Bien que le SCN 1993 ait été mis en place depuis plus de quinze ans, certains pays ne l'ont toujours pas mis en application, tandis que d'autres affirment l'appliquer sans qu'en réalité il ne le soit parfaitement.Les difficultés de la mise en œuvre du SCN 1993 s'expliquent par plusieurs raisons parmi lesquelles nous pouvons répertorier la disponibilité des sources de données et les bases de données.La Syrie n'a pas adapté le SCN 1993, et les comptes nationaux syriens sont aujourd'hui encore établis selon le SCN 1968.Dans notre recherche, nous avons analysé la qualité des données des comptes nationaux pour réaliser une application complète du SCN 1993 au département des comptes nationaux de Syrie.Ce système n'est certes pas en cours, mais l'application complète donnerait une réelle image de l'économie syrienne. Afin de réaliser cet objectif, et en profitant des expériences que nous offrent les autres pays, il était indispensable d'analyser la qualité des données de la comptabilité nationale produites au sein du département de la comptabilité nationale. Ce travail doit nous permettre de connaître la capacité de la Syrie à répondre aux recommandations du SCN 1993.Le SCN 2008 publié récemment, ne fait qu'approfondir le besoin d'adapter le système syrien au SCN. .Il est essentiel de garder à l'esprit que l'objectif n'est pas d'annoncer avec précipitation appliquer le système, mais il est urgent de produire et d'être capable de faire de vraies données et ainsi d'appliquer sainement le SCN.Cette recherche n'est pas un aboutissement mais se veut au contraire être le point de départ de d'une réflexion approfondie sur la refonte complète de la comptabilité nationale syrienne qui permettra de produire des données saines qui reflètent la réalité économique et permettent d'établir des stratégies économiques et de permettre le développement économique de la Syrie. / Although the SNA 1993 has been established for over fifteen years, some countries have still not yet implemented, while others pretend implementing it, without it being correctly applied.The difficulties in the implementation of the SNA 1993 are explained by a few main reasons among which we can identify the availability of data sources and databases.Syria has still not adopted the SNA 1993, and the Syrian national accounts are still set according to the 1968 SNA.In our research, we analyzed the quality of national accounts data to make a good applicability of the 1993 SNA of national accounts department of Syria.To achieve this goal, and taking advantage of the experiences that other countries offer us, it was necessary to analyze the quality of national accounts data produced in the department of the national accounts.The work should enable us to know our ability to respond to the recommendations of the system 93.The SNA 2008 has recently been published, however, we believe that when we are able to generate sound data, we will also be able to practice any developed system.It is essential to keep in mind that the goal is not to announce has only the implementation of the system. But it is urgent to produce and be able to do real data and to apply reasonably well the SNA.This research is not an end but will instead be the starting point of the national accounts, in order to produce sound data that reflect the reality of the economic in the future, for the establishment of economic strategies and economic development of Syria.

В магистерской диссертации производится сравнительный анализ четырех программных инструментов, которые поддерживают методологию анализа социальных сетей (SNA - методологию), и могут быть использованы для решения задачи формирования эффективных команд. В терминах SNA-методологии это есть поиск подгрупп в социальной группе. Приводится описание наиболее известных алгоритмов кластеризации, а также уровень поддержки этих алгоритмов существующими программными инструментами. В результате определяется наиболее эффективный алгоритм и наиболее удобный программный инструмент для решения данной задачи. / In the master's dissertation, a comparative analysis of four software tools is carried out. These tools support the methodology of analysis of social networks (SNA-methodology) and which could be used for effective teams building. In terms of the SNA-methodology, this is a kind of subgroup search in a social group. Description of the most popular clustering algorithms is delivered, as well as the level of support of these algorithms with software tools is under discussion. As a result, the most effective clustering algorithm and the most usable software tool for solving this problem are determined.

