson, P. O., Cipriano, P. F., Beatty, D. E., Peterson, C., … & Shanafelt, T. D. (2019). Burnout and satisfaction with work-life integration among nurses and physicians in the US. *JAMA Network Open, 2*(10), e1914016.

Purpose of the Publication: This study aimed to explore the levels of burnout and work-life satisfaction among healthcare professionals, focusing on physicians and nurses in the U.S., with specific attention to telemedicine workers.

Author’s Conclusion or Results of Research: The authors found that a significant percentage of healthcare professionals, especially those involved in telemedicine, experience high levels of burnout and low work-life satisfaction. They recommend institutional changes, including improved work schedules and enhanced support systems, to alleviate these issues.

How This Relates to Your HSO: The findings are highly relevant to a telemedicine HSO, as the study underscores the critical issue of burnout among healthcare workers involved in telemedicine. The article highlights the need for better workforce management and work-life integration strategies, which are essential for maintaining an effective and healthy telemedicine workforce.

Critical Appraisal Tool Used: Research-based critical appraisal tool. The “Generalizability” and “Methodology” sections were key to determining its value, given the large sample size and specific focus on telemedicine professionals.

Level of Evidence & Quality Rating: Level II evidence (cross-sectional study), high quality due to the study’s large scale and its targeted focus on telemedicine workers.

This article was chosen because it directly addresses burnout, a pressing workforce issue in telemedicine. Its large sample size and focus on U.S. healthcare professionals provide a comprehensive understanding of burnout in telemedicine, making it highly relevant for workforce management strategies in the HSO. The study’s recommendations for improving work-life balance are crucial for the sustainability of telemedicine practices.

Article 3: APA Citation: Reeves, S., Peller, J., Goldman, J., & Kitto, S. (2013). Interprofessional collaboration and teamwork in telemedicine. *Journal of Interprofessional Care, 27*(5), 409-414.

Purpose of the Publication: The study aimed to examine how interprofessional collaboration in telemedicine influences workforce dynamics, focusing on team-based care delivery.

Author’s Conclusion or Results of Research: The authors concluded that effective interprofessional collaboration in telemedicine can improve patient outcomes but requires a well-coordinated workforce that is adequately trained in digital communication tools and telemedicine technology.

How This Relates to Your HSO: This article relates to the workforce issue of telemedicine because it emphasizes the importance of teamwork and collaboration in a digital health environment. It demonstrates that workforce preparedness in telemedicine not only involves technical skills but also the ability to work cohesively in virtual teams. Training in digital collaboration tools is essential to optimizing the performance of telemedicine teams, addressing both preparedness and skill gaps.

Critical Appraisal Tool Used: Non-research-based critical appraisal tool. The “Relevance to Organizational Practice” and “Clarity of Recommendations” sections were used to assess its contribution to workforce development in telemedicine.

Level of Evidence & Quality Rating: Level V evidence (expert opinion), moderate quality due to its focus on theoretical aspects of teamwork in telemedicine.

This article was chosen because it highlights the critical role of teamwork and interprofessional collaboration in telemedicine, which is central to maintaining a cohesive and effective workforce. The insights provided about digital collaboration tools are directly applicable to workforce development in telemedicine HSOs. Furthermore, the article supports the need for comprehensive workforce training programs to foster better team dynamics in virtual healthcare environments.

Synthesis of the Information: The articles collectively highlight several key workforce issues in telemedicine, such as burnout, lack of preparedness, and the importance of interprofessional collaboration. The increased cognitive demands of virtual care (Shaw et al., 2021), the prevalence of burnout among telemedicine workers (Dyrbye et al., 2019), and the need for effective teamwork in a digital environment (Reeves et al., 2013) all point to the necessity of improved workforce training and support systems. To address these issues, telemedicine HSOs must focus on enhancing communication skills, providing mental health support for burnout, and ensuring that teams are well-coordinated and digitally proficient.

