Agency Level Research Articles

Understanding Syrian refugees in Turkey from an environment of insecurity and the conflict model of migration perspective

Human mobility has been a topic of interest for migration scholars. Despite a growing literature, we are still far from clarity and consensus on motivations and mechanisms of migration. In this paper, we discuss the case of Syrian refugees in Turkey from a perspective of insecurities as proposed by one of the novel approaches to contemporary human mobility. This approach offers a better understanding of Syrian exodus and their experiences with strong references to the links between structural and agency level drivers. The model accounts for key drivers and root causes of migration while also highlighting the role of perception and the moderators in an attempt to cover both mobility and immobility. In this study, we apply this model in an attempt to understand the experiences of Syrian refugees settled in Gaziantep, a city in southern Turkey bordering Syria and with a majority Syrian population.

Jamming power: Youth agency and community‐driven science in a critical technology learning program

AbstractIn dialogue with science education and learning sciences research, in this article we develop a disciplinary‐specific view on youth and community agency for community‐based technology education. Cultivating agency is a central principle in our design and empirical study of the Young People's Race, Power, and Technology Program (YPRPT), a program designed to engage youth in critical inquiry about the technologies impacting their local communities. In this article, drawing from our multiyear partnership with a community‐based youth organization, we examine how agency was supported and constrained as a function of the practices we engaged in as a research team committed to participatory and justice‐centered education. Our findings illustrate ways that the emergence and enactment of agency, at both individual and community levels, works to interrupt, subvert, and creatively “jam” systems of power. We argue that cultivating agency in community‐driven science and technology learning requires an honest reckoning with the deeply entrenched racial and economic oppression in the United States. We contend that it is equally essential to commit to learning from, co‐designing with, and working in solidarity alongside the youth and communities that are most impacted by technologies that mediate our experiences—toward unveiling, resisting, and reimagining their powerful roles in our collective lives.

Discordant agendas on a just transition in Romanian coal mining areas: The case of the Jiu Valley

Abstract Despite the promises that the just transition will bring more democracy and prosperity, there are legitimate fears that, in some regions, the pre-existing inequalities will be reinforced rather than rectified. Questioning how community resilience can be stimulated prior to and during coal mining closures, this paper focuses on Jiu Valley, a coal mining region in Romania. Using empirical and action research methodologies, this case study underlines the importance of considering the level of agency and different agendas of stakeholders regarding both the vision of their common future and the timeline for implementation. The article stresses shortcomings in implementing a just transition, including the issue of governance and mistrust towards local and national authorities, difficulties in orchestrating individual agendas to launch a collective action for the future of the region and, not least, poor information and delays of the mine closures. Concerning the hypotheses about awareness, preparedness and transition delays, this study pointed out some of the mechanisms that explain the scarce preparedness and why, both closure and transition, were repeatedly postponed. Furthermore, the research profiled the different actors and highlighted the challenges to address and roles of stakeholders to contribute to a just transition.

Значение государственного сегмента регионального фармацевтического рынка в системе лекарственного обеспечения с учетом перспектив и рисков развития

No properly formed and subsequent regulation concept has been presented until now by a number of the issues, which are essential for the pharmaceutical branch. Development and a complex structure of the state regional retail market of medicines, including the activity objects as part of organizations with various organizational and legal forms managed or coordinated by representatives of public entities, have been reviewed in complex within the trial. The model of the structure of the state segment considering organizational and legal interactions used during examination of the regional pharmaceutical market in the Kostroma region has been suggested. Distribution of objects within the state segment structure was analyzed. The differences in the strategies of functioning and development of the state and private segments of the regional retail market of medicines have been identified. Legal preconditions and social and economic conditions of the growing role of healthcare institutions in the system of drug supply of population have been designated. It has been established that the tendencies intensifying participation of the state in the system of drug supply to ensure proper management of budgetary resources and risk prevention were accompanied by previously adopted extra-branch changes of legislation. This could result in reduction of the state segment in economics that would inevitably lead to serious changes in the structure of the pharmaceutical market and redistribution of social load among its participants [2]. A serious understanding of prospects of functioning of the state segment of retail trade of medicines is required both at the level of regulatory agencies and within the professional community considering the preservation of social services of medicinal aid and decreased risks of negative phenomena on the pharmaceutical market.

