ASSESSMENT OF TECHNICAL POSSIBILITIES FOR PRODUCTION OF PK- TYPE TERMINALS FOR SEPARATE RAIL FASTENING OF THE RAILWAY TRACK

The availability of the production certificate gives an advantage to any company that cares about improving the efficiency of processes and quality of work. The production certificate is first of all necessary for the enterprises which plan to take partin tenders for supply of products for railway transport and its infrastructure. The production certification procedure involves checking the compliance of regulatory, technological, metrological support, personnel qualification level, organizational arrangements aimed at ensuring the stability of quality indicators of products or services provided, assessment of technical capabilities of the applicant company to ensure stable production/services that meet the requirements of current regulations in Ukraine (national standards, enterprise standards, etc.). Therefore, the assessment of the technical capabilities of the manufacturer, including PC-type terminals of separate rail fastening of the railway track, is the main and integral part of the production certification process. The information and data provided in this paper are based on the real-life experience of the certification body and relate to the quantitative assessment of the technical capabilities of the enterprise that manufactures PK-type terminals. Key words: product certification, assessment of technical capabilities, production certificate, certification body, technological accuracy reserve.

Assessing the Integrative Framework for the Implementation of Change in Nursing Practice: Comparative Case Studies in French Hospitals

Background Quality improvement initiatives in healthcare often require change in nursing practices. Implementing such change into routine practice is challenging, often with unpredictable outcomes. Extensive research in this area has documented effective implementation change in clinical practice and identified barriers and facilitators at strategic levels, e.g. leadership, culture, and technical factors, which are common across most organizations. However, other research avenues have investigated different perspectives, e.g., the impact of local work contexts on implementation processes and the overlap of local social and material factors in appropriation processes. Therefore, considering both perspectives is essential for effective implementation. However, strategic and socio-material factors have only been investigated as distinct perspectives. In previous work, we developed an Integrative Framework for Implementation of change in Nursing Practices (IFINP) based on certification procedure implementation at a French hospital. In this current study, we assess the generalizability of our framework in other organizational settings and explore links between strategic and socio-material factors during implementation. Methods We used comparative qualitative case studies at three French hospitals to assess the implementation of certification procedures. Data were collected from 33 semi-structured interviews with managers and nurses. Narratives reflecting actions and interactions were extracted and deductively analyzed using IFINP components. Results The framework was flexible and captured all the different aspects of implementation actions and interactions at the three hospitals. Strong interferences were identified between mobilization mechanisms and strategic elements. Interference was observed mostly between ‘reflexive monitoring and work articulation’, and ‘reflexive monitoring and sense-making’ mechanisms. Leadership was integrated into the different mechanisms, especially the ‘translation’ mechanism. Conclusion The IFINP facilitated a greater understanding of strategic elements and associated relationships with social and material factors during implementation. Our results support the non-linearity aspect of implementation processes and highlight the importance of leadership roles in translating change in practice. This provides a clear definition of the managers’ role when implementing new nurse practices. Therefore, we advocate the IFINP as a practical managerial framework supporting implementation initiatives in nursing.

Issues and ways of improving the certification of accounting and analytics staff in state-funded institutions

Subject. In recent years, there has been a powerful reinforcement of the requirements for the quality of accounting and the reliability of the data presented in the financial statements of institutions within the public sector. This led to more rigorous requirements for the competence of accounting and analytics staff. An analysis of the economic literature showed that the procedure for the certification of accounting employees and the assessment of their job functions in state-funded institutions have not been thoroughly studied. Purpose. The authors consider the certification of accounting employees in state-funded institutions as a tool to assess their job functions and the level of their professional competence. The article presents the results of testing methodological tools for the certification of accounting and analytics staff in a state-funded institution. Methods. The research objectives were solved using the methods of system analysis, content analysis, and sociological methods. The authors of the article summarised the results of previous studies and considered the regulations. The research involved the analysis of appeals to the State Labour Inspectorate regarding issues related to the certification of personnel. The authors identified the main reasons for such appeals and the types of violations of employees' rights during certifications. The work classifies the main methods for the certification of accounting and analytics staff and identifies their advantages and disadvantages. Results. The analysis of employees’ appeals to the State Labour Inspectorate showed that in many cases appeals related to the violation of employees' rights during the certification of personnel were caused by violations of the certification procedure. The research is a scientific novelty as it proposes methodological tools which are represented by a set of developed criteria and tests used to assess the job functions of those in accounting and analytics positions. The developed tools were tested in a state-funded institution in the Novosibirsk Region. Conclusions. The study confirmed the need for employee certification to assess their job functions and professional competence. Validation of the research results allowed making recommendations for upskilling employees and their professional retraining.