Dyrbye, L. N., West, C. P., Johnson, P. O., Cipriano, P. F., Beatty, D. E., Peterson, C., … & Shanafelt, T. D. (2019). Burnout and satisfaction with work-life integration among nurses and physicians in the US.  JAMA Network Open, 2(10), e1914016. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.14016

Reeves, S., Peller, J., Goldman, J., & Kitto, S. (2013). Interprofessional collaboration and teamwork in telemedicine.  Journal of Interprofessional Care, 27(5), 409-414. https://doi.org/10.3109/13561820.2013.784731

Shaw, S. E., Seuren, L. M., Wherton, J., Cameron, D., A’Court, C., Vijayaraghavan, S., … & Greenhalgh, T. (2021). Video consultations between patients and clinicians in diabetes, cancer, and heart failure services: Qualitative study using conversation analysis.  Journal of Medical Internet Research, 23(2), e25541. https://doi.org/10.2196/25541

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Assignment Directions for ECON 103: The Benefits and Costs of Economic Growth

Purpose:

Your case study paper is due at the end of Week 7.  The purpose of the assignment is to apply your knowledge of the costs and benefits of economic growth. This assignment is based on Chapter 19 in Meyer’s Everything Economic Book and on supplementary readings.

Description:

During Week 4, we studied concepts related to the sources of economic growth. This growth benefits society by advancing our well-being and improving our standard of living. At the same time growth has some very significant social and environmental costs. The paper assignment for this course asks you to define and explain the sources of economic growth and to develop a proposal for an economic policy that would encourage and promote each source of growth. The assignment also asks that you provide examples of some of the costs of economic growth and polices to help reduce those costs. First, review Chapter 19 and the fellow file attached file: Cons Econ Growth & Sust Dev_Smry.docx

You may read other articles as well and include them in your bibliography.

Using these resources:

1. Define the sources of economic growth and give an example of each of the sources of growth.  

2. Propose one policy for each source of growth that could enhance or strengthen that source.

3. What are some of the downsides of economic growth? Give an example of a policy that would help to reduce the negative impacts of growth.

4. Finally, at the conclusion of your paper please include a brief statement reflecting on what you feel you have learned from the assignment and how that learning may be applied to your life or work going forward.

Project Specifications:

· Must be a total of 800 to 1200 words

· Your case study is due at the end of Week 7

· Include a bibliography with at least two references, presented in APA format

· Check your paper for spelling and grammar prior to submission

· This paper must be written in your own words

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Biodiversity Conservation, Economic Growth and Sustainable Development: An Abridged Summary

Richard E. Rice, Ph.D.

University of Maryland Global Campus, Silver Spring, MD, USA. President, Conservation Agreement Fund, www.conservationagreementfund.org.

The following is a summary of a longer paper published as: Rice. RE. Biodiversity Conservation, Economic Growth and Sustainable Development . In Biodiversity of Ecosystems. Intech Open. 9 August 2021. Open access, peer reviewed book chapter. http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.99298

1. Introduction

A growing economy has long been regarded as important for social and economic progress. And indeed, much of what we value in society is the product of economic growth. It is becoming increasingly clear, however, that our current pattern of growth involves significant social and environmental costs. This chapter examines the conflict between growth and the conservation of biological diversity. Included is a discussion of what growth means and a review of the connection between economic growth, sustainable development, and the conservation of nature. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the role that market-based economic policies can play in helping to catalyze necessary change.

2. What growth means

The standard definition of economic growth is a sustained increase in a nation’s real (inflation adjusted) gross domestic product (GDP). GDP is the monetary value of all goods and services produced in a country each year. In recent years, real GDP growth in the U.S. has averaged around 2% which means that the economy doubles in size every 36 years [1].

2.1 Why grow?

Proponents of economic growth focus on its many benefits, including higher standards of living and the ability to devote more resources to things like health care and education. Increases in sanitation, nutrition, and longevity have all been possible due to economic growth. Since 1800, life expectancy has grown from less than 30 years to more than 70 with eradication of childhood disease and improvements in medicine and nutrition [2]. Vast changes in material abundance have also been possible due to economic growth allowing many the things that only the wealthy could aspire to in the past.

Though something we now take for granted economic growth is a very recent phenomenon. Widespread economic prosperity (as measured by GDP per capita) has only been achieved in the past couple hundred years and as shown in Figure 1, has only really taken off in the past 50 years [3].

