This thesis reports the research efforts conducted in order to develop the Dynamic Response Recovery Tool. The DRRT was developed as a decision support tool under a holistic approach considering both emergency management research and transportation studies. The proposed system was assessed by a series of case studies in order to identify its efficiency and suitability for roading organisations. Knowledge developed from two novel research approaches are comprehensively described throughout the thesis. Initially, we report on the observation of three emergency exercises and two real events in New Zealand. This set of activities indicated the complex and dynamic environment in which emergency management takes place as well as organisational settings and management structures implemented to better respond and recover from disasters events. Additionally, a secondary approach was designed to overcome limitations identified in the observation method. In this context, a game-based scenario simulation was developed and conducted with twelve participants. With a focus in resource deployment decisions during emergencies, the game simulated an earthquake scenario in which participants had to allocate physical resources to fix damage created in a road network. Simulations indicated that Naturalistic Decision-making processes were used to respond to the scenario. Thus, resource allocation followed planning priorities defined previously the simulation, which further considered individual experiences and knowledge. Taking advantage from the findings achieved and knowledge developed by the observations and game simulations, the DRRT was designed using the conceptual background identified in the literature review. The DRRT was conceptualised as a logistics sub-system as part of the broad field of Disaster Management. In particular, the DRRT was geared towards supporting decision-making by providing procedural recommendations and identifying optimum physical deployment strategies. In order to assess the proposed system, an Information Technology application was built according to the DRRT’s specifications. A series of eleven individual and three group simulations was performed in order to assess the DRRT. Data collected through the application indicated that the DRRT enhanced decision-making during extreme events. In specific, case study participants using the system at greater levels achieved better decision-making accuracy than those disregarding completely or partially the system. Case studies also indicated that emergency management knowledge was represented by the application and its logistics model provided participants with vital information to optimise resource allocation.

The aim of the dissertation is to reveal the features of the territorial organization of the business support system in Lithuania in 1998 – 2008. The object of the research is the territorial structure of the business support system, its elements, features of its formation and performance. This study is one of the first, in which a geographer attempts to look at the dynamic and multi-component business support system in the territorial aspect, invoking the results of the previous studies, the experience of the scientists and the methods of interdisciplinary research, it reveals the possibly existing connections between the territorial business support system and nuances of development of national economic, which are directly related to sustainable territorial development. The structure of the study is based on the aim and the objectives of the study: the overview of researches, in this part one can find the overview of studies on the dissertation topic published in Lithuania and abroad according to three interdisciplinary directions, the methodology of the study, in this part, the methodology of the study – the methodological aspects of research of the systems and its participants and common methodological aspects of research, the results of the research, in this part, the results of the research are presented revealing the formal principles of business support system, some aspects of business support in foreign countries, the territorial organization of business support... [to full text] / Disertacijos tikslas – atskleisti verslo skatinimo sistemos teritorinės organizacijos ypatumus Lietuvoje 1998 – 2008 m. Tyrimo objektas – teritorinė verslo paramos sistemos struktūra, jos elementai, formavimosi ir veikimo ypatumai. Šis darbas – mėginimas geografo akimis pažvelgti į dinamišką ir daugiakomponentę verslo paramos sistemą teritoriniu aspektu ir pasitelkus ankstesnių tyrimų rezultatus, mokslininkų patirtį bei tarpdisciplininius tyrimų būdus įžvelgti galimas teritorinės verslo paramos sistemos sąsajas su šalies ūkio vystymosi niuansais, kurie betarpiškai susiję ir su tvariu teritorijų vystymusi. Darbas sudarytas iš trijų