Predicting habitat suitability for Townsend's big-eared bats across California in relation to climate change.

Effective management decisions depend on knowledge of species distribution and habitat use. Maps generated from species distribution models are important in predicting previously unknown occurrences of protected species. However, if populations are seasonally dynamic or locally adapted, failing to consider population level differences could lead to erroneous determinations of occurrence probability and ineffective management. The study goal was to model the distribution of a species of special concern, Townsend's big-eared bats (Corynorhinus townsendii), in California. We incorporate seasonal and spatial differences to estimate the distribution under current and future climate conditions. We built species distribution models using all records from statewide roost surveys and by subsetting data to seasonal colonies, representing different phenological stages, and to Environmental Protection Agency Level III Ecoregions to understand how environmental needs vary based on these factors. We projected species' distribution for 2061-2080 in response to low and high emissions scenarios and calculated the expected range shifts. The estimated distribution differed between the combined (full dataset) and phenologically explicit models, while ecoregion-specific models were largely congruent with the combined model. Across the majority of models, precipitation was the most important variable predicting the presence of C. townsendii roosts. Under future climate scenarios, distribution of C. townsendii is expected to contract throughout the state, however suitable areas will expand within some ecoregions. Comparison of phenologically explicit models with combined models indicates the combined models better predict the extent of the known range of C. townsendii in California. However, life-history-explicit models aid in understanding of different environmental needs and distribution of their major phenological stages. Differences between ecoregion-specific and statewide predictions of habitat contractions highlight the need to consider regional variation when forecasting species' responses to climate change. These models can aid in directing seasonally explicit surveys and predicting regions most vulnerable under future climate conditions.

Infrastructure Financing for Climate Change Adaptation in Australia: Practitioners’ Perspectives

With increased climate-related risks and natural disasters, impacts on infrastructure assets are intensifying. As the need for adaptation actions increase, how finance is used to enable adaptation plays a vital role in the resilience of infrastructure. This research aims to understand how infrastructure adaptation measures are carried out, focusing on how financing is used to aid such efforts. Exploratory interviews with infrastructure and finance practitioners from a broad range of organisations were conducted to understand the dynamics of how infrastructure adaptation occurs. The findings reveal that infrastructure agencies conduct adaptation activities to maintain the serviceability of assets under climate change risks, with most climate financing targeting mitigation rather than adaptation. Most actions are taken at individual asset or agency level with little collaboration across agencies and sectors. The results illustrate a need for a more holistic, systems-level approach to adaptation across the infrastructure sector in Australia.

Ageism, an invisible social determinant of health for older Syrian refugees in Lebanon: a service providers’ perspective

BackgroundOlder refugees face particular challenges because their health and social needs are largely overlooked in humanitarian programmes, policies and research. The few studies available have shown that older refugees suffer from a high prevalence of non-communicable diseases, including mental health problems, increased social isolation and poverty, and difficulty accessing health and social services. This article aims to provide further in-depth understanding of how service providers perceive health and social challenges of older Syrian refugees living in Lebanon by focusing on (1) their health and social challenges; (2) the available and lacking services; (3) participation; and (4) policy recommendations to improve services.MethodsThis study is based on a qualitative research approach. Fifteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with health and social workers providing services to older Syrian refugees living in Lebanon. All interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed, coded and analysed using thematic analysis.ResultsStudy results clearly show that older refugees face increased marginalisation and neglect, mainly because of ageism. Ageism experienced at aid agency, family and individual levels, impacts negatively on older refugees. They have a sense of social isolation, neglect and feel they are a burden, consequently their social participation decreases, impacting negatively on their physical and mental health as well as their access to social and health care. Linked to experiences of ageism, study participants noted: (1) high prevalence rates of non-communicable diseases and mental health problems; (2) difficulties accessing care, with inadequate services to support the needs of older refugees; and (3) policy recommendations calling for an holistic approach to aid which takes into consideration the specific needs of older refugees as well as their capabilities.Concluding remarksAgeism is a key determinant of health which negatively impacts the physical, mental and social health, and wellbeing of older Syrian refugees. It pushes them to the margins of society where they are left behind by the humanitarian response, policy makers and researchers, as well as their communities and families. To mitigate this situation, this article calls for directly addressing ageism on social, service and policy levels.

