Project Identification Research Articles

Bolstering the initiative of construction project members: a self-determination lens combining project social media use

PurposeIn today’s turbulent and complex era, initiative behavior is becoming more drawn to construction projects but challenging to arouse as it is free of the established regulations in project practice. Given the prevalence of social media (SM) in modern workplaces, this study is thereby motivated to investigate whether and how SM use can act to drive initiative behavior of construction project members (PMs) in this context.Design/methodology/approachThis study sharply examines two distinct types of SM use – work-related and social-related – to explore their roles in driving the initiative behavior of construction PMs. Additionally, self-determination theory is employed to explore their underlying translation mechanisms and associated boundary conditions. A survey dataset collected from 229 construction PMs is used to empirically test the proposed theoretical model.FindingsEmpirical results show that role-breadth self-efficacy, psychological safety and project identification, by satisfying basic psychological needs respectively, act as crucial bridging roles in translating SM use into initiative behavior of PMs. Such mediation effects are applied to both work-related and social-related SM use with varied mechanisms. Besides, prevention focus is found to be a contingent moderator on these relationships, with a strengthening role toward role-breadth self-efficacy and a weakening role toward project identification.Originality/valueThis study digs into the nuanced mechanisms of how SM use benefits construction projects, especially in terms of PMs’ initiative. The findings of this research afford new insights into effectively invigorating the initiative behavior of construction PMs under the current digital momentum.

Occupational Risk Management for a Sustainable Workplace Using Simulation

Theoretical background: The article delves into the realm of occupational risk management within the context of supply chain management and enterprise logistics. It emphasizes the importance of ensuring safety and sustainable working conditions in today’s dynamic business environment, where supply chains are becoming increasingly globalized and complex. Purpose of the article: The primary objective of the article is to introduce a novel approach to occupational risk management that leverages advanced digital technologies and simulations. It aims to address the existing research gap by developing a method that considers dynamic environmental factors and individual worker needs. By analyzing the synergy of various hazards, monitoring employee workload, and employing simulations, the article seeks to enhance the accuracy of occupational risk assessment and facilitate more effective corrective actions. Research methods: The article employs a mixed-method research approach, drawing upon both theoretical analysis and practical application. It begins with a thorough literature review to establish the theoretical framework and identify research gaps. Subsequently, it discusses the proposed solution – a method for managing occupational risks using simulation – by presenting its theoretical description and implementation process. The research methodology involves the development and application of this method to a selected order picking process, followed by simulation to minimize occupational risks. The authors also utilize software tools to simulate work processes and assess health risks to workers. Main findings: The main findings of the research suggest that occupational risk assessment using simulation has a significant impact on improving work processes in terms of sustainable workplaces. By introducing elements of labor humanization and redesigning work processes, the study demonstrates a reduction in the sources of occupational risk. The innovative approach to risk assessment, based on recursion across different organizational resources, facilitates the identification of improvement action projects. Additionally, the study emphasizes the importance of digitalization and Industry 4.0 technologies in monitoring working conditions, identifying risks, and implementing preventive measures. Overall, the research contributes to shaping new standards for safe and sustainable work environments, thereby enhancing both safety and efficiency within organizations.

Safe schools Africa: Ensuring the provision of safe infrastructure for school children on donor-financed road projects

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has the world’s highest road traffic injury rates, and rates are increasing as the continent develops and mobilises. However, roads are a cornerstone of economic development, and so governments across the continent – supported by development partners – invest heavily in developing their road networks. No government or lending institution wants people – above all children, who are among the most vulnerable road users – to be injured or killed on the roads they finance and build. Making roads safe is not a controversial proposition. The challenge lies in changing the existing practices that allow high-risk roads to be built. This paper looks at a program, ‘Safe Schools Africa’, which seeks to address the challenge of ensuring that the existing road procurement, design, and construction systems and practices consider the specific road safety requirements of school children. The program ensures that provision is made to safeguard school children and other vulnerable road users in the design and construction of new and rehabilitated roads used by this group. Safe Schools Africa is operated and administered by the FIA Foundation and Amend. The FIA Foundation and Amend work together on advocacy and project identification, while Amend carries out the community engagement and technical engineering services and manages the logistics of project delivery. The paper will examine examples of the ongoing application of ‘Safe Schools Africa’ on donor-financed projects in Ghana, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia and share some lessons learnt to date.

