The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency with a mission to develop water resource projects to benefit the nation. Some of its large scale projects have been built to benefit cities, but through unintended consequences have caused economic and environmental damages. For example, its control of Mississippi River flooding has protected the City of New Orleans, but contributed to land loss in coastal Louisiana, and by some accounts, made the population more susceptible to hurricane damage. The agency has now embarked on a mission to restore some of the damaged environmental areas. This dissertation evaluates whether policies and practices used by the agency to evaluate and select plans to implement is logically flawed and could produce suboptimal project selection. The primary issue is the practice of including only implementation costs in the analysis while excluding other positive and negative economic impacts. A case study is performed using the method to evaluate a traditional economic development project for which optimal project selection has already been determined using widely accepted benefit-cost practices. The results show that the Corps' environmental project evaluation method would cause rejection of the most efficient plan. The loss of welfare that would result from using this technique is measured by comparing the welfare gain of the optimal project to the welfare gain of the suboptimal projects which could be selected using the flawed methodology. In addition, the dissertation evaluates whether suboptimal results could be produced using two other current Corps policies: selecting projects based on production efficiency, and the exclusion of environmental benefits from the discounting process. For the first policy, a simple counter example shows how clearly inferior choices may come from including only supply considerations in investment choices. For the second policy, it is demonstrated mathematically that refraining from discounting benefits while discounting costs causes a bias towards selection of plans that take longer to build, are delayed in their implantation, or a combination of the two.

Economia como uma ciência de escolha tem sido cada vez mais utilizada na área de Saúde Animal e pode ser útil, como na quantificação dos efeitos financeiros de uma doença, otimização de decisões a serem tomadas quando a doença afeta rebanhos e na determinação dos custos e os benefícios quando o seu controle está sendo cada vez mais abordadas. No Brasil, a brucelose bovina é uma das doenças que causam prejuízos econômicos, além de ser uma zoonose. Para controlar a doença este país criou um Programa Nacional de Controle e Erradicação para brucelose e tuberculose bovina. A partir de dados coletados do ultimo inquérito soro epidemiológico e de dados obtido por fontes oficiais, o presente trabalho realizou uma análise econômica em dois Estados brasileiros com grande importância na agropecuária do país: São Paulo e Mato Grosso. A análise econômica foi realizada a partir do beneficio custo do controle da brucelose bovina através da vacinação de fêmeas entre 3 a 8 meses como medida compulsória adotada pelo programa. As análises confirmam que o controle da doença através da vacinação tem um retorno econômico importante, nos dois Estados. No Mato Grosso, esse impacto é financeiramente maior, pois a prevalência da doença é alta, quando comparado com o Estado de São Paulo. / Economics as a science of choice has increasingly been used in the area of Animal Health and may be helpful, as the quantification of the financial effects of a disease, optimization of decisions to be made when the disease affects livestock and in determining the costs and benefits when control measures are being proposed. In Brazil, brucellosis is a zoonotic disease that causes important economic losses and for that reason, the country established a national program for control and eradication. Using data generated in the last national brucellosis survey, we have conducted an economic analysis in two Brazilian States with large agricultural importance in the country- Mato Grosso and Sao Paulo. The economic analysis was based on the benefit cost of controlling bovine brucellosis by vaccination of females between 3-8 months, a compulsory measure proposed by the national program. The analysis confirmed that the disease control through vaccination has significant economic returns in both states. In Mato Grosso, the impact is greater financially, because the prevalence of disease is higher compared with São Paulo.

The Utah Department of Transportation developed life-cycle benefit-cost analysis spreadsheets that allow engineers and analysts to evaluate multiple safety countermeasures. The spreadsheets have included the functionality to evaluate a roadway based on the 11 facility types from the Highway Safety Manual (HSM) with the use of crash severity distributions. The HSM suggests that local agencies develop crash severity distributions based on their local crash data. The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Brigham Young University worked with the Statistics Department to develop crash severity distributions for the facility types from the HSM.The primary objective of this research was to utilize available roadway characteristic and crash data to develop crash severity distributions for the 11 facility types in the HSM. These objectives were accomplished by segmenting the roadway data based on homogeneity and developing statistical models to determine the distributions. Due to insufficient data, the facility types of freeway speed change lanes and freeway ramps were excluded from the scope of this research. In order to accommodate more roadways within the research, the facility type definitions were expanded to include more through lanes.The statistical models that were developed for this research include multivariate regression, frequentist binomial regression, frequentist multinomial, and Bayesian multinomial regression models. A cross-validation study was conducted to determine the models that best described the data. Bayesian Information Criterion, Deviance Information Criterion, and Root-Mean-Square Error values were compared to conduct the comparison. Based on the cross-validation study, it was determined that the Bayesian multinomial regression model is the most effective model to describe the crash severity distributions for the nine facility types evaluated.

