A methodology for managing public spaces to increase access to essential goods and services by vulnerable populations during the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrés Regal Ludowieg ◽  
Claudio Ortega ◽  
Andrés Bronfman ◽  
Michelle Rodriguez Serra ◽  
Mario Chong
Keyword(s):  
Population Density ◽  
Facility Location ◽  
Spatial Data ◽  
Web Application ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Local Authorities ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
Response Phase

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present a spatial decision support system (SDSS) to be used by the local authorities of a city in the planning and response phase of a disaster. The SDSS focuses on the management of public spaces as a resource to increase a vulnerable population’s accessibility to essential goods and services. Using a web-based platform, the SDSS would support data-driven decisions, especially for cases such as the COVID-19 pandemic which requires special care in quarantine situations (which imply walking access instead of by other means of transport).Design/methodology/approachThis paper proposes a methodology to create a web-SDSS to manage public spaces in the planning and response phase of a disaster to increase the access to essential goods and services. Using a regular polygon grid, a city is partitioned into spatial units that aggregate spatial data from open and proprietary sources. The polygon grid is then used to compute accessibility, vulnerability and population density indicators using spatial analysis. Finally, a facility location problem is formulated and solved to provide decision-makers with an adaptive selection of public spaces given their indicators of choice.FindingsThe design and implementation of the methodology resulted in a granular representation of the city of Lima, Peru, in terms of population density, accessibility and vulnerability. Using these indicators, the SDSS was deployed as a web application that allowed decision-makers to explore different solutions to a facility location model within their districts, as well as visualizing the indicators computed for the hexagons that covered the district’s area. By performing tests with different local authorities, improvements were suggested to support a more general set of decisions and the key indicators to use in the SDSS were determined.Originality/valueThis paper, following the literature gap, is the first of its kind that presents an SDSS focused on increasing access to essential goods and services using public spaces and has had a successful response from local authorities with different backgrounds regarding the integration into their decision-making process.

scholarly journals Understanding corruption through the analysis of court case content: research note

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Luís de Sousa ◽  
Patrícia Calca
Keyword(s):  
Analytical Framework ◽  
Research Note ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Court Case ◽  
Court Cases ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Construction Companies ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
Judicial Proceedings ◽  
Audio Video

PurposeThe two main objectives of this project were to advance knowledge about the way corruption and related offences are structured and operate in society and to draw inferences on the efficiency and efficacy of the judicial authorities in handling reported offences with the ultimate goal of improving and effecting control policies.Design/methodology/approachIn this research note the authors attempt to explore the relevance of judicial materials. The authors developed an analytical framework to extract information from court case decisions and analysed 838 court cases on corruption and related offences in Portuguese first instance courts for the period 2004–2008 to map the distribution of corruption and related offences, understand the anatomy of corruption as a criminal offence and learn from the judicial system's capacity to investigate, prosecute and trial reported occurrences.FindingsMost corruption cases took place in the major metropolitan areas, involved municipalities as passive agents and construction companies as active agents and had to do with urban sprawl and land management policies. Court data also allowed the authors to gauge the areas or sectors of activity more exposed to corruption risks. Generally speaking, these tend to be those areas or sectors characterized by high levels of informality and clientelism, high profitability ratios deriving from political decisions, unbalanced supply-demand of decisional goods and services, disorganised and fragmented regulation, low levels of transparency and insufficient or misguided supervision.Research limitations/implicationsThe framework for analysis is replicable in other contexts with minor adjustments. The major limitation is access to court decisions/narratives. This project was developed in partnership with the Portuguese Public Prosecutor's Office. This has facilitated access to those materials. For those wishing to use the database, the major limitation is that it covers only the period 2004–2008.Practical implicationsThe court narratives confirm that in cases where the complaint is complemented by documentary, audio, video and photographic evidences collected by special investigative means the subsequent production of proof in court is more effective. The data also suggests that cases reported from inside the organisation where the offence takes place are likelier to reach the trial phase, thus reinforcing the need for diversifying and strengthening reporting mechanisms and procedures and the guarantees to those who are willing to collaborate with the auditing and investigative authorities.Social implicationsThe authors contend that court cases of corruption and related offences yield important and useful policy-oriented information that should not be overlooked by decision-makers when upgrading their efforts to fight corruption.Originality/valueThis research note introduces a novel dataset on corruption court cases in Portugal. The policy significance of this dataset is threefold: (1) it provides decision-makers a more detailed mapping of the volume and distribution of corruption and related offences across the country than that provided by standard judicial statistics; (2) it fosters knowledge on key sociological aspects of the corrupt fact, thus helping decision-makers to understand better the type of actors, objectives, contexts, resources and exchanges involved and (3) it helps to understand the dynamics of judicial proceedings and how certain procedural and institutional features impact on outcomes.