2.2 The downsides to growth

Given its many benefits, it is little wonder that economic growth is a focus of global economic policy. Growth, however, has its costs. Environmental destruction and impacts on biodiversity are perhaps the most obvious, but there are also conflicts between economic growth and national security and international stability, and ultimately, economic sustainability itself.

Growing economies consume natural resources and produce wastes. This results in habitat loss, air and water pollution, climate disruption, and other environmental threats, threats which are becoming more apparent as economic activity encounters more and more limits. The depletion of groundwater and ocean fisheries are examples as are shortages of fresh water, and the global spread of toxic compounds such as mercury, chlorofluorocarbons, and greenhouse gases.

Figure 1. The history of Economic growth: GDP/capita, 1820–2018 [3].

Environmental impacts, of course, are not unconnected to society at large. Things like climate change and the extinction crisis have economic impacts and these in turn can threaten national security and international stability. Such threats are often made worse by inequality. Not everyone benefits equally from growth and some have arguably not benefitted at all. The problem of growing inequality is certainly an issue in the U.S. where the nation’s top 10 percent now average more income than the bottom 90 percent [4]. But it is also clearly a problem globally.

Climate change, resource scarcity, and environmental degradation generally are certain to accentuate such inequalities in the future with unavoidable impacts on social unrest, national security, and international stability. The national security implications of these issues were starkly presented in a recent report commissioned by the U.S. Army [5]. According to the study, America could face a grim series of events triggered by climate change involving drought, disease, failure of the country’s power grid and a threat to the integrity of the military itself, all within the next two decades. The report also projects that sea level rise in the future is likely to “displace tens (if not hundreds) of millions of people, creating massive, enduring instability” and the potential for costly regional conflicts [5].

All of the above issues have clear implications for economic sustainability – a healthy environment and international stability, after all, are the foundations for a healthy economy. We need healthy soils for agriculture, healthy oceans for fisheries, clean air and water and a stable political environment for international trade, all of which are threatened by unrestrained growth [6].

3. The quest for sustainable development

Increasing awareness of the limitations of growth has led to much discussion of sustainable development. This concept is most commonly associated with a report published by the World Commission on Environment and Development in 1987. In that report sustainable development is defined as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” [7]. Since the publication of this report, the idea of sustainable development has gained a solid footing in the popular imagination.

Despite its popularity, the precise meaning of sustainable development is somewhat elusive. From an economic perspective a simple definition might be that growth should proceed so long as the marginal benefits exceed the marginal costs ( Figure 2). Marginal cost is the cost of a small increase in an activity and marginal benefit is the additional benefit from that increase. Figure 2 shows the marginal costs and benefits of growth in GDP. Since the benefits tend to decline and the costs to rise with additional GDP growth, the sweet spot is to grow until the marginal costs are exactly equal to the marginal benefits. Any increase in GDP up to this point is “economic growth” whereas growth in GDP past this point, where costs rise above benefits is uneconomic [6].

3.1 The problems with GDP

Such definitions are all well and good, but problems arise in discerning when and where costs begin to exceed benefits. This, in turn, is made more difficult by the way in which we measure growth.

Figure 2. Economic and uneconomic growth in GDP [6].

Ironically, GDP, our global standard measure of growth, was never intended as a measure of costs and benefits. Instead, it is simply a gross tally of market output with no distinction made between output that adds to well-being and output that diminishes it. Instead of separating costs from benefits GDP assumes that all monetary transactions by definition add to social welfare [8].

GDP also excludes everything that happens outside formal markets and therefore ignores many things that clearly benefit society such as volunteer work and unpaid work in households like childcare and elder care. Much of the value of environmental services is ignored as well.

This method of accounting leads to some very counterintuitive results, including the fact that GDP increases with polluting activities and then again with clean-ups, crime and natural disasters are treated as economic gain, and the depletion of natural capital is treated as income [8].

4. Policies to promote a more sustainable future

The above discussion of how we define and measure sustainability, of course, begs the question of how we get from here to there. Clearly, a part of the answer lies in the measures and definitions themselves. We cannot correct problems if our measures conceal them, and we will never achieve sustainability if we do not define it as an explicit objective.

