scholarly journals Tracking user satisfaction of rural water services in northern Ghana

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 307-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. C. Kumasi ◽  
Benjamin Dawurah Agbemor
Keyword(s):  
User Satisfaction ◽  
Financial Management ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Northern Ghana ◽  
Water And Sanitation ◽  
Service Levels ◽  
Water Users ◽  
Lack Of Information ◽  
And Performance ◽  
District Assemblies

Abstract The article discusses the level of user satisfaction with actual handpump service levels and performance of service providers. In this paper, we outline some contradiction between actual service levels, performance of service providers and perception of water users. The findings suggest that users appeared satisfied with quantity and reliability of water facilities. In contrast, they were not satisfied with the time it takes them to access water, especially when the quantity of water diminishes. The sad irony is that tariffs are perceived affordable yet users are unwilling to pay for water. Their responses paint a picture of a payment system that is geared at reactive maintenance over preventative maintenance regime. It is worth noting here that this phenomenon raises questions on the sustainability of water systems when sound financial management is key to sustaining services. Service providers were perceived to perform better than they actually did. Perhaps this was due to lack of information and ignorance on the roles of service providers. In this regard it is imperative that the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA), implementing partners, the district assemblies and Water and Sanitation Management Teams (WSMTs) take steps to address the technical, social, financial and institutional factors during the planning, implementation and post-construction support which invariably affect sustainability.

Connect Time Limits and Performance Measures in a Dial-Up Modem Pool System

2010 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-48
Author(s):  
Paul F. Schikora ◽  
Michael R. Godfrey ◽  
Brian D. Neureuther
Keyword(s):  
Customer Service ◽  
Performance Measures ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Environmental Parameters ◽  
Actual System ◽  
Internet Service ◽  
Service Levels ◽  
Time Limits ◽  
For Profit ◽  
And Performance

Managing customer service is critical for both nonprofit and for-profit dial-up modem Internet service providers. When system operators face excess demand, they can either add capacity or adapt their management techniques to deal with their limited resources—this article considers the latter. We examine system configuration options and the resultant effects on customer service levels in a simulated dial-up modem pool operation. Specifically, we look at a single pool operation and examine the effects of imposing time limits in a seriously overloaded system. We analyze the results on several key customer service measures. The results show that imposing these limits will have a distinct, nonlinear impact on these measures. Customer productivity and actual system load are shown to have major impacts on the performance measures. Interactions between several system and environmental parameters are also discussed.

Key Contractual Issues with Logistics Outsourcing

2013 ◽  
pp. 388-404
Author(s):  
Sam De Silva
Keyword(s):  
Service Providers ◽  
Risk Allocation ◽  
Future Trends ◽  
Performance Measurements ◽  
Logistics Outsourcing ◽  
Service Levels ◽  
Current State ◽  
Logistics Services ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Outsourcing Contracts

Whilst there have been many papers on logistics outsourcing there is very limited commentary on the contractual issues with logistics outsourcing. Most of the literature can be generally categorized according to different focus area. Some of these focus areas include logistics practices, usage of 3PL logistics services, current state and future trends, strategies, and performance measurements. The chapter attempts to address this “gap.” The chapter will focus on some of the key contractual issues with logistics outsourcing contracts currently troubling customers, service providers, and advisers, such as (a) scope of the services; (b) change control; (c) service levels and service credits; (d) risk allocation – limitations and exclusions of liability; and (e) benchmarking.

Investment Management Contracts

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gordon L. Clark ◽  
Ashby H. B. Monk
Keyword(s):  
Financial Management ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Research Programme ◽  
Relational Contracts ◽  
Contractual Relationships ◽  
The Standard Model ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Geographical Scope ◽  
Management Contracts

Chapter 6 explores contractual relationships between financial institutions and their service providers. An explanation is given as to how and why these contracts are quite different from those that bind together firms and suppliers in commodity producing industries. Areas of financial management, how their geographical scope is sustained, and how they are governed in relation to the network of service providers within and across markets as vital topics in our research programme are discussed. The chapter provides further information about the standard model of contract, noting its underlying principles and the differences between discrete and relational contracts. In doing so, consideration is given to forms, functions, and performance and the role of jurisdiction in governing contractual relationships.

