Akram Mahani

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10294/15873

Assistant Professor, Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy
College Avenue Campus, University of Regina
314.7 - 2155 College Avenue, Regina, SK S4P 4V5 Canada
SPHERU (Saskatchewan Population Health and Evaluation Research Unit) Project Team Member: Dementia Supports in Rural Saskatchewan
email: akram.mahani@uregina.ca

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Open Access
Barriers to healthy urban design policies: Perspectives from the City of Regina in Saskatchewan
(Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, 2024-03-06) Akram Mahani; Joonsoo Sean Lyeo; Agnes Fung; Shanzey Ali; Kelly Husack; Nazeem Muhajarine; Tania Diener; Chelsea Brown
The intricate interplay between urban design, health, and equity has emerged as a critical focal point in pursuit of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11, which seeks to make cities inclu¬sive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. It reflects an increasing aware¬ness of the social determinants of health – a term encapsulating the socioeconomic variables that shape an individual’s living and working conditions. In other words, a person’s-built environment (the human-made surroundings within which people live and work) can either support or detract from their health. This relationship is underscored by the impact of urban design on equity. With Canada now 80% urbanized, it is not surprising that cities and urban centers have emerged as a primary arena for addressing current health challenges and safeguarding the wellbeing of residents. Therefore, by recognizing the relationship between urban design and health provides an opportunity to address gaps that contribute to health inequities. However, not all municipal actors and urban design professionals readily acknowledge their pivotal role in improving population health. To understand how key municipal policy- and decision-makers view the relationship between health and urban design, our team used the City of Regina as a case study. We interviewed 30 municipal actors from various roles and educational backgrounds within Regina’s municipal government. These interviews were analyzed using qualitative research methods and the findings were used to inform this policy paper. We identified three key categories of barriers to integrating health and equity into urban design policies: constrained policy-making environment, societal and cultural factors, and competing interests of stakeholders.
Open Access
Barriers to integration of health and equity into urban design policies in Regina, Saskatchewan
(2024-12-06) Mahani, Akram; Lyeo, Joonsoo Sean; Fung, Agnes; Husack, Kelly; Muhajarine, Nazeem; Diener, Tania; Brown, Chelsea
Although there is extensive literature on the impact of urban design on health, little is known about the barriers to integrating health into urban design policies. As cities increasingly lead efforts to improve health equity and population health, understanding the perspectives and experiences of municipal actors on health and equity is essential. To address this gap, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 30 stakeholders engaged with urban design policy- and decision-making at the City of Regina in Saskatchewan, Canada. We analysed our data using a qualitative thematic framework. Our research uncovered a lack of shared understanding of health among municipal actors. Interviewees identified several barriers to integrating health and equity in urban design policies, including inaccessibility of evidence; insufficient resourcing; fragmented governance structure; limited legal power of local governments in Canada; a deeply ingrained culture of individualism and lack of representation. Our findings underscore the importance of adopting an integrated and holistic approach for healthy and equitable urban design. As urbanization continues to bring a greater share of the world’s population into urban areas, it is crucial to understand how municipal governance can foster environments that promote residents’ well-being.
Open Access
Cross-Sectoral Collaboration to Improve Outcomes for Children/Youth in Vulnerable Contexts: Policy Dialogue Report
(University of Regina, 2024-04-08) Akram Mahani; Shanzey Ali; Sara Zahid; Mastoora Rizai; Erin Thomsen; Lisa Petermann; Keagan Townsley; Yasha Afshar Jalili; Adrienne Ratushniak; Jennifer Martin; Raelynn Fohr; Emma McKenna
Executive Summary This report summarizes a one-day policy dialogue event that brought together 55 stakeholders and persons with lived experiences to discuss key lessons from TRiP (The Regina intersectoral Partnership) initiative. TRiP is an example of sustained collaboration across six human service organizations to improve outcomes for children and youth in vulnerable contexts within Regina, Saskatchewan, since 2010. The event aimed to explore how these lessons can be applied in other intersectoral contexts through the engagement of the participants in 1) TRiP translation and 2) consensus-building activities (World Café). During TRiP translation group activity (see details below), participants were asked about the top reason for TRiP's success. Collaboration was the most common response among 28 participants, followed by the knowledge and dedication of frontline staff (4 participants) and shared consent (2 participants). When asked what aspects of TRiP could be translated into other contexts, participants identified six key categories: effective communication, governance and leadership, building relationships and trust, accountability and responsibility, evaluation and measurement, and organization support and resources. During the World Café conversations, the event participants discussed the core themes that emerged from the research