Maximizing opportunities for co-implementing fuel break networks and restoration projects

Increasing impacts from wildfires are reshaping fire policies worldwide, with expanded investments in a wide range of fuel reduction strategies. In many fire prone regions, especially in the Mediterranean basin, fuel management programs have relied on fuel break networks for decades to facilitate fire suppression and reduce area burned and damage. By contrast, on the fire prone federal forests in the western United States, fuel management is guided primarily by landscape restoration goals, including improving fire resiliency such that wildfires can be managed for ecological benefit, and suppression is used more as a tool to shape burn patterns and less to extinguish fires. New policies in both fire systems are now calling for hybrid approaches that rely on both types of investments and efficient allocation of alternative spatial treatment patterns: linear networks versus patches across the landscape. However, studies that combine these strategies and examine alternative co-prioritization outcomes and potential synergies are largely non-existent. Here, we analyzed scenarios for implementing both types of treatments in concert while varying the prioritization metrics for one type or the other on a western United States national forest. We measured the response related to both treatment strategies including fire intersection rate, improvement in forest resiliency, and net revenue. We found that projects with benefits to both strategies can be identified and mapped independently of the implementation scenario and restoration objective. However, scenarios prioritized for fuel breaks preceding restoration resulted in the identification of more projects that met the criteria for providing dual benefits. The study is a rare example of optimizing hybrid fuel treatment projects that serve both restoration and fire protection goals with different spatial treatment designs.

Stakeholder Identification and Performance of World Bank Funded Projects in Kenya

Stakeholder Identification and Performance of World Bank Funded Projects in Kenya

Influence of Public Participation on Implementation of County Government Projects: Case of Makueni County, Kenya

Projects are the foundation of local development in any nation that is developing. Despite the significance of county government projects to society, the majority of these initiatives have delayed, failed, or otherwise fallen short of their goals. The study aimed at assessing the influence of public participation on implementation of county government projects: case of Makueni County, Kenya. The study was guided by following specific objectives; to determine the influence of public participation in project identification process, budget preparation process, governance process and monitoring and evaluation process on implementation of Makueni county projects. A descriptive research design was used for this study. There were 330 project personnel working on projects throughout all Makueni County constituencies and this formed the study population. Thus, the target population was the project committee members, executive project management consultant members and technical officers involved in implementation of the projects for the last at least three years at Makueni sub-counties. Using a stratified random sampling procedure, 99 respondents (30% of the population) were chosen from the target population. The study used primary methods in data collection using questionnaires. Content analysis method was used to examine the qualitative data from the open-ended questions. The statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 22 was used to interpret the quantitative data from the closed-ended questions. Descriptive statistics, such as frequencies, percentages, standard deviation, and arithmetic mean, were used to examine the results. Inferential analysis was used in determination of the relationship between the variables. The results of the analysis were subsequently shown in charts and tables. The coefficient results show results that budget preparation process and governance process have a significant positive influence on project implementation, with standardized coefficients of 0.555 and 0.761, respectively. Meanwhile, monitoring and evaluation has a significant negative influence on project implementation with a standardized coefficient of -0.479. Project identification pross, on the other hand, does not have a statistically significant impact on project implementation.

Granular satellite data to assess the potential for nature based solutions at a national scale: a proof of concept with data from Rwanda and Lesotho