Current state and problems of development of organic gardening in Russia

Currently, there is a clear overproduction of apples in the world. This dictates to commodity producers the need to use innovative approaches to the development of horticulture in order to increase the competitiveness of their products in the market. Modern approaches to the conduct of world agriculture are based on the principles of the development of organic production. The overseas markets for environmentally friendly products are developing rapidly. Much attention is paid to the promotion of organic fruits on the market. In Russia, organic gardening is just gaining ground. The regulatory and legal framework for organic production is being developed, conversion processes are being carried out at producers of horticultural products, and environmentally friendly production of fruits is created and certified. Currently, only a few horticultural organizations have passed the certification procedure and are engaged in the production of environmentally friendly products. The development of the process of organizing organic fruit production is constrained by a number of factors, the main of which are the lack of domestic experience in organizing and conducting organic gardening, the underdevelopment of the market for organic products, and the lack of state support for the industrial production of organic fruits. The article discusses the importance of organic gardening, the state and problems of the development of environmentally friendly fruit production in Russia, the features of organic gardening, the efficiency of the production of environmentally friendly gardening products. The main directions for the development of organic gardening in the country are proposed, the main of which are technological and technical support for the development of the industry, information support for commodity producers, marketing of organic products, effective government support for organic gardening.

Assessment and patients perception of the impact of accreditation on the quality of public healthcare delivery in primary and secondary healthcare settings

Accreditation is a crucial component that stresses patient safety and service quality. The goal of this study was to fill in the gaps by evaluating the impact of accreditation in primary and secondary public health care settings. A survey questionnaire was used to perform this cross-sectional study from July 2017 to July 2018. The study used a positivist paradigm, examining quantitative indicators before and after the certification procedure to determine the influence of accreditation.Due to the fact that the data were not normally distributed, the variables were measured on an ordinal scale, the observations from both groups were independent of one another, and the distribution of the variable was similar in each group, the Kruskal– Wallis test was used to determine statistical significance. The mean score for components spanning structural, procedural, and outcome domains has been calculated for certified and non-accredited hospitals. Certified hospitals have higher median values for all structures in primary health-care facilities than non-accredited hospitals. Most of the constructs have a lower or equal median value in accredited secondary care facilities than in non-accredited facilities. Accreditation has the potential to have a positive impact on the entire facility. Nonetheless, authorities must see accreditation as a way of holistic and continual reform if they are to ensure the intended outcome from this lengthy and costly procedure.

Airtightness and Heat Energy Loss of Mid-Size Terraced Houses Built of Different Construction Materials

The European Union has adopted legislation aimed to increase the use of renewable energy and improve the effectiveness of conventional-form energy use. Additional structure insulation helps to decrease heat energy loss. Airtightness of the building envelope (building airtightness) is an additional factor that determines comfortable and energy-saving living environment. The conformity of heat energy loss with the object’s design energy class is one of the mandatory indicators used in the obligatory building energy performance certification procedure. Optionally, the objects to be certified are the entire buildings or separate units (flats). There is an issue of concern whether a flat assessed as a separate housing unit would meet the requirements of design energy class depending on the location of the unit in the building. The study is aimed to determine the change in heat loss of end units in terraced houses (townhouses) as a result of various factors, leading to uneven airtightness of the building envelope. The non-destructive assessment of building airtightness was implemented through the combined use of methods, namely Blower Door Test (around 200 measurements) and Infrared Thermography. The hollow clay unit masonry showed ca. 7–11% less airtightness than the sand–lime block masonry structure. The end units were up to 20% less airtight compared to the inside units.