pagrindinių dalių: tyrimų apžvalgos, kurioje aprašyti disertacijos tema Lietuvoje ir užsienyje atlikti tyrimai pagal tris tarpdisciplinines kryptis, darbo metodologijos, kurioje pateikiama darbo metodologija - sistemos ir jos dalyvių tyrimų metodologijos aspektai ir bendrieji tyrimo metodologijos aspektai, tyrimų rezultatų, kur pateikiami gautieji tyrimų rezultatai, atskleidžiantys formaliuosius verslo skatinimo sistemos principus, kai kuriuos užsienio šalių verslo skatinimo patirties aspektus, verslo skatinimo sistemos teritorinę organizaciją Lietuvoje, pagrindines teritorinės verslo skatinimo sistemos sąsaja su ūkio vystymosi tendencijomis. Lietuvoje taikoma aibė verslo paramos priemonių, tačiau paramos priemonių visuma neveikia kaip vientisa sistema. Veikiančios verslo skatinimo sistemos sukūrimas šalyje svarbi prielaida sėkmingam smulkaus ir... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]

Project risk management is a crucial activity in project management. Nowadays, projects are facing a growing complexity and are thus exposed to numerous and interdependent risks. However, existing classical methods have limitations for modeling the real complexity of project risks. For example, some phenomena like chain reactions and loops are not properly taken into account. This Ph.D. thesis aims at analyzing propagation behavior in the project risk network through modelling risks and risk interactions. An integrated framework of decision support system is presented with a series of proposed methods. The construction of the project risk network requires the involvement of the project manager and the team of experts using the Design Structure Matrix (DSM) method. Simulation techniques are used and several network theory-based methods are developed for analyzing and prioritizing project risks, with respect to their role and importance in the risk network in terms of various indicators. The proposed approach serves as a powerful complement to classical project risk analysis. These novel analyses provide project managers with improved insights on risks and risk interactions under complexity and help them to design more effective response actions. Considering resource constraints, a greedy algorithm and a genetic algorithm are developed to optimize the risk response plan and the allocation of budget reserves dedicated to the risk management. Two examples of application, 1) to a real musical staging project in the entertainment industry and 2) to a real urban transportation system implementation project, are presented to illustrate the utility of the proposed decision support system.

Land is a finite natural resource that is increasingly getting exhausted as a result of land contamination. Land is made up of soil and groundwater, both of which have many functions for which we depend on, including provision of food and water, supporting shelter, natural flood defence, carbon sequestration, etc. Contaminants in land also pose a number of threats to public health and the environment; other natural resources; and have detrimental effects on property such as buildings, crops and livestock. The most effective method of dealing with these contaminants is to cleanup and return the sites to beneficial use. The cleanup process involves making a choice from amongst competing remediation technologies, where the wrong choice may have disastrous economic, environmental and/or social impacts. Contaminated land management is therefore much broader than the selection and implementation of remedial solutions, and requires extensive data collection and analysis at huge costs and effort. The need for decision support in contaminated land management decision-making has long been widely recognised, and in recent years a large number of Decision Support Systems (DSS) have been developed. This thesis presents the development of a Web-based knowledge-based DSS as an integrated management framework for the risk assessment of human health from, and sustainable management of, contaminated land. The developed DSS is based on the current UK contaminated land regime, published guidelines and technical reports from the UK Environment Agency (EA) and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and other Government agencies and departments. The decision-making process of the developed DSS comprises of key stages in the risk assessment and management of contaminated land: (i) preliminary qualitative risk assessment; (ii) generic quantitative risk assessment; and (iii) options appraisal of remediation technologies and remediation design. The developed DSS requires site specific details and measured contaminant concentrations from site samples as input and produces a site specific report as output. The DSS output is intended to be used as information to support with contaminated land management decision-making.