ABSTRACT Nature-based Solutions (NbS) form a substantial part of cost-efficient climate change mitigation options. However, public financial flows towards NbS have been limited. Among the factors impeding investments in NbS are challenges in reliable remote project identification and comparison. In this article, we demonstrate a technological solution to these challenges. Using cloud-based satellite data processing and the proliferation of open geospatial data, we developed a methodology to map NbS suitability based on a set of biophysical, pedological, hydrological and climatological criteria. To provide a proof of concept, we identify potential project areas for eight types of NbS in Rwanda and Lesotho. Building on these spatially-explicit NbS suitability data layers (accessible at https://williamouellette.users.earthengine.app/view/ncs-potential), we develop marginal abatement cost curves for projects in Rwanda and Lesotho. We thus provide a proof of concept for remote identification and project comparison. These technological developments can help investors, such as multilateral donors or governments, alleviate additionality concerns that are implied by local project selection. Key Policy Insights Investment in climate change mitigation through Nature-based Solutions (NbS) is limited, in spite of the large, cost-efficient potential for achieving national and global goals. Remote project identification and comparison can help alleviate some of the impediments to international investment in NbS. Such remote identification and comparison of NbS projects is now possible because of breakthroughs in cloud-based satellite data processing technologies and increased availability of geospatial data. We present a proof of concept, establishing marginal abatement cost curves for climate change mitigation through NbS in Rwanda and Lesotho. Coupled with the institutional improvements necessary to create a reliable intergovernmental carbon credit market, these technological developments have the potential to boost international investment in NbS.

The Role of Public Space in Building the Resilience of Cities: Analysis of Representative Projects from IFLA Europe Exhibitions

Climate change exerts a notable influence on the formation of public spaces, necessitating design solutions that address not only aesthetic and functional aspects but also adaptability to local environmental challenges. Public spaces in the form of streets, squares and parks constitute significant parts of cities, creating an opportunity to adapt to climate change through the proper use of ecosystem services. Through the examination of 114 projects from 29 countries showcased in two IFLA Europe exhibitions, this study assesses the extent to which contemporary public spaces integrate responses to prevailing environmental issues and locally contribute to climate change mitigation efforts. The results reveal a discernible rise in the incorporation of environmentally sustainable strategies within projects, particularly those focused on mitigation, protection, reuse, recovery, and education. Additionally, the identification of projects demonstrating the spectrum of responses to local threats is outlined. This research underscores the pivotal role of public spaces in ameliorating the local impacts of climate change within urban environments, emphasizing the increasing prevalence of such solutions in recent years and advocating for their formal recognition in contemporary principles guiding public space design.

Prevalence of Obesity-Related Disease in a Danish Population - The Results of an Algorithm-Based Screening Program.

The prevalence of obesity continues to rise. People with obesity are at increased risk of several diseases. We tested an algorithm-based screening program for people with a BMI above 30 kg/m2 and present data on the prevalence of previously undiagnosed obesity-related diseases. Seven hundred and sixty-nine persons with BMI > 30 kg/m2 and age 18-60 years were screened for diabetes (assessed by glycosylated hemoglobin and oral glucose tolerance test at HbA1c 43-48 mmol/mol), sleep apnea (screened by questionnaires and assessed by cardiorespiratory monitoring at indication of sleep disorder), liver steatosis or liver fibrosis (assessed by biochemistry and fibroscan) and arterial hypertension (assessed by both office and 24-hour blood pressure measurement). A reference group of people with a BMI of 18.5-29.9 kg/m2 was established. Of those referred, 73.0% were women. We identified new diabetes in 4.2%, prediabetes in 9.1%, moderate-to-severe sleep apnea in 25.1%, increased liver fat and increased liver stiffness in 68.1% and 17.4%, respectively, and hypertension or masked hypertension in 19.0%. The prevalence of diseases was much higher among men and increased with BMI. Except for hypertension, we found few participants with undiagnosed disease in the reference group. An algorithm-based screening program is feasible and reveals undiagnosed obesity-related disease in a large proportion of the participants. The disproportional referral pattern calls for a tailored approach aiming to include more men with obesity. Inclusion of the non-obese group was approved by the Scientific Ethics Committee of The Region of Southern Denmark (project identification number: S-20210091), and the study was reported at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT05176132).