Assessing policy analytical capacity in contemporary governments: New measures and metrics

AbstractAssessing the policy analytical capacity (PAC) of governments has suffered in the past from the anecdotal nature of most studies, leading to different evaluations of specific analytical activities and of the overall competences and capacities of governments as a whole. What is needed to advance the field is a set of metrics that can generate insights into the capabilities of different units and how changes to their and overall government capacity develop over time. Focusing on this component of policy capacity, we map and measure the distribution of policy professionals in the provincial, territorial, and federal governments in Canada. Our measures are tested against two major findings regarding PAC: first that variation among governmental PAC varies by size of the civil service, with smaller jurisdictions likely to have less capacity, and second, that concentration of professionals in specific issue areas underscores that area's political and/or policy salience to the government concerned. Both measures prove robust in assessing Canadian government activities in these areas.Points for practitionersPolicy capacity is acknowledged as a significant perquisite for policy success.While some general frameworks exist highlighting policy relevant competences and capabilities important to policy success, how to measure these remains under‐investigated.Focusing on policy analytical capacity, this paper draws on the literature on policy professionals to develop two measures of this component of policy capacity linked to the extent to which an agency focuses on analysis and the proportion of their staff who work on the subject compared to other agencies.The measures are deployed in an illustrative case of Canada and Canadian governments at the territorial, provincial, and federal level which confirms their utility and robustness as indicators of the different levels of analytical capacity different agencies employ.

Multi-Scale Toolbox: An Automated ArcGIS Tool for Evaluating Pupil–Teacher Ratios in U.S. Public School Districts

Due to the teacher shortage in the U.S., an automatic toolbox with secondary development based on the ArcPy package was created to explore the spatial imbalance of the pupil–teacher ratio. It consists of four tools (or toolsets) for multi-scale spatial visualization, a sensitivity analysis with a heat map, the ordinary least squares regression with spatial autocorrelation, and the random forest tree regression. This study demonstrated the application of the toolset in the evaluation of educational resource spatial misallocation. Firstly, multi-scale analysis results showed that, the loss of teachers was mainly distributed in Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, and California from the state level, while it focused on such counties as Terrebonne Parish, Concordia Parish, and Bienville Parish in Louisiana in the county level. Secondly, it was found through heatmap sensitivity analysis that pupil–teacher ratios were highly related to low levels of student support services staff, free lunch programs, and low levels of local education agency (LEA) administrators. Then, the OLS tool was used to automatically calculate the spatial weighted matrix, the Moran I, R2, and AICC indices, AdjR2, F-Stat, F-Prob, and the Wald statistic, which showed whether the model was significant or not. This was followed by random forest tree regression modeling, which found that the LEA administrative support staff and the totally free lunch number highly impacted pupil–teacher ratios. Besides, the designed tool provided ribbons for the Common Core of Data (CCD) to link to other data sources.

Protected, but Not Included? The Role of Workplace Inclusion for Sexual and Gender Minorities in the Federal Service

The public workplace has traditionally been conceived of in heteronormative and cisnormative terms, wherein heterosexuality, the gender binary, and opposite-sex relationships are presumed and institutionalized in both word and deed. Recent policy changes and public opinion shifts regarding lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals have placed an onus on employers to develop means to include sexual and gender minorities in the overall organizational culture and improve LGBT individuals’ workplace experiences. Using multilevel data analysis, this study focuses on how LGBT federal workers’ perceptions of inclusion at the agency, supervisory, and work unit levels affect their job satisfaction. The results indicate that LGBT employees’ inclusion perceptions play a moderating role between their sexual or gender minority identities and individual job satisfaction. The findings suggest that interventions aimed at developing an inclusive culture that reduces or eliminates traditional heteronormativity and cisnormativity, both agency-wide and at separate organizational levels, may improve job satisfaction among LGBT workers.

A ‘peopled’ account of political agency in the Arctic: Professional practice and people‐to‐people participation

AbstractIn spite of the region's diverse peoples and unique environments, Arctic political analyses frequently remain focused on the traditional level of the state and inter‐state relations. While states undoubtedly play a significant role in Arctic governance arrangements, this paper seeks to direct attention to the agency of the many people and actors performing politics in the region. A more ‘peopled’ analysis includes renewed attention to professionals – e.g., state personnel, politicians, and diplomats – as well as non‐state actors involved in Arctic politics through different avenues and with different levels of agency. This paper focuses on the so‐called Barents Cooperation, a peace‐building initiative set up in the wake of the Cold War between Nordic states and Russia in the Barents Euro‐Arctic border region. It draws on interviews with professionals involved in the daily running of the Barents Cooperation, including its funding of ‘grassroots’ and people‐to‐people activities, to ask what can lessons can be learnt about Arctic political participation beyond the state. Based on their reflections, key challenges, successes, and future opportunities are highlighted, and the paper argues for strengthening both the analytical attention to and the practical agency of a wider range of political actors.

