The aim of this diploma thesis is to formulate recommendations to amend the guideline issued by the Operational Programme Human Resources and Employment. Their subject matter is based on the analysis of decision situations which must be handled by contracting entities in order to successfully find the right contractor. The paper explains the methods of multi criteria decision making which are suitable for use in public procurement. First part describes requirements which are a prerequisite to creating the rational set of evaluation criteria. Theoretical part continues with description of the Public Procurement Act and its recent changes made by amendments. The practical part contains the survey conducted among contracting entities which were supported by operational programme. It is aimed on their approach to organizing competitions and information management. The last part describes the authors proposed changes.

The thesis titled Tesco Potraviny online e-shop contents detailed customer experience based description of functionalities of the Tesco e-shop and some other e-shops competing on the on-line groceries market. Available methods of multi-criteria decision making allowed a platform for comparative analysis of functionalities of Potraviny online, Potraviny domů and Z-market shopping websites. The customer satisfaction survey had been carried out via a multiple choice questionnaire. A proposal for optimalization of the Tesco e-shop, this being the aim of the thesis, has been put together thanks to evaluation of both data collected and multi-criteria analysis being applied. The thesis also provides some subject related information about the Tesco company and looks into how the e-commerce evolves.

This diploma thesis focuses on competitiveness of the Czech Republic compared with other states of the Visegrad Group and Slovenia. The paper is divided into three parts. The first part is aimed at specification of the term competitiveness and the criticism of the concept of national competitiveness. The second part focuses on measuring of competitiveness. The last part analyzes competitiveness of the Czech Republic and other observed states.

The aim of this diploma thesis is to select a suitable task management tool with regards to specific requirements of BNM, s.r.o. company. The list of requirements was compiled based on author's work experience at the particular company. Last but not least the thesis is focused on a solution of identified issues while the theoretical part explains the teamwork theory and team collaboration. Further chapters introduce SaaS oriented software distribution models. The final tool selection is done using a scoring method and WSA (Weighted Sum Product) method belonging to the multi-criteria decision methods category. The decision making proces is further described with a special attention to the selected tool - Asana. None of the considered tools was excluded due to a non-fulfilment of the selection criteria. The main contribution of the thesis is a comparison and evaluation of available task management tools and a selection of a best tool for the one particular company.

<p>Multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) methods have evolved over the past several decades. In today’s world with rapidly growing industries, MCDM has proven to be significant in many application areas. In this study, a decision-making model is devised using reinforcement learning to carry out multi-criteria optimization problems. Learning automata algorithm is used to identify an optimal solution in the presence of single and multiple environments (criteria) using pareto optimality. The application of this model is also discussed, where the model provides an optimal solution to the food, energy, and water systems (FEWS) problem.</p>

Las elecciones de los subcontratistas en los proyectos de carreteras del Perú no poseen un procedimiento estandarizado, lo cual conlleva a utilizar distintas técnicas insuficientes para la elección optima del subcontratista. La presente investigación se enfoca en disminuir los sobrecostos ocasionados por los subcontratistas, seleccionando de forma objetiva al subcontratista más adecuado para realizar el proyecto, estableciendo un procedimiento que emplea el análisis multicriterio. Para ello, se aplica este procedimiento a 3 proyectos de carreteras obteniendo una comparación entre el subcontratista seleccionado para la partida de señalización y el obtenido a través de los métodos multicriterio. Para obtener el subcontratista a través de la metodología es necesario realizar 4 procedimientos: El primero, consta en identificar los criterios más importantes para el proyecto y asignar una incidencia con la metodología del proceso analítico jerárquico (AHP). El segundo, reside en recopilar los datos de los subcontratistas postores basado en los criterios seleccionados y evaluarlos. El tercero, se basa en procesar los datos con el Método de organización de clasificación de preferencias para la evaluación de enriquecimiento (PROMETHEE). Por último, con los datos procesados se elabora un ranking de los subcontratistas y se selecciona el de mayor puntaje. La información obtenida de la experiencia realizada se sintetiza en un procedimiento que describe las etapas a seguir para la aplicación del método. / The elections of subcontractors in the road projects of Peru have not been a standardized procedure, which leads to using different techniques that are insufficient for the optimal choice of the subcontractor. The present investigation focuses on reducing the cost overruns caused by subcontractors, selecting objectively the most suitable subcontractor to carry out the project, establishing a procedure that uses multicriteria analysis. Therefore, this procedure is applied to 3 road projects, where a comparison is realized between the subcontractor selected for the works of road signaling and the result through the multicriteria methods. To obtain the subcontractor through the methodology, it is necessary to carry out 4 procedures: The first consists in identifying the most important criterias for the project and giving them an incidence with the methodology of the hierarchical analytical process (AHP). The second one is to collect the data of the bidder subcontractors based on the selected criteria and evaluate them. The third is based on processing the data with the classification method of the functions for the enrichment evaluation (PROMETHEE). Finally, with the data processed, a ranking of the subcontractors is elaborated and the highest score is selected. The information obtained through the experience, is synthesized in a procedure that describes the steps to follow for the application of the method in a road project. / Tesis