Land web application projects in the territory of the Sardinia region

2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 170-193
Author(s):  
Gabriele Garnero ◽  
Alessandro Cogoni ◽  
Alessandro Corrias ◽  
Luisa Manigas ◽  
Stefania Valentina Zedda
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Data ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Web Application ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Information And Communications Technology ◽  
Mobile Technologies ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Related Services ◽  
Content Type

Purpose – This article aims to describe how information and communications technology (ICT) has introduced a new approach in the handling of spatial data and related services and how Regione Autonoma della Sardegna, one of the Italian local governments, has been involved in an interesting growth that adopts ICT to provide spatial data and related services to itself and to its territory. Design/methodology/approach – This article considers three aspects data and services interoperability and the implications of spatial data delivered through a multi-channel environment; the use of social web as a platform for volunteered geographical information in the public administration environment; and the application of mobile technologies. Findings – The article represents the summary of recent activities in the Sardinia region and may constitute a paradigmatic example for other realities. Originality/value – The research and activities conducted represent a point of view advanced and innovative in the field of territorial sciences and spatial planning on a regional scale.

Development of the geoinformation system for hunting farms.

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
М.Р.  Вагизов ◽  
Д.А. Дубов
Keyword(s):  
Information System ◽  
Geographic Information System ◽  
Organizational Structure ◽  
Spatial Data ◽  
Web Application ◽  
Geographic Information ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
Information Support ◽  
Quality Level ◽  
Strategy Of Development

Рассматривается необходимость разработки специализированной геоинформационной системы для отрасли охотничьего хозяйства. Указаны основные принципы проектирования и разработки приложения. Определены необходимые требования к проектируемой ГИС и задачи, которые способна решать система. Проведено описание организационной структуры геоинформационной системы и функции, подлежащие визуализации. Составлено схемотехнические решение и визуализация графического интерфейса взаимодействия пользователя с системой. В соответствии со Стратегией развития охотничьего хозяйства РФ до 2030 года, требуется повышать программно-информационное обеспечение охотпользователей. Обоснованием разработки является отсутствие единой системы сбора, хранения и систематизации данных о состоянии охотхозяйств, численности популяций и проведении необходимых мероприятий. Разработка специальной ГИС способна обеспечить поддержку в системе принятия решений человеком в интересах управления территориями охотхозяйств. Разработка продуманного интерактивного интерфейса позволит вывести ГИС на наиболее качественный уровень взаимодействия. Общеизвестно, что пространственные данные являются основой информационного обеспечения геоинформационных систем, в том числе локальных ГИС. Для непрерывного обновления геоданных требуется своевременная актуализация информации на сервере, в которой данная система развернута. Поэтому в качестве технологической основы выбрано проектирование именно веб-приложения, работающего через предустановленный браузер пользователя. Реализация функций данной ГИС, продуманный человеко-машинный интерфейс, включенный в ее состав, позволит использовать данную систему не только охотпользователям, но и заинтересованным специалистам в смежных отраслях: лесное хозяйство, картография, геоинформатика, зоогегография, охотоведение. Разработанная система может использоваться в учебном процессе при подготовке студентов по различным направлениям в высших образовательных учреждениях. Discusses the necessity of developing a specialized geographic information system for hunting groung. Carried out a description of the organizational structure of geoinformation systems and functions to be rendering. Determined necessary requirements for the design of the GIS and the tasks which the system are able to solve. The organizational structure of the geographic information system and the functions to be visualized are described. Compiled technical scheme and visualization GUI. In accordance with the strategy of development of the hunting industry of the Russian Federation until 2030, it is required to increase the software and information support for hunting users. The basis for development is the lack of a unified system of collection, storage and systematization of data on the state of hunting, population and carry out the necessary measures. The development of a special GIS is able to provide support in the system of decision-making by a person in the interests of managing the territories of hunting farms. The development of a thoughtful interactive interface will bring the GIS to the most high-quality level of interaction. It is well known that the spatial data are the basis for information support of geographic information systems, including local GIS. For continuous updates of the geodata requires a timely update information on the server in which the system is deployed. Therefore, as the technological base of the selected design it is the web application running through a preset user's browser. The implementation of the functions of this GIS, intelligent man-machine interface, included in its composition, will allow you to use this system not only hunters, but also to interested professionals in related industries, forestry, cartography, geoinformatics, zoogeography, and hunting. The developed system can be used in educational process for training students in various areas in higher educational institutions.

