scholarly journals Evaluation for Transformational Change: Learning from Practice

Author(s):  
Indran A. Naidoo

AbstractThe COVID-19 crisis has challenged the evaluation profession by altering the framework within which it operates. Evaluators must embrace new realities and respond to changes while not altering their principles, norms, and standards.A review of how evaluation networks and offices have responded to changing demands showed lack of recognition for the long-term implications to the profession. Commissioners and users of evaluation now have new priorities, and nontraditional actors have entered the traditional evaluation space, offering similar expertise and meeting the demands of evaluation commissioners and users. The extensive development challenges posed by COVID-19 require a comprehensive response capacity from evaluation if it is to be transformative as a profession.This chapter draws on national and international case studies, examining the concept of transformation from a contextual perspective and noting the relativism in the concept. It draws links between aspects, suggesting that this period is an opportunity for evaluators to learn from practice around transformation, and suggests that flexibility provides an opportunity to remain relevant and advance transformational goals.

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 5223
Author(s):  
Miriam Benedetti ◽  
Daniele Dadi ◽  
Lorena Giordano ◽  
Vito Introna ◽  
Pasquale Eduardo Lapenna ◽  
...  

The recovery of waste heat is a fundamental means of achieving the ambitious medium- and long-term targets set by European and international directives. Despite the large availability of waste heat, especially at low temperatures (<250 °C), the implementation rate of heat recovery interventions is still low, mainly due to non-technical barriers. To overcome this limitation, this work aims to develop two distinct databases containing waste heat recovery case studies and technologies as a novel tool to enhance knowledge transfer in the industrial sector. Through an in-depth analysis of the scientific literature, the two databases’ structures were developed, defining fields and information to collect, and then a preliminary population was performed. Both databases were validated by interacting with companies which operate in the heat recovery technology market and which are possible users of the tools. Those proposed are the first example in the literature of databases completely focused on low-temperature waste heat recovery in the industrial sector and able to provide detailed information on heat exchange and the technologies used. The tools proposed are two key elements in supporting companies in all the phases of a heat recovery intervention: from identifying waste heat to choosing the best technology to be adopted.


Author(s):  
Neil Bates ◽  
David Lee ◽  
Clifford Maier

This paper describes case studies involving crack detection in-line inspections and fitness for service assessments that were performed based on the inspection data. The assessments were used to evaluate the immediate integrity of the pipeline based on the reported features and the long-term integrity of the pipeline based on excavation data and probabilistic SCC and fatigue crack growth simulations. Two different case studies are analyzed, which illustrate how the data from an ultrasonic crack tool inspection was used to assess threats such as low frequency electrical resistance weld seam defects and stress corrosion cracking. Specific issues, such as probability of detection/identification and the length/depth accuracy of the tool, were evaluated to determine the suitability of the tool to accurately classify and size different types of defects. The long term assessment is based on the Monte Carlo method [1], where the material properties, pipeline details, crack growth parameters, and feature dimensions are randomly selected from certain specified probability distributions to determine the probability of failure versus time for the pipeline segment. The distributions of unreported crack-related features from the excavation program are used to distribute unreported features along the pipeline. Simulated crack growth by fatigue, SCC, or a combination of the two is performed until failure by either leak or rupture is predicted. The probability of failure calculation is performed through a number of crack growth simulations for each of the reported and unreported features and tallying their respective remaining lives. The results of the probabilistic analysis were used to determine the most effective and economical means of remediation by identifying areas or crack mechanisms that contribute most to the probability of failure.


2005 ◽  
Vol 48 (5) ◽  
pp. 643-653 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Holden

Internationalized providers of care services face competing incentives and pressures relating to profit and quality. Case studies of corporate providers of long-term care in the UK demonstrate that their mode of organization has important implications for both user choice and the organization of care work. French Les fournisseurs internationalisés sont soumis à des pressions et à des incitatifs concurrentiels pour produire des profits et de la qualité. Des études de cas portant sur les fournisseurs institutionnels d'assistance à long terme au Royaume-Uni révèlent que leur mode d'organisation a d'importantes répercussions tant au niveau du choix des bénéficiaires qu'au niveau de l'organisation du travail d'assistance. Spanish Los prestadores transnacionales de servicios se enfrentan con incentivos que compiten entre sí y con la tensión entre calidad y ganancia. Se estudian unoscasos de prestadores de cuidados de larga duración en el Reino Unido. Estos demuestran que el modo de organización tiene consecuencias importantes, tanto para opciones abiertas al usuario como para la organización de los cuidados.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angelo De Santis ◽  
Gianfranco Cianchini ◽  
Rita Di Giovambattista ◽  
Cristoforo Abbattista ◽  
Lucilla Alfonsi ◽  
...  

