Evaluate Project Proposals Research Articles

Challenges to ethical public engagement in research funding: a perspective from practice

European research funding organizations (RFOs) are increasingly experimenting with public engagement in their funding activities. This case study draws attention to the challenges they face in preparing, implementing, and evaluating ethical public engagement in the context of setting funding priorities, formulating calls for proposals, and evaluating project proposals. We discuss challenges related to seven themes: (1) recruiting participants; (2) commitments and expectations; (3) meaningful dialogue and equal engagement; (4) accommodating vulnerability; (5) funding call formulations; (6) lack of expertise in engagement ethics; and (7) uncertainty, resource constraints, and external factors. To address these challenges, we propose the following seven interventions: (1) developing comprehensive recruitment strategies with experienced recruiters and community organizations; (2) establishing clear communication of roles, expectations, and outcomes through codes of conduct; (3) training mediators to address power imbalances; (4) designing flexible engagement methods and providing tailored support; (5) implementing collaborative feedback loops for inclusive funding call formulation; (6) enhancing ethical standards through internal expertise and external advisory inputs; and (7) developing adaptive strategies for flexible and ethical public engagement. These recommendations emphasize the need for context-adaptive insights to support funding organizations to implement ethical public engagement activities, even when faced with organizational constraints and a lack of ethical expertise.

THE SUCCESS OF ENTERPRISE SYSTEM PROJECTS: FROM A KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER PERSPECTIVE

We have certainly already arrived in a knowledge-based world economy, where knowledge transfer is a crucial factor in global business competition. In the era of knowledge-based management, the way we use knowledge determines the success or failure of business systems. This paper revises the project phases of enterprise systems (ES), which have been divided into three phases (pre-implementation, during implementation, and post-implementation), by expanding the relationship between the Knowledge Transfer (KT) and Project Management Process Groups (PMPG) in each phase to improve the success of ES by increasing the understanding of knowledge in each ES phase. The pre-implementation phase has two phases: Project Origination with (3) PMPG (Develop Project Proposal, Evaluate Project Proposals, and Select Projects), (8) tasks, (8) deliverables, and (3) roles. Project Initiation phase, with (3) PMPG (Initiate the Project, Approve the Project Charter, and Conduct Kick-off Meeting), (7) tasks, (7) deliverables, and (4) roles. In the implementation phase of the project ES there are two phases: Project Planning with (3) PMPG (Prepare the Project Planning, Perform the Planning Activities - Detail the Project Plan, and Confirm Approval to Proceed), (19) Tasks, (21) Deliverables, and (7) Roles. Project implementation and control with (3) PMPG (Launch Project, Management Project-Execution and control, and Gain Project Acceptance), (17) tasks, (17) deliverables, and (7) roles. Additionally, in the post-implementation phase, there are a phase called project closure with (2) PMPG (Perform, Initiate Project Follow-up, and Administrative Closure), (5) tasks, (6) deliverables, and (5) roles.

How to select the best: Selection procedures of innovation agencies

Abstract Innovation agencies, that is organizations with the primary focus of funding applied research and technological development, evaluate project proposals to select the most promising proposals for funding. At the moment, there is only little verified knowledge available on project evaluation and selection processes of innovation agencies. We want to show how projects are evaluated and selected in these organizations. We want to also make a contribution for better understanding the variety of the utilized processes by pointing out the reasoning behind some of the most important practices. This article therefore focuses on the following questions: How are projects selected in innovation agencies? What are the employed procedures and practices? Are there differences in procedures and practices and what would be the reason for these differences? The basis for answering these questions is a study produced for the European Association of National Innovation Agencies, Taftie. There we have analysed the project selection procedures of 18 programmes run by 12 European innovation agencies. To do so, we have produced an overview of existing selection procedures of the innovation agencies, analysed, and compared the procedures along the stages of a typical selection process. The key points of interest were role of evaluators, selection criteria, ranking procedures, and general process issues.

An Investigation of Pre-Service Preschool Teachers' Projects Using The Many-Facet Rasch Model

The aim of this study was to evaluate project proposals prepared by pre-service preschool teachers’ using ten criteria and thus determine the awareness of pre-service preschool teachers’ toward the Research Project course. The survey method, a quantitative research type, was used for this research. The study group of the research constituted six different project proposals prepared by final year undergraduate students taking the Research Project I and Research Project II courses at the Faculty of Education, Department of Pre-school Education of Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Turkey during the academic year 2018-2019. Twelve academic members of the Faculty of Education from six different universities assessed the projects. The data collection tool used was based on the research project assessment criteria of TUBITAK (Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey) along with the course’s learning outcomes and content, and the theoretical frame of the research topic. The results were analyzed based on the Many-Facet Rasch Model. According to the data obtained, it was found that the projects and project criteria differed in terms of consistency and generosity. It was also observed that the pre-service teachers met some of the criteria while they had difficulties with other criteria.