The analysis of the government sector gained prominence after the World War II as the Keynesian theory attributed the government sector key importance in battling economic cycle and the post-war reconstruction and development involved state interventions on a large scale. In 1990s a strength-ened interest in the government sector was triggered by the need to coordinate fiscal policies and closely monitor fiscal health in the countries forming the Economic and Monetary Union. Finally, in the context of the recent global economic crisis, the government sector returned to the centre of the economic policy debate as fiscal policy was used as a main tool to fight the economic recession and subsequently sustainability of government finances became a pressing issue for many countries around the Globe. Increasing importance of the fiscal analysis and fiscal policymaking always generated and continues to generate demand for appropriate statistical data. The international statistical standards played a key role in meeting these requirements. This dissertation offers a comprehensive historical overview, a comparative analysis and evaluation of main internationally recognised statistical standards dealing with the government sector produced by the United Nations, the OECD, the European Communities (Eurostat), the IMF and the European Central Bank. It covers a period since the first international guidelines in late 1940s up to present. It analyses evolution of the statistical treatment of the government sector including its historical roots and gradual revisions and extensions to reflect changing needs and shifts in economic environment. The study compares individual standards with each other and across time and points out differences in basic definitions, concepts and classifications, the institutional coverage of the government sector, structure of government accounts and balancing items, integration of flow accounts with balance sheets and consolidation of transactions or stocks. The dissertation shows that the international statistical standards were successful in offering common statistical guidance, recommendations and best practices. The international organizations have proven to be well suited to deliver widely acknowledged standards. Their cooperation with national statistical agencies and engagement of the most competent experts in the field contributed to building credibility of these statistical systems, if properly applied. The comparative analysis also demonstrates a clear long-term effort of the international statistical community to enhance international harmonization. The application of the international statistical standards also improved quality and availability of government statistics as individual countries are in principle bound -- through their memberships in the international organizations -- to compile agreed data on the basis of a common methodology. This was in particular the case for EU countries for which provision of statistical data according to a given standard is legally binding, as the data are relevant for budgetary and surveillance procedures. As a special case, the history since early 1990s and current situation of statistics on the government sector in the Czech Republic is presented.

Social media today is a dominant communication tool, which structures not only our social interactions but also filter the information users are getting displayed. The big social media platforms use our interaction data to analyse our behaviour and sell the data for commercial interest. But not only the pure interaction data is valuable for these platforms. Also hidden information, which can be derived from our interactive networks, about our social structures, social classifications and social status are gathered and monetised. This research attempts on the one hand to uncover some of these methods used by social media platforms, and on the other hand, also wants to show how useful these new methods can be for research on social phenomena. Therefore, this study goes beyond the confining limits of traditional sociology, where either qualitative or quantitative methods are applied. Following the idea of Critical Realism, the positivist and constructivist methods are applied in combination in order to provide thick accounts of the studied material. In this study, varying socioeconomic classification systems (like the Sinus-Milieu models) are investigated and evaluated against the background of Bourdieu’s ideas on cultural and social forms of capital. The present study uses a mixed method approach (Social Network Analysis and Sentiment Analysis) to analyse quantitative data from Twitter conversations which were collected during the Austrian EU Election 2019. In conclusion, one could say that the overall purpose of this study is to demonstrate the usefulness of Critical Realism for social media research, since this approach can create a thicker account of the studied material than other, more traditional methods. This undertaking is demonstrated by the findings of the study. These findings are the building of specific sub-clusters of EU candidates which are not related to the same political background and traditional demographics but whose relation can be detected and described using Bourdieu’s concepts of social and cultural capital. As a mean for gathering empirical data, Twitter turned out to be a useful and accessible tool for this study.

Les modèles techniques agricoles fondés sur l’utilisation de produits phytopharmaceutiques (pesticides) ont des impacts environnementaux et sanitaires face auxquels les pouvoirs publics affichent la volonté d’une « transition écologique ». Dans ce contexte, on s’interroge de plus en plus sur la notion de verrouillage technologique pour comprendre la persistance de ces modèles et les obstacles au développement d’alternatives techniques moins consommatrices de ces produits (Cowan, Gunby, 1996 ; Vanloqueren, Baret, 2008). Les analyses mettent en avant l’importance des dimensions cognitives pour expliquer les situations de verrouillage (influence des cadres cognitifs et normes pour l’action, dispositifs matériels d’accès aux connaissances techniques – Stassart, Jamar, 2009 ; Labarthe, 2010). Parallèlement, la « participation » est souvent invoquée comme un moyen d’améliorer la mobilisation des connaissances dans les situations de choix technologiques (Barber, 1984 ; Callon et al., 2001…).L’objectif de cette thèse est de mettre à l’épreuve cette conviction sur la participation, à partir