scholarly journals Multicriteria Anomaly Detection in Government Purchases

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrícia Maia ◽  
Wagner Meira Jr. ◽  
Breno Barbosa ◽  
Gustavo Cruz
Keyword(s):  
Anomaly Detection ◽  
Public Administration ◽  
Real Data ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
Government Purchases

Government purchases are the usual instrument for public acquisition of goods and services. Despite extensive legislation and several control and auditing mechanisms, frauds are still diverse and commonplace at all levels of public administration. This work proposes a methodology for detecting anomalies in government purchases. The methodology promotes several levels of filtering with respect to entities involved and purchases considered as fraudulent considering diverse criteria. The applicability and effectiveness of the methodology is demonstrated through a case study using real data where we were able to identify a long term provider collusion.

scholarly journals Power of Forest Stakeholders in the Participatory Decision Making Process: A Case Study in Northern Italy

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Paletto ◽  
Jessica Balest ◽  
Isabella Demeo ◽  
Grazia Giacovelli ◽  
Gianluca Grilli
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Public Administration ◽  
Participatory Process ◽  
Italian Alps ◽  
Real Power ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
Tourism Sector ◽  
Forest Use ◽  
Management Issues

AbstractIn European countries, current forest use aims to enhance goods and services supplied by forest ecosystems, taking into account the multiple needs and interests of society through a participatory process. A successful participatory process requires a thorough analysis of stakeholders’ perceptions and preferences. The aim of this paper is to investigate the differences between stakeholders’ perceived influence and real power in forest management. A questionnaire survey was carried out among 51 forest stakeholders in a case study in the Italian Alps. Perceived influence was measured by asking stakeholders to rate on a 5-point scale the extent to which they can influence forest management issues. Real power was analyzed using social network analysis (SNA), investigating the relationships that stakeholders have with each other in the network. Real power was measured using a Freeman’s degree centrality measure, which focuses on the direct ties coming in and out for each stakeholder. The results show that public administration is the category of stakeholders with the most power in all forest management issues, while the actors of the tourism sector are in a marginal position. In addition, the results of the study suggest that in many cases stakeholders have a distorted perception of their own power.

scholarly journals Tradition and Modernity in the Romanian Rural Space. Case Study: the Arges Sub-Carpathian Foothills

2013 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 127-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriela Manea ◽  
Elena Matei ◽  
Iuliana Vijulie ◽  
Marian Marin ◽  
Octavian Cocos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Spiritual Values ◽  
Rural Settlements ◽  
Rural Space ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
Space Case ◽  
Geographical Space

Abstract This paper intends to demonstrate on the basis of a case study that rural people’s access to modern goods and services is not necessarily a relentless source of deculturalisation, because it sometimes allows a better management and valorisation of the main characteristics of the rural space. Despite socio-economic unrest and successive changes of political regimes that took place in Romania during the last century, the human communities within the Arges foothills have defended with dignity their traditional material and spiritual values, passing them down from generation to generation. In the medium and long-term, the valorisation of the Romanian rural space, in general, and of that belonging to the Arges foothills, in particular, will imply the creation of a balance between the valuable cultural potential and the quality of life of the inhabitants, who are the keepers of rural cultural heritage. At present, the best thing to do to pass on the traditions of this area is to proudly accept the affiliation to this geographical space. This is true not only for the permanent inhabitants of rural settlements, but mostly for those who have left the countryside to carry it in their minds and souls. In our opinion, this fact is a pre-requisite for preventing the loss of material and spiritual values of this cultural-historical space.

scholarly journals OPTIMAL PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE PROGRAMS BASED ON A HYBRID GREEDY RANDOMIZED ADAPTIVE SEARCH PROCEDURE ALGORITHM

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 540-550 ◽  
Author(s):  
Víctor YEPES ◽  
Cristina TORRES-MACHI ◽  
Alondra CHAMORRO ◽  
Eugenio PELLICER
Keyword(s):  
Real Data ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Search Procedure ◽  
Adaptive Search ◽  
Pavement Maintenance ◽  
Optimal Maintenance ◽  
Reactive Strategy ◽  
The One

Insufficient investment in the public sector together with inefficient maintenance infrastructure programs lead to high economic costs in the long term. Thus, infrastructure managers need practical tools to maximize the Long-Term Effectiveness (LTE) of maintenance programs. This paper describes an optimization tool based on a hybrid Greedy Randomized Adaptive Search Procedure (GRASP) considering Threshold Accepting (TA) with relaxed constraints. This tool facilitates the design of optimal maintenance programs subject to budgetary and technical restrictions, exploring the effect of different budgetary scenarios on the overall network condition. The optimization tool is applied to a case study demonstrating its efficiency to ana­lyze real data. Optimized maintenance programs are shown to yield LTE 40% higher than the traditional programs based on a reactive strategy. To extend the results obtained in this case study, a set of simulated scenarios, based on the range of values found in the real example, are also optimized. This analysis concludes that this optimization algorithm enhances the allocation of maintenance funds over the one obtained under a traditional reactive strategy. The sensitivity analysis of a range of budgetary scenarios indicates that the funding level in the early years is a driving factor of the LTE of optimal maintenance programs.