A proposal for a framework process to guide the digital transformation in the R&D center of a Brazilian chemical industry

Despite the known advantages of digital transformation, many chemical industries have failed to advance digital maturity. Recent studies have shown that the main difficulties lie in the implementation process of digital technologies. In fact, digital projects are started within companies, but most of them do not go beyond the pilot phase. So, how should the digital transformation process be conducted to mitigate implementation difficulties? This article investigates the main barriers faced by the Research and Development (R&D) center of a Brazilian large chemical company and proposes a solution to improve the likelihood of digital transformation implementation success. Therefore, a prescriptive research was performed with a qualitive approach based on Design Science Research resulting in the artifact (a framework) design. The proposed solution is a framework which is composed by three phases, I-PREPARATION, II-ELABORATION OF DIGITAL PLAN, and III-EXECUTION OF DIGITAL PLAN, aiming to support the identification, prioritization, and execution of digital projects inside the sector. The framework was positively evaluated by companies’ specialists , suggesting that it’s a potential solution for improving the likelihood of digital transformation implementation effectiveness.

Identifying Critical Success Factors of Public Private Partnership Projects in Türkiye

Public private partnerships (PPPs) have become increasingly common as a result of states' shifting roles in infrastructure services from service providers and operators to policymakers and regulators. PPPs have been established as a prominent technique of public service procurement in both developed and developing countries. PPPs give the parties the opportunity to split the costs and risks of providing a public service or building a public infrastructure. Successful project management is crucial, especially in light of PPP projects' size and complexity. This study investigates the critical success factors (CSFs) of PPP investments in developing countries. In this regard, 23 CSFs were selected based on a thorough literature review, and a questionnaire survey was run to examine the impact of those factors on PPP performance. The information is gathered from 82 different companies in Türkiye that represent both the public and private sectors. The statistical analysis results show that favorable legal framework, detailed and clear project identification, and extensive cost-benefit assessment are the most significant drivers of success. Additionally, factor analysis is used on the data to investigate and identify underlying correlations between the factors, as well as to categorize them into fewer, more focused, and more thorough factors. The results of factor analysis suggest five dimensions; namely project finance, project management, operational factors, procurement, and organizational factors. The study's findings are anticipated to benefit both the public sector in its focus on legal concerns to permit better operation and the contractors in its examination of their capacity to manage big projects more effectively.

Strategic Identification and Selection of Information Systems Projects

Strategic Information Systems Planning (SISP) stands at the intersection of technology and organizational strategy, serving as a guiding compass for businesses navigating the increasingly complex digital landscape. This research report explores the critical aspects of Strategic Information Systems Planning (SISP), focusing on various approaches to SISP and best practices to avoid common mistakes during the process. Systems analysts play a pivotal role in this process, ensuring the alignment of IS projects with organizational goals and objectives. By examining different SISP approaches and highlighting best practices, this report aims to provide valuable insights into effective project identification and selection for achieving organizational success.

Understanding Project Stakeholder Planning, Identification and Engagement: A Phenomenological Approach

This research explored stakeholder management practices by conducting qualitative interviews with 71 seasoned project managers. Through phenomenological principles and inductive coding, findings revealed inconsistencies in stakeholder planning, identification, and engagement. The research underscores the importance of early stakeholder identification using both formal and informal techniques. Additionally, it identifies a gap between academic literature and actual practitioner methodologies, particularly regarding stakeholder registers, mapping, and value propositions. The study suggests a need for structured and standardized stakeholder management strategies, especially given the evolving stakeholder dynamics in projects. The findings offer actionable insights for professionals and organizations seeking to improve stakeholder management techniques.

Beneficiaries’ Participation and Project Sustainability in Rwanda: A Case of Land Husbandry Water Harvesting and Hillside Irrigation Project in Rulindo District

Project sustainability is a global concern, with the goal of ensuring project objectives continue after official closure. However, project failure remains a mystery due to various factors. This study aimed to determine the impact of beneficiaries' participation in project identification, planning, and implementation on project sustainability in Rwanda. The research used stakeholder theory, reasoned action theory, and sustainability theory, with a descriptive design for both quantitative and qualitative data. The study involved 38 participants and a sample size of 35. The researcher analyzed and interpreted theoretical literature, empirical and critical literature, and presented a conceptual framework. Stratified sampling technique was used to select defendants representing various groups, and a regression model was used. Descriptive survey design was used to gather general information and administer questionnaires to respondents. Simple Random sampling method was used for staff selection. Regression analysis revealed that beneficiaries' participation in identification significantly affects project sustainability (β= 0.628, p =.000). However, beneficiaries' participation in planning had no statistically significant effect on project sustainability improvement (β= 0.048, p =.689). However, beneficiaries' participation in project implementation had a statistically significant effect on project sustainability (β= 0.584, p =.000). The study successfully achieved all research objectives and addressed the research gap by acquiring new knowledge from existing literature. The researcher recommends that governments, non-governmental organizations, and private sector federations implement measures to improve beneficiaries' participation in project management skills, and projects initiators, founders, donors, and managers should enhance their capabilities to contribute to project sustainability.

