Early Involvement Of Stakeholders Research Articles

Towards a framework for business process reengineering in higher education

In this paper, a conceptual and operational framework for business process reengineering in higher education is proposed. The outline of a sequential and non-linear four-step framework designed to reengineer higher education administrative and academic processes is presented. The first two steps, initiating and analysing, are used to examine, document, and flowchart the process targeted for reengineering; the last two steps, reengineering/implementing and evaluating, are intended to prototype, put into operation, and assess the effectiveness of the reengineered process. Early involvement of stakeholders, an in-depth understanding of the organisational and socio-cultural context, sustained support from senior leadership, and planned leveraging of information technology are critical to successful implementation.

Scientific Opinion on establishing Food‐Based Dietary Guidelines

This Opinion of the EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition, and Allergies (NDA) provides guidance on the translation of nutrient based dietary advice into guidance, intended for the European population as a whole, on the contribution of different foods or food groups to an overall diet that would help to maintain good health through optimal nutrition (food-based dietary guidelines). The main focus of this Opinion is put on the scientific process of developing food-based dietary guidelines (FBDG) for the diverse European populations, following a stepwise approach which should ideally consist of: 1) Identification of diet-health relationships, 2) Identification of country specific diet-related health problems, 3) Identification of nutrients of public health importance, 4) Identification of foods relevant for FBDG, 5) Identification of food consumption patterns, 6) Testing and optimising FBDG and 7) Graphical representations of FBDG. FBDG should focus on the diet-disease relationships of particular relevance to the specific population and should be developed using a multi-disciplinary approach. The early involvement of stakeholders is recommended to promote the acceptance of the outcome. FBDG should be consistent with other public policies that have an impact on food availability and be integrated with other policies related to health promotion. Once established, FBDG should be implemented and their impact monitored and evaluated.

PILOT PROJECTS IN BATHROOMS: A NEW CHALLENGE FOR WASTEWATER PROFESSIONALS

Household-centered technologies such as urine source separation (NoMix technology) could induce a paradigm change in urban wastewater management, hereby improving water pollution control and resource management. Technological innovations need real-world application for further development. The Swiss research project Novaquatis accompanied five pilot projects from 1997 on. We give a systematic overview of our experience, summarizing various important aspects, a fundamental one being a clearly defined goal. Early stakeholder involvement is crucial, because the still imperfect NoMix technology depends on people's goodwill. We reference data sheets, legal documents, etc. and make suggestions for installation, maintenance, and technology improvement. We identify areas for future research necessitating pilot projects and discuss their requirements to optimize the cost-benefit factor. This paper is intended as support to wastewater professionals to avoid the most serious pitfalls when conducting NoMix pilot projects. It contributes to increased interaction between research and real-world application of urban European household innovations.

Experiences with restoration of inland freshwater wetlands in the Netherlands: lessons for science and policy-making

The past decade has seen important changes in the approach to water management issues in the Netherlands. Urban development, recreational demands, agriculture, nature conservation and other space demanding functions compete with water management objectives in their claims for space. An analysis of some recent water management projects illustrates that the implementation of “the new water management approach” is not always easy. Catchment-based multifunctional projects encounter major constraints. These constraints are: 1) national goals versus local constraints; 2) limited sense of urgency; 3) lack of institutional coordination in the water management community; 4) unclear views over nature conservation, and; 5) limited understanding of wetland functioning in relation to flood risk management. We promote platforms for collaborative planning as a way to improve stakeholder participation in early stages of decision-making. Negotiation and mediation support tools can enable stakeholders and mediators to formulate the problems that need to be addressed more effectively. Early involvement of stakeholders in the planning process is almost a condition for successful implementation; however, it is no guarantee of success, and not all conflicts can be solved. Therefore assessment of the costs and benefits of different parties is important for compensation schemes to gain broad social acceptance.

Concepts and Results in the Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Ground Water Project

The U. S. Dept of Energy is responsible for bringing 22 former uranium millsites into compliance with ground water standards determined by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency. These standards require that contaminants in the ground water not cause an unacceptable risk to human health and the environment. One of three compliance strategies is selected for each site; no further action, passive (natural flushing) remediation, or active-engineered remediation. Selection is based on site characteristics and conditions. Initially, target strategies are proposed using a limited data set, matching the site conditions to the provisions in the standards. More than one strategy may be targeted based on knowledge of the site. Data gaps are identified, and additional site data are collected. The targeted strategy(ies) is (are) then confirmed or reselected. With this process, additional site characterization activities are focused on a particular remediation strategy(ies), thus avoiding the tendency to keep studying the site. This process also helps to avoid the tendency to focus on just one remedial action alternative too early, prior to having enough characterization data. Lessons learned from applying this process to initial sites include: (1) risks associated with using limited characterization data sets are typically manifested during the remedial construction phase; (2) targeting more than one strategy offsets the risk of a compliance strategy not suceeding; (3) different contaminants may require different compliance strategies; (4) the process requires built-in flexibility because each site is generally unique and parameters vary in degrees of freedom between sites, resulting in unique solutions; and (5) early stakeholder involvement is essential to gain buy-in of the final solution. Lessons learned are continually updated to incorporate experience and efficiencies.