In the Philippines, about 38 per cent of the total population resides in rural areas where poverty remains a significant problem, especially in remote upland communities. Soil erosion has been a well-recognised problem in these areas, resulting in a number of impacts on the livelihoods of the rural poor. The development and dissemination of soil and water resource conservation (SWC) techniques has been seen as essential to achieving improved and lasting outcomes for the livelihoods of upland communities, with benefits spilling over beyond the farm boundary. The participatory development of a cost-effective means of controlling soil erosion, natural vegetative strips (NVS), has increased the adoptability of SWC for many upland households, enabling them to incorporate agroforestry and other practices in their farming systems. The Landcare Program in the southern Philippines has facilitated the adoption of these practices over the past decade. However, the impacts of adoption on the livelihoods of farming households, and the externalities that adoption may deliver, have remained speculative. This thesis first explores whether the adoption of Landcare practices has resulted in improved livelihood outcomes for upland farming families. Second, it analyses the potential for the piecemeal adoption of these measures to deliver tangible benefits at the watershed scale. Finally, using a benefit-cost approach, these outcomes are compared to the costs of the research and extension projects that have helped achieve them. The analysis is carried out in two upland municipalities, San Isidro and Pilar, in the Province of Bohol. Landcare households in Bohol dedicate a large percentage of household resources to the production of rainfed rice, which is the primary source of subsistence for adopting households while upland plots play a secondary role. The adoption of NVS alone did not typically generate significant economic benefits, yet created the stable platform on which more commercial investments were being made, especially through NVS enrichment. In San Isidro, the average annual income of adopters generated from upland activities was estimated to be more than double that of non-adopters, with a difference of over PHP 7,500. In Pilar, the net impacts of adoption were estimated to be only around PHP 3,700, given that many households had not enriched their NVS at the time of the survey. At the household level, the benefits of adoption are therefore contingent on the ability of the household to make further investments in their farming system, stemming from improved soil stability. Several case studies were used to describe the process of and constraints to farm development. The average impacts on incomes were found to be significant at the household level, with the potential to lift a household above the poverty threshold. Yet the marginal nature of the upland farming systems limits the aggregate on-site benefits. The expansion of activities into Pilar and Alicia was estimated to increase the net annual benefits, reaching PHP 2,270,000 (around AUD 60,000) per year by 2009. In absolute terms, this impact is still quite modest, but needs to be considered together with the off-site impacts and the costs of the Landcare Program. In Pilar, one of the clearest impacts of erosion due (in part) to upland cropping has been the sedimentation of the Malinao Dam. The significance and distribution of forgone revenue from irrigated rice as a result of sedimentation is largely determined by factors including the timing of rainfall events, the allocation of water between users, and the value of alternative land uses. Furthermore, the upland agricultural landscapes of Bohol are diverse and complex, with numerous sources and filters of sediment. A terrain analysis model was used to model the impact of incremental adoption of Landcare practices within the landscape. The results show that the spatial distribution of adoption is likely to be as important as the extent of adoption when it comes to delivering off-site benefits. The aggregate level of losses avoided as a result of Landcare was estimated to be around PHP 1,023,000 (AUD 26,900) over a 20-year period at a discount rate of five per cent. The results of the livelihood analysis and watershed modelling were combined in a benefit-cost analysis (BCA) and compared to the costs of the projects and other investments that have helped bring about the impacts. The results showed a positive but small NPV of around PHP 3.5 million, equating to around AUD 91,000, for the 20 year period simulated, using a 5 per cent discount rate. The sunk costs of the early phases of theLandcare Program, however, continue to provide the basis for ongoing livelihood projects that utilise farmer groups as a means of extension. Furthermore, when the expansion of the Program into other nearby municipalities can draw on the original research or learning hub, rapid adoption can be achieved at relatively low cost and provide a significant return on investment. Overall, the evidence presented indicates that the net economic impacts of the Landcare Program in Bohol are positive, even when taking into account the prior investment in research and training. The major beneficiaries of the Program are the individual households who adopt the conservation farming practices, with these benefits largely generated by the farming opportunities stemming from improved soil stability. The diversification and commercialisation of the upland component of the farming system has mainly utilised land and labour at low opportunity cost, though limited access to these resources prevents some households from proceeding along the identified farm development pathway. The focus on livelihood development does not deny the seriousness of downstream watershed problems arising from upland agriculture. However, it is agued that given the relativity of on-site and off-site benefits, the focus and primary justification of the Landcare Program should remain on improving the productivity and livelihoods of upland farmers through facilitated, farmer-led, group-based research and extension, with these downstream impacts being seen as side benefits of what is essentially a livelihoods program.

