This body of research focuses on supporting problem-stakeholders, decision-makers and problem-solvers faced with an ill-defined and complex real world problem. An ill-defined problem has a characteristic trait of continual refinement. That is, the definition of the problem changes throughout the problem investigation and resolution process. The central theme of this research is that a support system should provide problem stakeholders with a problem definition model for constructing and manipulating a representation of the definition of the problem as they understand it. The approach adopted herein is to first develop a problem definition model for ill-defined problems— the 6-Component problem definition model. With this model, it is then possible to move on to identifying the types of changes or modifications to the problem definition that problem stakeholders, decision makers and problem solvers may wish to explore. Importantly, there must be a connection between the surface representation of the problem and the underlying implementation of the support system. This research argues that by focusing the support system around the problem definition, it is possible to reduce the mismatch between the problem objectives and the representation of the problem that the support system offers. This research uses the Unified Modelling Language to record and explore the requirements that problem stakeholders, faced with an evolving problem definition, place on a support system. The 6-Component problem definition model is then embedded within a design for an evolutionary support system. This embedding, supported by collaboration diagrams, shows how a system using the 6-Component problem definition model will support stakeholders in their exploration, evaluation and resolution of an ill-defined and complex real-world problem. A case study provides validation of the effectiveness of the 6-Component problem definition model proposed and developed in this work. The case study uses the 6-Component problem definition model as a basis for implementing the Integration Workbench, an evolutionary support system for land-use planning. Stakeholders explore, communicate, evaluate and resolve the Tasmanian Regional Forest Agreement problem with assistance from the Integration Workbench.

<p>This thesis was aimed at the development of a Geographical Information System (GIS) based model to support the Rwanda Land Use and Development Master Plan. Developing sustainable land management is the main task of this master plan. Stakeholder’s involvement was of key importance. Their demands should be analysed and visualised to support discussions and the decision-making process. Spatial Multicriteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) is a proven method for land-use planning purposes. However, most land-use planning applications focus on a specific theme, such as urban development. In addition, land-use planning is often limited to a relatively small area. This thesis focused at the development of a countrywide GIS model, containing all land-uses accommodated in three main land-use categories: urban, agriculture and conservation. The GIS model was largely based on the Land-Use Conflict Identification Strategy (LUCIS) model. Many of the goals, objectives, and subobjectives that described the earlier mentioned land-use categories were adopted from the original model. However, a significant number of them were dropped, and new were created to suit the Rwandan situation. Stakeholder’s involvement was realized by assigning weights to the goals and preference maps. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used as weighting method. ESRI’s ArcGIS ModelBuilder was used to give the model shape in the GIS. Firstly, suitability maps were created of all elements in the model. The suitability maps were then transformed into preference maps by weighting them. In the next step the preference maps were collapsed in three classes: low, medium and high preference. Finally, the preference maps of the three land-use categories were combined, in order to visualize conflict areas. Ortho photos proved to be useful when acting as reference for the suitability and preference maps. Despite a large number of missing datasets, the GIS model was executed to simplify the understanding. However, many of the obtained results were unreliable because of the incompleteness of datasets, and can therefore not be used for decision-making.  Unfortunately, due to the stage of the project it was not possible to obtain weights from the stakeholders, and should therefore be done when the time is right. Right Choice DSS, a very user-friendly decision support application, was proposed to use for calculating weights. To conclude, the developed GIS model integrated countrywide land-use suitability mapping and stakeholders’ wishes that can be used for discussions and decision making.</p>

This thesis focuses on the application of scientific information and planning support system (PSS) technologies to community planning and decision-making processes. Years of scientific research and recent technologicaladvances have produced a wealth of information and increased accessibility to this information. Technological advances have also enhanced the types of analysis that can be done to support planning and decision-making processes. However, having the capability to access this wealth of information and perform advanced analyses does not necessarily mean it results in incorporation of the data and analysis into. the planning or decision-making process. The main objective of this research is to devise a methodology to evaluate the role and impact of PSS technologies and scientific information on community level planning and decision-making processes. The methodology consists of six areas of focus: (l) issue of concern; (2) characteristics of the planning and decision-making process; (3) relevance of science to the issue; (4) capabilities ofthe PSS system; (5) roles and capabilities of the planners and decision-makers; and (6) impact of the science. The methodology is applied to Walden, Tennessee as the town goes through the process of creating a conservation-oriented zoning ordinance.

