Project Evaluation Research Articles

The impact of tobacco tax increases on cost-minimising behaviours and subsequent smoking cessation in Australia: an analysis of the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Project

ObjectiveWe examined the relationship in Australia from 2007 to 2020 between tobacco tax increases and use of cost-minimising behaviours (CMBs) when purchasing tobacco and: (1) tobacco expenditure and (2) smoking...

The MUSIC Critical Benchmark and Nuclear Data

The Measurement of Uranium Subcritical and Critical (MUSIC) experiment was a series of measurements of critical and subcritical configurations of bare highly enriched uranium. The goal was to compare measurement methods, analysis techniques, and simulation methods across regimes of criticality and to provide high-quality validation of 235U nuclear data. A benchmark evaluation of the two critical configurations of the MUSIC experiments will soon be published in the release of the International Criticality Safety Benchmark Evaluation Project Handbook. The recent execution of the experiment aids in proper quantification of model simplifications and all uncertainties associated with the experiment. Historical benchmark evaluations are heavily relied on for uranium nuclear data validation despite the fact that the same level of documentation and comparable uncertainty analysis may not be present. The MUSIC evaluation is less likely to include “unknown unknowns” that could impede accurately modeling the system. Presented are both highly detailed and very simplified models, which represent the experimental configurations accurately, aiding the users of the benchmark for nuclear data or transport code validation. The sensitivities of k eff to nuclear data and nuclear data–related uncertainties are very similar between this experiment and previous bare uranium sphere experiments. In addition, the nuclear data uncertainties to any nuclides other than 235 U are small. For all these reasons, the recently evaluated MUSIC benchmark critical configurations could prove very useful for 235 U nuclear data validation. Currently, major libraries have good agreement with the experimental results, within 200 pcm for all nuclear data libraries, and within one standard deviation of the experimental result for most. Suggested nuclear data adjustments based on MUSIC and Lady Godiva are also presented, with posterior improvements to both the agreement in k eff and the uncertainty associated with the nuclear data.

Calibration and validation of a national transport computable general equilibrium model for economic impact assessment

Infrastructure investments are being undertaken to improve efficiency, economic activity, and growth. Therefore, policy makers are increasingly looking for modelling tools that can evaluate the impact of transport infrastructure on the economy, firms and households from the lens of economic activity and equity. We have developed a large scale national CGE model for India that is calibrated to economic data as well as validated to data observed from the Indian Railways. The novelty of this work lies in three main areas (1) The CGE model incorporates multi-modal transport with road and rail (2) It is the largest model developed so far with 33 regions, 29 industries, 312,530 kms of highways and 126,366 km of Railways (3) Validation of the CGE model. The CGE model was able to predict the tonnage freighted on the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor to within 3.9 % accuracy. The Dedicated Freight Corridor Network (DFC) contributes a 2.94 % increase in the revenue for the railways as well as a 0.08 % increase in GDP. This implies that DFC can directly contribute INR 160 billion to the 2019 GDP. The CGE model distributed the benefits of faster and cheaper alternatives to the entire economy. This was observed during the evaluation of the road projects that were found to improve GDP, household welfare and rail revenue for rail, as well as improved equity.

A Map Of Uses Of Impact Evaluation Approaches

Background: Not all evaluation practitioners are experts in the diversity of impact evaluation approaches. How can these approaches be made clear and accessible? How can practitioners be better able to choose the relevant one? A collaborative project was initiated in 2021 to address these questions, and involved the French Development Agency’s evaluation officers, external evaluators, and public-sector co-designers. Purpose: This article presents the development of a visual tool designed to facilitate meaningful discussions between evaluation officers and project managers regarding an array of available impact evaluation approaches. In our view, the positive reception of the map of uses of impact evaluation approaches within and beyond the Agence française de développement underscores the significance of anchoring discussions on evaluation scope and methodologies in real-world evaluation uses. Setting: Not applicable. Intervention: Not applicable. Research design: Not applicable. Data collection and analysis: Not applicable. Findings: Not applicable. Keywords: visualization, evaluation use, impact evaluation, concept mapping, co-design

