Identifying Contractors’ Planned Quality Time in Egyptian Irrigation Projects

During an extremely competitive infrastructure sector such as irrigation projects, quality time (QT) must be determined to can recognize probable quality crisis parts and to direct mind on schedule enhancement chances. The consciousness of planners on the significance of QT could be reflected in their project schedule. This study appears a measurement of planned QT in five infrastructure irrigation projects performed by different five contractors in Egypt. The aim is to aid the contractors to develop their QT preparation and thus enhance their project time based on the results. QT is fundamental classified into two classes: conformance time (CT), and nonconformance time (NCT). Based on many studies, a register of quality proceedings that would be enclosed in every QT groups are then generated. The QT records for every group are recognized and gathered via questions and questionnaire designs. QT is calculated as a proportion of the project duration. It is uncovered that while enormous companies previously have clear information on QT in construction sector, these times are not scheduled in a defined method during a study of regular QT details. During time classification it is also appeared that greater conformance time (CT) lead to lesser nonconformance time (NCT). It is then ended that a lot of effort is still to be made by the contractors to establish a QT documenting procedure which be able to act as a base for their project enhancement planning.

Influence of Farmer Capacity Building in Financial Resource Mobilization on Performance of Smallholder Irrigation Projects in Migori County, Kenya

The study examined influence of farmer capacity building in financial resource mobilization on performance of smallholder irrigation projects in Migori County, Kenya. The study adopted pragmatism as its philosophy, and used cross sectional and correlation research design. The target population was 2,815, and comprised farmers from fifteen smallholder irrigation projects that receive water from River Kuja through Lower Kuja Project. The sample size was 341 farmers. The study used systematic random sampling to draw the sample, used questionnaire to collect data, and analyzed data using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results showed that farmer capacity building in financial resource mobilization has a significant influence on performance of smallholder irrigation projects (r = 801, R2 = 0.641, F (5, 331) = 118.405, 0.000 < p < 0.05). Therefore, the study concluded that financial resource mobilization is a critical factor in performance of smallholder irrigation projects in Migori County. Consequently, the study recommends that Migori County Government educate farmers in smallholder irrigation projects on loan facilities by financial institutions. Further, the study recommends that Migori County develop a framework to assist farmers in smallholder irrigation projects to qualify for loans facilities operated by financial institutions.

The Abnormal Phenomena of Entropy Weighting Method in the Dynamic Evaluation of Agricultural Water Conservation

Through a simple and intuitive example of the agricultural water conservation assessment in 3 provinces, China, the abnormal phenomena of the entropy weighting method (EWM) in the dynamic evaluation are revealed. The results show the following. (i) The irrigation water efficiency percentages (IWEPs) of these 3 provinces are improved from 53%, 53%, and 55% to 55%, 56%, and 56%, respectively. And their water-saving irrigation projects percentages (WSIPPs) are improved from 40%, 41%, and 41% to 42%, 42%, and 42%, respectively. However, their comprehensive agricultural conservation indices deteriorate from 52.11, 52.45, and 56.1 to 46.07, 46.74, and 48.57, respectively. (ii) EWM leads to the following paradox in the dynamic evaluation. All the indicators show improving trends, but the comprehensive evaluation results show a deteriorating trend. (iii) These abnormal phenomena of EWM are induced by that though all the indicators are improved, the discrimination of the worse indicators becomes larger while the discrimination of the better indicators becomes smaller. (iv) The abnormal phenomena of EWM in dynamic evaluation can be avoided by the trend analysis of the observation data and entropy values. When all the indicators have improvement trends, but the entropies of the better indicators are increasing and the entropies of the worse indicators are decreasing, EWM should not be used for assigning weights.