Information technologies (IT) have provided significant benefits for society. By drawing on the assumptions of the New Public Management (NPM) framework, the author investigates how, in one case, IT alters the policy implementation process. Additionally, the author tests reinforcement theory, sociotechnical theory, and technological determinism to determine which IT model best explains the utilization of IT at the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT). This study examines the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969. By conducting interviews, analyzing documents, and examining a physical artifact, the author explores the administration of an economic impact analysis (EIA) that was conducted on the I-269 corridor. Using a quasi-experimental design, the author compared a control EIA with a test EIA that utilized the Regional Economic Modeling Inc. (REMI) software to determine how IT altered the EIA, which is required through NEPA. The control EIA process was conducted by MDOT, and the test EIA was administered by a research team from Mississippi State University (MSU). In this case, the author found that the utilization of IT altered the test EIA. First, the REMI model provided a broader scope and provided more variables and outputs for analysts to observe. Second, the utilization of REMI reduced the time associated with the data collection and analysis of the I-269 corridor. Finally, the author found that the projected economic impacts changed direction. In other words, instead of the construction of I-269 positively affecting the community, region, or state, the REMI model indicated that the construction of the corridor would negatively impact the surrounding areas. Finally, by tracing the utilization of REMI at MDOT, the author determined that reinforcement theory explained the initial adoption and utilization of IT. However, the author discovered the REMI model was not utilized in all EIAs. This finding highlights that MDOT has the discretionary power to adjust the methods utilized to investigate the economic impacts associated with highway projects. Therefore, while NPM promotes the utilization of IT for agencies to achieve objectives and transform bureaucracies, the research highlights a tentative critique of the NPM framework.

Organizations typically use issue tracking systems (ITS) such as Jira to plan software releases and assign requirements to developers. Organizations typically also use source control management (SCM) repositories such as Git to track historical changes to a code-base. These ITS and SCM repositories contain valuable data that remains largely untapped. As developers churn through an organization, it becomes expensive for developers to spend time determining which software artifact must be modified to implement a requirement. In this work we created, developed, tested and evaluated a tool called Class Change Predictor, otherwise known as CCP, for predicting which class will implement a requirement. Understanding which class will implement a requirement supports several software engineering tasks such as refactoring and assigning requirements to developers. CCP is a data-mining tool operating on top of ITS and SCM repositories which gathers a unique combination of metrics. CCP leverages requirement text to compare current requirements to past requirements and requirements to source code files. CCP performs static analysis on the code-base of each major release of the software artifact. We evaluated CCP on different open source datasets (and the Digital Democracy dataset) by using several machine learning classifiers and pre-processing procedures. Our results show that we can achieve high precision on three out of four datasets. We conclude that accurate class change prediction is feasible, and we propose numerous solutions to increase future accuracy.

For this report, four municipal services provided by the City of Lakeland were studied. The environmental impact of these services was discussed. Recommendations were made for solutions to problems found. It was found that the water supply services has on deleterious impact on the environment. Hydrogen sulfide occasionally found in the water supply gives the latter objectionable odor and taste. Installation of a centralized water treatment plant with aeration facilities for hydrogen sulfide removal was recommended for resolution of the problem. The waste water treatment plant removes 91% of the BOD5 and the suspended solids in the plant influent. The plant effluent and dried sludge are used for irrigation and fertilization in local agricultural enterprises. It was concluded that this service has a beneficial impact on the environment. It was determined that the electric power supply service has one deleterious impact on the environment. Sulfur dioxide emitted from five power generating units results in higher than allowable ground level concentrations. Several recommendations were made for resolution of the problem. Taller stacks were recommended for all five units. Burning lower sulfur content fuel oil was recommended for three of the units. Installation of an ammonia scrubbing system for sulfur dioxide removal was recommended for the other two units. Sanitary landfill disposal of solid waste collected by the city has two potentially deleterious impacts on the environment. Available land area may be quickly exhausted. Water runoff may leach undesirable materials out of buried refuse and contaminate ground water supplies. Incinerations of Lakeland's solid waste in one of the city's power generating unites was recommended as the solution to the problem. As follow-up to this report, a discussion has been held with city officials concerning the potential sulfur dioxide problem.

