Spurred by recent press reports and other concerns this thesis focuses on the quality of surgical instruments. The current situation is reviewed by considering the regulatory framework and by investigating the quality of newly purchased instruments. A range of test protocols based on British Standards and best practices from industry were developed. These were designed to be practical in the real world situation and a user-friendly database was built to collate all the relevant data and inform the Supply Chain. The conditions experienced by instruments during their lifetime in the health care environment, especially in cleaning and disinfection were studied and as many instruments implicated in Incidents as possible investigated to understand the possible root causes of failure. During this work the importance and debate over surface finish, passivation and disinfection processes became apparent and research was carried out into the effect on wettability and drying mechanism of passivation and repeated disinfection cycles on various typical surface finishes. This concentrated on the environment within the health service unlike other studies which have been concerned with more aggressive industrial situations. Standards and Procedures on the care of instruments have been established in order to improve the current management of surgical instruments and to ensure that they are and remain fit for purpose.

Food quality attributes arising from farming methods are important to many Canadians. The credence nature of these quality attributes necessitates some form of quality assurance for accurate signalling to consumers. This thesis examines the appropriate role for private, third party, and government actors in credible quality assurance systems for production-derived attributes. Concurrently, it explores the nature of trust that Canadians put in various organizations for quality assurance. In a nationwide survey, Canadian consumers obtained significant benefits from government verification of pesticide free and environmentally sustainable grains contained in pre-packaged sliced bread. The data was collected using a discrete choice experiment. Farmers, third party, and government organizations were similarly trusted for accurate information about farming methods. The dimensions of this trust varied across organizations. Government standards relating to environmental sustainability were perceived as most effective. Results obtained using a latent class multinomial logit model showed that respondents who most valued production-derived food quality also received the greatest benefit from government verification and significant negative utility from supermarket or third party verification. In relative terms, the difference in utility between third party and government verification represents 141% of the value of the environmentally sustainable attribute and 87% of the pesticide free attribute. The results suggest that significant consumer benefit can be achieved if government were to take a leading role in quality assurance for production-derived quality.

Food quality attributes arising from farming methods are important to many Canadians. The credence nature of these quality attributes necessitates some form of quality assurance for accurate signalling to consumers. This thesis examines the appropriate role for private, third party, and government actors in credible quality assurance systems for production-derived attributes. Concurrently, it explores the nature of trust that Canadians put in various organizations for quality assurance. In a nationwide survey, Canadian consumers obtained significant benefits from government verification of pesticide free and environmentally sustainable grains contained in pre-packaged sliced bread. The data was collected using a discrete choice experiment. Farmers, third party, and government organizations were similarly trusted for accurate information about farming methods. The dimensions of this trust varied across organizations. Government standards relating to environmental sustainability were perceived as most effective. Results obtained using a latent class multinomial logit model showed that respondents who most valued production-derived food quality also received the greatest benefit from government verification and significant negative utility from supermarket or third party verification. In relative terms, the difference in utility between third party and government verification represents 141% of the value of the environmentally sustainable attribute and 87% of the pesticide free attribute. The results suggest that significant consumer benefit can be achieved if government were to take a leading role in quality assurance for production-derived quality.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

For a developing nation like Kenya, an effective higher education system is essential for its national development. Often intermediary bodies, such as the Commission for Higher Education in Kenya, are established and mandated to oversee higher education systems. As a “buffer” agency between the state and the universities, the Commission is strategically placed to ensure an effective and productive higher education system that serves the Kenyan society and advances the development of the nation. The purpose of this research is to investigate and describe the contribution of an intermediary body responsible for the coordination of the higher education system in a developing nation. The research describes the legal framework for the establishment of the Commission for Higher Education in Kenya and focuses on the three main functions of this intermediary agency: planning, program review and budget review. The research uses a historical case-study design that includes extensive documentation analysis coupled with interviews in order to understand the experience of the Commission for Higher Education in Kenya from its establishment in 1985 up to the present. The main objectives of the research are: a) To describe the legal framework for the establishment of the Commission for Higher Education for Kenya and analyze its mandate and terms of reference; b) To investigate and describe the experience of the Commission for Higher Education for Kenya with reference to the following primary functions of intermediary bodies: planning, budget review and program review. In addition to describing the legal framework that established the Commission and its work in planning, program review and budget review, the research provides recommendations for improved effectiveness as a buffer agency. Chief among these is the need for legislative change that would create an empowering legal framework. Specific recommendations for improvements in core function service areas (planning, program review and budget review) are also provided. The study is important because it addresses service improvement issues in a context where the development agenda demands effective and efficient leadership in the higher education sector.

Thesis PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.Hous.)--University of Hong Kong, 2004. / Also available in print.

The objective of the reported research is to investigate the contribution which can be made to Quality Management System design and implementation through the application of discrete event simulation methods. Today's highly competitive world has forced manufacturing and service organisations to find ways to reduce costs while maintaining customer satisfaction and making continuous improvement to both products and/or services as well as processes. In approaching these demands the establishment of quality systems standards, such as ISO 9000, has been considered as one of the possible solutions. From another point of view, businesses have been making increasing use of simulation modelling as a powerful technique to reduce the risk in the process of decision-making by evaluating and analysing alternative strategies and solution in system design and improvement. Having considered the importance of quality management systems and standards as well as the capabilities of computer systems a generic simulation model for Quality Management Systems, as defined by the relevant standards, is defined and its use in a case study is demonstrated and evaluated in detail. The overall result of the research illustrates the feasibility of using computer simulation in the area of quality management and great benefits achieved by this application.