de l’étude du cas de l’agriculture de conservation (AC) en France et au Brésil. L’AC est un modèle technologique innovant qui émerge comme « candidat » à l’agriculture durable dans le débat public, en dépit de la dépendance de certaines techniques à l’utilisation d’herbicides.Pour comprendre les effets de la participation sur la capacité des acteurs à accéder aux connaissances et à faire des choix technologiques, la thèse analyse la façon dont l’idée de participation se décline concrètement dans le régime d’accès aux connaissances en agriculture. L’évolution de la politique agricole en France et le passage d’un référentiel « modernisateur » à un « référentiel de marché » (Muller, 2000) a fait l’objet de nombreuses études, mais peu souvent menées depuis le point de vue des connaissances. Or, de profonds changements sont en cours, suite au tournant libéral des années 1990 et à la transformation du rôle de l’Etat vers la mise en œuvre d’une régulation par l’information (Majone, 1996). L’analyse de ces transformations en France révèle que l’Etat ne s’est pas doté des dispositifs institutionnels et matériels adéquats pour assurer cette fonction de régulation dans le domaine de l’agriculture et de l’utilisation des pesticides. Dans ce contexte, la participation est invoquée pour organiser de grandes consultations nationales (Grenelle de l’Environnement) visant à produire du consensus sur des sujets controversés, tandis que les moyens matériels d’accès à des connaissances adéquates pour évaluer et débattre des options technologiques font défaut dans les services de l’Etat et auprès d’autres acteurs du débat public. adéquats La participation est aussi utilisée pour renvoyer l’innovation à des dispositifs locaux « en partenariat » ou « en réseaux » associant public et privé (et notamment les firmes d’amont fournisseuses de produits phytopharmaceutiques, porteuses de conflits d’intérêt), où les moyens mutualisés pour l’accès aux connaissances manquent. L’analyse des réseaux d’action publique impliqués dans le développement de l’AC confirme cette fragmentation croissante des conditions d’accès aux connaissances, entre accumulation des ressources cognitives par les firmes, et inégalités d’accès aux connaissances entre agriculteurs développant des alternatives. Dans ce contexte, la référence à « la participation » ne permet pas de compenser ces changements structurels à l’œuvre, et masque au contraire le retrait de l’Etat d’une politique volontariste en faveur de la réduction de pesticides et la perte d’un certain nombre de ses prérogatives liées aux connaissances. La dimension comparative avec le Brésil permet de confirmer l’existence de tels effets « pervers » en termes de dépolitisation des débats sur les évolutions du régime d’accès aux connaissances. / Intensive use of pesticides in agriculture has environmental and sanitary impacts that led to the need for less harmful techniques. Policy makers are claiming for an “ecological transition” of the sector but they are facing technological lock-ins : pesticides-based solutions remain dominant because of institutional and cognitive factors that prevent the development of other alternatives (Cowan, Gunby, 1996; Vanloqueren, Baret, 2008…). In this context, the idea of enlarging the participation of new actors in technological decisions has gained success as it is supposed to enlarge the range of available evidence and lead to better and fairer technological choices (Barber, 1984; Callon et al., 2001; Elgert, 2010)This PhD research aims at questioning the idea of participation as a way to unlock technological lock-ins , using the case of Conservation Agriculture (CA) in France and Brazil, an innovation presented as based on participatory dynamics of R&D and a way to achieve sustainable agriculture, in spite of the dependence of some practices on an intensive use of herbicides. Data was collected from academic literature, documentary analysis, and semi directive or collective interviews with 51 actors both in France and Brazil. Results show the deep changes the regime of knowledge in agriculture has undergone in the last decades under the liberalization of the sector- and why referring to the idea of participation is unefficient to counterbalance these structural changes, or can even have perverse effects.Academic literature described the evolution of agricultural policies, at the international, European and French levels, analyzing the “environmental” turn of the 1980s and the “liberal” turn of the 1990s-2000s (Fouilleux, 2003; Muller, 2000; Trouvé, 2007). But few studies focused on the impacts these changes had on how decision makers and farmers have access to scientific and technical evidence to innovate and cope with new situations. This PhD research shows how the regime of knowledge in France evolved from the modernization period (1960s) - when access to reliable evidence was an issue of public concern and funding in the State administrations and extension services; to a turning point in the 2000s when the State progressively disengaged from the debate on the technological trajectory of the sector and private firms became more and more implicated. In the case of CA, the results of a policy networks analysis show the concentration of material resources to produce robust evidence (R&D, extension services, databases ) in the hands of private firms wishing to develop technological packages based on the use of pesticides. On the other hand, local farmers trying to reduce their consumption of pesticides lack resources to systematically evaluate the innovations they produce.In this context, the idea of participation refers to organizing big national consultations (as the Grenelle de l’Environnement) that rather aim at producing consensus than shedding light on existing controversies and alternatives. It is also used to discharge the responsibility for producing pesticide-less alternatives to different kinds of partnerships at a local level (sometimes associating private firms with commercial interests in selling pesticides).This research therefore shows that, besides other institutional and cognitive factors, the issue of accessing adequate evidence is of crucial importance to understand changes in policy making and the State and at the heart of great economic and socio-political conflicts. It also highlights the importance of taking into account structural determinants and evidence-related power games in order to evaluate the impacts of “participation” on improving technological choices.