FORMATION OF HIGHLY QUALIFIED LEADING STAFF OF THE NATIONAL POLICE

. From the standpoint of a system approach to the methodology of the research of legal phenomena, the theoretical foundations of the formation of highly qualified leading staff of the National Police are considered. The successful formation of a highly qualified police staff reserve requires the introduction of staff planning in the system of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine and the National Police. The purposes of staff planning are determined: formation of police staff taking into account the current and future needs for personnel, the level of professional training of police officers, effective use of the potential of the available staff. The formation of a highly qualified leading staff of the National Police should be carried out based on the creation of a staff reserve. Staff reserve is a group of middle-ranking police officers in territorial bodies, institutions and organizations of the National Police. The group is formed in accordance with the established procedure based on individual selection and objective comprehensive assessment. Police officers who have passed the certification procedure, according to their personal and professional qualities, level of education are able to replace higher positions in the National Police of Ukraine. In order to increase the motivation of police officers to perform their duties (as one of the elements of career growth) successfully and conscientiously, it is advisable to introduce the indicator “rating of official and personal competence of a police officer”. The rating of official and personal competence is an indicator expressed in the quantitative calculation of mastering a set of competencies necessary for the implementation of daily practical activities and further career growth of a police officer. The rating includes professional motivation; general training and professional skills; the level of physiological readiness of the organism associated with the possibility of using physical force, special means and firearms in the performance of official tasks; level of psychological stability.

Preparation of Three New Certified Reference Materials for Food and Environmental Analysis and Certification Using Laboratory Intercomparison as well as Primary Reference Measurement Procedures

Three new reference materials: MODAS-3 Herring Tissue (M-3 HerTis), MODAS-4 Cormorant Tissue (M-4 CormTis), and MODAS-5 Cod Tissue (M-5 CodTis) were prepared and certified on the basis of results of a worldwide intercomparison exercise. Independently of our proven method of establishing the certified and information values, the content of several essential and toxic elements was additionally determined by the use of ratio primary reference measurement procedures (definitive methods) based on radiochemical neutron activation analysis (RNAA) in the case of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Fe, Mo, Se, and U and isotope dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS) in the case of Hg, respectively. Good agreement of the established certified values and the results obtained by ratio primary reference measurement procedures confirmed the validity of the certification procedure. The total number of elements which could be certified amounted to 30, 21, 18 in M-3 HerTis, M-4 CormTis, and M-5 CodTis, respectively. The relative frequency of use of individual analytical techniques in this intercomparison campaign was calculated and discussed. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is now a dominant technique, followed by atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), NAA, and emission spectroscopy (ES). The decreasing share of NAA as compared to several earlier intercomparison exercises should be noticed. NAA is the only method in the array of highly sensitive methods of inorganic trace analysis, which is essentially free from blank. The lack of this method in the foreseeable future may be an obstacle in the prospective certification campaigns and may endanger the implementation of quality assurance in trace analysis.

Improvement of the conformity assessment system for the improvement of pipe products quality

Нормирование качества трубной продукции является ключевым инструментом, влияющим на системную надежность, безопасность и эффективность функционирования объектов магистральных трубопроводов. В статье рассмотрены особенности оценки соответствия стальных труб, предназначенных для строительства, ремонта и реконструкции линейной части нефте- и нефтепродуктопроводов. Проведен сравнительный анализ технических требований к трубной продукции, установленных отраслевыми нормативными документами, международными и национальными стандартами. Выделены проблемные вопросы, связанные с оценкой соответствия труб, применяемых на объектах нефтепроводного транспорта. Отмечено, что проблема повышения качества труб актуальна как для операторов магистральных трубопроводов, так и для заводов - изготовителей трубной продукции. На основе практического опыта определено, что наилучшие результаты в области контроля и повышения качества труб обеспечивает реализация комплекса мероприятий, сочетающего «классическую» процедуру оценки соответствия (сертификации) с методической базой, позволяющей на основе статистических данных об отказах и браке в условиях эксплуатации трубной продукции эффективно решать задачи по управлению ее качеством. Standardization of the pipe products quality is a key tool affecting system reliability, safety, and efficiency of operation of main pipeline facilities. The article discusses the features of conformity assessment of steel pipes intended for the construction, repair, and reconstruction of linear sections of oil and oil product pipelines. A comparative analysis of the technical requirements for pipe products established by industry regulations, international, and national standards has been conducted. The issues related to the conformity assessment of pipes used at oil pipeline transport facilities are highlighted. It is noted that the issue of improving the quality of pipes is relevant both for operators of main pipelines and for manufacturers of pipe products. Based on practical experience, it has been determined that the best results in monitoring and improving the quality of pipes are ensured by implementation of a set of measures that combines the traditional conformity assessment (certification) procedure and a methodological base that allows to effectively solve problems of managing their quality based on statistical data on faults and defects in the operating conditions of pipe products.