The operational management of Water Distribution Systems (WDS), particularly under failure conditions when the behaviour of a WDS is not well understood, is a challenging problem. The research presented in this thesis describes the development of a methodology for risk-based diagnostics of failures in WDS and its application in a near real-time Decision Support System (DSS) for WDS’ operation. In this thesis, the use of evidential reasoning to estimate the likely location of a burst pipe within a WDS by combining outputs of several models is investigated. A novel Dempster-Shafer model is developed, which fuses evidence provided by a pipe burst prediction model, a customer contact model and a hydraulic model to increase confidence in correctly locating a burst pipe. A new impact model, based on a pressure driven hydraulic solver coupled with a Geographic Information System (GIS) to capture the adverse effects of failures from an operational perspective, is created. A set of Key Performance Indicators used to quantify impact, are aggregated according to the preferences of a Decision Maker (DM) using the Multi-Attribute Value Theory. The potential of distributed computing to deliver a near real-time performance of computationally expensive impact assessment is explored. A novel methodology to prioritise alarms (i.e., detected abnormal flow events) in a WDS is proposed. The relative significance of an alarm is expressed using a measure of an overall risk represented by a set of all potential incidents (e.g., pipe bursts), which might have caused it. The DM’s attitude towards risk is taken into account during the aggregation process. The implementation of the main constituents of the proposed risk-based pipe burst diagnostics methodology, which forms a key component of the aforementioned DSS prototype, are tested on a number of real life and semi-real case studies. The methodology has the potential to enable more informed decisions to be made in the near real-time failure management in WDS.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited / Each inventory manager at the Aviation Supply Office Philadelphia, PA is presently required to manage approximately 700 line items. To allow the inventory manager a more efficient method of reviewing and using the data and reports from the Uniform Inventory Control Point (UICP) computer system, a distributed computer system is necessary. By downloading the the appropriate inventory data from UICP to a local computer system, a decision support system (DSS) can be be implemented using existing off the shelf hardware and software. The ability to replace the present copious paper reports with concise computerized information and import that data into electronic spreadsheets for further analysis can greatly improve the inventory manager's effectiveness. To this end, this thesis provides inventory managers at ASO with access to the following functions: Interactive access to the main UICP database. The ability to use UICP data with a decision support system. A user interface that is easy to understand and learn. A local data base which supports working group requirements. Basic office automation. This thesis will cover the selection of the hardware and software, data identification and management and DSS development. A prototype system called the IM Workstation was developed for this thesis and used to produce the thesis document. COBOL and ALIS ELF macro program listings are provided. / http://archive.org/details/inventorymanager00mare / Lieutenant, United States Navy

This study investigates the impact of multimedia on the effectiveness of information scanning. Information scanning is the act of seeking and receiving a wide variety of special information to develop a thorough understanding of the organization and the environment. The application domain of this study is Executive Support Systems. The experimental task is to identify potential threats and opportunities, a strategic information-scanning activity, based on the information stored in three ESS prototypes. Forty subjects from four organizations participated in the experiment. A random assignment process allocated them into three groups. The control group used the text-based ESS. The first experimental group used the visual multimedia ESS. The second experimental group used the audiovisual multimedia ESS. The experiment was carried out on the sites of the participating organizations. The investigator measured the effectiveness of information scanning based on the number of threats and opportunities each subject identifies. A close-ended questionnaire measured subjects' retention of information. The results of this study support the cognitive-fit theory. The findings indicate that multimedia is not an appropriate presentation format for analytical tasks. Subjects who use text-based ESS identify significantly more threats and opportunities than subjects who use audiovisual multimedia ESS. The cognitive style of subjects does not moderate the impact of multimedia. The results show that the use of multimedia does not necessarily improve retention of information. Further research is needed to determine the most effective combination of text, graphics, animation, video, and sound.