Due to urbanization and governmental incapacity to cope with the consequent increase in demand for housing in cities, more than 10 % of the South African population is living in informal settlements. This group is also growing at high rates, causing settlements in cities to be established in ever less suitable conditions (Gaunt et al. 2012; Wolpe &amp; Reddy 2010). Informal households in locations considered unsuitable for habitation are not sufficiently addressed by current national policies aimed at relieving energy poverty. These households instead resort to buying electricity from their neighbors or stealing from the grid, posing issues of revenue losses, network reliability, safety and affordability, and they also continue to rely on unclean use of fuel for cooking and lighting (Franks &amp; Prasad 2014; Tait 2013). At the same time, alternative ways of providing energy services, such as Solar Home Systems and LPG being tested in such contexts need further examination.  This thesis explores how access to basic energy services can be sustainably provided to informal households that are ineligible for grid electrification, by comparing current and alternative ways of accessing energy services and identifying some barriers and opportunities related to these. The sustainability of the access alternatives is studied using a multi-criteria sustainability assessment (MCSA). This approach incorporates a case study in the Western Cape Province, focused on Cape Town, using semi-structured interviews to explore views and knowledge of stakeholders and experts. The MCSA identifies notable trade-offs of various access alternatives and suggests that off-grid electricity alternatives may provide a short or medium-term solution if provided along with gas for cooking accessed at local convenience stores. The case study further shows that barriers for electrification can be overcome in most cases, providing that there is political will at the local level to do so. At the same time, it is shown that the current focus on electricity is limited in its success of providing access to basic energy services. It is suggested that sustainable implementation of alternatives to grid electricity is likely to depend on a range of factors, including political will, policy framework, funding and allocation of subsidies, the model of service provision, as well as social dynamics. The case study also indicate that non-government initiatives may be necessary in some cases, both to overcome political inertia and to gain social acceptance among households. In conclusion, this study supports the suggestion that governmental efforts aimed at access to energy services, as opposed to supply of electricity, may be more effective in meeting basic needs. It also suggests that close cooperation between various government levels, as well as non-government actors and the local community is crucial to sustainably meeting these needs. As this work was limited both in time and scope, further studies should apply and/or study possible models of providing access to basic energy services, using findings from this study as a starting point. / Till följd av urbanisering och regeringens oförmåga att hantera åtföljande ökade efterfrågan på bostäder i städer lever mer än 10 % av den Sydafrikanska befolkningen i informella bosättningar eller slumområden. Denna grupp växer också kraftigt vilket leder till att bosättningar etableras på allt sämre lämpade platser (Gaunt et al. 2012; Wolpe &amp; Reddy 2010). Informella hushåll på platser som anses olämpliga för boende nås inte av nuvarande nationella policyer inriktade på att bekämpa energifattigdom. Dessa hushåll lämnas således åt att köpa elektricitet från sina grannar eller att stjäla från elnätet, vilket orsakar problem med intäktsförluster, elnätets pålitlighet, säkerhet och betalningssvårigheter, och de får också fortsätta att förlita sig på oren användning av bränslen för matlagning och belysning (Franks &amp; Prasad 2014; Tait 2013). Samtidigt behöver alternativa sätt att tillhandahålla energitjänster, så som Solar Home Systems och gasol, som testas i sådana sammanhang undersökas ytterligare. Denna uppsats undersöker hur tillgång till grundläggande energitjänster kan förmedlas på ett hållbart sätt till informella hushåll som inte är berättigade till elnätsanslutning, genom att jämföra nuvarande och alternativa sätt att få tillgång till energitjänster, samt genom att identifiera vissa hinder och möjligheter i samband med dessa. Hållbarheten hos försörjningsalternativen studeras genom en multi-kriteriell hållbarhetsbedömning (MCSA). Detta tillvägagångssätt inbegriper en fallstudie i Västra Kapprovinsen med fokus på Kapstaden och använder semistrukturerade intervjuer för att utforska åsikter och kunskap hos intressegrupper och experter. Med MCSA identifieras betydande avvägningar mellan olika försörjningsalternativ och det föreslås att icke nätbaserade alternativ kan utgöra möjliga lösningar på kort eller meddelång sikt, ifall de tillhandahålls tillsammans med gas för matlagning genom lokala närbutiker. Fallstudien visar vidare att hinder för elektrifiering kan övervinnas i de flesta fall, förutsatt att det finns politisk vilja på lokal nivå för detta.  Samtidigt visas att den nuvarande fokusen på elnätsanslutning är begränsad i dess förmåga att tillhandahålla grundläggande energitjänster. Det föreslås att hållbarheten i genomförande av alternativ till elnätsanslutningar i kontexten sannolikt beror på en rad faktorer, bland annat politisk vilja, politiska ramverk, finansiering och fördelning av styrmedel, modellen för tillhandahållande av tjänster, samt social dynamik. Fallstudien visar också att icke-statliga insatser kan vara nödvändiga i vissa fall, både för att övervinna politisk tröghet samt att vinna social acceptans bland hushållen. Sammanfattningsvis stöder denna studie förslaget att statliga ansatser som syftar till att tillgång till energitjänster, i motsats till elförsörjning, kan vara mer effektiva när det gäller att tillgodose grundläggande behov. Studien föreslår också att ett nära samarbete och interaktion mellan olika förvaltningsnivåer, samt icke-statliga aktörer och lokalsamhället är avgörande för att på ett hållbart sätt möta dessa behov. Vidare studier bör tillämpa och/eller studera möjliga modeller för tillhandahållande av grundläggande energitjänster, med resultaten från denna studie som utgångspunkt.