This thesis presents the framework of a complex business process driven event stream processing system to produce meaningful output with direct implications to the business objectives of an organization. This framework is demonstrated using a case study instantiating the management of a newborn infant with hypoglycaemia. Business processes defined within guidelines, are defined at build-time while critical knowledge found in the definition of business processes are used to support their enactment for stream analysis. Four major research contributions are delivered. The first contribution enables the definition and enactment of complex business processes in real-time. The second contribution supports the extraction of business process using knowledge found within the initial expression of the business process. The third contribution allows for the explicit use of temporal abstraction and stream analysis knowledge to support enactment in real-time. Finally, the last contribution is the real-time integration of heterogeneous streams based on Service-Oriented Architecture principles. / UOIT

The consequences of mine seismicity can be mitigated by installing support systems capable of absorbing the energy generated by seismic events. Recent work has focused on the testing of individual support or reinforcement units under laboratory impact loads; this, however, does not render itself to easy extrapolation to field conditions. Hence, this thesis focuses on improving the understanding of the performance of support systems in real-world applications through passive monitoring of past rockburst events. 14 years of rockburst history were collected from Coleman Mine and Copper Cliff Mine, two of Vale’s underground (nickel) operations in Sudbury Ontario. Statistical analysis, principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least square projection (PLS) were utilized to find relation between collected parameters and performance capacity. This thesis discusses the adequacy of various support systems and investigates the validity of perceived support performance as compared to the actual performance based on analyses of field data.

The consequences of mine seismicity can be mitigated by installing support systems capable of absorbing the energy generated by seismic events. Recent work has focused on the testing of individual support or reinforcement units under laboratory impact loads; this, however, does not render itself to easy extrapolation to field conditions. Hence, this thesis focuses on improving the understanding of the performance of support systems in real-world applications through passive monitoring of past rockburst events. 14 years of rockburst history were collected from Coleman Mine and Copper Cliff Mine, two of Vale’s underground (nickel) operations in Sudbury Ontario. Statistical analysis, principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least square projection (PLS) were utilized to find relation between collected parameters and performance capacity. This thesis discusses the adequacy of various support systems and investigates the validity of perceived support performance as compared to the actual performance based on analyses of field data.

Finding a product with high quality and reasonable price online is a difficult task due to the fuzzy nature of data and queries. In order to handle the fuzzy problem, a new type-2 fuzzy reasoning based decision support system, the Web Shopping Expert for online users is proposed. In the Web Shopping Expert, an interval type-2 fuzzy logic system is used and a fuzzy output can be obtained using the up-low limit technique, which offers an opportunity to directly employ all the rules and methods of the type-1 fuzzy sets onto the type-2 fuzzy sets. To achieve the best performance the fuzzy inference system is optimized by the least square and numerical method. The key advantages of the least square method are the efficient use of samples and the simplicity of the implementation. The Web Shopping Expert based on the interval type-2 fuzzy inference system provides more reasonable conclusions for online users.