Nevertheless, this still leaves the difficult work of developing policies to help promote more sustainable outcomes. Experience and the existence of market failures suggests that we cannot leave solutions to the market alone. That said, it would be a mistake to underate the potential for productively using market forces in our search for solutions. Policies based on economic incentives in particular offer an extremely powerful and effective set of options.

Two examples in areas that matter to biodiversity are conservation agreements and carbon pricing. Both illustrate how incentive-based policies can help provide simple, cost-effective, and scalable solutions to environmental problems.

4.1 Conservation agreements

Conservation agreements are performance-based agreements in which resource owners commit to a concrete conservation outcome – usually the protection of a particular habitat or species – in exchange for benefits designed to give them an ongoing incentive to conserve [9]. The type of benefits provided vary but can include technical assistance, support for social services, employment in resource protection, or direct cash payments.

One of the great advantages of this approach is that the terms of agreements are flexible and can therefore be tailored to a particular setting. This flexibility makes conservation agreements a very scalable approach that can be implemented on private and indigenous lands outside traditional protected areas as well as on lands managed by national governments. In addition, whereas the creation of a traditional park or protected area requires a long, complex political process, conservation agreements, as a market-based approach, make park creation more akin to a standard business transaction, and this, in turn, makes park creation much more rapid and efficient.

Conservation agreements were first piloted in 2001 in the context of a timber concession in Guyana [9]. Since then, they have been implemented in a wide variety of settings in roughly 20 countries around the world [10]. Examples include agreements focused on particular species as well ecosystems such as coral reefs, mangroves, and in the Solomon Islands, the largest uninhabited island in the South Pacific [10, 11].

4.2 Pricing carbon

Carbon pricing is another example of an incentive-based policy that relates to biodiversity. While this approach does not target biodiversity directly, it is perhaps the most important single policy affecting all life on Earth. When it comes to conservation, and so much else, unless we effectively tackle climate change very little else will matter.

Although there are many ways of putting a price on carbon, by far the simplest and most effective is a tax imposed on fuel suppliers (e.g., oil and gas producers). Once taxed, fuel suppliers raise their prices and, in this way, the higher prices ripple through the whole economy. There is no way to evade the tax and there is nothing to monitor or enforce (other than whether energy producers pay their taxes). Across the economy the cost of energy-intensive goods and services would rise giving both businesses and consumers an incentive to conserve.

One of the many advantages of a carbon tax is that it ensures that emission reductions are achieved at least cost to society. The reason is that unlike regulations that require everyone to adopt a particular technology or reduce their emissions by a certain amount, carbon taxes allow for the fact that some entities can reduce their emissions at a lower cost than others. This flexibility offers the opportunity for substantial cost savings.

Regulations alone, for example, can be twice as expensive as a carbon tax per ton of carbon abated while reducing far fewer emissions [12]. Similarly, subsidies (e.g., for electric vehicles) are unavoidably wasteful since they cannot target those who will only be motivated to buy because of the subsidy. If a tax credit of $7,500 convinces only one in four people to buy a hybrid electric vehicle, for example, the effective cost of the incentive is four times the subsidy or $30,000 – more than the price of many plug-in hybrids [13]. Such subsidies also tend to disproportionately benefit high-income households and while hybrids themselves emit less carbon than conventional cars, if the source of power used to charge them comes from coal they will raise carbon emissions rather than reduce them [14].

Most carbon tax proposals also now involve offsetting rebates so they do not disadvantage the poor who spend a larger percentage of their income on energy. Many proposals, in fact, would leave the majority of households better off with the tax than without it. In effect, such a “tax” would pay people for doing the right thing.

5. Summary and conclusion

The past two centuries of economic growth have provided the world with many benefits. Our lives are longer and healthier. Childhood diseases that afflicted our parents are largely a thing of the past. The creative explosion of the last few decades has yielded advances in medicine, the arts, technology and more. All these things are the benefits of economic growth.

There are, however, downsides to economic growth that put our past progress and the future of life in jeopardy. The question is how to moderate these impacts while still maintaining a focus on advancing economic security and the quality of life.

Part of the answer to this question is in developing better indicators of how economic activity is affecting the things we care about. Having a global standard measure like GDP that ignores the value of nature and counts both pollution and clean up as progress is certain to steer us in the wrong direction. Dethroning GDP and work on replacements are worthy endeavors. Yet they still leave us with the hard work of developing appropriate policies for the future.

