This thesis deals with Risk Management within large projects. It is still a hot topic, because risk is an inherent part of any project and significantly affects its outcome. That is why it is paied more and more attention to Project Risk Management. This thesis is written in collaboration with a renowned multinational IT company delivering these large projects. One of the project factors is uniqueness. Conditions in the world are rapidly changing and companies are trying to gain a competitive advantage in their own IT. Uniqueness is obviously very important factor of IT innovation and that is the reason, why many companies implement their changes as a project. These projects must be directed to a succesfull outcome, therefore many methodologies was created to manage it. Current project are under greater pressure on the duration and cost of supply while maintaining high quality, which in practice means that to deliver successful projects is becoming increasingly difficult. Therefore, there should be greater emphasis on risk management, so an event that may threaten the success of the project. It is needed to learn and look for better and more efficient ways of Risk Management. The main scope of this thesis is to compare two project management methodologies (Prince 2 and RUP -- Rational Unified Process) with internal methodology of chosen IT company from the perspective of risk management and then to compare the project practices with the methodologies, to find any anomalies or errors and provide suggestions for improvement. Another objective is to find out and describe project risk management trends, and introduce some tools to support project risk management.

Este trabalho tem como objetivo o desenvolvimento de uma metodologia para a identificação de perigos e avaliação de riscos que possa ser aplicável a qualquer natureza de empresa e em qualquer dimensão, alinhado com os requisitos normativos do principal modelo de gerenciamento de segurança e saúde ocupacional adotado no mundo na atualidade – OHSAS 18001:1999 e que dele seja possível extrair um indicador de desempenho pró-ativo para avaliar o risco ocupacional na rotina organizacional. O que motiva o desenvolvimento dessa metodologia é a dificuldade observada nas empresas de conciliar e prover suas equipes, gerentes e empregados de um instrumento efetivo de gerenciamento de riscos que possa ser utilizado em todos os níveis atendendo simultaneamente aos requisitos de certificação em gestão de segurança e saúde ocupacional. Seu desenvolvimento foi conduzido com base na experiência de implantação de modelos de gestão, na bibliografia consultada e no uso de uma empresa piloto como meio de validação da mesma, além de outras experiências de implantação da metodologia em empresas de diferentes portes e atividade econômica, em paralelo à ação piloto. As experiências de implantação nas diversas empresas foram úteis na consolidação e na melhoria da metodologia, validação como um instrumento eficaz no gerenciamento de riscos ocupacionais, facilidade de integração e alinhamento com outras práticas da gestão ocupacional e geração de um indicador de desempenho que monitora o gerenciamento de riscos ocupacionais em todos os níveis de decisão da organização. / This paper presents a risk assessment methodology development applied to any company size and core business and aligned to OHSAS 18001:1999 normative requests which has being preferentially adopted worldwide as reference to occupational health and safety management. Also the development comprises a proactive risk performance indicator to be used on daily management routine in all organization levels. The risk assessment methodology development is motivated by the difficulties observed on companies which are adopting OHSAS 18001:1999 by providing an effective and easy use tool for occupational risk management to their personnel and managers in all levels. This development is based on acquired experience on implementing and improving management tool systems and models in different companies in Brazil, on consulted bibliography and also by adopting a large company in Brazil as a laboratory to validate the set up approaches to the main concepts as well as its application to other different companies as a mean of consolidate those concepts approaches. Those implementation experiences were useful to consolidate and improve the proposal methodology and to prove that its use as built is an easy, simple, strong and effective occupational risk management tool aligned and integrated to other management practices and organization needs. Beyond that, the methodology does provide to build an occupational risk performance indicator easy to obtain and to use on daily management routine in all organization levels.

This work is focused on project management and methodology of implementation of the SAP AG company information systems. The aim is to create a distinctive, more beneficial methodology of medium-size software project management for a consulting firm. The author uses well-known rules and principals of the project management, which chooses and analyses according to the appropriateness of their use, particularly in the management of SAP projects. Their contribution demonstrates on the real project, whose leadership was the author delegated in the past. In this thesis the theory is continuously mingled with practice, where each rule is confronted with real situations. The core of information is, in addition to general rules, methodology Accelerated SAP of SAP AG company. The result of this work is a comprehensive set of rules and recommendations to facilitate the process of implementation of software to enhance work efficiency and meet the objectives of the project.

