Old Versus New: The Comparative Efficiency of Mail and Internet Surveys

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel H. Fisher ◽  
Rebekah Herrick
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Efficiency ◽  
Internet Surveys

Modernization of the water utility company of Bogotá (Colombia): an example of public and private participation for solving management problems of water companies in developing countries

2005 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 107-113
Author(s):  
F. Zuleta ◽  
A. Merlano ◽  
A. Alvarez ◽  
M. Montoya ◽  
E. Restrepo
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Public Management ◽  
Practical Case ◽  
Water Utility ◽  
Comparative Efficiency ◽  
Utility Company ◽  
Private Participation ◽  
Management Problems ◽  
Water Companies

A common characteristic of water utility and wastewater companies in developing countries is management problems and limited commercial vocation. In the biggest Latin American cities there is a level of infrastructure enough for providing a substantially better service than the one currently supplied to their badly served customers. For years decisions have moved between two extremes: public management – usually corrupted with playing politics and inefficiency problems, and privatization – sharply criticized by many, and which has shown tendencies to inequality that leave it far away from earning panacea status. This paper is intended to expose the advantages of a novel model in which a state-run company with commercial management problems, the EAAB, solves its limitations by keeping the ownership of its assets and successfully incorporating the participation of better practices from other specialized operators, one of which is a state-owned player, EEPPM. This scheme demonstrates how the service indicators of a system serving eight million inhabitants in the Colombian capital improved significantly with state-owned assets and private participation, without giving in to privatization pressures or stagnating in the usual inefficiency typical of public management in developing countries. This is proposed as a replicable experience that can be used in medium and large cities in other countries with similar management problems, with certain adjustments to fit the solution to the specific cases. This is also a practical case for conducting a comparison of competitiveness within a city, of interest for regulatory entities and investigators on the potential of comparative efficiency in a traditionally monopolistic industry.

The Comparative Efficiency of Speech Sound Interventions That Differ by Delivery Modality: Flashcards Versus Tablet

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-39
Author(s):  
Krystal L. Werfel ◽  
Marren C. Brooks ◽  
Lisa Fitton
Keyword(s):  
Elementary School Children ◽  
Speech Sound ◽  
Functional Relation ◽  
Kindergarten Students ◽  
Single Subject ◽  
Single Subject Design ◽  
Single Word ◽  
Or Efficiency ◽  
Comparative Efficiency ◽  
Subject Design

Although speech–language pathologists increasingly make use of tablets in clinical practice, little research to date has evaluated the effectiveness or efficiency of tablet use for targeting speech sound goals. The twofold purpose of this study was to compare (a) the effectiveness and (b) the efficiency of speech sound intervention using tablets versus flashcards. Four kindergarten students with at least two similar speech sound errors participated in this adapted alternating treatments single subject design study that explored the functional relation between speech sound intervention that differed by modality of delivery (tablet vs. flashcards) and increased speech sound skill in elementary school children with speech sound errors. Flashcards and tablets were both effective single-word speech sound intervention modalities; however, for three of the four participants, flashcards were more efficient than tablets.

scholarly journals Interstate disparities in the performances in combatting COVID-19 in India: efficiency estimates across states

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shrabanti Maity ◽  
Nandini Ghosh ◽  
Ummey Rummana Barlaskar
Keyword(s):  
Disease Management ◽  
Recovery Rate ◽  
Tamil Nadu ◽  
Health Determinants ◽  
Stochastic Production Frontier ◽  
Exogenous Variables ◽  
Indian States ◽  
Secondary Sources ◽  
Comparative Efficiency ◽  
Long Run

Abstract Background Currently, the novel coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic poses the greatest global health threat worldwide, and India is no exception. As an overpopulated developing country, it is very difficult to maintain social distancing to restrict the spread of the disease in India. Under these circumstances, it is necessary to examine India’s interstate performances to combat COVID-19. This study aims to explore twin objectives: to investigate the comparative efficiency of Indian states to combat COVID-19 and to unfold the factors responsible for interstate disparities in the efficiency in combatting COVID-19. Methods The stochastic production frontier model was utilized for data analysis. The empirical analysis was facilitated by the inefficiency effects model, revealing the factors that influence interstate variability in disease management efficiency. Three types of variables, namely, output, inputs, and exogenous, were used to measure health system efficiency. The relevant variables were compiled from secondary sources. The recovery rate from COVID-19 was the output variable and health infrastructures were considered as the input variable. On the contrary, the non-health determinants considered to have a strong influence on the efficiency of states’ disease management, but could not be considered as input variables, were recognised as exogenous variables. These exogenous variables were specifically used for the inefficiency analysis. Results The empirical results demonstrated the existence of disparities across Indian states in the level of efficiency in combatting COVID-19. A non-trivial outcome of this study was that Tamil Nadu was the best performer and Manipur was the worst performer of the investigated states. Variables such as elderly people, sex ratio, literacy rate, population density, influenced the efficiency of states, and thus, affected the recovery rate. Conclusion This study argues for the efficient utilisation of the existing health infrastructures in India. Simultaneously, the study suggests improving the health infrastructure to achieve a long-run benefit.

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