Key Evaluation Indicators Research Articles

Analysing the sustainability of the physical rehabilitation sector in seven fragile countries through multi-stakeholder involvement using a participatory consensus tool

Background: Sustainability is identified by nearly all organisations working in global health as one of the key indicators for project evaluation. Though typically recognised as an essential component for good project management to ensure positive impact, it is rarely applied effectively in practical terms and there are very few practical methods or tools to support implementation and monitoring of sustainable interventions. Further, despite efforts of stakeholders at all levels, the rehabilitation sector is not usually at the top of policy-makers’ agendas, which often results in limited to no funding and makes the task of building sustainability even more challenging at field level.

Key Performance Indicators for Sustainable Manufacturing Evaluation in Cement Industry

The cement industries are facing challenges to implement sustainable manufacturing into their products and processes. Cement manufacturing has remarked as an intensive consumer of natural raw materials, fossil fuels, energy, and a major source of multiple pollutants. Thus, evaluating the sustainable manufacturing in this industry is become a necessity. This paper proposes a set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for evaluating the sustainable manufacturing believed to be appropriate to the cement industry based on the triple bottom line of sustainability. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method is applied to prioritize the performance indicators by summarizing the opinions of experts. It is hoped that the proposed KPIs enables and assists the cement industry to achieve the higher performance in sustainable manufacturing and so as to increase the competitiveness.

Reenvisioning success for programs supporting pregnant women with problematic substance use.

Community-based, integrated, primary care maternity programs for pregnant women affected by problematic substance use are emerging as effective models for engaging women affected by multiple health and social issues. Although addictions services have historically been evaluated by individual achievement of abstinence, new definitions of program success are required as addiction comes to be viewed as a chronic illness. We conducted a mixed-methods study to follow the formative development stages of a community-based program, identifying key evaluation indicators and processes related to this program, program team members, and women and families served. As this program model develops, it is critical that providers, community partners, and health system leaders collaborate to frame definitions of success in ways helpful for guiding program development.

Strong and healthy in Primary School Klasse2000 Program, Germany: a Program Impact Pathways (PIP) analysis.

Developing a Program Impact Pathways (PIP) diagram helps identify and clarify the key objectives, processes, activities, and evaluation indicators of school-based nutrition programs. The Mondelēz International Foundation has recently supported the development of PIP analyses for programs in seven countries around the world. The results were shared with other project organizers at a Healthy Lifestyles Program Evaluation Workshop held in Granada, Spain, 13-14 September 2013, under the auspices of the Mondelēz International Foundation. The objectives were to develop the PIP assessment of the Strong and Healthy in Primary School Klasse2000 Program in order to refine the primary, secondary, and tertiary objectives of the program; identify Critical Quality Control Points (CCPs); and identify core indicators of the program's impact on healthy lifestyles. The PIP report was developed based on detailed instructions provided prior to the workshop, taking into account the Klasse2000 Program evaluation reports. The following CCPs were identified: monitoring the qualifications and motivation of teaching staff (external health promoters and schoolteachers); assessing involvement of the students' environmental influences, including families, schools, and sponsors; and assessing the children's healthy lifestyle knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors before and after program exposure. The healthy lifestyle indicators identified were children's knowledge of healthy diets and health-enhancing physical activities; the availability of healthy breakfast and snacks; the frequency of consumption of fruits, vegetables, sweetened and unsweetened drinks,fast food, and sweets, as well as attitudes toward physical activity; and the frequency and extent of physical activity in school and during free time. Body mass index (BMI) was identified as the final outcome indicator. Developing a PIP report helped to focus the objectives of the program. Identifying CCPs helped draw attention to the processes linking critical program activities. As a result, plans for the upcoming school year include conducting a PIP-informed survey of participating parents and children to gauge their satisfaction with the program.

The KPI Evaluation Method of Logistics Service in Railway Logistics Enterprises

To improve the level of enterprise performance management and logistics service,this paper proposed the KPI evaluation method of logistics service in railway logistics enterprises. By analyzing the strategic target of railway logistics enterprises logistics service, I decomposed the railway logistics enterprises strategic target to get the key evaluation indicators system of the logistics service in railway logistics enterprises, and used AHP to determine the index weight. Finally, I used the percentage method to evaluate the logistics service of railway logistics enterprises.

A Standardised Ranking Model for Evaluation of Transport Projects as Basis for a Future Funding Scheme

In Austria exists – as in other countries – a variety of different funding schemes for co-funding urban transport projects (ministry of transport, ministry of environment, ministry of economics, funding from provincial budget, special funds, e. g. for climate protection, etc.). All of these with different sets of criteria and different funding schemes. Therefore it is not sure over all, if the most efficient projects for transport in cities will be funded within the existing funding architecture. This situation is unsatisfying and not transparent, therefore the Austrian Association of Cities commissioned the Institute for Transport Studies to develop a standardised ranking model for urban transport measures. This model makes different projects comparable, starting with bicycle measures, mobility management, measures for pedestrians and ending with public transport infrastructure measures or new public transport vehicles. The ranking model is based on four pillars: (1) contribution of the measure to the actual transport master plan in the city (2) total economic cost and benefit ratio of the measure (3) expected environmental benefit of the measure and (4) degree of return of investment targeted by the municipality. Key evaluation indicators for the model are developed to make possible a comparison of the measures and a ranking, which measures to prefer. The challenge is to bridge the gap between a serious estimation of impacts and a reasonable effort of data collection for those who apply for funding. During a test phase, four measures were tested and analyzed with the model developed - two public transport measures (a rail-based and a bus scheme), one bicycle measure and one mobility management measure. The final version of the model is ready since mid 2011. With the ranking model as proposal the Austrian Association of Cities will put pressure on the responsible departments to establish a transparent and cost efficient funding scheme in Austria in the future.