Examine How Stakeholders’ Participation in Project Identification Influence Project Performance, Case Study: Musanze District

The role of stakeholders in project work cannot be ignored. A review of the scientific literature reveals a strong relationship between the two. This study aims to reveal how stakeholder participation affects the performance of public services. Community participation is handled in three stages within the context of the project cycle; Analysis, planning and execution. This study is guided by the following research objectives; To examine how stakeholder participation in project analysis affects performance in Musanze District, to evaluate how stakeholder participation in project planning affects the work in Musanze District, and to find out which stakeholders are involved in the Project > Business-related studies in Musanze District. Researchers studied the Rwanda WASH project at MINIFRA. The project is a collaboration between the Government of Rwanda, the Government of the Netherlands and UNICEF Rwanda, but implemented in the Musanze region by MNIFRA. Interviewees included program representatives from the three donors, representatives of worker organizations, PICs, and beneficiary representatives. The first three categories of respondents were selected and convenience sampling was used to select the last category (beneficiaries). Surveys were used to collect data from the first three groups of participants. The total sample size used in the study was 43 people. The data was analyzed using a descriptive model using SPSS. While the majority of participants (80.5%) responded positively to the participation of beneficiaries in the WASH program, only 19.5 gave negative and negative comments. The majority of respondents think planning has an impact on productivity (31.7%), 19.5% think it has a very high impact, 9.8% think it has a moderate impact, 17.1% think it has a very low impact, and 22.0% think it has a very low impact. I think. little. Most participants responded that the impact of project success was very good (31.7%), 29.3% responded that it was high, 9.8% responded that it was average, 12.2% responded that it was very low, and 14.6% responded that it was very high. Low Researchers concluded that collaboration with stakeholders impacts projects at three stages of the business cycle. This study recommends that WASH develop procedures to ensure maximum participant participation in most roles during the task, especially thinking and planning, task management and performance. Future research should examine participant engagement on outcome measures other than those examined in the current study.

Application of fund analysis model to identify key factors in construction projects

This study constructs a funnel analysis model by collecting relevant data to achieve fault monitoring. Back-propagation (BP) neural networks are also used to identify structural damage in construction projects, and a genetic algorithm (GA) is used to optimise BP to improve issues such as slow convergence and long time consumption. The results indicate that the difference between the third-order frequency and the first-order curvature mode is the most suitable indicator for damage warning and identification. The difference in the first-order curvature mode of adjacent measurement points of the damaged component increases with the increase in the degree of damage. Comparing the GA–BP neural network and BP neural network, the former has a smaller error in identification and better performance. The maximum and minimum relative errors of GA–BP in identifying the damage degree of the structure are 8.06 and 1.61%, respectively, meeting the accuracy requirements of the project. The identification of the key factors in construction projects based on the funnel analysis model is beneficial for identifying structural damage and ensuring the safety of engineering projects.

Influence of Stakeholders Participation on the Performance of Agriculture Projects in Rwanda: A Case of PSDAG Project at Sarura Commodities Ltd