Current global demands for energy resources along with continuous global population growth have placed natural environments and societies under great stress to fulfill such a need without disrupting economic and social structures. Policy and decision-making processes hold some of the most important keys to allow safe paths for societies towards energy security and safeguard of the environment. Brazil has played a lead role within renewable energy production and use during the last decades, becoming one of the world’s leading producer of sugarcane based ethanol and adapting policies to support renewable energy generation and use. Although it is true that Brazil has historic experience with managing development of renewables and its further integration into the consumer market, there is still a lot to do to impulse new technologies that could further reduce emissions, increase economic stability and social welfare. Throughout this thesis project a sustainability assessment of hydrogen production technologies in Brazil is conducted through Multi-Criteria Analysis. After defining an initial framework for decision-making, options for hydrogen production were reviewed and selected. Options were evaluated and weighted against selected sustainability indicators that fitted the established framework within a weighting matrix. An overall score was obtained after the assessment, which ranked hydrogen production techniques based on renewable energy sources in first place. Final scoring of options was analyzed and concluded that several approaches could be taken in interpreting results and their further integration into policy making. Concluding that selection of the right approach is dependent on the time scale targeted for implementation amongst other multi-disciplinary factors, the use of MCA as an evaluation tool along with overarching sustainability indicators can aid in narrowing uncertainties and providing a clear understanding of the variables surrounding the problem at hand.