Monitoring and Evaluation of Rural Water Supplies Sustainability in Ghana

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-13
Keyword(s):  
Service Providers ◽  
Water System ◽  
Monitoring And Evaluation ◽  
National Guidelines ◽  
Small Communities ◽  
Service Levels ◽  
Rural Water ◽  
Basic Services ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Rural Water Systems

Sustaining functionality and service levels of rural water systems in Ghana remains fraught with difficulties and can undermine the achievement of sustainable development goal six. The aim of this article is to contribute to emerging literature on monitoring and evaluation by assessing rural water system functionality, service levels and performance of service providers and authorities, particularly in terms of compliance to the Community Water and Sanitation Agency norms and standards. While more than three quarters of handpumps and piped schemes are functional, only 5% handpumps and 22% piped schemes provide basic services. Service providers have challenges in the area of composition, bank accounts, up-to-date financial and operational records, routine maintenance, and water quality testing in line with national guidelines. The study found that only one service authority carried out regular monitoring support toservice providers for small communities. This study highlights how systematic monitoring of rural water facilities, service providers and authorities provide information necessary to plan, set targets, budget , monitor progress , take remedial action and ensure accountability and sustainability of services. This article argues the need for stronger and regular post-construction support such as monitoring and evaluation and capacity building for service providers and authority to safeguard sustainable waterservices.

Urbanization, Water Supply, and Sanitation in India

2019 ◽  
pp. 576-605
Author(s):  
Surender Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Economies Of Scale ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Returns To Scale ◽  
Scale Efficiency ◽  
Water And Sanitation ◽  
Service Levels ◽  
Policy Interventions ◽  
Marginal Cost Pricing ◽  
State Of Water ◽  
Indian Cities

The chapter aims to review the state of water and sanitation facilities in Indian cities, and policy interventions undertaken to address inadequacies in the provision of these services. The power-law relationship reveals that greater autonomy in management helps in realizing economies of scale. The chapter also measures technical and scale efficiency in the provision of these services in Indian cities. Estimates of technical efficiency uncover that water and sanitation service providers have the potential to increase service levels by 37 and 48 per cent respectively. Note that most Indian urban water and sanitation utilities are operating at decreasing returns to scale. This implies that services may be charged following the rule of marginal cost pricing. The chapter also finds that there are consumption-metering advantages in improving efficiency of water utilities.

scholarly journals Influence of Service Levels and COVID-19 on Water Supply Inequalities of Community-Managed Service Providers in Nepal

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 1349
Author(s):  
Arati Shrestha ◽  
Shinobu Kazama ◽  
Satoshi Takizawa
Keyword(s):  
Water Supply ◽  
Water Consumption ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Basic Medium ◽  
Service Levels ◽  
Water Service ◽  
Lorenz Curves ◽  
Water Users ◽  
Managed Service Providers

In Nepal, there are three types of water service providers; two types of government-managed service providers covering urban and municipal areas, and community-managed service providers called Water Users and Sanitation Associations (WUSAs). This study aims to assess the current water supply service levels and water supply inequalities of WUSAs in terms of water consumption, supply hours, and customer satisfaction. Among the three types of water service providers, WUSAs offered the best performance in terms of their low non-revenue water (NRW) rates and production costs, high bill collection rates, and long supply hours. During the COVID-19 lockdown, water consumption increased, but bill payment notably decreased, possibly due to restricted movement and hesitation by customers to make payments. The multiple-year water consumption variations illustrated the uneven water consumption behavior of customers. Despite the variation in water supply hours, Lorenz curves, Gini coefficients (G), and water consumption analysis depicted low inequalities (G ≈ 0.20–0.28) and adequate water consumption among WUSAs even in 2019–2020. In the three WUSAs, more than 90%, 74%, and 38% of customers consumed water above the basic, medium, and high levels, respectively. Thus, maintaining high service levels of WUSAs is instrumental in achieving Goal 6 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Nepal.

Pathways ahead for New Zealand hill country farming

2016 ◽  
Vol 78 ◽  
pp. 73-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
F.G. Scrimgeour
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Hill Country ◽  
The Status ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Hill Farming ◽  
The Hill

This paper provides a stocktake of the status of hill country farming in New Zealand and addresses the challenges which will determine its future state and performance. It arises out of the Hill Country Symposium, held in Rotorua, New Zealand, 12-13 April 2016. This paper surveys people, policy, business and change, farming systems for hill country, soil nutrients and the environment, plants for hill country, animals, animal feeding and productivity, and strategies for achieving sustainable outcomes in the hill country. This paper concludes by identifying approaches to: support current and future hill country farmers and service providers, to effectively and efficiently deal with change; link hill farming businesses to effective value chains and new markets to achieve sufficient and stable profitability; reward farmers for the careful management of natural resources on their farm; ensure that new technologies which improve the efficient use of input resources are developed; and strategies to achieve vibrant rural communities which strengthen hill country farming businesses and their service providers. Keywords: farming systems, hill country, people, policy, productivity, profitability, sustainability

scholarly journals Single-arm, open-label, multicentre first in human study to evaluate the safety and performance of dural sealant patch in reducing CSF leakage following elective cranial surgery: the ENCASE trial

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. e049098
Author(s):  
Tristan Van Doormaal ◽  
Menno R Germans ◽  
Mariska Sie ◽  
Bart Brouwers ◽  
Andrew Carlson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adverse Events ◽  
Primary Endpoint ◽  
User Satisfaction ◽  
Neurosurgical Procedures ◽  
Open Label ◽  
Cranial Surgery ◽  
Dural Closure ◽  
Handling Characteristics ◽  
Csf Leakage ◽  
And Performance