study including governance and leadership, accountability, information sharing, defining and measuring success and resources. Below is the summary of key findings in each theme. Governance and Leadership: Participants emphasized the need for buy-in from government and higher-level leadership, suggesting concrete actions beyond written strategies to foster cross-sectoral collaboration. They discussed various leadership models, including single-entity and shared approaches, with considerations for accountability and alternative governance structures. Accountability: Challenges to accountability in collaborative initiatives were identified, including a lack of shared definitions and siloed structures hindering collaboration. Proposed solutions included inclusive engagement strategies, enhanced communication, capacity building, and person-centered care for improved service continuity. Information Sharing: Participants stressed the importance of building trust among partners, understanding sector skill sets, and utilizing shared physical space for efficient collaboration. Purposeful information collection and sharing, with a trauma-informed approach, empower clients and improve service delivery. Defining and Measuring Success: Defining success in collaborative initiatives such as TRiP was seen as complex, tailored to individual needs, and requiring a holistic approach with quantitative and qualitative measures. Success was viewed as collective and reflective of strong partnerships and family connections. Resources: Concerns about potential burnout among dedicated staff and financial challenges, especially in securing government funding, were noted. Suggestions included exploring direct resource allocation options and addressing the high turnover rate among TRiP personnel to enhance service delivery.
Open Access
Fostering Synergy: Enhancing Children and Youth Outcomes through Collaboration Across Human Service Organizations- Insights from TRiP (The Regina intersectoral Partnership)
(University of Regina, 2024-02-29) Akram Mahani; Joonsoo Sean Lyeo; Agnes Fung; Erin Thomsen; Mastoora Rizai; Wendy Stone; Lance Dudar; Nathalie Reid; Donna Black; Lisa Frei; Noor Al-Humuzi; Jacob Alhassan; Shanzey Ali; Sara Zahid
Access to services and supports for children and youth in vulnerable contexts remains a key challenge in Canada due to fragmented service delivery systems. Cross-sectoral collaboration has proven to be an effective strategy to overcome existing silos through providing wraparound coordinated services, and a means to promote healthy development and safety of children. Given the challenges associated with establishing and sustaining cross-sector collaborations, including coordination issues and conflicting interests of the sectors involved, our study used TRiP (The Regina intersectoral Partnership) as a case study to explore the dynamics of this collaborative initiative. TRiP is a collaboration across six human service organizations to improve outcomes for children/youth in vulnerable contexts, which has been functioning in Regina, Saskatchewan since 2010. Our research aimed to investigate the emergence, formation, and evolution of this cross-sectoral collaboration; factors influencing collaboration and service coordination across sectors; and the processes and structures involved in establishing and sustaining robust collaborative initiatives. By drawing on interviews with stakeholders from six human service organizations engaged with TRiP (n=25), and persons with lived experience (n=20), observations, and document reviews, the research team identified factors influencing collaboration and service coordination across sectors. We also examined the governance, process of coordinating services across sectors, funding structure, and accountability mecha¬nisms within TRiP. Our research findings are categorized into four key themes: 1) achievements and outcomes, 2) factors contributing to success and sustainability, 3) perceived gaps and areas for improvement, and 4) suggestions for improvement. Many caregivers and children interviewees pointed to the significant achievements and outcomes accomplished by TRiP since its conception, including: the positive outcomes to the safety and well-being of children; and the positive outcomes experienced by the caregivers, including a nurturing support, improved child-caregiver relationships, and better access to support services. Participants identified a host of factors contributing to the success and sustainability of TRiP including: having a shared vision to guide the direction of TRiP; continuous growth and evolution of the initiative; the leading role of champions within the initiative; the sharing of information between sectors and stakeholders; having a dedicated and single point of contact between TRiP and its clients; and TRiP’s ability to act as a conduit for effectively communicating with various human services organizations. Participants also identified several areas for improvement within TRiP, including: chronic resource limitations; administrative hurdles associated with information sharing; ongoing siloing of sectors engaged; TRiP’s limited public presence; and limitations to clients in the form of age-restricted supports and disrupted continuity of care. Finally, participants provided suggestions for improvement to guide the continued refinement and evolution of TRiP, including: adoption of a proactive rather than reactive approach; enhancement of TRiP’s visibility in the public; revitalization of TRiP’s current system of governance; strengthening TRiP’s accountability mechanisms; establishing cohesive and unified definitions and measures of success; enhancing staff retention; and expanding the range of support opportunities for children.

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