Resource efficiency and circular economy (CE) has become increasingly relevant to the Swedish construction company NCC in connection to the plans of demolishing the current head office in Stockholm and building a new head office next to it. NCC wants to investigate how to minimize the negative sustainability implications of bringing down a commercial facility well before its life length has expired, through exploring the possibilities of integrating principles of CE in future planning‐and construction processes. This study seeks to understand how the Swedish construction company NCC could work with decision-making for CE in order to keep their materials in the loop. As the concept of CE is broad there are many options for working with its principles. However, the construction industry is relatively new to these and a list of priorities would therefore be helpful in such an initial phase, as focusing on all would be inefficient and rather daunting. Thus, this study suggests a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) as a tool for decision-making and prioritizing between various approaches to CE. Together with NCC, an MCDA was performed where three different options for working with CE were analysed (Waste as Resource, Circular Design and Circular Business Models). In a focus group, 17 criteria that were relevant to NCC were developed as a basis for analysing the options. These were then defined, scored and weighted to reveal a most preferable option. The MCDA showed that the most preferable approach to CE for NCC is working with circular design, i.e. Design for Deconstruction (DfD), followed closely by measures to increase the rate of reuse and recycling of already existing construction- and demolition waste. However, the sensitivity analysis revealed that if economic criteria received a higher weight, increased reuse and recycling is the most preferable option. MCDA was deemed a helpful decision-making tool for CE principles. While the scoring and weighting is subjective and it is challenging to quantify the criteria, the strength lies in bringing a new and innovative topic on the agenda by gathering key decision-makers in focus groups to discuss and learn. A preliminary study to this thesis was conducted at NCC (Tabrizi, 2015) with the aim of conducting a survey of good examples with regard to development of commercial properties that are designed for flexibility and deconstruction during refurbishment and end‐of‐life. It showed that the challenges relate to the hesitant perception of secondary material, design and construction limitations, the need for material documentation, organization and logistics as well as creating sustainable business models. Key success factors for overcoming these challenges for NCC is working towards better communication and promotion of secondary material through information sharing, building up a knowledge base and internal targets, as well as establishing a consistent work methodology for DfD in order to move NCC towards a circular economy.

In the recent decades, therehave been frequent conflicts between groundwater waterresources and environmentally hazardous activities. Newmethodologies for aiding decision-making in groundwater impactassessment and protection areneeded and in which issues ofincreased awareness, better understanding of the groundwaterresources processes, and validation of predictive mathematicalmodels are addressed. A framework fordecision–aid, based on predictive simulations that a)predicts the environmental impacts b) provides the totaleconomical value c) visualises the impacts and the groundwaterproperties and d) describes the uncertainties in the results isproposed herein. The framework can be applied in environmentalimpact assessments, strategic environmental assessments andprotection and management of water resources. The results ofthe model are used as feedback for determining new scenarios,depending on the required uncertainties, and if the plannedactivity is sustainable, and/or fulfils the legislative andpolicy measures. This framework is applied to a particular casestudy, Nybroåsen, in the south-eastern part of Sweden,where the highway E22 is constructed through the importantglaciofluvial esker aquifer, passing the protection zone of thewater supply for the Kalmar municipality. The impacts from the new highwayand the existing road have been predicted by two-dimensionalphysically based time-variant flow and solute groundwatermodelling. The results, breakthrough curves of contaminantconcentration in wells and maps of concentration distributions,as well as travel times, flow paths, and capture zones forwells determined by particle tracking have been presented. The constructed model of theNybroåsen study area was calibrated by comparing observedand simulated groundwater levels for 15 observation wells forten years of measurements. The model has been evaluated bothgraphically and numerically and the calibration target wasfulfilled for 13 of the 15 observation wells. The model workincludes investigations of the catchment information, a waterbalance study, simulation of the groundwater recharge,consideration of the unsaturated zone by a numerical columnsimulation, and sensitivity analysis. From the sensitivity analysis ofthe flow and transport parameters, it has been shown that theuncertainties are mainly due to the hydraulic conductivity.Comparison of the derived conductivity from the steady-stateautomatic calibration and the time-variant calibration showedthat there are major differences in the derived parameters,which illustrates the importance of a time dependentcalibration over both wet and dry periods and in more than onepoint in the area of interest of the model predictions. In addition, a multi-criteriadecision analysis has been carried out for four roadalternatives (including the new highway E22) and the existingroad in the case study concerned. The multi-criteria decisionaid is applied as an illustration of how it can be used in thestudy area to identify a) interest groups of actors and theirconcerns b) ranking of alternative road scenarios according toactors’preferences and c) coalition groups of actorsi.e.groups that have similar views with regard to theroad alternatives. <b>Keywords:</b>Physically-based groundwater modelling,contamination, flow and solute transport, glaciofluvialdeposits, Nybroåsen, Sweden, and multi-criteriadecision-aid. / NR 20140805