Reported Barriers and Enablers to Undertaking Childhood Vaccinations by Bangladeshi Parents in East London

Abstract Introduction The Bangladeshi community living in the East London borough of Tower Hamlets is one of the UK's most socioeconomically deprived communities. Despite being a highly disadvantaged ethnic group with suboptimal health, the data suggests the uptake of several childhood vaccinations including the MMR vaccine is notably higher amongst this group, relative to other ethnic groups in Tower Hamlets. Methods This study employs a qualitative research design. One-to-one, semi-structured interviews will be conducted with Bangladeshi parents, alongside relevant healthcare and public health professionals involved in vaccination delivery in Tower Hamlets to understand the barriers and enablers to childhood vaccinations. Interviews will be conducted in English by the researcher or in Bengali/Sylheti using an interpreter. Interviews will be audio-recorded, transcribed, translated and analysed using a thematic analysis. The socioecological model will be utilised as a theoretical framework to guide the data collection and analysis. Results and discussion The preliminary results indicate parental trust in the safety of vaccinations, perceived health importance of childhood vaccinations, ease in accessibility and positive attitudes towards vaccinations within the community are notable enablers. Regarding barriers, parents have expressed reluctance on religious grounds towards childhood vaccinations which contain animal derivatives. The data also suggests differences exist between immigrant and non-immigrant parents in the decision-making process to undertake the vaccinations, with non-immigrant parents demonstrating a higher level of agency in their decision-making. Conclusions The study provides valuable insight into the barriers and enablers for childhood vaccinations amongst the Bangladeshi community in Tower Hamlets. This data may inform tailored initiatives to improve childhood vaccination uptake amongst other underserved communities with suboptimal uptake.

Governing diversity: a comparative analysis of pragmatic diversity regimes in city centres

ABSTRACT This article examines how cultural diversity is incorporated into processes of urban renewal, creating images of the city, and considering local governance actors and strategies. It adopts the concept of diversity regimes to compare the two major cities in Portugal. The two cases studied here demonstrate the multiplicity of strategies employed to accommodate immigration and cultural diversity in local political action, but where city policy is in both cases aimed at the integration of migrants. The comparison of differentiated agency levels of local policy reveals distinct positions and models of intervention. These result from differences in the number of migrants, institutional settings and how the discourse of diversity does or does not incorporate narratives of territorial development and images of the city. We argue that what is relevant is the interplay between how governance networks are structured and participated in by migrants and how diversity discourse is incorporated (or not) into territorial development narratives. Both are part of new models of urban governance where the language of diversity and the symbolic arrangements to which it gives rise do not constitute a migration policy but rather a set of representational techniques for the creation of urban imaginaries.

Health risk assessment of PAHs in fruit juice samples marketed in city of Tehran, Iran.

The objective of the present study was to investigate the level of 16 PAHs in fruit juice samples (orange, apple, peach, pineapple, and mango) with three different packages (PET bottle, Tetra Pak, and canned packaging) by using MSPE/GC-MS (magnetic solid-phase extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry) method. In this method limit of detection (LOD), and limit of quantitation (LOQ), and recovery were 0.030-0.280 μg/L, 0.090-0.840 μg/L, and 94.8-102%, respectively. Our results showed the median of total PAHs and PAH4 (in all samples) were 7.67 ± 3.19 and 0.370 ± 0.160 μg/L, respectively. The median of BaP in samples was )0.060 ± 0.030 μg/L( lower than the standard level (0.200 μg/L in drinking water) of US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). Also, our results showed that pineapple juice had a maximum median of total PAHs of 12.4 ± 4.84 μg/L and mango juice had a minimum median of total PAHs of 5.17 ± 1.24 μg/L. Additionally, canned packaging had a maximum average total PAHs of 10.6 ± 5.22 μg/L and PET bottles had a minimum average total PAH of 5.25 ± 2.03 μg/L. A heat map approach was also used to cluster samples. The Monte Carlo results indicated that the estimated daily intake (EDI) rank order was Na > B(g)P > Ch > I(cd)P > B(b)F > Ph > B(k)F > F > Ace > Fl > B(a)P > B(a)A > P >A. The Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) results showed the incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) at the 95th percentiles for adults and children was 4.91 × 10-7 and 9.12 × 10-7, respectively. It is concluded that the concentration of PAHs compounds in Iranian fruit juices is lower than the existing standards, and in terms of the risk of carcinogenesis, it does not threaten the human health (< 10-6).

