This thesis describes and evaluates a set of multiobjective generation expansion planning models that include four objectives and importance given to renewable generation technologies while considering location of generation units. Using multicriteria decision making theory, these models provide results which indicate the most recommendable amount of each type of generating technology to install at each location. A framework to solve and generate alternative solutions is provided for each model, and representative case studies from the Mexican Electric Power System are used to show the performance of the proposed models and solution methods. The models include a single-period model, a multi-period model, single-period mixed-integer non-linear model, and a fuzzy multi-criteria model. Among the attributes considered are the investment and operation cost of the units, the environmental impact, the amount of imported fuel, and the portfolio investment risk. The approaches to solve the models are based on multiobjective linear programming, analytical hierarchy process, and evolutionary algorithms. The incorporation of more than three criteria to generate the expansion alternatives, the importance given to renewable generation technologies, and the geographical location of the new generation units are some features of the proposed models which have not been considered simultaneously in the literature. A novel multiobjective evolutionary programming algorithm has been proposed in this thesis. / "July 2006."

When large areas of forest are modelled, spatial detail can create excessively large databases and adversely affect the processing time. Spatial generalization can be an efficient means of aggregating polygons into blocks in strategic forest planning models. In this study, a sensitivity analysis on spatial generalization was conducted to examine the trade-off between accuracy and spatial resolution to meet the objectives of strategic planning. Five scenarios were designed by generalizing forest cover polygons into the uniform hexagon block sizes of 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 ha. To quantitatively assess accuracy, deviations caused by spatial generalization were calculated by criteria for hexagon scenarios relative to the base case. Criteria include model inputs (area of natural disturbance type and ungulate winter range) and outputs (harvest volume, growing stock and seral stage distribution). In general, deviations in all criteria increased with the block size. Spatial resolution was also evaluated by the database size and simulation runtime. A negative relationship was observed between spatial resolution and the block size. The trade-off analysis between accuracy and spatial resolution indicated that using the smallest block size of 5 ha creates more detail than necessary. Although scenarios with the block sizes of 50 and 100 ha reduced spatial resolution significantly, the maximum deviations relative to the base case were as high as 14% and 17% in growing stock, 12% and 12% in seral stage distribution, and 6% and 21% in ungulate winter range, respectively. For this study, the preferred block size is in the range of 10-20 ha, however, in general, the preferred block size will vary depending on the importance of each criterion used in the trade-off analysis.

When large areas of forest are modelled, spatial detail can create excessively large databases and adversely affect the processing time. Spatial generalization can be an efficient means of aggregating polygons into blocks in strategic forest planning models. In this study, a sensitivity analysis on spatial generalization was conducted to examine the trade-off between accuracy and spatial resolution to meet the objectives of strategic planning. Five scenarios were designed by generalizing forest cover polygons into the uniform hexagon block sizes of 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 ha. To quantitatively assess accuracy, deviations caused by spatial generalization were calculated by criteria for hexagon scenarios relative to the base case. Criteria include model inputs (area of natural disturbance type and ungulate winter range) and outputs (harvest volume, growing stock and seral stage distribution). In general, deviations in all criteria increased with the block size. Spatial resolution was also evaluated by the database size and simulation runtime. A negative relationship was observed between spatial resolution and the block size. The trade-off analysis between accuracy and spatial resolution indicated that using the smallest block size of 5 ha creates more detail than necessary. Although scenarios with the block sizes of 50 and 100 ha reduced spatial resolution significantly, the maximum deviations relative to the base case were as high as 14% and 17% in growing stock, 12% and 12% in seral stage distribution, and 6% and 21% in ungulate winter range, respectively. For this study, the preferred block size is in the range of 10-20 ha, however, in general, the preferred block size will vary depending on the importance of each criterion used in the trade-off analysis.

When large areas of forest are modelled, spatial detail can create excessively large databases and adversely affect the processing time. Spatial generalization can be an efficient means of aggregating polygons into blocks in strategic forest planning models. In this study, a sensitivity analysis on spatial generalization was conducted to examine the trade-off between accuracy and spatial resolution to meet the objectives of strategic planning. Five scenarios were designed by generalizing forest cover polygons into the uniform hexagon block sizes of 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 ha. To quantitatively assess accuracy, deviations caused by spatial generalization were calculated by criteria for hexagon scenarios relative to the base case. Criteria include model inputs (area of natural disturbance type and ungulate winter range) and outputs (harvest volume, growing stock and seral stage distribution). In general, deviations in all criteria increased with the block size. Spatial resolution was also evaluated by the database size and simulation runtime. A negative relationship was observed between spatial resolution and the block size. The trade-off analysis between accuracy and spatial resolution indicated that using the smallest block size of 5 ha creates more detail than necessary. Although scenarios with the block sizes of 50 and 100 ha reduced spatial resolution significantly, the maximum deviations relative to the base case were as high as 14% and 17% in growing stock, 12% and 12% in seral stage distribution, and 6% and 21% in ungulate winter range, respectively. For this study, the preferred block size is in the range of 10-20 ha, however, in general, the preferred block size will vary depending on the importance of each criterion used in the trade-off analysis. / Forestry, Faculty of / Graduate

published_or_final_version / Urban Studies / Master / Master of Social Sciences

Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

by Gabriel R. Bitran, David Marieni, Jim Noonan. / "October 1983." / Bibliography: leaf 27.