How we proceed in this regard will make a difference. Unconstrained markets are not likely to produce a happy ending, but this does not mean that we should ignore the potential for using markets and incentives in our search for solutions.

The good news is that we have some extremely simple and powerful tools at our disposal. A single, small change in the tax code can reorient the entire economy away from carbon. And conservation agreements can be flexibly implemented almost everywhere they are needed. While funding these efforts will not be inexpensive there is ample global willingness and ability to pay for conservation and no shortage of those in a position to conserve who are willing to accept payment.

The challenges are great, but many of the tools needed to address them are at hand. We need only choose to put them to use.

References

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[2] Roser, M, Ortiz-Ospina, E., Ritchie, H. Life Expectancy [Internet]. Our World in Data. 2019. [cited 2021 Jun 6]. https://ourworldindata.org/life-expectancy

[3] Boldt, J, Luiten van Zanden, J. Madison style estimates of the evolution of the world economy. A new 2020 update [Internet]. Madison Project Working Paper WP-15. [updated 2020; cited 2021 Jun 6]. Available from: https://www.rug.nl/ggdc/ historicaldevelopment/ maddison/ publications/ wp15.pdf

[4] Saez, E. Striking it richer: The evolution of top incomes in the U.S [Internet]. Unpublished update of report published in Pathways Magazine, Stanford Center for the Study of Poverty and Inequality, Winter 2008, 6-7. U.C. Berkeley, Department of Economics. 2020. [cited 2021 Jun 6]. Available from: https://eml.berkeley.edu/~saez/saezUStopincomes-2018.pdf

[5] Brosig, M. Frawley, P, Hill, A, Jahn, M, Marsicek, M, Paris, A, Rose, M, et al. Implications of climate change for the U.S. Army [Internet]. United States Army War College. Carlisle, PA; 2019. [cited 2021 Jun 6]. Available from: https://climateandsecurity.files.wordpress.com/2019/07/implications-of-climate-change-for-us-army_army-war-college_2019.pdf

[6] CASSE, 2021b. The downside of economic growth [Internet]. Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy. 2021. [cited 2021 Jun 6]. https://steadystate.org/discover/ downsides-of-economic-growth/

[7] Brundtland, G. Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development: Our common future [Internet]. United Nations; 1987. United Nations General Assembly document A/42/427. [cited 2021 Jun 6]. Available from: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/ documents/ 5987ourcommon-future.pdf

[8] Hansen, Jay. Overshoot Loop: Evolution Under the Maximum Power Principle [Internet]. 2013. [cited 2021 Jun 6]. https://dieoff.com/page11.htm

[9] Hardner, J, Rice R. Rethinking green consumerism. SciAm. 2002 May. 287:89-95.

[10] CI. What on Earth is a ‘Conservation Agreement’ [Internet]. Conservation International. 2021. [cited 2021 Jun 6]. https://www.conservation.org/blog/ what-on-earth-is-a-conservationagreement

[11] CAF. Conservation Agreement Fund [Internet]. 2021. [cited 2021 Jun 6]. https://conservationagreementfund.org/projects/

[12] Rossetti, P, Bosch, D, Goldbeck, D. Comparing effectiveness of climate regulations and a carbon tax [Internet]. Unpublished research report. American Action Forum, Washington, D.C.; 2018. [cited 2021 Jun 6]. Available from: https://www.americanactionforum.org/ research/comparing-effectiveness- climate-regulations-carbon-tax123/#ixzz6wCB4GgcU

[13] Metcalf, GE. On the economics of a carbon tax for the United States [Internet]. Brookings Institution. Brookings Papers on Economic Activity. Spring 2019. [cited 2021 Jun 6]. Available from: https://www.brookings.edu/bpea-articles/on-the-economics-of-a- carbon-tax-for-the-united-states/

[14] Tessum, C., Hill, J. Marshall, D. Air quality impacts from light-duty transportation [Internet]. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2014 Dec. 111 (52):18490-18495. [cited 2021 Jun 6]. Available from: https://www.pnas.org/content/111/52/18490 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1406853111

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