Assessing Value-Laden Technology

Technological innovations—tools, artefacts, and processes—open up new possibilities of human action and thereby increase the domain of our positive freedom. Technology is inherently value-laden, since such an intended increase of freedom may be a good or bad relative to human values. The use of tools may also involve unintended and unwanted by-products and side effects. Therefore, technology should not develop in a deterministic or random manner but should be guided by reasonable democratic principles. Technology assessment (TA) is a pattern for the evaluation of technological projects and products by their costs and benefits, risks, and profits. Using philosophical distinctions and arguments as its method, this paper explains, elaborates, and illustrates Niiniluoto’s formula TA = 6E + S for TA. The first E is effectiveness, the ability of the new tool or solution to produce its intended effects. This is the main concern of the engineer. The second is its economic profit, based on the monetary exchange value of the product. This is the domain of economic theories. Effectiveness and economy, and efficiency as their combination, are not the only relevant dimensions of TA. As products of design, artefacts have esthetic qualities, studied today in applied esthetics. The relations of tools to the health of their users are studied in ergonomics. The relations of human technologies to the health of the natural environment and sustainable development are treated in ecology. Technical tools and their effects can always be evaluated by ethical standards which concern their moral worth. Technological systems have also an impact which is social in the broad sense, since they can lead to changes in the communicative, legal, institutional, and political spheres of society.

Patient safety in the Innovation Fund - Characterization, results and evaluation of completed projects: Results of a scoping review

The German Innovation Fund has funded various studies on patient safety. Their thematic spectrum, methodological quality, results and recommendations of the Innovation committee were to be systematically investigated in order to derive proposals for optimizing transfer success. As part of a scoping review, all Innovation Fund projects funded in the period 2016-02/2023 with a focus on patient safety were analyzed. Each included study document was critically reviewed by two independent persons. The 16 included projects addressed a wide range of populations, indications and interventions. The study quality was mostly good. The results ranged from feasible indicator sets and the prevention of adverse drug reactions to the optimization of error management. For seven projects, the Innovation Committee recommended forwarding the results to healthcare institutions with the request that they take note and/or examine the feasibility of implementation in standard care. Implementation, however, has not yet taken place. In order to facilitate implementation, the joint development of an implementation strategy by the recipients of the Innovation Committee's recommendations is necessary.

Bundle-specific tractogram distribution estimation using higher-order streamline differential equation

Streamline tractography locally traces peak directions extracted from fiber orientation distribution (FOD) functions, lacking global information about the trend of the whole fiber bundle. Therefore, it is prone to producing erroneous tracks while missing true positive connections. In this work, we propose a new bundle-specific tractography (BST) method based on a bundle-specific tractogram distribution (BTD) function, which directly reconstructs the fiber trajectory from the start region to the termination region by incorporating the global information in the fiber bundle mask. A unified framework for any higher-order streamline differential equation is presented to describe the fiber bundles with disjoint streamlines defined based on the diffusion vectorial field. At the global level, the tractography process is simplified as the estimation of BTD coefficients by minimizing the energy optimization model, and is used to characterize the relations between BTD and diffusion tensor vector under the prior guidance by introducing the tractogram bundle information to provide anatomic priors. Experiments are performed on simulated Hough, Sine, Circle data, ISMRM 2015 Tractography Challenge data, FiberCup data, and in vivo data from the Human Connectome Project (HCP) for qualitative and quantitative evaluation. Results demonstrate that our approach reconstructs complex fiber geometry more accurately. BTD reduces the error deviation and accumulation at the local level and shows better results in reconstructing long-range, twisting, and large fanning tracts.

