Políticas de promoción de la salud

The second phase is considered as the main phase of this study. The profile was designed by selecting the specific practices of an effective school-based financial management in Malaysia. It was conducted to fulfil the objectives of identifying the elements of an effective school based financial management and further incorporate the relevant practices for implementing the profile successfully. Thus, Delphi method has been applied in this phase that included a few rounds of study to gain a consensus from the expert group.

Delphi method was originally developed by Norman Dalkey, Olaf Helmer and their associates of the RAND Corporation in the 1950s for a United States military project (Dalkey & Helmer, 1963; Muhammad Imran Yousuf, 2007; Skulmoski, Hartman, & Krahn, 2007). This study has becomes a means in gaining the most reliable consensus of opinion of a group of experts. According to the early history, it was used

initially to develop a military strategic planning that included an optimal U.S. industrial target system and the estimation number of A-bombs required to reduce the munitions output (Dalkey & Helmer, 1963). It was only ten years later that this method has been made public and formally established as suggested by a research instrument in predicting future events.

In understanding the Delphi method, Linstone and Turoff (1975) has came with a concise definition. It is defined as a method for structuring a group communication process that will become an effective process in allowing a group of individuals to deal with a complex problem. This method involves a few rounds of data collection through questionnaires in order to find the consensus among the participants or experts who are selected based on specific criteria. According to Dalkey (1969), Delphi method is an experimental study of group opinion, which generally has three features, namely anonymity, controlled feedback and statistical group response.

The Delphi method has been chosen as a strategy to complete the second phase of profile design due to its strength and compatibility in terms of validity and reliability. It was claimed to be a powerful technique when being used to seek answers for the appropriate questions that requires in depth explanation and judgements from the experts (Gordon, 2008). Furthermore, this method also has its validity and reliability provided that is applied with the necessary methodological rigor and with a good knowledge of the social medium in which it is being applied (Landeta, 2006).

In applying the Delphi method for this phase, it was expected that the process will involve three rounds of data collection before finalizing the content of profile of effective school-based financial management. Initially, the interview session was handled for the purpose of obtaining the descriptive data regarding the effective practices in managing the school-based finance. The findings of the interview session were used as a basis in the formation of Delphi questionnaire which was handled in a

few more rounds. The purpose was to obtain the most reliable consensus of opinion of a group of experts in the design of this profile. This was in line with Landeta (2006) which briefly describes Delphi as a group technique with the aim of acquiring the most reliable consensus of experts.

3.2.2.1 First round

The initial round of this second phase involved the interview session with 15 peoples who were selected as a panel of experts in this study. They were expected to answer the semi-structured interview questions which then were analyzed to develop the profile of effective school-based financial management in Malaysia. Technically, the findings of the first round session were analyzed qualitatively and further became the basis for the questionnaires which then was given to the same group of participants. This session was mainly designed to fulfil the two research objectives previously stated that are the elements of an effective school-based financial management in Malaysia and also the incorporated practices to successfully implement the profile.

The framework of the semi-structured interview has been adapted from two prominent studies in the school-based management that are the study of Caldwell and Spinks (1992) on the refined model for self-management and the study of Levacic (2000) on the four key processes in school financial and resource management. However, it was adapted to focus only on the management of school financial resources within the boundaries of the Malaysian school financial management and accounting regulations and also the relevant acts, policies and circulations.

3.2.2.2 Second Round

In the second round of Delphi method, questionnaires were prepared and distributed to the same participants of the first round with the aim of obtaining consensus among them on the content of the profile. The participants or experts were introduced and explained on the format and methodology in answering the designed questionnaires. They were

given opportunities to carefully read the items and understand any special or difficult phrases. Besides that, they also could interact with the questionnaires items for a period of two weeks to provide any suggestion, conclusion, or amendment to the questionnaire items.

In addition to the items listed by the researcher, participants were given opportunity to suggest any additional items as improvement to the content of the profile. It gave them chances to add any supplementary matters that they probably missed out during the last interview session. These additional items then appeared in the third round of this study in addition to the initial items that have been analyzed. In the third round of this study, participants were able to review their answers and considered other participants’ answers and suggestions before they came with their decisive answers.

3.2.2.3 Third Round

In this round, the items were listed based on the data that have been analyzed from the second round study together with additional items recommended by any participants. Participants could consider results from the previous round which came from other experts’ opinions and suggestions. It had enabled them to improve their answers and make better decision on the items that should be included in the profile. At this stage, participants shall usually give their agreement on the analyzed items from the previous round of questionnaire. This stage was also intended to reduce any differences and opinion gap among the participants. It was common that finally at this round, participants shall reach the highest level of consensus in all items in the questionnaires. Therefore, the Delphi method was stopped and the items gained from these three rounds will be used for two purposes that were the design of profile for effective school-based financial management and constructing items for the questionnaires used in the evaluation phase of the profile.

Figure 3.2. Research flow for phase of profile design.

Figure 3.2 shows the research objectives in the phase of profile design and the expected findings that could be derived from the research. The use of the Delphi method should enable the researcher to find the important elements of an effective school-based financial management in Malaysia based on the consensus gained from the experts’ opinion. In addition, it shall be further detailed with the specific practices of effective school-based financial management for developing a comprehensive and meaningful profile that could be useful for users and stakeholders.