Application of data envelopment analysis on the indicators contributing to learning and teaching performance

This paper applies data envelopment analysis (DEA) to explore the quantitative relative efficiency of 18 classes of freshmen students studying a course of English conversation in a university of Taiwan from the academic year 2004–2006. A diagram of teaching performance improvement mechanism is designed to identify key performance indicators for evaluation in order to help teachers concentrate their efforts on the formulated teaching suggestions. The sensitivity study highlights the priority of the richness of course contents over the other evaluated indicators. The performance improvement mechanism can help decision-makers to design educational policies.

Editorial A model for developing a decision support system to simulate national drug policy indicators

Editorial A model for developing a decision support system to simulate national drug policy indicators

Development of Key Indicators for Nurses Performance Evaluation and Estimation of Their Weights for Management by Objectives

This methodological research was designed to develop performance evaluation key indicators (PEKIs) for management by objectives (MBO) and to estimate their weights for hospital nurses. The PEKIs were developed by selecting preliminary indicators from a literature review, examining content validity and identifying their level of importance. Data were collected from November 14, 2007 to February 18, 2008. Data set for importance of indicators was obtained from 464 nurses and weights of PEKIs domain was from 453 nurses, who worked for at least 2 yr in one of three hospitals. Data were analyzed using X(2)-test, factor analysis, and the Analytical Hierarchy Process. Based upon Content Validity Index of .8 or above, 61 indicators were selected from the 100 preliminary indicators. Finally, 40 PEKIs were developed from the 61 indicators, and categorized into 10 domains. The highest weight of the 10 domains was customer satisfaction, which was followed by patient education, direct nursing care, profit increase, safety management, improvement of nursing quality, completeness of nursing records, enhancing competence of nurses, indirect nursing care, and cost reduction, in that order. PEKIs and their weights can be utilized for impartial evaluation and MBO for hospital nurses. Further research to verify PEKIs would lead to successful implementation of MBO.

Key performance indicators for PLM benefits evaluation: The Alcatel Alenia Space case study

From a theoretical point of view, people are used to think that the adoption of innovative business solutions, for optimizing the product lifecycle, should always guarantee a sufficient return on the investment (ROI), even if the concrete benefits that the investment has given to the company are sometimes difficult to evaluate. Looking at the technical literature it is possible to find a lot of ROI's estimation metrics for the evaluation of business strategies, even if after the analysis of the theoretical concepts no one faces with a real implementation of the methodology proposed. This paper proposes a solution, based on the key performance indicator (KPI) method, for evaluating the benefits introduced by the adoption of a Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) tool in a one of a kind company. The methods have been validated with its implementation into an Aerospace and Defence company (Alcatel Alenia Space), highlighting the improvement created by the implementation of the PLM solution in the everyday activities and showing the system's contribution for some key-process as configuration, change and documentation.

The Emergence of International Outsourcing Agents in China: A New Type of Player in International Supply Networks

As China emerges as a centre of manufacturing of the world, more and more small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) start to outsource their production and related supply chain management in China. But it is very difficult to effectively manage the international outsourcing and supply chain mainly because their limited size and resources. International outsourcing agents emerge as a potential solution pursued by many western companies. Currently it has very limited information from both practical and theoretical aspects to understand the agents and their characteristics. This paper, based on four case studies of agents in three major industrial sectors in China, introduces business models and growth paths of the international manufacturing outsourcing agents, and establishes a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) for evaluation. The paper seeks to help western SMEs and hightech startups recognize the Chinese maturing and an ideal system for implementation, and to provide theoretical insights about the agents role and characteristics in international supply networks.

An Australian guideline for rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease: an abridged outline

Acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) are diseases of poverty. They occur at world-record rates in Indigenous Australians, yet individual cases are often poorly managed, and most jurisdictions with high rates of these diseases do not have formal control strategies in place. New Australian guidelines formulated in 2005 by the National Heart Foundation of Australia and the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand for diagnosis and management of ARF and RHD are a valuable resource for clinicians and policymakers. Key recommendations of the guidelines include: New diagnostic criteria for ARF in high-risk populations, including Indigenous Australians, which include echocardiographic evidence of subclinical valvular disease, and polyarthralgia or aseptic monoarthritis as major manifestations. Clear guidance about treatment of ARF. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs should be withheld until the diagnosis is confirmed, and corticosteroids may be an option in severe acute carditis. Most cases of chorea do not require medication, but use of carbamazepine or sodium valproate is recommended if medication is needed. Clear guidance about dose, dosing frequency and duration of secondary prophylaxis. Benzathine penicillin G is the preferred medication for this purpose. Establishment of a coordinated control program for all regions of Australia where there are populations with high prevalence of ARF and RHD. Key elements and indicators for evaluation are recommended. Active screening and legislated notification of ARF and RHD, where possible. Development of a structured care plan for all patients with a history of ARF or with established RHD, to be recorded in the patient's primary health care record.