The Photovoice Project: Fostering Students' Autonomous, Collaborative, and Authentic Business/Engineering English Learning Experiences

This perspective article elaborates an instructional approach to business English learning utilizing a photovoice project as a strategy to promote a real-world learning encounter. In professional and vocational colleges, project-based learning (PBL) is an instructional strategy for promoting autonomous, collaborative, and authentic learning nuances. This article sheds light on how photovoice project fosters the students’ technical and business English learning experiences. The project empowers students to take charge of their learning, work collaboratively, and engage in real-world business context. This paper presents the concept of photovoice, learners’ autonomy and collaboration towards photovoice, authentic business English learning encounters, technology-integrated photovoice, project evaluation, and case studies on photovoice project. On top of that, language teachers can utilize project-based photovoice as a valuable tool for promoting innovative and engaging business English learning activities, thus providing students with contextual-based learning environment and preparing them for the real business world. It also brings several implications: 1) for vocational English teachers, implementing photovoice projects offers a powerful tool to create innovative and engaging learning activities, 2) for students, these projects provide a contextualized learning environment that prepares them for the real business world by developing practical language skills and industry-specific knowledge, and institutions will benefit by fostering an educational approach that bridges classroom learning with real-world applications, thereby enhancing the overall quality and relevance of their programs.

Water, Energy and Food Nexus: A Project Evaluation Model

Water, Energy and Food Nexus: A Project Evaluation Model

Evaluation of beach nourishment in Mar del plata, Argentina: An application of the CoastSat toolkit

Sandy coasts play a crucial role in various human activities and support the economies of many coastal states. Due to their importance, coastal erosion mitigation techniques are often implemented. Among these techniques, beach nourishment is considered an environmentally acceptable method for coastal protection and restoration. In this work, a methodology for the evaluation of such projects is proposed and applied to the biggest beach nourishment project in the city of Mar del Plata, Argentina. The nourishment was carried out between 1998 and 1999 in Playa Grande (PG), Varese (V) and Bristol (B) bays. The CoastSat toolkit was implemented to obtain shoreline positions from satellite imagery and to derive a 36-year monthly time series of beach width in the region. For the analysis, three distinctives time lapses are identified: pre-intervention, response, and new equilibrium. An exponential decay function was fitted to determine the response lapse and its characteristics. Metrics such as mean beach width and trends were computed and used to compare the condition of beaches before and after the project. Results show that the region experienced a net growth after nourishment, with beach width doubling in Bristol and Playa Grande, and increasing tenfold in Varase. Nourishment did not alter the erosive trends of Playa Grande and Bristol, nor the growth trend of Varese. Regarding renourishment planning, according to our findings, for Playa Grande and Bristol beaches to achieve a net growth of 1 m, it would require the deposition of 17 m³ of sediment per meter of coastline. This study highlights the suitability of the CoastSat toolkit for assessing the effectiveness of beach regeneration.

Impact of a community-based participatory research project with underserved communities at risk for hepatitis C virus in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: an evaluation study

BackgroundParticipatory approaches have become a widely applied research approach. Despite their popularity, there are many challenges associated with the evaluation of participatory projects. Here we describe an evaluation of a community-based participatory research study of underserved communities in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam at risk for hepatitis C virus. The goals of our evaluation were to explore the main benefits and challenges of implementing and participating in a participatory study and to describe study impacts.MethodsWe conducted two meetings with leaders and members of the participating groups followed by in-depth interviews with 10 participants. We then held a dissemination meeting with over 70 participants, including the representatives of each group, researchers from non-governmental organizations (community-based, national and international), and govenrment officials from the Vietnam Ministry of Health and the Department of Health of HCMC.ResultsResults include four categories where we describe first the participatory impacts, followed by the collaborative impacts. Then we describe the benefits and challenges of creating and belonging to one of the groups, from members’ and leaders’ points of view. Finally, we describe the key suggestions that participants provided for future research.ConclusionIn conclusion, the evaluation approach led to both a research reflection on the ‘success’ of the project and enabled participants themselves to reflect on the outcomes and benefits of the study from their point of view.