A NEW MULTI-OBJECTIVE OPTIMIZATION APPROACH FOR SUSTAINABLE PROJECT PORTFOLIO SELECTION: A REALWORLD APPLICATION UNDER INTERVAL-VALUED FUZZY ENVIRONMENT

Organizations need to evaluate project proposals and select the ones that are the most effective in reaching the strategic goals by considering sustainability issue. In order to enhance the effectiveness and the efficiency of project oriented organizations, in this paper a new multi-objective decision making (MODM) approach of sustainable project portfolio selection is proposed which applies interval-valued fuzzy sets (IVFSs) to consider uncertainty. In the proposed approach, in addition to sustainability criteria, other practical criteria including non-financial benefits, strategic alignment, organizational readiness and project risk are incorporated. The presented approach consists of three main parts: In the first part, a novel composite risk return index based on the IVFSs is introduced and used to form the first model to evaluate the financial return and risk of the proposed projects. In the second part, a new risk reduction compromise ratio model is introduced to evaluate projects versus non-financial criteria. Finally, an MODM model is presented to form the overall objective function of the approach. In order to make the approach more suitable for real-world situations, a group of applicable constraints is included in the proposed approach. The constraints are based on limitations and issues existing in practical project portfolio management. Due to importance of uncertainty and risk in project portfolio selection, they are addressed separately in three parts of the approach. In the first part, a novel downside risk measure is introduced and applied to assess financial risk of projects. In the second part of the approach, not only project risk is accounted for as a criterion, but also a new method is introduced to control and limit the risk of uncertainty and to use the advantages of IVFSs. Finally, the proposed IVF-MODM approach is applied to select the optimal sustainable project portfolio in real case study of a holding company in a developing country. The results show that the approach can successfully address highly uncertain environments. Moreover, risk has been fully explored from different perspectives. Eventually, the approach provided the decision makers with more flexibility in focusing on financial and non-financial criteria in the selection process.

Contemporary methods for evaluating complex project proposals

The ability to evaluate project proposals, assessing future success, and organizational value is critical to overall business performance for most enterprises. Yet, predicting project success is difficult and often unreliable. A four-year field study shows that the effectiveness of available methods for evaluating and selecting large, complex project depends on the specific project type, organizational culture, and managerial skills. This paper examines the strength and limitations of various evaluation methods. It also shows that, especially in complex project situations, the decision-making process has to go beyond the application of just analytical methods, but has to incorporate both quantitative and qualitative measures into a combined rational judgmental evaluation process. Equally important, the evaluation process must be effectively linked among functional support groups and with senior management in order to strategically align the project proposal and to unify the evaluation team and stakeholder community behind the mission objectives. All of this requires leadership and managerial skills in planning, organizing, and communicating. The paper suggests specific leadership actions, organizational conditions, and managerial processes for evaluating complex project proposals toward future value and success.

Project cash flow analysis in the presence of uncertainty in activity duration and cost

The inherent uncertainty and imprecision in project scheduling have motivated the proposal of several fuzzy set theory based extensions of activity network scheduling techniques. Building upon these, a cash flow calculation methodology for projects including activities with fuzzy durations and/or costs is proposed in this paper. According to the proposed approach, the project cash flow is represented by an S-surface (as opposed to the traditional S-curve) ensuing by connecting S-curves at different risk possibility levels. The methodology is exemplified by estimating the working capital requirements in a real world road construction project. Furthermore, the benefits of the methodology and its subsequent computerization are discussed. It is believed that the proposed approach may also be useful for both evaluating project proposals during feasibility studies and for performing earned value analysis for project monitoring and control.

Diffusion characteristics of private sector financed innovation in Sweden

Although construction is considered to be slow in adopting new technology and new processes, innovation, research and development are performed routinely. Nonetheless, knowledge about what affects the diffusion of research results—in the context of innovations—is incomplete, limiting the effectiveness of procedures designed to evaluate project proposals. The aim is to examine the factors that can influence the diffusion of results, in this case from externally funded construction innovation projects. A Fisher's exact test is performed on six concepts derived from general innovation theory which are tested on 20 development projects. The test is used to establish the significance of the six concepts and their applicability to construction‐related innovation. The results reveal support for all six concepts, although only four of them attract a high level of significance. External lateral and vertical communication and external integration during the development phase are shown to increase the chances of successful diffusion and should therefore be assessed in project proposals.

Creating a Framework of Guidance for Building Good Digital Collections

As technologies to digitize primary source content mature and become better understood, more widely accessible, and more efficient, the volume of available digital content increases and issues of integration and aggregation become more important. Today's digitization project managers must give high priority to factors such as reusability, persistence, interoperability, verification, and documentation when planning their projects. Digitization project funding agencies, like the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the National Science Foundation (NSF), must give substantial weight to these same factors when assessing programs and evaluating project proposals. A Digital Library Forum convened by the IMLS and working in collaboration with participants from the NSF's National Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology Education Digital Library program has released a Framework of Guidance for Building Good Digital Collections to serve as a resource for practitioners and funding agencies. This Framework pays particular attention to digitization collection practices that facilitate integration and aggregation of digital information resources developed by museums, libraries, and similar institutions. To protect against obsolescence and to better accommodate the wide range of digitization projects funded by the IMLS, NSF, and other granting organizations, the Framework is not wedded to any particular set of standards or best practices. Rather it articulates principles fundamental to planning, implementation, and evaluation of digitization projects and links to specific resources and exemplary models that support and illustrate good application of these principles. This paper describes the context and development of the Framework, briefly presents the major principles articulated in the Framework, and concludes with remarks regarding the immediate impacts of the work accomplished by the IMLS Digital Library Forum and a call for the continued development and maintenance of the Framework.

