Perceptions of Decision-Making Roles and Priorities that Affect Rebuilding after Disaster: The Example of L'Aquila, Italy

2013 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 843-868 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abbie B. Liel ◽  
Ross B. Corotis ◽  
Guido Camata ◽  
Jeannette Sutton ◽  
Rose Holtzman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Community Involvement ◽  
Public Involvement ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Government Response ◽  
National Leaders ◽  
One Year ◽  
The One ◽  
Local Leaders

This study examines decision making for recovery and reconstruction in L'Aquila, Italy, over the one-year period following the 6 April 2009 earthquake. The paper focuses on local and national perceptions of government response to the earthquake, community involvement in reconstruction decision processes, the establishment of rebuilding priorities, and prospects for future seismic risk reduction. Data were collected through 23 semi-structured, face-to-face key informant interviews with local leaders (including community, building industry, and government representatives) and 4 interviews with national leaders. Findings show that although local leaders were satisfied with the Department of Civil Protection's emergency response, there was frustration with funding and priorities for permanent rebuilding. Public involvement in decision making varied by community, but in most cases was limited, leading local leaders to express distrust in government and national leadership and their decisions. The case study also illustrates the importance of authority and resource coordination between the national and local levels.

scholarly journals The effects of educational media on children’s language development: A case study

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 433-443
Author(s):  
Malini Ganapathy ◽  
Amareena Jayabalam
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Language Development ◽  
Urban Area ◽  
Educational Media ◽  
Negative Part ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Descriptive Research ◽  
One Year

The descriptive  research examines the effects of educational media on children’s language development . It aims to answer the following questions; a) To what extend does the educational media influences the children’s language development? b)  Do parents interact with their children during co-viewing ? Since many of the children in this era are exposed to educational media programs/apps/ games at a very young age, it is important for the researcher to find out the extend educational media influences children’s language development and  do parents co-view and interact with the children.  Five parents with children from age one year of age to pre-school were interviewed face to face. The research is carried out at Seberang Perai Urban Area targeting parents who send their children to middle income kindergartens. Face to face interviews were carried out to find out to what extend educational media  influences on children’s language development and to find out whether parents co-view and interact with their children. Upon completion of the data collection , the results will be used to determine the positive and negative part of educational media on children’s language development and how parents co-view and interactions can  benefit them.

Edwards the Mentor

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rhys S. Bezzant
Keyword(s):  
Jonathan Edwards ◽  
Modern World ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Cultural Engagement ◽  
Mentoring Relationship ◽  
The Enlightenment ◽  
Metropolitan Cities ◽  
The One

Among his many accolades, Jonathan Edwards was an effective mentor who trained many leaders for the church. Though his pastoral work is often overlooked, this book investigates the background, method, theological rationale, and legacy of his mentoring ministry. He does what mentors normally do—meeting with individuals to discuss ideas and grow in skills—but undertakes these activities in a distinctly modern or affective key. His correspondence is composed in an informal style, his understanding of friendship and conversation takes up the conventions of the great metropolitan cities of Europe of his day, his pedagogical commitments are surprisingly progressive, and his aspirations for those he mentors are bold and subversive. The practice of mentoring is presented in this book as the exchange between authority and agency, in which the more experienced person in the mentoring relationship empowers the one in the position of a learner, whose own character and competencies are nurtured. When Edwards explains his mentoring practice theologically, he expounds the theme of seeing God face to face, which recognizes that human beings learn through the example of friends as well as the exposition of propositions. The book is a case study in cultural engagement, for Edwards deliberately takes up certain features of the modern world in his mentoring and yet resists other pressures that the Enlightenment generated. If his world witnessed the philosophical evacuation of God from the created order, Edwards’s mentoring is designed to draw God back into an intimate connection with human experience.

Public involvement in waste management research and decision-making: A case study

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 141-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caitlin P. Youngquist ◽  
Jessica R. Goldberger ◽  
John Doyle ◽  
Stephen S. Jones
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Waste Management ◽  
Public Involvement ◽  
Management Research

scholarly journals Alternatives to the face-to-face consultation in general practice: focused ethnographic case study

2018 ◽  
Vol 68 (669) ◽  
pp. e293-e300 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen Atherton ◽  
Heather Brant ◽  
Sue Ziebland ◽  
Annemieke Bikker ◽  
John Campbell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Practice ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Ethnographic Case Study ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Face ◽  
General Practices ◽  
The One