Children in foster care and spirituality and religion: Practice guidelines and policy recommendations to optimize service provision

Spirituality and religion often play instrumental roles in the lives of children in foster care. Despite the importance of these assets, a paucity of scholarship has addressed the intersection between foster care and these two constructs. To guide child welfare practice in this complex intersection, this paper delineates practice guidelines and policy recommendations to optimize service provision. Key perspectives are discussed that should be considered in the placement and supervision of children, namely: the role of child welfare practitioners as state actors, children in foster care, the legal parents, and the foster parents. Suggestions are offered to balance the interests of all actors in a manner that prioritizes the best interests of the child while accommodating the interests of other stakeholders. The paper concludes by offering several policy recommendations that might be implemented at the agency, state and federal levels to help support the spiritual and religious beliefs and practices of youth in foster care.

“Complexities of belonging: Compounded foreignness and racial cover among undocumented Central American youth”

Legally excluded from the state through their status, undocumented Central Americans must also navigate belonging in social movement spaces that do not center their cultural experiences. Drawing on 25 interviews with Guatemalans, Hondurans, and Salvadorans from multiple studies, we explore Central Americans’ agency and identity development in immigrant rights organizations and in daily life. We employ the term, compounded foreignness, to capture the layered practices of exclusion they face for being unauthorized and for not fitting into dominant conceptions of Latinidad. We demonstrate that undocumented Central Americans develop various strategies of belonging. For example, shared experiences of racialized illegality can lead to solidarity amongst undocumented immigrant youth across racial, ethnic, and national lines. When they are being negatively targeted, however, they use racialized illegality as racial cover–that is, a way to divert attention away from their illegality in relation to the state, as well as social and cultural foreignness from Latinidad. This means that some choose to pass as Mexican by adopting Mexican cultural norms and colloquial speech, while others take pride in their cultural difference as Central Americans. In other instances, they seek spaces and people who share their cultural identity. Importantly, while racial cover may work as a strategy for navigating these different forms of marginalization, racial cover can also cover up and make invisible Central American identities and needs. Together, these experiences reveal a level of agency and nuance needed to deepen our understanding of undocumented immigrants, Central Americans, and belonging in the United States.

A tripartite relationship theory of voice hearing: a grounded theory study

ABSTRACT Background Some people receiving mental healthcare experience distress related to voice hearing and the available support. Some practitioners lack knowledge and confidence in providing this support. Furthermore, coercion in mental healthcare can negatively affect voice hearer-practitioner relationships. Previous research investigating mental health distress, including voice hearing, has largely emphasised an individual-centric perspective. Less is known about voice hearers’ and practitioners’ relational experiences within mental healthcare contexts and how this might influence voice hearing. Methods This was a qualitative study that utilised a constructivist Grounded Theory methodology to explore the experiences of voice hearers (n = 15), through semi-structured interviews, and practitioners (n = 18) through focus group discussions (n = 3). Results A tripartite relationship theory situates experiences of voice hearing within a mental healthcare context, mediated through a tripartite voice hearer – voice – practitioner relationship. This consists of five themes: Level of agency; Interpersonal dynamic; Who’s making sense; Medication: helping or hindering; and Personal bully. Discussion This paper presents a novel theory, grounded in voice hearers’ and practitioners’ experiences. This expands on current knowledge about voice hearing by situating voice hearing experiences within relational and clinical contexts.