When I was younger I always conceived of a room where all these (strategic) concepts were worked out for the whole, company. Later I didn't find any such room .... The strategy (of the company) may not even exist in the mind of one man. I certainly don't know where it is written down. It is simply transmitted in the series of decisions made (Quinn 1978: 7). How do organisations in the Australian Catholic Health and Aged Care sector transform shared strategic thinking into formulated strategy? This research has investigated strategy formation, which can be defined as the process whereby the insights and thoughts of the key players in Catholic health and aged care are converted into formulated strategies. Specifically, the research analysed a major strategic amalgamation of the health and aged care operations of the Catholic Church in Australia, identified as Integration 2000. The concept of social constructs of meaning for the key actors is the fundamental perspective of this research. This required a constructivist ontology. The epistemology is interpretivist, and set out to provide a description of perceptions of the key actors as they engage in the formation of strategy. Defenders of interpretivism argued that the human sciences aim to understand human action (Schwandt, 2000:191). A qualitative methodology has been used to provide a plausible interpretation of the conversion process commonly referred to as strategy formation. / A purposive sample was obtained. The data collection methods included qualitative interviews, attendance as an observer at two of the three day National Conferences of Catholic Health Australia and document analysis (see Chapter Three).A key focus of the research was the identification of planning models used to set the strategic context of organisations in Catholic health. The research showed that the prescriptive design and planning models were not used to plan broad strategy, but to implement strategies already formed by an emergent/learning process which, in Mintzberg et al's (1998) terms, would fit the learning, cultural and environmental schools of thought. Pinpointing a strategy school may not be a particularly fruitful exercise in this particular arena. It assumes that the distinctive act of deciding the future shape and the strategic management context of organisations charged with fulfilling a sacred mission can be classified into one school or another. The research also explored the perceptions of the Integration 2000 process, including the compatibility between the espoused philosophies and values of Catholic health and aged care and the behaviours evidenced during the Integration 2000 process. A diagnostic model was used to perform this evaluation. Rather than uncovering major discrepancies, this revealed some differences and some potential challenges. / The espoused philosophies and values of Catholic health and aged care are those of compassion, collaboration, sense of community and, of course, financial viability. Pre-Integration 2000, particularly in health care, theories of organising and practices reflected values of independence and competitiveness, both between and even within religious orders. The findings from post-Integration 2000 suggested that theories of organising and practices were becoming more aligned with the original and continuing values, at the same time as responsibility for sustaining these values was being handed over from religious to lay trusteeship. There are still some outstanding issues before the Integration 2000 process achieves its objectives. The progress to date in bringing together so many components of such a disparate sector attests to the strength of the underlying value systems of Catholic health and aged care.

Thesis (doctoral)--Delhi School of Economics, 1980. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 202-221).

Strategic release planning (road-mapping) is an important phase of requirements engineering process performed at product level. It is concerned with selection and assignment of requirements in sequences of releases such that important technical and resource constraints are fulfilled. It is always considered difficult to form a strategic release plan due to varying constraints and uncertainties. In this regard, different strategic release planning models have been presented in academia and different methods are being used in Industry. In this thesis, strategic release planning models presented in academia and some methods of strategic release planning being used in Industry are identified. The contributions of these models are also provided in the thesis. A systematic review has been performed to know strategic release planning models in academia. The aim of systematic review is to present fair evaluation of research concerning strategic release planning models. Through systematic review, requirements selection factors considered by a model, validation details of model and a model’s usefulness for bespoke and market-driven development are summarized. Moreover two organizations have been interviewed to know strategic release planning models being used in Industry in addition to the ones presented in academia. Similarly contribution of models being used in Industry is provided by logging details of requirements selection factors, validation details and usefulness for bespoke and market-driven software development of each model / process of Industry. Based on systematic review and industrial interviews’ results, a list of common requirements selection factors (considered by models of academia and Industry) is provided. Some general recommendations have been given for research in academia on strategic release planning models after analysis of systematic review and industrial interviews’ results. / Strategisk release planering (väg-kartläggning) är en viktig fas av requirements engineering process som utförs på produktnivå. Det handlar om urval och tilldelning av kraven i sekvenser av utsläpp så att viktiga tekniska och resurser är uppfyllda. Det är alltid anses svårt att skapa en strategisk release planen på grund av olika begränsningar och osäkerheter. I detta avseende olika strategiska release planering modeller har presenterats i den akademiska världen och olika metoder som används inom industrin. I denna avhandling, strategisk release planering modeller i den akademiska världen och vissa metoder för strategisk release planering som används inom industrin har identifierats. Bidraget från dessa modeller är också i avhandlingen. En systematisk genomgång har gjorts att veta strategisk release planering modeller i den akademiska världen. Syftet med systematisk översyn är att presentera en rättvis utvärdering av forskning om strategisk release planering modeller. Genom systematisk genomgång, krav urval faktorer betraktas som en modell, validering uppgifter om modell och en modell nyttan för beställda och marknadsdriven utveckling sammanfattas. Dessutom två organisationer som har intervjuats att veta strategisk release planering modeller som används inom industrin och utöver de åtgärder som presenteras i den akademiska världen. Likaså bidrag av modeller som används inom industrin ges genom att logga information om kraven urval faktorer, validering information och nytta för den beställda och marknadsdrivna mjukvaruutvecklingen av varje modell/process industri. Baserat på systematisk genomgång och industriell intervjuer resultat, en förteckning över gemensamma krav urval faktorer (som av modeller av den akademiska världen och industrin) tillhandahålls. Några allmänna rekommendationer har fått för forskning i den akademiska världen på strategisk release planering modeller efter analys av systematisk översyn och industriell intervjuer resultat. / +46765541016, +46762920070