This thesis presents the \emph{Boundary Diagram Tool}, a tool for change impact analysis of large Simulink designs of embedded systems. The Boundary Diagram Tool extends the Reach/Coreach Tool, an existing tool for model slicing within a single Simulink model, to trace the impact of model changes through multiple Simulink models and to network interfaces of an automotive controller. While the change impact analysis results can be viewed directly within the Simulink models, the tool also uses various block diagrams to represent the impact analysis results with different levels of abstraction, motivated by industrial needs. In order to effectively present the complex impact analysis results, various techniques for visual representation of large graphs are employed. Furthermore, the Reach/Coreach Tool as an underlying model slicing engine was significantly improved. The Boundary Diagram Tool is currently being integrated into the software development process of a large automotive OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer). It provides support during several phases of the change management process: change request analysis and evaluation, as well as the implementation, verification and integration of software changes. The tool also aids impact analyses required for compliance with functional safety standards such as ISO 26262. / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

The purpose of this study was to identify the impact the 1990 amendments to Carl D. Perkins Career and Applied Technology Act within-state allocation of federal funds had on the operational infrastructure of career and technical education (CTE) in Virginia as specifically related to the overall quality of secondary CTE programs. In the 1990 Perkins Act, Section 102 mandated that 75% of the within-state allotment go directly to local secondary and postsecondary institutions that offered CTE programs. The remaining 25% of funding was divided among the following state-administered programs and agencies: (a) state administration (5%), (b) state leadership (8.5%), (c) corrections (1%), and (d) equity programs (10%) (AVA, 1992; U.S. Congress, 1984). This change to the within-state allocation formula was significantly different from previous Perkins Acts as well as the trends in educational policy at that time (NCRVE, 1991). In the 1998 reauthorization of Perkins, the localities allotment increased to 85% of within-state funding. A three round modified Policy Delphi technique was used to identify and rate the consequences of the within-state allocation amendments from a panel of CTE local administrators, state administrators, and university researchers and/or teacher educators. These participants worked within their CTE positions in Virginia before and after the enactment of 1990 Perkins Act. A total of 54 participants began Round 1 and 30 completed Round 3 for a 56% participation rate. A total of 223 unique consequences were identified and rated for relevancy to the within-state funding formula change and effect on the operation of CTE in Virginia. One hundred sixty-one consequences were deemed relevant within and/or between all position levels (local, state, and university). All position levels deemed 42 consequences as relevant to the within-state funding formula change. Of those 42 consequences, 35 received the same effect (positive or negative) among all position levels. The findings of this study suggest that the changes to the within-state funding formula and its accompanying amendments did have a negative effect on the operation of secondary CTE in Virginia. More specifically, the changes to the Perkins Act this study examined seemed to adversely effect CTE teacher education, state-level CTE research initiatives, and state-level CTE's ability to provide localities with hands-on technical assistance, professional and leadership development, and coordination. The findings also suggest the legislative changes negatively altered the manner in which program evaluation occurred within the state by decreasing the state-level assistance for developing methods of program evaluation. In other words, the findings of this study seem to suggest there is a lack of leadership, development, and direction within Virginia's CTE program. The researcher recommends that members of Congress charged with reauthorizing the Perkins legislation should review the current within-state funding formula to determine if it is the most effective funding formula for helping local and state-level CTE carry out the purpose of the legislation. / Ph. D.

No / The ability to provide support to a group of designers, analysts and other users who are collaborating on an evolving design requires the dual capabilities of managing options for an individual designer while at the same time managing the dependencies between different sets of designer's options. For example, if designer A is creating a design for a helicopters hydraulics system and this is dependent on electrical power (EP) from a sub-system from designer B then how can the workflows, decisions and options of the two designers be managed so that each can understand the implications of their own design decisions and more importantly the implications and design decisions they force on others? The proposed CAPS system employs two dependency reasoning engines: one handles quantitative values and other qualitative ones. The quantitative engine can identify that a motor with an output of 3000 rpm allows a generator to output 100 V or that a hydraulic pump is dependent on the 240v output of the motor. Alternatively, the qualitative engine could rule out several motors options if the overall design state that the weight of a helicopter's transmission needs to be comparable to that of the engine or the positioning of a sensor makes it susceptible to an EM process that could affect its function. A mapping capability is provided allowing analysis to be passed between the two engines. Three different types of dependency-based quantitative engine designs have been developed and evaluated. The first quantitative engine design focuses on modeling components at their output level and propagating level values from component to component, component to sub-system, etc. The second quantitative engine design focuses on modeling components at the node level so as to identify key components, sub-systems, etc. in terms of their overall dependency to the design. The third engine employs a hybrid of the previous two approaches and was identified through feedback from designers. These engines are designed to be complimentary with the node-based and hybrid approaches being used to identify the key capabilities and dependencies of the design. The output-based approach is then used to explore in greater detail the outputs and dependencies of the components and sub-systems identified as key via the node/hybrid-based approach. The proposed CAPS architecture has been initially evaluated against a large collaborative design task involving the design of a helicopter's electrical, hydraulic, structural and mechanical systems.