Not in my treatment center: Leadership's perception of barriers to MOUD adoption

IntroductionDespite their well-established effectiveness, medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) are widely underutilized across the United States. In the context of a large publicly funded behavioral health system, we examined the relationship between a range of implementation barriers and a substance use disorder treatment agency's level of adoption of MOUD. MethodsWe surveyed leadership of publicly funded substance use disorder treatment centers in Philadelphia about the significance of barriers to implementing MOUD related to their workforce, organization, funding, regulations, and beliefs about MOUD's efficacy and safety. We queried leaders on the percentage of their patients with opioid use disorder who receive MOUD and examined associations between implementation barriers and MOUD adoption. ResultsRatings of regulatory, organizational, or funding barriers of respondents who led high MOUD adopting agencies (N = 20) were indistinguishable from those who led agencies that were low adopting of MOUD (N = 23). In contrast, agency leaders who denied MOUD-belief or workforce barriers were significantly more likely to lead high-MOUD-adopting organizations. ConclusionsThese findings suggest that leadership beliefs about MOUD may be a key factor of the organizational decision to adopt and should be a target of implementation efforts to increase direct provision of these medications.

Designing physical activity interventions for women aged 50+: a qualitative study of participant perspectives

BackgroundThe Active Women over 50 trial tested a scalable program for increasing physical activity among women aged 50+. The program included information, activity tracker and email support. This study sought to describe the participant perspectives of the Active Women over 50 program and considerations for designing physical activity interventions for this demographic.MethodsWomen who completed the Active Women over 50 trial were purposively recruited for maximum variation in age, employment, carer responsibility, medical conditions and physical activity. Individual semi-structured interviews explored their perspectives on physical activity, Active Women over 50 program components and suggestions for future iterations. Data were thematically analysed.ResultsParticipants’ capacity to be physically active was shaped by an interplay of factors. Our analysis generated four main themes relating to physical activity in general and to the program: Age and gender matters, Physical activity is social, Strategising for physical activity and the Self-responsibility discourse. At this midlife stage, physical activity participation was challenged by personal, life-stage and cultural factors, alongside a tension of the self-responsibility discourse which also impacted the program experience. Social factors and finding a suitable strategy for motivation were deemed integral aspects of being active. Future programs could consider facilitation of social networks and accountability, life-stage health information and positive framing to support self-responsibility.ConclusionA range of strategies is key to supporting women over 50 to be more physically active due to the variety of circumstances and levels of agency experienced. We offer suggestions that do not need to be resource intensive but could be incorporated into a scaled program.

АНАЛІТИЧНА ІНФОРМАЦІЯ З ПРОГРАМНОГО КОМПЛЕКСУ АЕСУМ ЩОДО МОСТІВ СТАНОМ НА 2022 РІК

Introduction. Effective development and maintenance of transport infrastructure is the key to the strategic development of the state. Bridges are the objects of critical infrastructure and, accordingly, an important component of it. In order to make effective management decisions at the level of the State Road Agency of Ukraine in the field of bridge construction, an Analytical Expert Bridge Management System (AESUM) software complex is implemented. Problem statement. Actually, AESUM contains brief technical information on all bridges on public roads, namely on 16,142 transport facilities. Bridge economy is a living system where everything is changing : the number of bridges due to the construction of new ones, the transformation of small bridges into culverts; operating organizations, and also, which is very important — the technical state of bridges. Today, the sampling of bridges inspected and included in the AESUM software complex is 75 % on roads of state importance, 15% on local roads. Accordingly, information on bridges is constantly changing and needs to be updated. It is also important to improve the bridge operation strategy considering the scientific and analytical apparatus of AESUM. Objective. Implementation of the effective strategy for bridges operation on the roads in order for planning financial resources for their repairing and maintenance. Providing the general public with up-to-date statistical information on bridges from AESUM will be useful for use in scientific and scientific-practical purposes, and the identification of certain analytical trends will allow improving AESUM regarding the formation of a bridge operation strategy. Materials and methods. Analytical, statistical, system analysis. Results. The study presents analytical and statistical information about bridges on the public roads of Ukraine. Certain trends and keen attention to the technical condition of bridges have been observed. Conclusions. Actually The technical state of road bridges in Ukraine at the moment is unsatisfactory, which causes significant social and material damage and requires an increase in allocations for their repair and reconstruction. Currently, there is an urgent need for improving and implementing strategies for bridges operation, considering the scientific and analytical apparatus of AESUM for optimal priority planning and timely implementation of rehabilitation works on bridges and maintenance of bridges in proper state with rational use of financial resources.