Abstract. Geosystemics (De Santis 2009, 2014) studies the Earth system as a whole focusing on the possible coupling among the Earth layers (the so called geo-layers), and using universal tools to integrate different methods that can be applied to multi-parameter data, often taken on different platforms. Its main objective is to understand the particular phenomenon of interest from a holistic point of view. In this paper we will deal with earthquakes, considered as a long term chain of processes involving, not only the interaction between different components of the Earth’s interior, but also the coupling of the solid earth with the above neutral and ionized atmosphere, and finally culminating with the main rupture along the fault of concern (De Santis et al., 2015a). Some case studies (particular emphasis is given to recent central Italy earthquakes) will be discussed in the frame of the geosystemic approach for better understanding the physics of the underlying complex dynamical system.


2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 23-29
Author(s):  
John Oliver

Purpose CEO turnover and chronic corporate underperformance are examined through the lens of Transgenerational Response. Design/methodology/approach The criteria for investigating Transgenerational Response in corporations consisted of identifying a Critical Corporate Incident, the number of corporate generations and the resultant corporate financial performance. Findings The evidence presented in the case studies illustrates how a Critical Corporate Incident has produced the consequential effect of chronic financial performance in the years following the incident. Research limitations/implications These case studies have not presented the “actual” adaptive responses, inherited attitudes and behaviours that have subsequently embedded themselves in a new corporate culture, post the Critical Corporate Incident, to the detriment of the long-term health and performance of each firm. Practical implications Examining CEO turnover and chronic corporate underperformance through the lens of Transgenerational Response means that business leaders can identify how a historic event has affected the performance of their firm in subsequent generations. With this knowledge in hand, they will be able to examine the inherited attitudes and behaviours, organizational policies, strategy and adaptive cultural routines that have combined to consolidate the firms chronic under performance. Originality/value This is a highly original, evidence based, idea that has the potential to reshape our current understanding of CEO turnover and underperforming firms. It will help business leaders identify how a historic event has affected the performance of a firm in subsequent generations.


Author(s):  
Adolfo RAMÍREZ-ROMÁN ◽  
Ángel SUÁREZ-ÁLVAREZ ◽  
Jacqueline CHABAT-URANGA ◽  
Francisco ORTIZ-MARTÍNEZ

Analyzing coffee grain roasting operations - Veracruz Region will contribute to the distribution of equipment and machinery in the Industrial Engineering workshop of the Educational Program. It aims to obtain improvements in the roasting process through the study of the work (January–June 2019), to lay the foundation for the proposals of Systems of Quality Management, Safety and Environmental Care in the following phases of the project (2019-2020) with effects on continuous improvement. In the coffee industry in Mexico has in the medium and long term, opportunities to grow and consolidate. As with most agricultural products from smallholders, such as coffee, the prices paid for the input ("cherry coffee") They are far from what the processed coffee comes to obtain in presentations of soluble and ground powder for coffee makers, and the process of improvement, quality, efficiency in roasting activities is necessary. The method analyzed the case studies of the operations of companies, producers and research related to the coffee and coffee industry and the interpretation of the statistical results.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashley Regimbal-Kung

This paper explored strategies of digital self-promotion for authors online through the investigation of emerging, independent self-published writers. This research provides best practices through those strategies to assist self-published writers in furthering their public profile in digital marketing. The literature review provides context in the online self-publishing environment, connecting with the audience; encouraging collaboration (produsage); adapting to the shifting publishing marketplace through self-presentation strategies (branding), and; bolstering two-way communication (market sensing). It also provides the basis for coding self-presentation themes in self-presentation. This research suggests that best practices can optimize the time that writers spend on marketing, not only to attract initial attention from publishers but at any stage in their career. This research gathers data and develops case studies of four self-published authors that use Wattpad, a social media platform for writers. It analyzes these authors’ strategies for self-promotion and measures their effectiveness through the level of engagement elicited from their fans. It develops best practices from these strategies. This research finds that digital self-promotional activities are successful if they are creative, unique and develop a community of fan followers. It is especially effective when authors reflect the interests of their target audience. It was also found these strategies helped develop the author’s branding for long-term effectiveness


Author(s):  
Ashleigh M. Maxcey ◽  
Richard M. Shiffrin ◽  
Denis Cousineau ◽  
Richard C. Atkinson

AbstractHere, we present two case studies of extremely long-term retention. In the first, Richard C. Atkinson (RCA) had learned word sequences during experiments for his dissertation. Sixty-seven years later, RCA relearned the same words either in the original order or in a scrambled order. RCA reported no conscious awareness that the words were those used in the dissertation, but his relearning was considerably better for the words in the original order. In the second case study, Denis Cousineau had searched displays of objects for the presence of a target. The targets and foils had been novel at the beginning of training, and his search rate improved markedly over about 70 sessions. After 22 years, retraining showed retention of much of this gain in rate of search, and the rate was markedly faster than search for new objects with the same structure as the trained set. We consider interpretations of these case studies for our understanding of long-term retention.


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