Collaborative project delivery methods are believed to contribute to faster completions times, lower overall project costs and higher quality. Contracts are expected to influence the degree of collaboration on a given project since they allow or restrict certain lines of communication in the decision making process. Various delivery systems rank differently on the spectrum of collaboration. Because collaborative project delivery methods require owners and AEC stakeholders to meet frequently early in the delivery process, they are thought to add additional upfront costs to the project. The purpose of this study is to test if collaborative project delivery methods impart enough value so that the upfront cost incurred at the beginning of project is eventually surpassed by realized savings. Ideally, the extreme forms of project delivery methods, that is, Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) and Design-Bid-Build (DBB), should be compared to test the effects of collaboration on benefits to the owner. Due to difficulty in obtaining data on IPD and similarly scaled DBB projects, for this study, their close cousins, CM-at-Risk (CMR) and Competitive Sealed Proposal (CSP) were compared. The study engaged statistical comparison of cost of change orders and overall project cost performance of 17 CMR and 13 CSP projects of similar scales by same owner. Project cost performance observed under CMR projects was found significantly more than those under CSP. This study is expected to help boost confidence in the benefits of collaborative project delivery methods. It is likely that the results will encourage acceptance of IPD for public projects. Owners who were previously discouraged by the increased upfront cost of collaborative projects may also find interest in the results of this study.

Shihmen Reservoir has contributed to the economic development of northern Taiwan since it was built in 1964. As result of natural disasters and improper development, Shihmen Reservoir had a big problem with sediment deposition. To solve this problem, government executed the first stage of integrated treatments planning on Shihmen Reservoir.The period of program is from 2006 to 2008 and divided into three parts. From the government point of view, this study recognized the use of agriculture water¡Nindustrial water¡Ndomestic water¡Nelectricity generation¡Ntourism and decreased sediment extraction expense as benefit index ¡F recognized budgets and natural disasters as cost index to evaluate the effect of this program.The value of benefit-cost ratio before integrated treatments is 2.817 and the value of benefit-cost ratio after integrated treatments is 3.566. The value of benefit-cost ratio after integrated treatments is bigger than the value of benefit-cost ratio before integrated treatments.It means that it is workable for this program. Considering the reason that the water rate and utility bills are much cheaper in Taiwan, this study adjust the rate of water and utility individually. With the adjustment of water rate, the value of benefit-cost ratio before integrated treatments is 3.519 and the value of benefit-cost ratio after integrated treatments is 4.31. With the adjustment of utility rate, the value of benefit-cost ratio before integrated treatments is 3.689 and the value of benefit-cost ratio after integrated treatments is 4.074. It is also beneficial for this program.