As a mechanism for collecting and sharing information, information and communications technologies (ICT) hold immense potential for individuals and institutions in low- and middle-income countries. Currently the distribution and adoption of ICTs--particularly mobile devices--has far outpaced the provision of other household services like clean water, sanitation, hygiene, or energy services. At the same time, the development and deployment of Internet of Things (IoT) devices including cellular- and satellite-connected sensors is facilitating more rapid feedback from remote regions where basic services are most limited. When used in conjunction with economic development or public health interventions, these devices and the feedback they provide can inform operation and maintenance activities for field staff and improve the monitoring and evaluation of outcomes for project stakeholders. This dissertation includes three chapters written as journal articles. While each chapter is framed around the work and research efforts being undertaken by the Sustainable Water, Energy, and Environmental Technologies Lab (SweetLab) at Portland State University, the common thread that weaves all three investigations together is the theme of ICT-enabled programmatic feedback. The first chapter introduces the three theoretical lenses that inform these investigations and the ways that ICTs and the data they provide can (1) serve as more appropriate proxies for measuring access to services, (2) reduce information asymmetries between various stakeholders including communities, governments, implementers, and funders, and (3) enable more robust methodologies for measuring outcomes and impacts of interventions within complex adaptive systems. The second chapter presents a critical review of the methodologies and technologies being used to track progress on sanitation and hygiene development goals. Chapter three describes how simple sensors and weight measurements can be combined with complex machine learning algorithms to facilitate more reliable and cost-effective latrine servicing in informal settlements. Chapter four presents the results from an investigation exploring how near-time feedback from sensors installed on motorized boreholes can improve water service delivery and drought resilience in arid regions of Northern Kenya. Finally, chapter five provides a summary of the three manuscripts and discusses the significance of this research for future investigations.

Este trabalho tem como objetivo o desenvolvimento de uma metodologia para a identificação de perigos e avaliação de riscos que possa ser aplicável a qualquer natureza de empresa e em qualquer dimensão, alinhado com os requisitos normativos do principal modelo de gerenciamento de segurança e saúde ocupacional adotado no mundo na atualidade – OHSAS 18001:1999 e que dele seja possível extrair um indicador de desempenho pró-ativo para avaliar o risco ocupacional na rotina organizacional. O que motiva o desenvolvimento dessa metodologia é a dificuldade observada nas empresas de conciliar e prover suas equipes, gerentes e empregados de um instrumento efetivo de gerenciamento de riscos que possa ser utilizado em todos os níveis atendendo simultaneamente aos requisitos de certificação em gestão de segurança e saúde ocupacional. Seu desenvolvimento foi conduzido com base na experiência de implantação de modelos de gestão, na bibliografia consultada e no uso de uma empresa piloto como meio de validação da mesma, além de outras experiências de implantação da metodologia em empresas de diferentes portes e atividade econômica, em paralelo à ação piloto. As experiências de implantação nas diversas empresas foram úteis na consolidação e na melhoria da metodologia, validação como um instrumento eficaz no gerenciamento de riscos ocupacionais, facilidade de integração e alinhamento com outras práticas da gestão ocupacional e geração de um indicador de desempenho que monitora o gerenciamento de riscos ocupacionais em todos os níveis de decisão da organização. / This paper presents a risk assessment methodology development applied to any company size and core business and aligned to OHSAS 18001:1999 normative requests which has being preferentially adopted worldwide as reference to occupational health and safety management. Also the development comprises a proactive risk performance indicator to be used on daily management routine in all organization levels. The risk assessment methodology development is motivated by the difficulties observed on companies which are adopting OHSAS 18001:1999 by providing an effective and easy use tool for occupational risk management to their personnel and managers in all levels. This development is based on acquired experience on implementing and improving management tool systems and models in different companies in Brazil, on consulted bibliography and also by adopting a large company in Brazil as a laboratory to validate the set up approaches to the main concepts as well as its application to other different companies as a mean of consolidate those concepts approaches. Those implementation experiences were useful to consolidate and improve the proposal methodology and to prove that its use as built is an easy, simple, strong and effective occupational risk management tool aligned and integrated to other management practices and organization needs. Beyond that, the methodology does provide to build an occupational risk performance indicator easy to obtain and to use on daily management routine in all organization levels.

This thesis deals with the domain of software product methodologies in the context of innovation. In the opening part of the thesis the field of innovation and creativity is analysed. In the next chapter the reasons justifying the necessity to create a methodology for innovative software product development are given. The main intention of this thesis was to create a new methodology of innovative software product development; so the next section focuses on this goal. The new methodology relies on current agile software development methodologies, best practices in innovation management and approaches to startup creation. Based on these principles, the requirements are set up and individual components selected that will form the new methodology. A model of the new methodology was created using tool Eclipse Process Framework. Consequently the methodology was validated by its prospective users.

The diploma thesis deals with meteorology of project management and discipline application in the environment of the company, which is Panthers Otrokovice floorball club. The aim of this work is to evaluate the current state of the club's website, to analyze weaknesses and weaknesses. Based on these analyzes and requirements, new websites will be created. The final part of the diploma thesis will be devoted to the benefits of these plans.