International English Teaching Planning and Evaluation of Renewable Energy Application Projects from Perspective of Sustainability

The application of renewable energy has positively contributed to the Eco-city by alleviating energy tension, improving energy structure, enhancing energy utilization efficiency, and building a resource-saving and environment-friendly society. At the same time, several demonstration projects with advanced and applicable technology, stable and reliable operation, and high promotion value have been completed, and a relatively complete system of regulations, policies, technical standards, application modes, and capacity building for the application of renewable energy buildings has been initially formed. This study analyzes the current global demand for renewable energy and education status quo and proposes a set of teaching programs combined with practical applications. In response to the needs, a comprehensive framework integrating theoretical teaching, hands-on practice, rigorous program evaluation, and dynamic feedback loops is designed to cultivate students' global perspectives and emphasize the importance of cross-cultural dialogue and international cooperation. The implementation results showed a significant improvement in the students' understanding of renewable energy, with a 40% improvement at the end of the class. As a result of the IEP implementation, 85% of the students targeting the Renewable Energy Applications Program have achieved the expected teaching objectives in terms of energy and environmental policy comprehension, renewable energy technology mastery, and intercultural communication skills, which is a 30% improvement from the pre-implementation period. In addition, there has been a significant increase in international exchanges between students, contributing to creating a more holistic approach to sustainable development.

Creating a data collection and management platform to support measurement of adolescent HIV care transition processes within low- and middle-income countries: The GRADUATE project.

Few national programs and research cohorts within low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) document transition-related processes and outcomes for adolescents and young adults living with HIV (AYLH) transitioning to adulthood. Between 2017-2020, The Global fRAmework of Data collection Used for Adolescent HIV Transition Evaluation (GRADUATE) project convened a collaborative advisory group to identify key variables and definitions capturing the process, predictors, and outcomes across the transition period. In total, 114 variables identified as essential to measuring AYLH transition-related data were identified and formatted into a GRADUATE Data Exchange Standard (DES), which was added to and harmonized with the existing International epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA) DES. In 2019, the GRADUATE DES was pilot tested at four IeDEA facilities in Malawi, South Africa, and Thailand through a cross-sectional study. Upon comparing the variables to routine medical records, available data were too limited to adequately capture transition-related processes and outcomes. However, additional data collection using GRADUATE tools was feasible and improved completeness. Of the 100 (52% female) AYLH included in the pilot study, 71% had transitioned/transferred to adult care, with 42% transitioning from an adolescent-specific model of care within an integrated family clinic to having their clinic visits scheduled on a different day of the week while 58% transferred from a pediatric facility to one offering adult HIV care. While almost all (94%) had a transition-related discussion with their healthcare providers prior to the transition, we found that 69% (95% CI 49-85%) were somewhat or very satisfied/comfortable with the post-transfer clinic and the staff. Utilization of the GRADUATE DES better characterized AYLH transitioning to adulthood across LMICs, and optimally measured transition preparation activities and outcomes. Utilization of the GRADUATE DES in other settings could facilitate comparisons and identify gaps in the care of transitioning adolescents that need to be addressed.

Introducing comprehensive sexuality education in Italian schools: from the co-construction to the evaluation of a pilot intervention

IntroductionSchool-based comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) is a powerful tool that provides young people with information on all aspects of sexuality and is aimed at protecting their sexual and reproductive health and well-being throughout their lives. Currently, CSE is not integrated within the schools’ curriculum in Italy. This study describes the co-construction, implementation, and evaluation of a CSE project piloted among students attending lower secondary schools, in four regions of Italy. Evidence-based evaluation will be helpful in promote the inclusion of CSE programs in the Italian schools’ curriculum.MethodsThe pilot scheme was co-constructed by a multidisciplinary curriculum development group through a Delphi process, including educators who conducted the activities. The evaluation followed three directions: the program (based on a literature review of CSE principles and recommended characteristics), implementation (assessing the execution of the program through the analysis of the reflection tools used by the educators), and short-term outcomes (assessing critical thinking and conscious behavioural choices through pre-post and satisfaction surveys).ResultsThe main goal, learning modules and content were defined and structured in five interventions with the students, and two with families and teachers. A total of 638 students were involved in the activity, across 11 schools. Data analysis of pre/post surveys reported a significant increase in knowledge in 12 of the 15 items investigated (p < 0.05), and a high level of satisfaction with the topics addressed. Qualitative analysis added information on the pivotal role of educators in CSE.ConclusionsThe national piloting of this educational activity provided positive insights regarding the co-construction, implementation and short-outcome evaluation, suggesting potential for scalability and future inclusion of CSE in the curricula of Italian schools.

