Safety analysis is a process involving several techniques.The purpose of this thesis is to test and develop methodssuitable for the safety analysis of railway risks and railwaysafety measures. Safety analysis is a process comprisingproblem identification, risk estimation, valuation of safetyand economic analysis. The main steps are described in separatechapters, each of which includes a discussion of the methodsand a review of previous research, followed by the contributionof this author. Although the safety analysis proceduredescribed can be used for analysing railway safety, it has suchgeneral foundations that it can be used wherever safety isimportant and wherever safety measures are evaluated. Itcombines cost benefit analysis with criteria for thedistribution and the absolute levels of risk. Risks are estimated with both statistical and risk analysismethods. Historical data on railway accidents are analysed andstatistical models fitted to describe trends in accident ratesand consequences. A risk analysis model is developed usingfault tree and event tree techniques, together with Monte Carlosimulation, to calculate risks for passenger train derailments.The results are compared with the statistical analysis ofhistorical data. People's valuation of safety in different contexts isanalysed, with relative values estimated in awillingness-to-pay study. A combination of focus groups andindividual questionnaires is used. Two different methods areused to estimate the value of safety and the results arecompared. Comparisons are also made with other studies. Different approaches for safety analysis and methods foreconomic analysis of safety are reviewed. Cost-benefit analysisas a decision criterion is discussed and a study on theeconomic effectsof a traffic control system is presented. There are several results of the work. Historical data showsa decrease in the accident rate. The average consequence ofeach accident has not changed over time. The risk analysismodel produces comparable results and enables analysis ofvarious safety measures. The valuation study shows that peopleprefer the prevention of small-scale accidents over theprevention of larger, catastrophic accidents. There are onlysmall differences in the valuation of safety in differentcontexts.

The general purpose of this dissertation is to evaluate KrAmi – a correctional program for young offenders – regarding socioeconomic profitability. Evaluating socioeconomic results enables us to examine and reflect upon the possibilities of applying socioeconomic models to social work. The basic data, from a long-term follow up study of 140 persons in two KrAmi programs, one Knuff program and two probation programs (treatment as usual), also allow systematic comparisons with more traditional evaluation models The data have been presented in one research report and three articles. The research report examines both the effects in an effect study and the socioeconomic results in a CBA (Cost-Benefit Analysis) and a CEA (Cost-Effectiveness analysis). The overall aim of the socioeconomic study was to examine the socioeconomic profitability of the programmes. We found a halving of expenditure for the KrAmi and Knuff groups and a 25 percent reduction for the two probation programmes compared to the cost one year before rehabilitation started. The 15-year investment analysis (CBA) showed that expenditures decreased and benefits increased by about 2.5 million SEK per individual for the two KrAmi programmes and one non-custodial program, by 0.5-1.0 million SEK for the Knuff program and the other non-custodial program. For the KrAmi programs investment in rehabilitation pays off in 1-1.5 years, for probation in 2.5-4 years and for Knuff in 4 years after the intervention. The benefit-cost ratios were 17.8 - 12.7 for the two KrAmi programs and 5.1 - 5.8 for the two non-custodial programs. For the Knuff program the benefit-cost ratio was 13.2. KrAmi rates are higher for rehabilitation rate (pension points), rehabilitation rate compared to investment costs and benefit-cost ratio, pay-off time is the shortest. The results of both the effect study and socio-economic study, which were presented in the first article, suggest that social improvements for the clients corresponded with socio-economic profitability. However, these findings should be interpreted with caution due to difficulties in comparing short-term data on effects from ASI interviews collected in one period with long-term data concerning socio-economic costs per day per client in a different period. The second article elaborated on these design issues and also examined whether approaching an evaluation from different perspectives and employing different research methods can increase understanding. The conclusion drawn was that it was essential to have knowledge on the dissimilarities in design and measures between the two studies to come to the correct interpretations. These interpretations led to new questions to illuminate the results of the evaluations. In the third article the focus was the long-term follow up period. In this study the Knuff program was excluded from the study and the two KrAmi programs formed the program group and the two probation group formed the control group. The follow-up period was two years during which the socioeconomic costs decreased stepwise for both groups, probation groups more so than program groups. The deteriorations were 70-80% compared to the period before treatment. However rehabilitation to labour market was more successful for program groups than for control groups thanks to the greater socio-economic profitability for program groups. The introductory part of this dissertation focuses on methodological difficulties, and a multivariate regression analysis (MRA) is presented which shows that pre-existing differences in the composition of the program groups and control groups were not responsible for the differences on the socio-economic results. Moreover the introductory section includes a research presentation and the rationale for socioeconomic evaluation.

Global warming is an international problem which has led to that many corporations today has an increased environmental awareness. This thesis includes a Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) approach which evaluates whether carbon offsetting is a profitable alternative for corporations and society wide. The study is predominately focusing on the emissions of the greenhouse gas . The calculations of CBA show the difference between the scenarios with or without the carbon offsetting. In the CBA approach effects are divided into benefits and costs. The study includes a case study of Husqvarna AB and is carried through with aim to get a decision support whether or not to make the corporation carbon neutral. Basic data from Husqvarna AB has been used.