Point-of-use (POU) and point-of-entry (POE) water treatment are forms of decentralized water treatment that are becoming increasingly sought alternatives for ensuring the safety of drinking water. Although the acceptance of POU and POE systems is still the subject of some debate, it is generally acknowledged that they have a role to play in drinking water treatment. However, some of the main drivers for the increase in the use of POU and POE alternatives include: (1) the emergence of new technologies with high removal efficiencies of target contaminants; (2) the enhanced certification system of POU and POE treatment devices and components which ensures that devices have been well engineered to achieve defined contaminant removal targets and do not add contaminants from materials of construction; (3) the inclusion of POU and POE systems as acceptable means to comply with drinking water standards; and (4) the concerns voiced by consumers in several surveys regarding the safety of centrally treated drinking water; which, regardless of whether or not these concerns are justified, have led to an increase in the use of POU and POE treatment systems. With the commercialization of these devices the task of selecting a suitable device for treatment has become cumbersome. When the inherent complexity of a particular drinking water treatment task is added to the mix, a complex decision making situation is created. Thus the need for designing a decision support tool to compare and select POU and POE treatment systems was evident. Currently the best decision aid for selecting POU and POE systems is NSF International’s listing of the devices and their contaminant reduction claims. A significant contribution of this research is the depiction of an appropriate conceptual framework for developing usable and valid decision support systems (DSSs) to select or design water or wastewater treatment systems. A thorough investigation of the methods used to develop DSSs benchmarked a systematic approach to developing DSSs, which includes the analysis of the treatment problem(s), knowledge acquisition and representation, and the identification and evaluation of criteria controlling the selection of optimal treatment systems. Finally, it was concluded that there is a need to develop integrated DSSs that are generic, user-friendly and employ a systems analysis approach. Another significant contribution of this research is applying a systems analysis approach to outline aspects of implementation, management, and governance of POU and POE water treatment systems. The analysis also included a timeline of the progress of POU and POE treatment from regulatory, industry and certification, and research perspectives. Results of the analysis were considered the first step of a conceptual framework for the sustainability assessment of POU and POE treatment systems which acts as the basis for developing a decision support system that will help select sustainable POU or POE treatment systems. In the context of POU and POE treatment, sustainability encompasses providing: (a) safe drinking water to help maintain good human health and hygiene; (b) minimum negative impact on the environment; (c) better use of human, natural, and financial resources; (d) a high degree of functional robustness and flexibility; and (e) cultural acceptance thus encouraging responsible behavior by the users. The most significant contribution of this research is developing, for the first time, a set of sustainability criteria, objectives, and quantifiable indicators to properly assess the sustainability of the various POU and POE alternatives. Twenty five quantitative and qualitative indicators covering technical, economic, environmental, and socio-cultural aspects of implementing a POU or a POE system were defined. Results of a survey of experts’ judgment on the effectiveness of the developed list of indicators generated 52 comments from 11 experts, which helped in refining and enhancing the list. The conceptual framework for assessing the sustainability of POU and POE systems represented a blueprint for building the decision support system. Decision logic and cognitive thinking was used to formulate the calculation of the 20 refined indicators. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), a recognized Multi-criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) tool, was employed to construct the structural hierarchy of sustainability indicators. Pairwise comparison was used to help in the analysis of indicators' relative importance and develop the indicators’ weights. A survey was designed to develop the relative weights of the indicators based on the average response of 19 stakeholders to a series of pairwise comparison questions pertaining to the relative importance of the indicators. Finally, the practical contribution of this research is the development of, for the first time, a new Decision Support System for Selecting Sustainable POU and POE Treatment Systems (D4SPOUTS) suitable for a particular water treatment case. The MCDA technique explained above is combined with designed screening rules, constraints, and case characteristics to be applied to a knowledgebase of POU and POE treatment systems incorporated in the DSS. The components of the DSS were built using Microsoft® Excel® and Visual Basic® for Applications. The quality of the DSS and aspects of its usability, applicability, and sensitivity analysis are demonstrated through a hypothetical case study for lead removal from drinking water. This research is expected to assist water purveyors, consultants, and other stakeholders in selecting sustainable and cost effective POU and POE treatment systems.

Health and safety have been the most important concerns in waste management formany years. However, nowadays society demands that as well as being safe, waste managementmust also be sustainable. The management of a sustainable Municipal Solid Waste is anecessary but not-prioritized aspect of environmental management in most countries with lowand middle income.This study purposes an analysis of technologies, in order to select the best and mostsuitable practices in Sustainable Waste Management Systems already applied or in advancedlevel of research in developed and developing countries. The target countries for receiving thisstudy of waste system are located in Western Africa: Ghana, Côte d‟Ivoire, Senegal andNigeria.The analysis of collection, transportation, treatment and disposal of waste, with focus onorganic matter, was presented in two groups. The first group, “collection and transportation”was analysed with attention to aspects and stakeholders presented in the Integrated SustainableWaste Management framework. In the second group, “treatment and disposal”, each technologywas analysed based on aspects of sustainable development. The decision-support software Web-HIPRE was also used to frame the final rank of solutions for the African scenario.The conclusions for those analyses were that the creation of micro and small enterprisesand community based organizations for collection and transportation should strongly beencouraged. They generate not just new employment but awareness among the population aswell. As for the treatment and disposal of organic household waste, two promising technologiesare decentralized composting and home composting with plastic bins.

Clinical decision support systems (CDSS) and the Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) have been adopted by large healthcare organization to support stroke diagnosis to reduce the level of misdiagnosis occurrence. This research presents a methodology for constructing a stroke decision support system (Stroke DSS) which integrates basic information, physical and image stroke assessment criterions, constructs ischemic, hemorrhage and subarachnoid hemorrhage of stroke diagnosis flow. A prototype embedded methodology was built to support stroke diagnosis in healthcare organization. Using a design science approach, we embed the constructs of our methodology in a prototype and perform a usability evaluation to demonstrate the utility of our approach. The usability evaluation demonstrates the effectiveness of our approach in terms of efficiency, effectiveness and satisfaction. The resulting system allowed flexible knowledge model and representation that are useful for stroke diagnosis.