scholarly journals Facility location selection for the furniture industry of Bangladesh: Comparative AHP and FAHP analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 184797902110308
Author(s):  
Md Nazmul Hasan Suman ◽  
Nagib MD Sarfaraj ◽  
Fuad Ahmed Chyon ◽  
Md Rafiul Islsm Fahim
Keyword(s):  
Facility Location ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Fuzzy Ahp ◽  
Facility Location Problem ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Energy Availability ◽  
Furniture Industry ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Location Selection ◽  
Hierarchy Process

The furniture industry is growing to a great extent in Bangladesh. Many market researchers believe that the industry has enormous potentiality. However, the expansion of this industry may face complexities within a few years. Due to the wrong selection of facilities, many organizations failed to earn profit as expected. It also needs a large investment. Selecting a suitable place for a new facility is going to be the biggest question of upcoming years. This study aimed to analyze Bangladesh’s furniture industry, address the facility location problem, and provide a constructive solution to the decision-makers. In this study, seven criteria were considered: availability of raw materials, transportations, skilled labor, proximity to customers, energy availability, economic zone facility, and environmental impact, and five ideal locations or alternatives: Khulna, Chattogram, Bogura, Gazipur, and Manikganj. Thirty-four experts took part in the survey to analyze the significant criteria for selecting a furniture industry’s facility location and alternatives or potential locations for the facility. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Fuzzy AHP methods (FAHP), two MCDM techniques, were used to analyze the data set. A sensitivity analysis was done to determine the model’s robustness for any critical changes in the real world. The result showed that ‘energy availability is the most significant criterion to select a facility location for the furniture industry, where it got 35.1% criteria weight in AHP and 33.9% in FAHP. ‘Chattogram’ was selected as the most suitable place containing 33.74% normalized weight in AHP and 33.81% normalized weight in FAHP.

The Excuse of (Il)legality in Discriminating and Persecuting Religious Minorities: Anti-Mosque Legal Violence in Myanmar

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 108-131
Author(s):  
Nyi Nyi Kyaw
Keyword(s):  
Rule Of Law ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
Public Order ◽  
Language Resources ◽  
Local Authorities ◽  
Religious Minorities ◽  
The Rule Of Law ◽  
Legal Violence ◽  
Religious Buildings ◽  
Private Homes

AbstractThis article highlights the convenient excuse of (il)legality used by (1) religious majoritarian mobs to justify attacks against places of worship and religious buildings of minorities; and (2) police and local authorities to absolve themselves of the failure to uphold public order and the rule of law, protect religious minorities, and to punish religious minorities. This article traces the emergence of legal violence in the form of anti-mosque vigilante extremism in Myanmar from 2012 onwards and analyzes cases of attacks against: (1) “illegal” mosques; (2) madrasas being used as or reconstructed into mosques; (3) buildings allegedly being constructed as mosques; (4) private homes and public spaces being used as mosques; and cases of (5) closed mosques not being allowed to reopen. The author primarily used Myanmar-language resources as well as interviews to conduct the research.