published_or_final_version / Urban Planning / Master / Master of Science in Urban Planning

Shi, Xiaoxin. / "August 2010." / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2010. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 153-169). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract (English) --- p.iv / Abstract (Chinese) --- p.iiiv / Acknowledements --- p.iv / List of Tables --- p.ix / List of Figures --- p.x / Abbreviations --- p.xii / "Terms in English, Chinese, and Chinese pinyin" --- p.xi / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- SEA and its practice in China --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Research objectives --- p.3 / Chapter 1.3 --- Research questions --- p.3 / Chapter 1.4 --- Significance of this research --- p.5 / Chapter 1.5 --- Structure of the thesis --- p.6 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- SEA and Its Chinese Context --- p.9 / Chapter 2.1 --- Introduction --- p.9 / Chapter 2.2 --- The definition of SEA --- p.9 / Chapter 2.3 --- The two schools of SEA theory --- p.12 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- EIA-based SEA --- p.12 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- Policy-oriented SEA --- p.112 / Chapter 2.4 --- SEA in the Chinese context --- p.15 / Chapter 2.4.1 --- Institutional context: administrative structure and governmental organs --- p.15 / Chapter 2.4.2 --- "Planning system context: urban SEPs, basic classification, and attributes" --- p.21 / Chapter 2.4.3 --- Historical context: from EIA to SEA --- p.25 / Chapter 2.4.4 --- "Regulatory context: a ""grey area"" for urban SEPs" --- p.28 / Chapter 2.5 --- Summary --- p.30 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- Research Methodology and Design --- p.31 / Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.31 / Chapter 3.2 --- Inquiry process as a social practice --- p.31 / Chapter 3.3 --- Framing the research --- p.33 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- "Starting from the tangible top of an ""iceberg""" --- p.33 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- Establishing criteria for evaluation --- p.35 / Chapter 3.3.3 --- Research Framework --- p.36 / Chapter 3.4 --- Literature review: summarizing key elements of good SEAs of urban SEPs --- p.37 / Chapter 3.5 --- Research instruments --- p.39 / Chapter 3.5.1 --- Literature review --- p.39 / Chapter 3.5.2 --- Questionnaire Survey --- p.39 / Chapter 3.5.3 --- Case studies --- p.40 / Chapter 3.5.4 --- Interviews --- p.42 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Review of Chinese SEA of Urban SEPs --- p.44 / Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction --- p.44 / Chapter 4.2 --- Key elements of SEA of urban SEPs --- p.45 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Integrated approach --- p.45 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Integrated content --- p.47 / Chapter 4.2.3 --- Integrated process --- p.48 / Chapter 4.2.4 --- Communicative and participative process --- p.51 / Chapter 4.2.5 --- Consideration of alternatives --- p.52 / Chapter 4.2.6 --- Tiering and follow-up --- p.54 / Chapter 4.2.7 --- "Applying the six ""key elements of SEAs of urban SEPs"" to the evaluation of Chinese practices" --- p.56 / Chapter 4.3 --- General issues of Chinese SEA practices: a Chinese literature review --- p.58 / Chapter 4.3.1 --- SEA approach --- p.58 / Chapter 4.3.2 --- SEA content --- p.60 / Chapter 4.3.3 --- Integration with the planning process --- p.622 / Chapter 4.3.4 --- Stakeholder involvement --- p.63 / Chapter 4.3.5 --- Consideration of alternatives --- p.64 / Chapter 4.3.6 --- Establishment of continuous SEA process --- p.64 / Chapter 4.4 --- Questionnaire feedbacks from SEA practitioners --- p.65 / Chapter 4.5 --- "Case studies from three cities: Dalian, Wuhan, and Shanghai" --- p.69 / Chapter 4.5.1 --- SEA of the Urban Development Plan of Dalian City (2003-2020) --- p.72 / Chapter 4.5.2 --- SEA of the 11th Five-Year Economic and Social Development Plan (FYP) of Wuhan City (2006-1010) --- p.75 / Chapter 4.5.3 --- SEA of the 11th Five-Year Economic and Social Development Plan of Pudong New District in Shanghai (2006-2010) --- p.77 / Chapter 4.5.4 --- Findings from case studies --- p.81 / Chapter 4.6 --- Interviews with SEA practitioners and urban planners --- p.82 / Chapter 4.6.1 --- Applying EIA-based approach along with data deficiencies --- p.83 / Chapter 4.6.2 --- "SEA contents: narrow in scope, technical in presentation" --- p.84 / Chapter 4.6.3 --- Linkages with the planning process --- p.85 / Chapter 4.6.4 --- Insufficient non-government stakeholder involvement --- p.87 / Chapter 4.6.5 --- Inadequate consideration for alternatives at strategic levels --- p.88 / Chapter 4.6.6 --- One-time-only assessment exercises --- p.89 / Chapter 4.7 --- Conclusion --- p.90 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- Discussion and Recommendations --- p.93 / Chapter 5.1 --- Introduction --- p.93 / Chapter 5.2 --- Recommendations for SEA approach --- p.93 / Chapter 5.2.1 --- Moving beyond the rational decision-making mindset --- p.94 / Chapter 5.2.2 --- Moving beyond the end-of-pipe control mindset --- p.98 / Chapter 5.3 --- Recommendations for SEA content --- p.102 / Chapter 5.3.1 --- Reporting: making sense for non-environmental experts --- p.102 / Chapter 5.3.2 --- Building up SEA team --- p.104 / Chapter 5.4 --- Recommendations for SEA process --- p.107 / Chapter 5.5 --- Recommendations for stakeholder involvement: engaging non-government stakeholders --- p.110 / Chapter 5.6 --- Recommendations for considering alternatives at strategic levels --- p.114 / Chapter 5.7 --- Applying SEA more strategically --- p.116 / Chapter 5.8 --- Summary --- p.120 / Chapter Chapter 6 --- Conclusions --- p.122 / Chapter 6.1 --- Research findings --- p.122 / Chapter 6.1.1 --- Deficiencies in content and process of recent Chinese SEA of urban SEPs --- p.122 / Chapter 6.1.2 --- Views and recommendations from stakeholders on the deficiencies of Chinese SEA of urban SEPs --- p.124 / Chapter 6.1.3 --- Recommendations to improve SEAs of urban SEPs in China --- p.126 / Chapter 6.2 --- Limitations and future research --- p.128 / Chapter 6.3 --- Concluding remarks --- p.129 / Appendix I Questionnaire Survey --- p.131 / Appendix II A full list of the interviewees in this research --- p.134 / Appendix III Guiding questions for semi-structured interviews --- p.136 / Appendix IV Main contents of Five-Year Plans and UMPs --- p.141 / Appendix V Main topics in SEAs of urban SEPs --- p.144 / Appendix VI Recommendations to improve Chinese SEA of urban SEPs by interviewees --- p.15147 / Appendix VII Recommendations and challenges to address the six issues of Chinese SEA of urban SEPs --- p.151 / References --- p.153

This study represents a review of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) system in South Africa based on case studies. It takes the form of two separate but interrelated components. Component A sets out the rationale for the research, the approach and objectives, a conceptual framework and a statement of methodology. These aspects are supported by a detailed literature review. It is stated as the broad rationale of the research to determine whether the current EIA system can be improved. This is approached through an update on EIA reviews. It is not only the intention of the review to fill an existing gap in literature on the subject, but also to provide findings and recommendations on procedure that may positively contribute to the system and by implication, the process of EIA in South Africa. Certain objectives are realised in the literature review. An understanding of the review process in the context of EIA in South Africa is provided in sections on relevant terminology, the history and status quo of environmental assessment in South Africa as well as local and international experiences. Finally a framework is proposed for purposes of review. In order to ensure international relevance this framework uses as its basis the international best practice review criteria of Glasson, Therivel and Chadwick (1999) and Fuller (1999). This basis is amalgamated and extended with local review criteria contained in the White Paper on Environmental Management Policy, July 1997, the Guideline Document on EIA RegUlations, April 1998 and the Integrated Environmental Management Information Series (20022004). The following review categories are used: Description of the environment; screening, scoping, consultation and impact identification; prediction and evaluation of impacts; mitigation and monitoring; non-technical summary; organisation and interpretation of information and the appropriateness of institutional controls. Ratings are allocated according to five different responses (non-compliance, low compliance, moderate compliance, high compliance and full compliance). 