BackgroundNHS policy encourages general practices to introduce alternatives to the face-to-face consultation, such as telephone, email, e-consultation systems, or internet video. Most have been slow to adopt these, citing concerns about workload. This project builds on previous research by focusing on the experiences of patients and practitioners who have used one or more of these alternatives.AimTo understand how, under what conditions, for which patients, and in what ways, alternatives to face-to-face consultations present benefits and challenges to patients and practitioners in general practice.Design and settingFocused ethnographic case studies took place in eight UK general practices between June 2015 and March 2016.MethodNon-participant observation, informal conversations with staff, and semi-structured interviews with staff and patients were conducted. Practice documents and protocols were reviewed. Data were analysed through charting and the ‘one sheet of paper’ mind-map method to identify the line of argument in each thematic report.ResultsCase study practices had different rationales for offering alternatives to the face-to-face consultation. Beliefs varied about which patients and health issues were suitable. Co-workers were often unaware of each other’s practice; for example, practice policies for use of e-consultations systems with patients were not known about or followed. Patients reported benefits including convenience and access. Staff and some patients regarded the face-to-face consultation as the ideal.ConclusionExperience of implementing alternatives to the face-to-face consultation suggests that changes in patient access and staff workload may be both modest and gradual. Practices planning to implement them should consider carefully their reasons for doing so and involve the whole practice team.

scholarly journals DEMOCRATIC SCHOOL GOVERNANCE, LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT: A CASE STUDY OF TWO SCHOOLS IN SOUTH AFRICA

2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vusi Mncube ◽  
Lynn Davies ◽  
Renuka Naidoo
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Leadership Development ◽  
Community Involvement ◽  
School Policy ◽  
Shared Decision ◽  
Leadership And Management ◽  
Learner Participation ◽  
Whole School ◽  
School Governing Bodies

This article reports on a qualitative study that investigated the functioning of school governing bodies (SGBs) as a tool for promoting democracy in two schools. Data was gathered through interviews, observations and document reviews. Findings revealed that democracy was in existence and practised at both schools and that it was characterised by shared decision making and acknowledged rights of individuals, representations, participation and equality. Two structures for promoting democracy were found to be in existence in both schools. These are school governing bodies and representative councils for learners. Such structures were found to be functioning effectively and contributing to the democracy in schools. However, although the learner voice was represented at both schools, learner participation in crucial issues in both the schools was limited. The study recommends that all teachers, learners and parent representatives on the SGBs be trained in skills such as deliberation, debate, dialogue and managing differences. Furthermore, training or capacity building related to advocacy skills and leadership development should be provided for all members of the SGBs, including teachers. The more learners, parents and staff are involved in school policy and decision making, the more there is a genuine community involvement in schools, and the more effective a school becomes. Also, schools need to move towards learnerinitiated decision making where learners initiate the process and invite adults to join them in making decisions. Also, there is need for teachers to be trained in democratic ways of operating in the school and classroom, which will possibly help them learn ways of working democratically in both the whole school and the classroom.

scholarly journals WGV: An Australian Urban Precinct Case Study to Demonstrate the 1.5 °C Agenda Including Multiple SDGs

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 64-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason Wiktorowicz ◽  
Tanya Babaeff ◽  
Jessica Breadsell ◽  
Josh Byrne ◽  
James Eggleston ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Urban Planning ◽  
Community Involvement ◽  
Sustainable Living ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Zero Carbon ◽  
Planning Processes ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
The One

The WGV project is an infill residential development in a middle suburb of Perth, Western Australia. Its urban planning innovation is in its attempt to demonstrate net zero carbon as well as other sustainability goals set by urban planning processes such as community engagement and the One Planet Living accreditation process. It is a contribution to the IPCC 1.5 °C agenda which seeks to achieve deep decarbonization while also delivering the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Solar photovoltaics and battery storage are incorporated into the development and create net zero carbon power through an innovative ‘citizen utility’ with peer-to-peer trading. The multiple sustainable development features such as water sensitive design, energy efficiency, social housing, heritage retention, landscape and community involvement, are aiming to provide inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable living and have been assessed under the SDG framework.

scholarly journals A New Methodology for Decision-Making in Buildings Energy Optimization

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (13) ◽  
pp. 4558 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio E. Masdías-Bonome ◽  
José A. Orosa ◽  
Diego Vergara
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Monte Carlo ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Monte Carlo Method ◽  
Probability Distribution ◽  
Optimal Conditions ◽  
Iterative Calculation ◽  
Reduce Energy Consumption ◽  
The One