Caregivers' Perceptions of Speech-Language Pathologist Talk About Child Language and Literacy Disorders

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 2049-2067
Author(s):  
Karmen L. Porter ◽  
Janna B. Oetting ◽  
Loretta Pecchioni
Keyword(s):  
Language And Literacy ◽  
Collective Case Study ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
School Aged Children ◽  
Speech Language Pathologist ◽  
Therapy Goals ◽  
Semistructured Interviews ◽  
Types Of Information

Purpose This study examined caregiver perceptions of their child's language and literacy disorder as influenced by communications with their speech-language pathologist. Method The participants were 12 caregivers of 10 school-aged children with language and literacy disorders. Employing qualitative methods, a collective case study approach was utilized in which the caregiver(s) of each child represented one case. The data came from semistructured interviews, codes emerged directly from the caregivers' responses during the interviews, and multiple coding passes using ATLAS.ti software were made until themes were evident. These themes were then further validated by conducting clinical file reviews and follow-up interviews with the caregivers. Results Caregivers' comments focused on the types of information received or not received, as well as the clarity of the information. This included information regarding their child's diagnosis, the long-term consequences of their child's disorder, and the connection between language and reading. Although caregivers were adept at describing their child's difficulties and therapy goals/objectives, their comments indicated that they struggled to understand their child's disorder in a way that was meaningful to them and their child. Conclusions The findings showed the value caregivers place on receiving clear and timely diagnostic information, as well as the complexity associated with caregivers' understanding of language and literacy disorders. The findings are discussed in terms of changes that could be made in clinical practice to better support children with language and literacy disorders and their families.

Globalisation and Equity Issues in Post-socialist Transition Economies

2004 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 273-296
Author(s):  
G. W. Kolodko
Keyword(s):  
Transition Economies ◽  
World Market ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Standard Of Living ◽  
Social Constraints ◽  
Significant Shift ◽  
Equity Issues ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
The Rich

Equity issues in policymaking are difficult to resolve because they are linked not only to the economic situation but also to social constraints and political conflicts within a country. This is even more true in the case of post-socialist economies during their transition to a market system in the era of globalisation. The historical and irreversible process of liberalisation and integration of capital, goods and services, and labour markets into one world market, as well as the gradual construction of new institutions and the process of privatisation cause a significant shift in the income pattern of post-socialist emerging markets. Contrary to expectations, inequality increases affecting the standard of living and long-term growth. While globalisation contributes to the long-term acceleration of economic growth and offers a chance for many countries and regions to catch up with more advanced economies, it results in growing inequality both between the countries and within them. On average, the standard of living increases, but so does the gap between the rich and the poor. Therefore, equality issues should always be of concern to policymakers, especially in the early years of the change of regime in post-socialist transition economies.

Interrelationships between municipal spatial policy strategy and airport operation and development. Lodz Airport case study

2018 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-79
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Nikorowicz-Zatorska
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Urban Planning ◽  
Cultural Development ◽  
The Other ◽  
Local Authorities ◽  
Spatial Management ◽  
The One ◽  
Surrounding Areas

Abstract The present paper focuses on spatial management regulations in order to carry out investment in the field of airport facilities. The construction, upgrades, and maintenance of airports falls within the area of responsibility of local authorities. This task poses a great challenge in terms of organisation and finances. On the one hand, an active airport is a municipal landmark and drives local economic, social and cultural development, and on the other, the scale of investment often exceeds the capabilities of local authorities. The immediate environment of the airport determines its final use and prosperity. The objective of the paper is to review legislation that affects airports and the surrounding communities. The process of urban planning in Lodz and surrounding areas will be presented as a background to the problem of land use management in the vicinity of the airport. This paper seeks to address the following questions: if and how airports have affected urban planning in Lodz, does the land use around the airport prevent the development of Lodz Airport, and how has the situation changed over the time? It can be assumed that as a result of lack of experience, land resources and size of investments on one hand and legislative dissonance and peculiar practices on the other, aviation infrastructure in Lodz is designed to meet temporary needs and is characterised by achieving short-term goals. Cyclical problems are solved in an intermittent manner and involve all the municipal resources, so there’s little left to secure long-term investments.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document