A reactive tabu search algorithm for the vehicle routing problem with simultaneous pickups and deliveries

The vehicle routing problem with pickups and deliveries (VRPPD) extends the vehicle routing problem (VRP) by allowing customers to both send and receive goods. The main difficulty of the problem is that the load of vehicles is fluctuating rather than decreasing as in the VRP. We design a reactive tabu search metaheuristic that can check feasibility of proposed moves quickly and reacts to repetitions to guide the search. Several new best solutions are found for benchmark problems.     

A learning vector quantization neural network model for the classification of industrial construction projects

In several key functional areas of contemporary engineering and management science, neural networks have steadily been gaining recognition as robust and reliable tools for classification problems. This paper describes a new application of the learning vector quantization neural network: the classification of the degree of modularization appropriate for the construction of an industrial facility. This neural network uses variables related to plant location, labor issues, organizational issues, plant characteristics, project risks, and environmental issues as inputs to perform the classification. The neural network training and performance evaluation is also discussed.     

Enrolling girls without learning: Evidence from public schools in Afghanistan

While more girls are now attending school in Afghanistan than prior to 2010, there is a lack of evidence on how school attendance is helping their cognitive development. We use data from a large sample of all‐girls state‐funded school students to estimate for the first time the “learning profile” for Afghanistan. Students enrolled in grades 4 to 9 were assessed using the Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) and the Early Grade Mathematics Assessment (EGMA) test items. We find that higher grade progression (particularly in grades 6–9) leads to almost no gain in numeracy (addition and subtraction) skills that should have been achieved in early grades. Similar results follow from the analysis of student performance in the EGRA test, particularly in oral reading fluency (correct words read per minute) and oral reading comprehension (number of correct answers out of 12). These findings warn that simply enrolling girls in school without improving the relationship between grade completion and learning is unlikely to transform the lives of women in Afghanistan.     

Putting the Lasts First: The Case for Community-Focused and Peer-Managed NGO Accountability Mechanisms

The calls for NGO accountability have grown louder in recent years, some based on genuine concerns to help improve their performance and others on a desire to muffle their advocacy activities. Using a comprehensive analytical framework, this article finds that current accountability approaches prioritize accountability to boards and donors and give weak accountability to communities despite strong NGO rhetoric to the contrary. The article recommends the development of accountability mechanisms managed by NGO coordination bodies and focused primarily on accountability to communities to improve NGO performance and protect them from politically motivated attacks.