Novas formas de inserção da Ergonomia na comunidade empresarial são atualmente discutidas, e levando em conta, por exemplo, a necessidade de uma justificativa financeira para sua implementação. Pesquisas da área investigam soluções ergonômicas para problemas ocupacionais bem conhecidos, mas focam esse relacionamento sob uma perspectiva econômico-financeira. Neste contexto, o investimento necessário para colocar determinado projeto ergonômico em atividade pode ser calculado com certa facilidade. Entretanto, calcular sua relação de benefício-custo esperada é a maior dificuldade encontrada por pesquisas da área. A difícil tarefa de agrupar informações relevantes para identificar ou prever esses benefícios de projetos ergonômicos tem algumas barreiras. Uma das principais é a ausência de uma forma de organização lógica de informações para esta finalidade. O objetivo geral desta tese foi propor uma sistemática para apoiar a análise de benefício-custo de projetos ergonômicos. Para isso, uma revisão sistemática da literatura científica sobre o assunto foi realizada, bem como a utilização de empresas para estudos de caso e entrevistas com responsáveis por processos produtivos. As especificidades do objetivo, os procedimentos metodológicos e os resultados desta pesquisa foram organizados em seis artigos científicos passíveis de publicação e que compõem esta tese de doutorado. Existe entre eles um encadeamento lógico e sequencial guiado pelas questões de pesquisa e pelo objetivo principal. O desenvolvimento da tese encontrou características de pesquisas e modelos sobre projetos de Ergonomia com enfoque de benefício-custo. Tais características, associadas com os objetivos da tese, embasaram um modelo conceitual sobre a problemática. Buscando uma forma objetiva de utilização na prática em empresas foi desenvolvida a Sistemática de Apoio para Análise de Benefício-Custo de Projetos em Ergonomia (SAABEPE). Uma empresa do setor metal-mecânico foi utilizada para apresentar sua forma de aplicação e, principalmente, seus resultados. De modo geral, foi verificado que nem todas as informações necessárias para uma quantificação adequada dos benefícios da Ergonomia estão presentes nas empresas. Entretanto, seguindo as sugestões da sistemática, esse tipo de análise de projeto ergonômico é viável e poderia justificar o investimento necessário. / A new way for the inclusion of ergonomics in the business community is discussed, and takes into account the need for a financial justification for its implementation. Researchs in the area investigate ergonomic solutions for well known occupational problems in a financial perspective. The investment required to put in specific ergonomic design activity can be calculated in a relative easy way. However, calculating the financial benefits of ergonomics is one of the major difficulties encountered by research area. The difficult task to gather relevant information to identify or predict these benefits of ergonomic design has some barriers. One of the main barrier is absence of a logical organization of information for this purpose. The aim of this thesis is to propose a systematic model to support benefit-cost analysis of ergonomic projects. For this, a systematic review of scientific literature on the subject was held as well as companies for the use of case studies and interviews of responsabiles for production processes. The specifics of the goal, the procedures and results of this study were organized into six publishable scientific papers that comprise this thesis. There is among them a logical and sequential guided by research questions and the main goal. The development features found in the thesis research and models on projects with a focus on ergonomics economic and financial. These characteristics, combined with the objectives of the thesis, give basis to a conceptual model of the problem. Seeking a practical and objective use for this model a systematic model to support the benefit-costs analysis of ergonomics projects (SAABEPE) was developed. A large company in the metal-mechanic sector was used to submit your application form, and especially its results. Overall, it was found that not all information necessary for a proper quantification of the benefits of ergonomics are present in companies. However, following the suggestions of the systematic model, this type of ergonomic project analysis is feasible and could justify the necessary investment.