Midwifery experiences in rural Southern Aotearoa New Zealand: insights into pre-eclampsia management

aim: This study investigated the experiences of rural midwives in the Southern region of Aotearoa New Zealand, focussing on practices and challenges in caring for pregnant individuals displaying signs of pre-eclampsia (PE). method: Conducted as part of the University of Otago’s Trainee Intern Healthcare Evaluation Project, investigating the efficacy of the soluble FMS-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt-1)/placental growth factor (PlGF) ratio test, this exploratory study employed qualitative research methods. Twenty-three midwives from nine locations across the Southern region were interviewed by trainee intern doctors (TIs) using a semi-structured interview protocol. Thematic analysis was applied to the data. results: The study highlighted the challenging context of rural midwifery, emphasising diverse working conditions, geographic complexities and the impact of the midwifery shortage. Midwives’ decision making about PE depended on location, experience, scientific evidence, holistic model of care and the constant concern about PE. A model illustrating midwifery decision making in PE management was developed. conclusion: Rural midwives in Aotearoa New Zealand’s Southern region managing PE cases face complex challenges. The model derived from this study illustrates the delicate balance that rural midwives navigate, emphasising the need for strategies to support their practice and preserve Aotearoa New Zealand’s distinctive maternity care model.

The Healthy Timing and Spacing of Pregnancies (HTSP) project: improving family planning in Siaya County, Kenya.

Religious leaders are influential and can impact the uptake of family planning (FP). In this study of the Healthy Timing and Spacing of Pregnancies (HTSP) project, led in Siaya County, Kenya, from September 2017 to June 2019, we present findings from the project's evaluation, to determine changes in knowledge of the key HTSP messages; changes in the proportion of community members who correctly identify at least three methods of contraception; changes in knowledge of healthy child spacing; and changes in modern contraceptive prevalence rate. This is a two-staged (baseline and endline) cross-sectional study, designed to assess the knowledge, practice, and coverage of HTSP/FP services. Primary data was collected using a questionnaire adapted from the United States Agency for International Development. Focus group discussion participants included men, women, representatives of community groups, faith leaders, and community heath volunteers. Frequencies were calculated from the ODK platform. Bivariate analytics (paired t test) were performed. At baseline, women respondents aged 20-29 years constituted 66.3% of the women participants, dropping to 60.9% at endline. Women aged 30-34 years constituted 11.9% and 22% of the entire women respondents, at baseline and endline, respectively. Men aged 20-29 constituted 45.2% of all men respondents at baseline, and 35.4% at endline. There were statistically significant increases in the knowledge of modern contraceptives among women (p = 0.0342), faith leaders (p = 0.0464), and the entire population (p = 0.0097), from baseline to endline. The HTSP model identifies success factors for FP interventions in Kenya and other low- and middle-income countries where faith leaders and community stakeholders are influential, and that women and faith leaders are much more easily impacted positively with these efforts, as measured by increased knowledge and awareness of modern contraceptive methods, compared with men.

“Every Single Word Is Now a Tempest of Gestures”: Luigi Ballerini's and Beppe Cavatorta's Anthology of Italian Poetry Those Who from Afar Look Like Flies

Abstract This essay is a long review of the anthology of Italian poetry Those Who from Afar Look Like Flies. Beginning with a brief discussion of the editor's extensive introduction and an evaluation and explanation of the overall anthology project, the review essay goes on to explore, in some depth, a selection of the numerous poets who appear in this 2,116-page volume. Among the many poets discussed are Pier Paolo Pasolini, Francesco Leonetti, Alfredo Giuliani, Elio Pagliarani, Antonio Porta, Edoardo Cacciatore, Corrado Costa, Antonio Delfini, Mario Diacono, Amelia Rosselli, Emilio Villa, Andrea Zanzotto, and numerous others. Specific poems are analyzed and contextualized within the larger context of contemporary Italian “Research” poetry.