3 Ratings of non-compliance and low compliance also serve as an indication of key improvement areas. The review framework that is proposed in Component A is used in Component B to conduct an in-depth analysis of two cases studies representing different environmental authorisation applications in the South African medical incineration sector. The case studies are reviewed by allocating numeric values to respective criteria and comparing ratings allocated to the respective case studies. All review categories, with the exception of the category dealing with institutional controls, are allocated ratings of low compliance. Both case studies are allocated similar ratings with regard to all review categories.These results suggest low overall quality and ample room for improvement on most aspects of EIA in South Africa. The results are discussed by relating it to possible explanations and corresponding recommendations found in relevant literature. It is suggested that the realisation of these recommendations may lead to the improvement of quality in EIA in South Africa. It is the purpose of the study to review environmental impact assessment, thus the broad scope for review criteria. Due to practical constraints two case studies were used. The number of case studies does not allow for provincial comparisons as was initially envisaged. The significance of this study is found in the introduction and piloting of a comprehensive review framework. The application of the review framework on a provincially representative selection of case studies could, therefore, become the focus of subsequent research. / Thesis (M.Env.Dev.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is the systematic identification and evaluation of the potential impacts (effects) of proposed projects, plans, programmes, or legislative actions relative to the biophysical, cultural, and socioeconomic components ofthe natural environment (Canter 1996). The overall purpose ofEIA is to assist in shaping the development process, not to prevent development from taking place and to ensure that the environmental consequences of development proposals are systematically assessed and taken into account . Since the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, there has been a substantial increase in the adoption ofEIA worldwide (Sheate 1996). The main aim of this report is to investigate the role of Ezemvelo Kwazulu-Natal Wildlife (EKZN-Wildlife) with respect to EIAs inside and outside the protected areas in KwaZulu-Natal. It has four objectives. • To establish the role EKZN-Wildlife should play in the EIA process inside and outside protected areas • • • To establish which institutions should manage the EIA process for EKZNWildlife developments To ascertain ifEKZN-Wildlife can be designated as a relevant authority To establish if EKZN-Wildlife should consult professionally in IEM for income generation The research method used to achieve these objectives were qualitative, with respondents purposefully chosen from EKZN-Wildlife, DAEA and environmental consultants. A selfadministered questionnaire method was used to collect data, and both open-ended and closed questions were asked. Techniques such as Likert scale and semantic differential were used to allow respondents to express feelings by ratings with respect to opposing concepts. The data analysis was mainly through reduction and displays in the form of tables and graphs. This report, amongst its fmdings, found that apart from being an lAP, the role ofEKZNWildlife in EIA should be that of providing specialist input in particular to biodiversity related issues during the EIA process. It was also found that appointing EKZN-Wildlife as a relevant authority would be inappropriate and could .have negative consequences. Concerning the scheduled activities that EKZN-Wildlife undertakes, the report found that self-assessments could be considered for small projects but not for big projects. This report also found that an environmental consulting role for EKZN-Wildlife may not be a viable option to generate income. This report recognizes that EIAs incorporate much more than mere consideration of green issues and recommends that EKZN-Wildlife should adopt an interdisciplinary team approach when dealing with EIAs. EKZN-Wildlife should also engage the relevant authority in a constructive dialogue so that its role during the EIA process can be defined explicitly. This report also recommends that EKZN-Wildlife should investigate the nature and the possibility ofproviding the necessary specialist review during the EIA process. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2003.