Time delays and cost overruns in construction projects are generally due to factors such as inappropriate planning, design errors, unexpected site conditions, inadvisable tools selection, change scope, weather conditions, lack of resources, and other project changes. Time delays and cost overruns are of concern to most project managers, owners, and governments. These elements of time and cost are two of the critical defects that impact the construction project delivery. These defects can lead to project failures and to various negative issues like increasing in disagreements among the project team, the contractor, suppliers, and the owner. State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) in the U.S. continue to spend heavily on roads, highways, and bridges construction, as well as development, maintenance, and expansion. This continued financial commitment reflects decades of commitment to improve the transportation service for safer and better use by the general public. Despite the notable efforts from most of the states to develop the transportation infrastructure, budget restrictions and lack of funds are some of the major challenges faced by DOTs. Highway and bridge infrastructure has a high potential growth in the U.S. construction market. Well-organized highway and bridge project investment decision-making becomes increasingly crucial in the transportation sector. In this research, transportation is specified to highway and bridge projects, and it focused on high-profile projects. These projects are defined as high-cost projects, and are associated with higher project delivery risk (typically $100 - $500 million). All states are working with their state transportation plan, listing the projects based on each state priorities and population growth. Proper planning leads to the right decision regarding selecting the best alternative within budget, and it must reflect certain core principles, including a comprehensive analysis. To facilitate such a decision process, decision makers need a trusted decision model that considers all important options and impacts. By using a decision model, decision-making will not be subjectively influenced to favor one option or group. The decision model becomes the primary tool for selecting the best option, based on its structure levels, perspectives, sub-criteria, and experts’ input. Recently, there is an apparent need for a decision model to help DOTs evaluating their options. Effective project delivery assessment tools, techniques, or practices are strongly needed to improve transportation construction projects’ performance. The research objective is to develop a comprehensive decision model that can be used by project managers and their teams to choose the most effective project assessment technique for measuring the success of performance and outcomes related to the delivery of transportation projects. This research was focused on the assessment techniques that are used in the development phase within the transportation project lifecycle phases. To this end, the research identified and screened the innovative assessment tools and techniques of project delivery that the transportation and other industries have used by reviewing numerous of academic literature and technical reports. Based on the review, value optimization elements such as cost, time, performance, risk, and resources were selected to be the primary evaluation criteria that lead to achieving the model objective. Also, the model sub-criteria were investigated and selected based on the literature review and direct discussion with some experts such as project managers, civil engineers, and value management consultants. The outcome analysis of the results showed that in terms of objectives that performance efficiency was rated the highest importance with respect to the mission, while resources presented the lowest importance from an overall assessment point of view. The results showed that Alternative 4, the VE-RACRDAM technique, was ranked as the most important alternative among others followed by Alternative 5, while Alternative 2 was ranked the least important. A five scenarios analysis was applied to measure the sensitivity of the effects of changing the relative importance of the assessment criteria on alternatives’ rankings. Results showed that Alternative 4 was maintained as the most effective assessment technique among the other alternatives in the five scenarios. In the end, experts were asked to validate the final research results, and they confirmed that the results were appropriate and valid. The validity of the decision model and findings of this research contribute new insights into the transportation construction industry as the case of state departments of transportation. Also, the experts agreed that this decision model is generalizable and could be used in other industries. Therefore, the model significantly contributes to the project management knowledge, and construction project development and delivery success.

In these days we have more and more digitization of business content. The effort to reduce paper documents and replace them with digital/electronic form places increasing demands on the management of these documents and data/information in enterprises. With this kind of problem usually deal systems known as Enterprise Content Management. Main topic of this thesis is the implementation of MS SharePoint 2013. This thesis focuses its objectives on an analysis of the possibilities of using MS SharePoint, description of recommendations for the design of systems based on MS SharePoint and practical illustration of MS SharePoint implementation project in a specific organization. The first part of this thesis aims on the concept of Enterprise Content Management, MS SharePoint system performance and analyzing options how to deploy MS SharePoint into organizations. Based on this analysis, is further compared the coverage of functionality of MS SharePoint and specialized and robust ECM systems. The next part focuses on a description of the procedures that are recommended for the design and development of systems. In this part of the thesis is chosen an appropriate methodology for the development of information systems, which is used according to specific MS SharePoint implementation project within defined organization. Subsequently, the thesis analyzed the suitability of the methodology for the implementation of MS SharePoint and the proposed possible expansion of the selected methodology to fully meet the needs and specifics of MS SharePoint implementation projects. Subsequently, on the basis of these recommendations, there was made a draft of the MS SharePoint implementation project.

The Story and Song Centered Pedagogy (SSCP) is a workshop that uses songs, stories and reflective questioning to increase empathy. This preliminary study tested the prediction that being exposed to the SSCP would increase empathy using, the Emotional Concern (EC) and Perspective Taking (PT) subscales of the renowned Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) (Davis, 1990). Subjects self-reported their answers to the IRI before and after undergoing the SSCP intervention. Comparing their pre and post intervention results, no statistically significant changes were noticed for the EC and PT scales (p-value = 0.7093 for EC; p-value = 0.6328 for PT). These results stand in direct tension with the anecdotal evidence gathered from 10 years of action research that shows that the SSCP impacts audiences' ability to empathize. This opens the door for additional research with more rigorous methodology and a larger sample size which will allow for more interpretative analysis. These results also probe the concern about whether the IRI is the most suitable tool to quantitatively measure the empathetic responses caused by the SSCP and evidenced by action research.