Medical treatment and best interests: judicial interpretation of values, wishes and beliefs under the Mental Capacity Act 2005

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 165-173
Author(s):  
Owen P. O'Sullivan
Keyword(s):  
Medical Treatment ◽  
Clinical Decision ◽  
Case Law ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Best Interests ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Supreme Court ◽  
Mental Capacity Act 2005 ◽  
Mental Capacity Act ◽  
The Uk

Purpose The prominence of the best interests principle in the Mental Capacity Act 2005 represented an important transition to a more resolutely patient-centred model regarding decision-making for incapable adults (“P”). This paper aims to examine the courts’ consideration of P’s values, wishes and beliefs in the context of medical treatment, reflect on whether this has resulted in a wide interpretation of the best interests standard and consider how this impacts clinical decision makers. Design/methodology/approach A particular focus will be on case law from the Court of Protection of England and Wales and the Supreme Court of the UK. Cases have been selected for discussion on the basis of the significance of their judgements for the field, the range of issues they illustrate and the extent of commentary and attention they have received in the literature. They are presented as a narrative review and are non-exhaustive. Findings With respect to values, wishes and beliefs, the best interests standard’s interpretation in the courts has been widely varied. Opposing tensions and thematic conflicts have emerged from this case law and were analysed from the perspective of the clinical decision maker. Originality/value This review illustrates the complexity and gravity of decisions of the clinical decision makers and the courts have considered in the context of best interests determinations for incapacitated adults undergoing medical treatment. Subsequent to the first such case before the Supreme Court of the UK, emerging case law trends relating to capacity legislation are considered.

The hidden power of language

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 187-206
Author(s):  
Philipp Hummel ◽  
Jacob Hörisch
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Value Creation ◽  
Cost Reduction ◽  
Social Consequences ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Social Aspects ◽  
Social Aspect ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Current Accounting ◽  
Cost Reductions

Purpose Stakeholder theory research identifies changes in language as one possible mechanism to overcome the deficiencies of current accounting practices with regard to social aspects. This study aims to examine the effects of the terms used for specific accounts on company internal decision-making, drawing on the example of “value creation accounting”. Design/methodology/approach The study uses a survey based-experiment to analyze the effects of terms used for specific accounts on decision-making, with a focus on social aspects (in particular expenditures for staff) in cost reduction and expenditure decisions. Findings The findings indicate that wordings, which more closely relate to value creation than to costs, decrease cost reductions and increase the priority ascribed to the social aspect of reducing staff costs in times of financial shortage. The effects of terms used on cost reductions are stronger among female decision makers. Practical implications The analysis suggests that conventional accounting language best suits organizations that aim at incentivizing decision makers to primarily cut costs. By contrast, if an organization follows an approach that puts importance on social aspects in times of financial shortage and on not doing too sharp cost reductions, value creation-oriented language is the more effective approach. Social implications The study suggests that the specific terminology used for accounts should be chosen more carefully and with awareness for the possible effects on cost reduction decisions as well as on social consequences. Originality/value This study contributes to a better understanding of the relevance of language in accounting. It suggests that the terms used for accounts should be chosen purposefully because of their far-reaching potential consequences for stakeholders as well as for the organization.

A new index to measure cost of living for expatriates in cities

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 295-317
Author(s):  
Khee Giap Tan ◽  
Nguyen Trieu Duong Luu ◽  
Le Phuong Anh Nguyen
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Cost Of Living ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
Commercial Research ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Cost Of Living Index ◽  
The City