The continuum of care framework posits that individuals move from one level to the next in seeking resources for help ranging from first using informal support to finally using formal services. Yet, the literature is mostly focused on formal services. It is well-known in the literature that existing formal services are underutilized by the Asian American population. If that is also the case in nontraditional settlement cities like Richmond, Virginia, the continuum of care framework and existing literature suggest that Asian Americans are turning to their informal support networks to meet their needs. Thus far, the literature on informal support networks is very limited and a focus on Asian American communities is nonexistent. Furthermore, there is not an adequate theory to explain and predict this phenomenon. This study uses a grounded theory design to develop a testable theory that could further the understanding of informal support networks in the Asian American community. The theory posits that the Asian culture and community influence how individuals within the community seek help in times of need and, in turn, the helping process developed within the informal support network is a reinforcement of the Asian culture and community. When individuals have needs, they look to the informal support network and the network is developed in response to those needs. However, the informal support network is not able to meet all the needs of the Asian American community. At times, though infrequent, when the informal support network cannot meet the need, individuals are referred to mainstream services. Therefore, the informal support network serves as a gatekeeper to mainstream services. In addition, needs are rarely successfully met directly by mainstream services because of inaccessibility. Consequently, mainstream services provide infrequent help in meeting the needs of the Asian American community. It is important to comprehend how these developing communities in the new South are responding to their own needs. This understanding will allow mainstream services to extend formal systems of care and better partner with existing resources to effectively serve the increasing Asian American population in the South.

Alguns dos problemas enfrentados pelas cidades que ainda sofrem com um crescimento rápido são, não raro, conseqüência da falta de políticas públicas que possam orientar o crescimento espacial de forma sustentável e com qualidade de vida. Há uma clara necessidade de instrumentos efetivos de controle e monitoramento da mobilidade urbana, bem como de políticas mais sustentáveis destinadas a orientar o crescimento e ordenamento espacial. Neste contexto, a elaboração de um sistema de suporte à decisão através de uma interface on-line pode proporcionar novas perspectivas para um planejamento da mobilidade mais participativo e sustentável. Assim, um dos objetivos desta pesquisa foi desenvolver uma ferramenta computacional destinada a promover um processo integrado e sustentável para elaboração e monitoramento de planos diretores de mobilidade urbana. A proposta focou no processo de tomada de decisão participativo envolvendo múltiplos segmentos da sociedade, sobretudo em cidades pequenas e médias. Outro objetivo foi verificar se, através da utilização do sistema proposto, os avaliadores (especialistas ou não-especialistas), modificariam significativamente seu nível de percepção com relação à mobilidade urbana. Para atingir a estes objetivos, a pesquisa foi dividida em duas fases. Inicialmente foi desenvolvido o sistema de suporte à decisão para internet, denominado PLANUTS - PLANejamento Urbano e de Transportes integrado e Sustentável. Este sistema é composto por quatro módulos de avaliação da mobilidade urbana e um módulo administrativo. O funcionamento da ferramenta proposta foi demonstrado, na prática, através de sua aplicação junto a um grupo de especialistas e não-especialistas em Bauru, cidade média localizada no estado de São Paulo, Brasil. Com a aplicação foi possível simular etapas do desenvolvimento de um plano diretor de transporte e mobilidade participativo, com a definição de indicadores de mobilidade. A aplicação também foi útil para demonstrar a contribuição do sistema na mudança de percepção dos usuários com relação a questões que envolvem aspectos da mobilidade. Os resultados obtidos conduziram às seguintes conclusões: i) o sistema PLANUTS pode contribuir para a participação de diferentes segmentos da sociedade no processo de avaliação da mobilidade urbana; ii) a utilização do sistema possibilita uma ampliação no conhecimento e definição dos temas que envolvem a mobilidade urbana; e iii) é possível definir um conjunto de indicadores representativos dos problemas mais importantes de mobilidade com vistas a um sistema de indicadores de mobilidade no município. / Some of the problems faced by fast growing cities are often a consequence of the lack of public policies able to drive the spatial growth towards sustainable development and a better quality of life. There is a clear need of more effective tools for urban mobility monitoring and control, as well as sustainable policies for guiding urban growth and spatial distribution. In such a context, the construction of a web-based decision support system can produce new perspectives for mobility planning in a more participative and sustainable way. Therefore, one of the objectives of this research was to develop a computational tool for promoting an integrated and sustainable process of construction and management of mobility master plans. The focus of the proposal was on a participative decision-making process involving multiple segments of the society, mainly of small and medium-sized cities. Another objective of the research was to test if the use of the proposed system could significantly change the perception level of the participants (experts or non-experts) regarding urban mobility. In order to reach the stated objectives, the research was conducted in two phases. The first step was the development of the internet-based decision support system named PLANUTS (which stands for PLANnig Urban and Transportation integrated and Sustainable systems). It comprises four modules for the evaluation of urban mobility and one administrative module. The use of the proposed tool was shown, in practice, through an application with a group of experts and another one of non-experts in Bauru, which is a medium-sized city located in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The application made possible to simulate some steps of the development of a participative mobility master plan, with the definition of mobility indicators. It was also useful for showing the contribution of the system in changing the users\' perception regarding mobility issues. The results obtained led to the following conclusions: i) PLANUTS can be used to allow the participation of distinct segments of the society in the evaluation of urban mobility; ii) the use of the system brings an improvement in the definition of the Themes and to the overall knowledge of urban mobility; and iii) it is possible to define a set of indicators associated to the most important mobility problems in order to build a system of urban mobility indicators to the municipality.