Novas formas de inserção da Ergonomia na comunidade empresarial são atualmente discutidas, e levando em conta, por exemplo, a necessidade de uma justificativa financeira para sua implementação. Pesquisas da área investigam soluções ergonômicas para problemas ocupacionais bem conhecidos, mas focam esse relacionamento sob uma perspectiva econômico-financeira. Neste contexto, o investimento necessário para colocar determinado projeto ergonômico em atividade pode ser calculado com certa facilidade. Entretanto, calcular sua relação de benefício-custo esperada é a maior dificuldade encontrada por pesquisas da área. A difícil tarefa de agrupar informações relevantes para identificar ou prever esses benefícios de projetos ergonômicos tem algumas barreiras. Uma das principais é a ausência de uma forma de organização lógica de informações para esta finalidade. O objetivo geral desta tese foi propor uma sistemática para apoiar a análise de benefício-custo de projetos ergonômicos. Para isso, uma revisão sistemática da literatura científica sobre o assunto foi realizada, bem como a utilização de empresas para estudos de caso e entrevistas com responsáveis por processos produtivos. As especificidades do objetivo, os procedimentos metodológicos e os resultados desta pesquisa foram organizados em seis artigos científicos passíveis de publicação e que compõem esta tese de doutorado. Existe entre eles um encadeamento lógico e sequencial guiado pelas questões de pesquisa e pelo objetivo principal. O desenvolvimento da tese encontrou características de pesquisas e modelos sobre projetos de Ergonomia com enfoque de benefício-custo. Tais características, associadas com os objetivos da tese, embasaram um modelo conceitual sobre a problemática. Buscando uma forma objetiva de utilização na prática em empresas foi desenvolvida a Sistemática de Apoio para Análise de Benefício-Custo de Projetos em Ergonomia (SAABEPE). Uma empresa do setor metal-mecânico foi utilizada para apresentar sua forma de aplicação e, principalmente, seus resultados. De modo geral, foi verificado que nem todas as informações necessárias para uma quantificação adequada dos benefícios da Ergonomia estão presentes nas empresas. Entretanto, seguindo as sugestões da sistemática, esse tipo de análise de projeto ergonômico é viável e poderia justificar o investimento necessário. / A new way for the inclusion of ergonomics in the business community is discussed, and takes into account the need for a financial justification for its implementation. Researchs in the area investigate ergonomic solutions for well known occupational problems in a financial perspective. The investment required to put in specific ergonomic design activity can be calculated in a relative easy way. However, calculating the financial benefits of ergonomics is one of the major difficulties encountered by research area. The difficult task to gather relevant information to identify or predict these benefits of ergonomic design has some barriers. One of the main barrier is absence of a logical organization of information for this purpose. The aim of this thesis is to propose a systematic model to support benefit-cost analysis of ergonomic projects. For this, a systematic review of scientific literature on the subject was held as well as companies for the use of case studies and interviews of responsabiles for production processes. The specifics of the goal, the procedures and results of this study were organized into six publishable scientific papers that comprise this thesis. There is among them a logical and sequential guided by research questions and the main goal. The development features found in the thesis research and models on projects with a focus on ergonomics economic and financial. These characteristics, combined with the objectives of the thesis, give basis to a conceptual model of the problem. Seeking a practical and objective use for this model a systematic model to support the benefit-costs analysis of ergonomics projects (SAABEPE) was developed. A large company in the metal-mechanic sector was used to submit your application form, and especially its results. Overall, it was found that not all information necessary for a proper quantification of the benefits of ergonomics are present in companies. However, following the suggestions of the systematic model, this type of ergonomic project analysis is feasible and could justify the necessary investment.

Novas formas de inserção da Ergonomia na comunidade empresarial são atualmente discutidas, e levando em conta, por exemplo, a necessidade de uma justificativa financeira para sua implementação. Pesquisas da área investigam soluções ergonômicas para problemas ocupacionais bem conhecidos, mas focam esse relacionamento sob uma perspectiva econômico-financeira. Neste contexto, o investimento necessário para colocar determinado projeto ergonômico em atividade pode ser calculado com certa facilidade. Entretanto, calcular sua relação de benefício-custo esperada é a maior dificuldade encontrada por pesquisas da área. A difícil tarefa de agrupar informações relevantes para identificar ou prever esses benefícios de projetos ergonômicos tem algumas barreiras. Uma das principais é a ausência de uma forma de organização lógica de informações para esta finalidade. O objetivo geral desta tese foi propor uma sistemática para apoiar a análise de benefício-custo de projetos ergonômicos. Para isso, uma revisão sistemática da literatura científica sobre o assunto foi realizada, bem como a utilização de empresas para estudos de caso e entrevistas com responsáveis por processos produtivos. As especificidades