When designing or retrofitting a building, not too many tools let architects and engineers to define the optimal conditions to reduce energy consumption with the minimal economic investment. This is because different software resources must be employed and an iterative calculation must be done which, most of times, is not possible. The present study aims to define an original methodology that let researchers and architects to select the best option between different possibilities. To reach this objective, Monte Carlo method is employed on the ISO 13790 standard reaching the probability distribution of the energy consumption of each building after each possible modification. From main results, two mathematical models were obtained from a real case study showing the relation between annual energy consumption and economic investment of each different building retrofits. What is more, in disagreement with the expected result, the best retrofit option was not the one with the highest cost and qualities. In conclusion, this methodology can be a useful tool for researchers and professionals to improve their decision-making.

scholarly journals A comparison of lightning data provided by ZEUS and LINET networks over Western Europe

2009 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 1713-1717 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Lagouvardos ◽  
V. Kotroni ◽  
H.-D. Betz ◽  
K. Schmidt
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Detection Efficiency ◽  
Validation Dataset ◽  
Location Error ◽  
National Observatory ◽  
Network Information ◽  
One Year ◽  
The One

Abstract. In the framework of this paper, one-year of lightning data from the experimental network ZEUS operated by the National Observatory of Athens is compared to collocated data provided by the LINET detection network. The area of comparison is limited to a part of Central-Western Europe, where LINET data exhibits the highest data quality, permitting thus to be used as the validation dataset. The location error of ZEUS was calculated to be ~6.8 km, while the detection efficiency was ~25%, with a characteristic under-detection during nighttime. Moreover, the analysis revealed that ZEUS is also capable to detect not only cloud-to-ground but also intra-cloud strokes. Analysis of a specific case study revealed that the spatial distribution of ZEUS was very close to that of LINET, although the total number of strokes as seen by ZEUS is much lower than the one from LINET. The overall analysis permitted to assess the main characteristics of ZEUS network, information considered of paramount importance before the use of ZEUS data for a variety of observational and modeling work.

scholarly journals The Value of Hydrologic Information in Reservoir Outflow Decision-Making

Water ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 1372 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kebing Chen ◽  
Shenglian Guo ◽  
Shaokun He ◽  
Tao Xu ◽  
Yixuan Zhong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Simulation Models ◽  
Reservoir Water ◽  
Reservoir Water Level ◽  
Flood Season ◽  
Proposed Model ◽  
Importance Ranking ◽  
Input Variables ◽  
The One

The controlled outflows from a reservoir are highly dependent on the decisions made by the reservoir operators who mainly rely on available hydrologic information, such as past outflows, reservoir water level and forecasted inflows. In this study, Random Forests (RF) algorithm is used to build reservoir outflow simulation model to evaluate the value of hydrologic information. The Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) in China is selected as a case study. As input variables of the model, the classic hydrologic information is divided into past, current and future information. Several different simulation models are established based on the combinations of these three groups of information. The influences and value of hydrologic information on reservoir outflow decision-making are evaluated from two different perspectives, the one is the simulation result of different models and the other is the importance ranking of the input variables in RF algorithm. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed model is able to reasonably simulate outflow decisions of TGR. It is shown that past outflow is the most important information and the forecasted inflows are more important in the flood season than in the non-flood season for reservoir operation decision-making.

scholarly journals NEW GROUP DECISION-MAKING ARCAS APPROACH BASED ON THE INTEGRATION OF THE SWARA AND THE ARAS METHODS ADAPTED FOR NEGOTIATIONS

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 599-618 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dragisa STANUJKIC ◽  
Edmundas Kazimieras ZAVADSKAS ◽  
Darjan KARABASEVIC ◽  
Zenonas TURSKIS ◽  
Violeta KERŠULIENĖ
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Group Decision Making ◽  
Operation Research ◽  
Group Decision ◽  
Negotiation Process ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Practical Implementation ◽  
The One ◽  
Selection Of

Groups are generally considered to be more effective as compared to single individuals. The practical implementation of Operation Research methods in group negotiations needs simple contexts and clear cause-and-effect relationships easily discernible by everyone. This paper proposes a multi-criteria group decision-making approach allowing decision makers/experts involved in a negotiation process to better express and defend their preferences in the selection of the best alternative. In the proposed approach, the most appropriate alternative is the alternative with the largest number of appearances in the first position or in ranking lists, or the one determined based on negotiations of decision makers/experts. The proposed ARCAS approach is based on the use of the ARAS method, a new normalization procedure, and the SWARA method. In the proposed approach, each decision maker/expert involved in evaluation has an opportunity to set the preferred level of rating for each criterion used in such evaluation. Finally, a case study is presented in order to highlight the proposed approach. The obtained results confirm the usability and efficiency of the proposed approach.

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