A carência, absoluta ou relativa, de água direcionou diversas ações no sentido de amenizar esse problema. A política nacional de recursos hídricos (Lei 9.433/97), com seus cinco instrumentos de gestão e planejamento, pode ser considerada o principal marco. Entre esses instrumentos, encontra-se o sistema de informações, que tem por finalidade coletar, armazenar e disponibilizar dados para uma gestão racional. É nesse âmbito e no sentido de contribuir para a evolução desses sistemas, que se apresenta essa tese de doutoramento. O tema principal trata da implementação de um sistema de suporte a decisões – SSD com base nos conceitos da programação orientada a objetos – POO, forma esta de programação que procura representar os sistemas por meio de classes de maneira a buscar a semelhança à realidade. Esse SSD, denominado de ARENA (análise de recursos naturais), é composto de um sistema de informações geográficas – SIG, dois simuladores (simulação do fluxo de águas subterrâneas e do ciclo hidrológico superficial), uma base de dados georeferenciada e módulos de acesso aos dados. A forma como os simuladores foram implementados, baseado em conceitos da POO e suas integrações às entidades geométricas do SIG, é apresentada como contribuição. No ARENA, o SIG não é apenas utilizado nas fases de pré e pós-processamento de dados para modelos, e sim no processo de simulação. Aplicações do ARENA a uma bacia hidrográfica (escoamento superficial) e a dois sistemas hipotéticos (escoamento subterrâneo) são apresentados ao final do trabalho. A maneira como esse SSD foi implementado induz ao desenvolvimento de simuladores adicionais sem realizar modificações nos pacotes já implementados neste trabalho, sendo facilitada a utilização dos pacotes que compõem esse SSD / The relative or complete lack of water has been directing various actions in order to solve this problem. The national water resources politic (Law 9.433/97) with its five instruments for water resources planning and management can be considered the main action. Among these instruments, it is found the information system that has as purpose to collect, store and turn it into available data to the rational management. In this scope and in order to give some contributions to the improvement of these systems, this Ph.D. thesis is presented. The main topic deals with the decision support system (DSS) implementation based on oriented object – OO, a kind of programming which tries to represent systems through classes very closely to the reality. This DSS, called ARENA (análise de recursos naturais, in Portuguese), is made up of a geographic information system (GIS), two models (a groundwater model and a distributed rainfall-runoff model), a georeferenced database and graphic user interfaces (GUI). The way the models were built, based on OO concepts and its integration to GIS geographic data, is presented as contribution. In the ARENA, the GIS is not only used in the pre and post processing steps, but also in the simulation. The ARENA applications were carried out for two examples, a watershed (surface water simulation) and a hypothetic system (groundwater simulation), both presented in the end of this study. The way this DSS was built induces to the development of other models without modifications in the existing packages, so that the development of new applications becomes easy because the use of existing packages that made this DSS up