ObjectiveThe dural sealant patch (DSP) is designed for watertight dural closure after cranial surgery. The goal of this study is to assess, for the first time, safety and performance of the DSP as a means of reducing cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage in patients undergoing elective cranial intradural surgery with a dural closure procedure.DesignFirst in human, open-label, single-arm, multicentre study with 360-day (12 months) follow-up.SettingThree large tertiary reference neurosurgical centres, two in the Netherlands and one in Switzerland.ParticipantsForty patients undergoing elective cranial neurosurgical procedures, stratified into 34 supratentorial and six infratentorial trepanations.InterventionEach patient received one DSP after cranial surgery and closure of the dura mater with sutures.Outcome measuresPrimary composite endpoint was occurrence of one of the following events: postoperative percutaneous CSF leakage, intraoperative leakage at 20 cm H2O positive end-expiratory pressure or postoperative wound infection. Overall success was defined as achieving the primary endpoint in no more than two patients. Secondary endpoints were device-related serious adverse events or adverse events (AEs), pseudomeningocele and thickness of dura+DSP. Additional endpoints were reoperation in 30 days and user satisfaction.ResultsNo patients met the primary endpoint. No device-related (serious) AEs were observed. There were two incidences of self-limiting pseudomeningocele as confirmed on MRI. Thickness of dura and DSP were (mean±SD) 3.5 mm±2.0 at day 7 and 2.1 mm±1.2 at day 90. No patients were reoperated within 30 days. Users reported a satisfactory design and intuitive application.ConclusionsDSP, later officially named Liqoseal, is a safe and potentially efficacious device for reducing CSF leakage after intracranial surgery, with favourable clinical handling characteristics. A randomised controlled trial is needed to assess Liqoseal efficacy against the best current practice for reducing postoperative CSF leakage.Trial registration numberNCT03566602.

scholarly journals A Comparative Analysis of Co-Production in Public Services

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 6730
Author(s):  
Pwint Kay Khine ◽  
Jianing Mi ◽  
Raza Shahid
Keyword(s):  
Public Administration ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Research Trends ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Production Studies ◽  
Service Production ◽  
Production Research ◽  
Conceptual Paper ◽  
Structural Impacts ◽  
And Performance

This study investigates current research trends in co-production studies and discusses conceptual approaches. The conceptual paper contains studies on co-production in the field of public administration. This study identifies significant gaps in the field of study by systematically examining 32 co-production research works. The study’s contributions include (1) defining two common characteristics of co-production, (2) classifying three forms of co-production by end-users, and (3) discovering that the aims and performance of co-production are more effective for service providers when the strategy is citizen-centric. Future research should (1) concentrate on the reasons for co-production failures or successes, (2) identify additional barriers to co-production in service production, (3) investigate influences on service providers as well as structural impacts on the co-production process, and (4) provide practical assessments of co-production research.

scholarly journals Adaptive Reservation of Network Resources According to Video Classification Scenes

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 1949
Author(s):  
Lukas Sevcik ◽  
Miroslav Voznak
Keyword(s):  
User Satisfaction ◽  
Quality Evaluation ◽  
Spatial Information ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Video Quality ◽  
Subjective Assessment ◽  
Video Sequences ◽  
Network Resources ◽  
Proposed Model

Video quality evaluation needs a combined approach that includes subjective and objective metrics, testing, and monitoring of the network. This paper deals with the novel approach of mapping quality of service (QoS) to quality of experience (QoE) using QoE metrics to determine user satisfaction limits, and applying QoS tools to provide the minimum QoE expected by users. Our aim was to connect objective estimations of video quality with the subjective estimations. A comprehensive tool for the estimation of the subjective evaluation is proposed. This new idea is based on the evaluation and marking of video sequences using the sentinel flag derived from spatial information (SI) and temporal information (TI) in individual video frames. The authors of this paper created a video database for quality evaluation, and derived SI and TI from each video sequence for classifying the scenes. Video scenes from the database were evaluated by objective and subjective assessment. Based on the results, a new model for prediction of subjective quality is defined and presented in this paper. This quality is predicted using an artificial neural network based on the objective evaluation and the type of video sequences defined by qualitative parameters such as resolution, compression standard, and bitstream. Furthermore, the authors created an optimum mapping function to define the threshold for the variable bitrate setting based on the flag in the video, determining the type of scene in the proposed model. This function allows one to allocate a bitrate dynamically for a particular segment of the scene and maintains the desired quality. Our proposed model can help video service providers with the increasing the comfort of the end users. The variable bitstream ensures consistent video quality and customer satisfaction, while network resources are used effectively. The proposed model can also predict the appropriate bitrate based on the required quality of video sequences, defined using either objective or subjective assessment.

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