Structured Online Systematic Review Training for Medical Students: An Elective Module in Physiology.

Background Recently, elective posting has been introduced by the National Medical Commission (NMC) of India in the undergraduate competency-based medical education (CBME) curriculum. To successfully implement it in medical colleges, facilitators (medical teachers) need to commit extra time. Hence, this study aimed to evaluate the impact of online teaching-learning methods for implementing an elective module for undergraduate medical students at Burdwan Medical College and Hospital, West Bengal, India. Methods An online module for systematic review methods was developed using the Delphi method. This module was used to train 30 medical students divided into six groups. One resident and one facultyfacilitated each group. After the elective program of 15 days, program feedback and evaluation using the Kirkpatrick model were obtained from the students. Results A total of 30 undergraduate medical students with a mean age of 22.7±0.95 years participated in the study. All of them successfully conducted a systematic review per group. The students' feedback was 86.33% positive, and the project evaluation showed an 84% positive opinion. The highest score was for understanding, facilitators' knowledge, and experience. The lowest score was for the immediate applicability of the knowledge. Conclusion An online systematic review training module can be used for elective teaching-learning for final-year medical students, particularly within limited time and resource constraints. Students appreciated the module's clear objectives, appropriate complexity, and facilitators' expertise, leading to improved communication, engagement, and critical-thinking skills. Despite some limitations, these findings suggest that online learning can complement traditional methods and address logistical challenges in medical education, warranting further research on its long-term impact and broader applicability.

THE IMPACT OF PUBLIC INVESTMENTS FOR EDUCATION ON THE PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS IN ROMANIA

Through this research we aim to make a brief analysis of how the value of educational investments influences the performance of students in Romania. In order to achieve the proposed goal, it is necessary to analyze some specific indicators to education and compare them with similar data from other countries. To carry out this research, both qualitative and quantitative research methods were applied. Education is an essential factor in economic growth and social development. The educational process has a significant role both in the growth of each individual and of society as a whole, being indispensable for personal development and well-being. Investments in education deliver long-term benefits to citizens, publicly funded institutions and the knowledge-based economy as a whole. Research over the last few decades has shown that investments in education and health are associated with the highest rate of return. It is essential to prioritize public investments with the aim of ensuring the performance standards of educational institutions in Romania, in conditions of security and quality. For this, it is necessary for the school infrastructure to function properly, the constructions to be consolidated, the maintenance costs to be costeffective and to ensure the efficiency of the use of space and resources in order to allow the activities of the users to be carried out in optimal conditions of comfort, health and productivity. Also, human capital is quantitatively analyzed as the first economic resource from the perspective of population evolution. In project evaluation, investment efficiency refers to the most effective, economical and rational way of using the investment resources made available to achieve the expected results.

Enhancing Community Participation in Local Development Projects: The Bangladesh Context

This paper focuses on developing an approach for effective community participation in local development projects. Researchers conducted a field study in Sunamganj district, one of the most vulnerable areas in Bangladesh, and collected information from 54 respondents, including Union Parishads (UP) chairpersons and members, secretaries, committee members, and local beneficiaries through interviews and FGDs using purposive sampling. Researchers also collected relevant documents from the Union Parishad (project plan, evaluation report, and annual progress report) to compare the information obtained from the participants in the field and analyzed them using the thematic analysis method. Study findings revealed that although UP is considered a close-knit community-based organization due to the nature of its development work and geographic location, inclusive decentralization and a democratic environment have not been established at the local level institutions to enhance meaningful community participation in development projects. This deficiency is attributed to outsider interferences, nepotism, lack of knowledge and information, top-down bureaucratic decisions, gender discrimination, and corruption. It is believed that the model of a meaningful decentralized participation system would help mobilize the comprehensive local development process.