Purpose Cost of living is an important consideration for the decision-making of expatriates and investment decisions of businesses. As competition between cities for talent and capital becomes global instead of national, the need for timely and internationally comparable information on global cities’ cost of living increases. While commercial research houses frequently publish cost of living surveys, these reports can be lacking in terms of scientific rigour. In this context, this paper aims to contribute to the literature by formulating a comprehensive and rigorous methodology to compare the cost of living for expatriates in 103 world’s major cities. Design/methodology/approach A cost of living index for expatriates composed of the ten consumption categories is constructed. The results from the study covers a study period from 2005 to 2014 in 103 cities. More than 280 individual prices of 165 goods and services have been compiled for each city in the calculation of the cost of living index for expatriates. New York has been chosen as the base city for the study, with other cities being benchmarked against it. A larger cost of living index for expatriates implies that the city is more expensive for expatriates to live in and vice versa. Findings While the authors generate the cost of living rankings for expatriates for 103 cities worldwide, in this paper, the authors focus on five key cities, namely, London, Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo and Zurich, as they are global financial centres. In 2013, the latest year for which data are available, Zurich was the most expensive for expatriates among the five cities, followed by Singapore, Tokyo, London and Hong Kong. These results pertain to the cost of living for expatriates, and cities compare very differently in terms of cost of living for ordinary residents, as ordinary residents follow different consumption patterns from expatriates. Originality/value Cost of living in the destination city is a major consideration for professionals who look to relocate, and organisations factor such calculations in their decisions to post employees overseas and design commensurate compensation packages. This paper develops a comprehensive and rigorous methodology for measuring and comparing cost of living for expatriates around the world. The value-addition lies in the fact that the authors are able to differentiate between expatriates and ordinary residents, which has not been done in the existing literature. They use higher quality data and generate an index that is not sensitive to the choice of base city.

Integration of AHP-QFD for selecting facility location

2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 411-425 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajesh Chadawada ◽  
Ahmad Sarfaraz ◽  
Kouroush Jenab ◽  
Hamid Pourmohammadi
Keyword(s):  
Facility Location ◽  
Solution Process ◽  
Pairwise Comparison ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Location Problems ◽  
Analytic Hierarchy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Facility Location Problems ◽  
Managerial Experience

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe and implements an analytic hierarchy process (AHP)-QFD model for selecting the best location from an organization point of view which picks the site with the best opportunity requirements. Integration of AHP-QFD process gives us a new approach to assist organizations through observing various factors and selecting the best location among different alternatives. This approach uses AHP method to match the preferences required by decision makers and these preferences are applied to the characteristics of QFD. The model fundamental requirement are perfect potential locales and the areas are contrasted and both quantitative and qualitative elements to permit directors to join managerial experience and judgment in the answer process. The AHP-QFD model is also applied on a case study to illustrate the solution process. Design/methodology/approach – The integration of AHP and QFD is used to analyze available options and select the best alternative. This can be done by ranking each criterion through a pairwise comparison. Given collected data, the QFD approach is used to find the capability of each criterion. Findings – Integration of AHP-QFD is used to select the best alternative in facility location. This integrated approach can be best used in dealing with facility location problems. Originality/value – The developed AHP-QFD model in facility location problems, facilitates the inclusion of market criteria and decision maker opinion into the traditional cost function, which has been mainly distance base in the literature.

The role of agency in project initiation decisions

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 518-535 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Mullaly
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Decision Rules ◽  
Personal Characteristics ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Organizational Dynamics ◽  
Substantive Theory ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Board Level

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of decision rules and agency in supporting project initiation decisions, and the influences of agency on decision-making effectiveness. Design/methodology/approach – The study this paper is based upon used grounded theory methodology, and sought to understand the influences of individual decision makers on project initiation decisions within organizations. Data collection involved 28 participants who were involved in project initiation decisions within their organizations, who discussed the process of project initiation in their organization and their role within that process. Findings – The study demonstrates that the overall effectiveness of project initiation decisions is a product of agency, process effectiveness or rule effectiveness. The employment of agency can have a direct influence on decision-making effectiveness, it can compensate for organizational inadequacies of a process or political nature, and it can be constrained in the evidence of formal and effective organizational practices. Research limitations/implications – While agency was recognized by all participants, there are clearly circumstances where actors perceive the ability to exercise agency to be externally constrained. The study is exploratory, contributing to the development of substantive theory. Theory testing as well as a more in-depth investigation of the underlying drivers of agency would be valuable. Practical implications – The study provides executives and individuals supporting the initiation of projects with insights on how to effectively influence the effectiveness of project initiation decisions, and the degree to which personal characteristics influence organizational dynamics. Originality/value – Most discussions of agency has been framed the subject as an executive- or board-level phenomenon. The current study demonstrates that agency is in fact being perceived and operationalized at all levels. Those demonstrating agency in the majority of instances in this study do so in exercising stewardship behaviours. This has important implications for how agency is perceived by executives, and by how agency is exercised by actors at all levels of the organization.

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