<p>Global warming is an international problem which has led to that many corporations today has an increased environmental awareness.</p><p>This thesis includes a Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) approach which evaluates whether carbon offsetting is a profitable alternative for corporations and society wide. The study is predominately focusing on the emissions of the greenhouse gas . The calculations of CBA show the difference between the scenarios with or without the carbon offsetting. In the CBA approach effects are divided into benefits and costs.</p><p>The study includes a case study of Husqvarna AB and is carried through with aim to get a decision support whether or not to make the corporation carbon neutral. Basic data from Husqvarna AB has been used.</p>

<p>Global warming is an international problem which has led to that many corporations today has an increased environmental awareness.</p><p>This thesis includes a Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) approach which evaluates whether carbon offsetting is a profitable alternative for corporations and society wide. The study is predominately focusing on the emissions of the greenhouse gas . The calculations of CBA show the difference between the scenarios with or without the carbon offsetting. In the CBA approach effects are divided into benefits and costs.</p><p>The study includes a case study of Husqvarna AB and is carried through with aim to get a decision support whether or not to make the corporation carbon neutral. Basic data from Husqvarna AB has been used.</p>

<p>Safety analysis is a process involving several techniques.The purpose of this thesis is to test and develop methodssuitable for the safety analysis of railway risks and railwaysafety measures. Safety analysis is a process comprisingproblem identification, risk estimation, valuation of safetyand economic analysis. The main steps are described in separatechapters, each of which includes a discussion of the methodsand a review of previous research, followed by the contributionof this author. Although the safety analysis proceduredescribed can be used for analysing railway safety, it has suchgeneral foundations that it can be used wherever safety isimportant and wherever safety measures are evaluated. Itcombines cost benefit analysis with criteria for thedistribution and the absolute levels of risk.</p><p>Risks are estimated with both statistical and risk analysismethods. Historical data on railway accidents are analysed andstatistical models fitted to describe trends in accident ratesand consequences. A risk analysis model is developed usingfault tree and event tree techniques, together with Monte Carlosimulation, to calculate risks for passenger train derailments.The results are compared with the statistical analysis ofhistorical data.</p><p>People's valuation of safety in different contexts isanalysed, with relative values estimated in awillingness-to-pay study. A combination of focus groups andindividual questionnaires is used. Two different methods areused to estimate the value of safety and the results arecompared. Comparisons are also made with other studies.</p><p>Different approaches for safety analysis and methods foreconomic analysis of safety are reviewed. Cost-benefit analysisas a decision criterion is discussed and a study on theeconomic effectsof a traffic control system is presented.</p><p>There are several results of the work. Historical data showsa decrease in the accident rate. The average consequence ofeach accident has not changed over time. The risk analysismodel produces comparable results and enables analysis ofvarious safety measures. The valuation study shows that peopleprefer the prevention of small-scale accidents over theprevention of larger, catastrophic accidents. There are onlysmall differences in the valuation of safety in differentcontexts.</p>

Currently in the area of radiation protection, the principle ALARA (As Low As Reasonable Achievable) is being used. Through this principle the radiation burden of workers with ionising radiation is optimised. One of the economic tools used here is the {\clqq}cost-benefit analysis``. It is one of the first analytical methods which are recommended by the ICRP (International Commission on Radiological Protection) for optimising costs needed to secure radiation protection. The cost benefit analysis is a good and efficient economical tool. With the help of this method it is possible to do the optimisation as well as to prove it. It takes into consideration all significant economic and social factors that are prescribed and recommended. Especially, it can prove that all expositions are kept as low as they are reasonable achievable, while considering the economic angle. Basically, it is a conception which is applicable in all areas of the public as well as private sector, in all areas of human activity. In this thesis some particular examples of using the CBA at the NPP Temelín are shown and compared with the achieved level of RP. Based on that the ALARA system at our workplace is demonstrated. The CB analysis with its extended forms helps to make principal and continuous decisions, and it is an essential factor in protection from harmful effects of ionising radiation. Its main contribution lies in the areas where it is necessary to build additional technical or building barriers. It is very important in designing and building new workplaces with ionising radiation.

Work is focused on analyzing exigence of municipalities in the elaboration of projects financed by EU funds and to identify problems in small villages to the processing of such projects. The first step will analyze and assess the system of drawing EU funds in the Czech Republic, then make a direct processing of cost-benefit analysis of the selected project. In the third step I use a questionnaire, in which will be identified the problems which face the municipalities and how they solve these problems.

Czech participation in the drawing from Structural Funds of the European Union brings with it the question of efficient use of these resources. The number of projects financed by European funds represents a significant part of the investment made in our country. Additionally, the pressure arising from the comparison of the effectiveness of private projects leads to the question of how to avoid unnecessary wastage. Authorities, considering redistribution, should have full-featured documents that are necessary foundations for proper negotiations. These documents also include a professionally processed cost-benefit analysis (aka CBA). The aim of this thesis is to apply theoretical knowledge on selected issues CBA assessing the effectiveness of public investment in a particular project the Czech Republic. The theoretical part will briefly summarizes current knowledge concerning the effectiveness of public investment, the methods used in their assessment, followed by description of the basic assumptions of CBA and propose a method of processing. In the practical part the project will be primarily introduced and then analyzed subsequent application of the design process with a focus on selected issues of investment efficiency evaluation. The ultimate result of the work should be high-quality data to investigate the appropriateness of the use of this method and the CBA based on data identifying effective or vice versa inefficient use of public funds.

The goal of the Master´s thesis is to map the actual situation of transformation of power energy sector to smart grid, find answers to some of the major questions concerning the implementation of smart metering systems, evaluate societal and economic costs and benefits, evaluate trends in legislation, compare the situation in Slovakia with other peer countries from the European Union, and create a follow-up recommendations for Slovakia based on this assessment. The thesis includes detailed critical analysis of the CBA, originally created for Slovakia, using benchmarking with countries with a different calculation approach. The used methodology in this work is a research of available resources, qualitative research of case studies, break-down of the CBA, and expert research through interviewing. The outcome is evaluation of economic and societal contributions of smart metering systems and mapping the process and state of the implementation.