do objetivo, os procedimentos metodológicos e os resultados desta pesquisa foram organizados em seis artigos científicos passíveis de publicação e que compõem esta tese de doutorado. Existe entre eles um encadeamento lógico e sequencial guiado pelas questões de pesquisa e pelo objetivo principal. O desenvolvimento da tese encontrou características de pesquisas e modelos sobre projetos de Ergonomia com enfoque de benefício-custo. Tais características, associadas com os objetivos da tese, embasaram um modelo conceitual sobre a problemática. Buscando uma forma objetiva de utilização na prática em empresas foi desenvolvida a Sistemática de Apoio para Análise de Benefício-Custo de Projetos em Ergonomia (SAABEPE). Uma empresa do setor metal-mecânico foi utilizada para apresentar sua forma de aplicação e, principalmente, seus resultados. De modo geral, foi verificado que nem todas as informações necessárias para uma quantificação adequada dos benefícios da Ergonomia estão presentes nas empresas. Entretanto, seguindo as sugestões da sistemática, esse tipo de análise de projeto ergonômico é viável e poderia justificar o investimento necessário. / A new way for the inclusion of ergonomics in the business community is discussed, and takes into account the need for a financial justification for its implementation. Researchs in the area investigate ergonomic solutions for well known occupational problems in a financial perspective. The investment required to put in specific ergonomic design activity can be calculated in a relative easy way. However, calculating the financial benefits of ergonomics is one of the major difficulties encountered by research area. The difficult task to gather relevant information to identify or predict these benefits of ergonomic design has some barriers. One of the main barrier is absence of a logical organization of information for this purpose. The aim of this thesis is to propose a systematic model to support benefit-cost analysis of ergonomic projects. For this, a systematic review of scientific literature on the subject was held as well as companies for the use of case studies and interviews of responsabiles for production processes. The specifics of the goal, the procedures and results of this study were organized into six publishable scientific papers that comprise this thesis. There is among them a logical and sequential guided by research questions and the main goal. The development features found in the thesis research and models on projects with a focus on ergonomics economic and financial. These characteristics, combined with the objectives of the thesis, give basis to a conceptual model of the problem. Seeking a practical and objective use for this model a systematic model to support the benefit-costs analysis of ergonomics projects (SAABEPE) was developed. A large company in the metal-mechanic sector was used to submit your application form, and especially its results. Overall, it was found that not all information necessary for a proper quantification of the benefits of ergonomics are present in companies. However, following the suggestions of the systematic model, this type of ergonomic project analysis is feasible and could justify the necessary investment.

Economia como uma ciência de escolha tem sido cada vez mais utilizada na área de Saúde Animal e pode ser útil, como na quantificação dos efeitos financeiros de uma doença, otimização de decisões a serem tomadas quando a doença afeta rebanhos e na determinação dos custos e os benefícios quando o seu controle está sendo cada vez mais abordadas. No Brasil, a brucelose bovina é uma das doenças que causam prejuízos econômicos, além de ser uma zoonose. Para controlar a doença este país criou um Programa Nacional de Controle e Erradicação para brucelose e tuberculose bovina. A partir de dados coletados do ultimo inquérito soro epidemiológico e de dados obtido por fontes oficiais, o presente trabalho realizou uma análise econômica em dois Estados brasileiros com grande importância na agropecuária do país: São Paulo e Mato Grosso. A análise econômica foi realizada a partir do beneficio custo do controle da brucelose bovina através da vacinação de fêmeas entre 3 a 8 meses como medida compulsória adotada pelo programa. As análises confirmam que o controle da doença através da vacinação tem um retorno econômico importante, nos dois Estados. No Mato Grosso, esse impacto é financeiramente maior, pois a prevalência da doença é alta, quando comparado com o Estado de São Paulo. / Economics as a science of choice has increasingly been used in the area of Animal Health and may be helpful, as the quantification of the financial effects of a disease, optimization of decisions to be made when the disease affects livestock and in determining the costs and benefits when control measures are being proposed. In Brazil, brucellosis is a zoonotic disease that causes important economic losses and for that reason, the country established a national program for control and eradication. Using data generated in the last national brucellosis survey, we have conducted an economic analysis in two Brazilian States with large agricultural importance in the country- Mato Grosso and Sao Paulo. The economic analysis was based on the benefit cost of controlling bovine brucellosis by vaccination of females between 3-8 months, a compulsory measure proposed by the national program. The analysis confirmed that the disease control through vaccination has significant economic returns in both states. In Mato Grosso, the impact is greater financially, because the prevalence of disease is higher compared with São Paulo.