The U.S. Initiative on Joint Implementation: An Asia-Pacific Perspective

Abstract: Economic, energy, and environmental security is a tripartite challenge to developing and developed countries of the Asia-Pacific region. Greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from the burning of fossil fuels are growing rapidly in Asia. Flexible economic instruments, such as joint implementation (JI) and emissions trading, offer a means concomitantly to facilitate economic, energy, and environmental security. The U.S. Initiative on Joint Implementation (IJI) was established as a pilot program to facilitate voluntary project investments by U.S. entities to reduce GHG emissions worldwide. U.S. IJI, working under guidelines established by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC), has developed a set of operational criteria for evaluating project proposals. To date, U.S. IJI has received more than 150 project proposals, of which thirty-one have been accepted into the pilot program. These projects represent a diverse set of innovative technologies and practices in thirteen countries. Preliminary estimates suggest that cumulative net emission reductions as a result of these projects are expected to be more than 30 million Mt C (megatons of carbon). Descriptions and case studies of two U.S. IJI projects in Southeast Asia are considered: carbon sequestration in Indonesia through reduced impact logging, and a rural electrification project in Sri Lanka. Experiences from U.S. IJI provide a basis for considering ways to implement emissions reductions under the UNFCCCKyoto Protocol.

A risk management model to assess safety and reliability risks

Evaluating project proposals with respect to safety and reliability objectives is extremely complex. Several tangible as well as intangible factors need to be considered. Also, most often these factors are difficult to measure objectively because of their nature and the lack of factual data and information. In addition, they involve uncertainties and risk. The project managers need to enumerate systematically all potential risk factors affecting the safety and reliability objectives of the project, determine the consequences and the impact of their severity, assess the likelihood of the occurrence of these consequences, and select the best course of action to contain and control risks in order to meet the specified project objectives. Develops such a framework by integrating system hazard analysis with the core elements of the risk management process (RMP) to assess potential risks and to evaluate response actions to control and manage the identified risks to satisfy the predetermined safety and reliability objectives.

Netherlands To Aid Central, Eastern Europe in Halting Pollution Effects

Last year, about 75 project proposals were made to the Dutch Ministry of Housing, Physical Planning and the Environment, and the number likely will be greater this year. They were submitted mainly by Dutch industrial and consultancy firms, and covered a broad area of activity - policy planning, support for environmental groups, environmental monitoring networks, emissions abatement, water quality research, and the like. Various criteria are used to evaluate project proposals - typically the priority of the problem being addressed, and the environmental benefit expected to arise from the solution. Special attention is given to Dutch initiatives centering on large-scale problems, such as curbing nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide emissions from power plants. This paper reports how expanded Dutch policy will bring economic, advisory aid aimed at abating pollution, managing environment to nations of central eastern Europe.

The European community and information technology

La communaute europeenne se dirige vers un marche commun gouverne par des regles qui peuvent amener a un protocole industriel influant sur l'industrie mondiale de l'information

Ideas and Experiences

In the October-December 1987 issue of Vikalpa, R Siddharth questioned the practice of financial institutions of prespecifying, and publicizing project appraisal in terms of debt-equity norms. He argued that this practice diverted attention from market and competition that determined the debt servicing capacity of a firm. In the October-December 1987 issue, Vikalpa also presented the views of a Development Banker, who argued that norms were used flexibly and that project appraisal took account of the expected stream of earning from the project. In this issue, Siddharth argues his position in the light of the Development , Banker's clarifications. Vikalpa also presents the comments of S K Bhattacharyya. Besides comparing lending practices of institutions in several countries, Bhattacharyya points out that the record of financial institutions in India shows that while in evaluating project proposals they may be risk averse on account of their excessive “faith” in financial ratios and numbers, they border on being risk prone on the loan administration side. They do not appear to have adequately recycled insights from experience to revise their norms and project implementation related practices.

Alternative methods and costs of financing gas development projects

Gas development projects are generally very capital intensive. Often they are financed with high debt-equity ratios. Thus, both the type of debt structure and its cost become important questions for project sponsors. A wide variety of debt instruments exists, including bonds and Eurocurrency loans. This article concentrates on private rather than public sector lending institutions and explains how bankers evaluate project proposals brought to them. The assessment of project risks involves careful examination of feasibility studies submitted by the sponsors. Sponsors are therefore urged to bear in mind the banker's perspective when preparing loan applications and feasibility studies. Above all, improved communications between project sponsors and lending institutions are necessary.