Participation of stakeholders has been respected as a decisive component of programming since 1970s. The study was undertaken to establish how stake holder’s participation influences the performance of agricultural projects SARURA Commodities Ltd. The research was guided by three objectives; to establish the influence of stakeholder participation in project identification on the performance of agricultural project in Sarura Commodities Ltd; determine the influence of stakeholder participation in project execution on performance of agricultural project in Sarura Commodities Ltd; and, examine the influence of stakeholder participation in project funding on performance of agricultural project in Sarura Commodities Ltd. This study employs a descriptive survey research design, targeting project stakeholders, including donors, the implementing agency, and beneficiaries (n=115). A census method is used for sample selection. Data is collected through questionnaires, with a focus on demographic information and project-related inquiries. Thematic and descriptive analyses are applied for qualitative and quantitative data, respectively. Ethical considerations encompass informed consent, participant rights, and anonymity preservation. The study assessed the impact of project identification, execution, and funding on the performance of agricultural projects in Sarura Commodities Ltd, Rwanda. Results indicate high agreement among respondents on project identification (Mean=4.4298), execution (Mean=4.530), and funding (Mean=4.710). Correlation analysis reveals a positive and significant (ranging from 0.721 to 0.860) relationship between stakeholder participation and project outcomes. Regression models demonstrate that stakeholder participation significantly influences timely completion (R²=89.0%), completion within budget (R²=72.1%), and quality specification (R²=86.0%). These findings highlight the crucial role of effective project management and stakeholder engagement in enhancing the success of agricultural projects in the context of Sarura Commodities Ltd. In conclusion, the study reveals that project identification, execution, and funding significantly impact the performance of agricultural projects in Sarura Commodities Ltd, Rwanda. The high mean scores indicate the substantial influence of each factor. Recommendations include enhancing stakeholder skills in funding, promoting flexible working systems for donor collaboration, and dispelling misconceptions about the time and cost associated with project funding. These measures can optimize project outcomes and stakeholder engagement in agricultural initiatives. Keywords: Stakeholders Participation, Performance of Agriculture Projects, PSDAG Project, Sarura Commodities Ltd, Rwanda

An Agent-based Model of the Effects of Group Norms and Project Identification on Construction Workers’ Safety Behavior

An Agent-based Model of the Effects of Group Norms and Project Identification on Construction Workers’ Safety Behavior

Strategies for developing faculty confidence and competencies to mentor quality improvement DNP projects.

DNP faculty who mentor students in quality improvement (QI) DNP projects often lack essential knowledge of QI principles. The purpose of this article is to guide DNP programs in developing confident and competent faculty mentors for QI DNP projects, facilitating DNP student success. At a multi-campus practice- and research-intensive university, strategies employed to teach College of Nursing faculty essential knowledge of QI principles comprise structural and process components. Structural supports standardize faculty workload, promote potential for collaborative scholarship, and provide instructional and resource support for faculty mentors. Organizational processes facilitate identification of practice sites and meaningful projects. A College of Nursing and university Institutional Review Board collaboration established policy to guide human subjects protection regarding DNP project activity, streamlining and standardizing the process. Library support mechanisms, access to ongoing faculty QI training and resources, and faculty feedback processes to improve QI faculty development are ongoing and sustained. Peer coaching provides continued support for faculty development. Initial process outcomes indicate that implemented strategies are well-received by faculty. The transition to competency-based education provides opportunities to create tools to measure multiple student quality and safety competencies highlighted in Domain 5 of The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education and inform future directions for faculty development essential to support student success.

Towards Automating the Identification of Sustainable Projects Seeking Financial Support: An AI-Powered Approach

The criticality of sustainable development to control the unprecedented consequences of climate change is clear. A vital element in launching sustainability projects is financing, especially for projects by small and medium enterprises. The first and crucial step to offering financing services for sustainable development is to identify and evaluate promising projects. The current practice to accomplish this step heavily depends on subject-matter expertise and professional networks. The current practice also involves extensive manual document reviews and subjective decisions. Therefore, existing methods are time-consuming, inefficient, and not scalable. This study proposes an automated system to identify potential sustainability projects for financing services using Artificial Intelligence (AI). The proposed method uses web crawlers and text mining solutions, including Natural Language Processing (NLP), to search the Internet, analyze text data, evaluate the information quantitatively, and identify potential sustainability projects for financing services. The proposed method was implemented and empirically assessed. The results indicate that the AI-enhanced system is able to identify and prioritize potential sustainability projects with 87% accuracy. The outcomes of this study will help financial experts and decision-makers take advantage of the information available on the Internet efficiently to improve the existing methods for identifying potential projects for financing services.