Graphical Presentations of Data Envelopment Analyses: Management Implications from Parallel Axes Representations*

The conversion of multivariate data analysis into information that managers can readily use in their decision making has always been a challenging task. In this paper we provide a parallel axis representation of multivariate data and demonstrate how this representation may be used as a tool for implementing the results of data envelopment analysis. We use an analysis of the efficiency of electricity generating plants to illustrate the technique.     

Faculty Performance Evaluation: Modeling to Improve Personnel Decisions*

Based on likely future changes in faculty evaluation practices, this paper examines how institutions of higher education might operationalize performance evaluation as related to research, teaching, and service. A model is developed that allows coupling performance evaluation and relevant market considerations with merit pay, tenure, and promotion decisions. The approach is specifically applicable to tenure-track faculty members in colleges and universities.     

作为公共产品的城市管理--以无锡市为个案

城市管理是城市政府的主要职能,是城市政府为城市社会提供的最主要的公共产品之一。传统理念和体制下,城市管理公共产品供给模式效率十分低下,已不能适应城市发展的形势。在现代公共管理及公共产品供给理论框架内考察城市管理,不失为一种新的视角,是探索城市政府职能转变、城市管理体制创新的有效途径,有利于改善城市政府治理能力,整体推进城市社会的全面进步。     

Evaluation capacity building in the nonformal education context: Challenges and strategies

Policymakers’ demand for increased accountability has compelled organizations to pay more attention to internal evaluation capacity building (ECB). The existing literature about ECB has focused on capacity building experiences and organizational research, with limited attention on challenges that internal evaluation specialists face in building organizational evaluative capacity. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a Delphi study with evaluation specialists in the United States’ Cooperative Extension Service and developed a consensus on the most pervasive ECB challenges as well as the most useful strategies for overcoming ECB challenges. Challenges identified in this study include limited time and resources, limited understanding of the value of evaluation, evaluation considered as an afterthought, and limited support and buy-in from administrators. Alternatively, strategies found in the study include a shift in an organizational culture where evaluation is appreciated, buy-in and support from administration, clarifying the importance of quality than quantity of evaluations, and a strategic approach to ECB. The challenges identified in this study have persisted for decades, meaning administrators must understand the persistence of these issues and make an earnest investment (financial and human resource) to make noticeable progress. The Delphi approach can be used more often to prioritize ECB efforts.     

A scoping review of knowledge syntheses in the field of evaluation across four decades of practice

This scoping review of 62 knowledge syntheses published in evaluation-focused journals between 1979 and May 2018 provides a portrait of synthesis practices and their evolution in the mainstream of the field of evaluation. Concerns surrounding the production of knowledge syntheses to answer policy questions are not new in the field of evaluation. However, during this last decade, knowledge synthesis methods have expanded as a means to go beyond the limits and constraints of singular evaluations. This scoping review reveals and discusses two key issues with regards to the expansion of knowledge synthesis practices within the field of evaluation: the diversity—and muddling— of methodological practices and synthesis designs, and the frequent omission of quality appraisals.     

Contribution analysis to analyze the effects of the health impact assessment at the local level: A case of urban revitalization

The health impact assessment (HIA) is a tool used to estimate the potential impact on health of non-health-related proposals prior to implementation. While it is increasingly used in Quebec, Canada, studies have not analyzed its medium-term impacts and potential long-term impacts. We conducted a contribution analysis using in-depth interviews with key stakeholders, as well as documents, observation and images related to HIA in order to analyze its impacts on the revitalization of road infrastructure, parks and green spaces, and residential housing. Our analysis not only reflects on the decision-making process through the adoption and implementation of HIA recommendations, but also on the link between actions implemented in the field and health outcomes.     

Women’s reports of satisfaction and respect with continuity of care experiences by students: Findings from a routine,online survey

BackgroundPre-registration midwifery students in Australia undertake a minimum of ten continuity of care experiences with childbearing women. However, women are rarely asked to formally evaluate this care by students.AimTo evaluate data from a routine, web-based survey of women about having a midwifery student provide a continuity of care experience.MethodsAll women (n = 886) recruited by a midwifery student for a continuity of care experience during a 12 month period received an email inviting them to complete an online survey. The survey included personal details, experiences of care, and two scales on Respect and Satisfaction.ResultsA response rate of 57% (n = 501) was achieved. On average students attended six antenatal visits (mean = 5.83) and had six postnatal contacts with women. Most students attended labour and birth (92.6% n = 464). Most women rated overall satisfaction with care by their student as ‘better than they had hoped’. Positive correlations were found between number of antenatal visits and postnatal contact with students on both levels of satisfaction and respect felt by women. Women felt more satisfied when their midwifery student attended labour and birth.ConclusionsThe online survey was feasible and provided valid and reliable feedback from women about their student during a continuity of care experience. Women valued having an ongoing relationship with a student during pregnancy, labour and birth, and postpartum. Pre-registration midwifery education programs should continue to privilege relationship-based care and national standards should support the effective integration of continuity of care experiences.     

Effectiveness of training to promote routine enquiry for domestic violence by midwives and nurses: A pre-post evaluation study

Background

Asking women about experiences of domestic violence in the perinatal period is accepted best practice. However, midwives and nurses may be reluctant to engage with, or effectively respond to disclosures of domestic violence due a lack of knowledge and skills.

Automating argument construction

Over the past five years the Artificial Intelligence Center at SRI has been developing a new technology to address the problem of automated information management within real- world contexts. The result of this work is a body of techniques for automated reasoning from evidence that we call evidential reasoning. The techniques are based upon the mathematics of belief functions developed by Dempster and Shafer and have been successfully applied to a variety of problems including computer vision, multisensor integration, and intelligence analysis.

We have developed both a formal basis and a framework for implementating automated reasoning systems based upon these techniques. Both the formal and practical approach can be divided into four parts: (1) specifying a set of distinct propositional spaces, (2) specifying the interrelationships among these spaces, (3) representing bodies of evidence as belief distributions, and (4) establishing paths of the bodies for evidence to move through these spaces by means of evidential operations, eventually converging on spaces where the target questions can be answered. These steps specify a means for arguing from multiple bodies of evidence toward a particular (probabilistic) conclusion. Argument construction is the process by which such evidential analyses are constructed and is the analogue of constructing proof trees in a logical context.

This technology features the ability to reason from uncertain, incomplete, and occasionally inaccurate information based upon seven evidential operations: fusion, discounting, translation, projection, summarization, interpretation, and gisting. These operation are theoretically sound but have intuitive appeal as well.

In implementing this formal approach, we have found that evidential arguments can be represented as graphs. To support the construction, modification, and interrogation of evidential arguments, we have developed Gister. Gister provides an interactive, menu-driven, graphical interface that allows these graphical structures to be easily manipulated.

Our goal is to provide effective automated aids to domain experts for argument construction. Gister represents our first attempt at such an aid.