This collected papers dissertation explores students’ academic interactions in an active learning, introductory physics settings as they relate to the development of physics self-efficacy and interest. The motivation for this work extends from the national call to increase participation of students in the pursuit of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers. Self-efficacy and interest are factors that play prominent roles in popular, evidence-based, career theories, including the Social cognitive career theory (SCCT) and the identity framework. Understanding how these constructs develop in light of the most pervasive characteristic of the active learning introductory physics classroom (i.e., peer-to-peer interactions) has implications on how students learn in a variety of introductory STEM classrooms and settings structured after constructivist and sociocultural learning theories. I collected data related to students’ in-class interactions using the tools of social network analysis (SNA). Social network analysis has recently been shown to be an effective and useful way to examine the structure of student relationships that develop in and out of STEM classrooms. This set of studies furthers the implementation of SNA as a tool to examine self-efficacy and interest formation in the active learning physics classroom. Here I represent a variety of statistical applications of SNA, including bootstrapped linear regression (Chapter 2), structural equation modeling (Chapter 3), and hierarchical linear modeling for longitudinal analyses (Chapter 4). Self-efficacy data were collected using the Sources of Self-Efficacy for Science Courses – Physics survey (SOSESC-P), and interest data were collected using the physics identity survey. Data for these studies came from the Modeling Instruction sections of Introductory Physics with Calculus offered at Florida International University in the fall of 2014 and 2015. Analyses support the idea that students’ perceptions of one another impact the development of their social network centrality, which in turn affects their self-efficacy building experiences and their overall self-efficacy. It was shown that unlike career theories that emphasize causal relationships between the development of self-efficacy and the subsequent growth of student interest, in this context student interest takes precedence before the development of student self-efficacy. This outcome also has various implications for career theories.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / Introduction: National community health worker (CHW) programmes are to an increasing extent being implemented in health systems globally, mirrored in South Africa in the ward-based outreach team (WBOT) strategy. In many countries, including South Africa, a major challenge impacting the performance and sustainability of scaled-up CHW programmes is ensuring adequate support from and supervision by the local health system. Supervisory systems, where they exist, are usually corrective and hierarchical in nature, and implementation remains poor. In the South African context, the absence of any guidance on CHW supportive supervision has led to varied practices across the country. Improved approaches to supportive supervision are considered critical for CHW programme performance. However, there is relatively little understanding of how this can be done sustainably at scale, and effective CHW supervisory models remain elusive. Research to date has mostly positioned supervision as a technical process rather than a set of relationships, with the former testing specific interventions rather than developing holistic approaches attuned to local contexts. This doctoral study was exploratory in nature, seeking to generate an in-depth and contextualised understanding of the supervision phenomenon in one specific district in the North West Province (NWP) in South Africa. Using co-production methodology in an iterative approach, the study culminated in the formulation of a supportive supervision framework with CHWs and other frontline actors. Methods: The study was based on a holistic conceptual framework of supportive supervision, which was viewed as comprising three core functions ‒ accountability, development and support ‒ embedded in a complex and multi-level system of resources, people and relationships. To address the study objectives, the research used a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods. Three studies were conducted in a phased process: study 1 comprised a qualitative description of policy and practices in two districts related to the supervision of WBOTs; study 2 identified the main actors and mapped the supervisory system of WBOTs in the district, using social network analysis (SNA); and study 3 involved a qualitative exploration of workplace and interpersonal trust factors in the district and the supervisory system of WBOTs in the district. These three studies provided inputs for a workshop aimed at developing recommendations for a district-level, WBOT supportive supervisory framework. Four published papers reporting on the research conducted are presented in this thesis. It should be noted that the research was conducted during a turbulent political and administrative period in the NWP, when the WBOT programme changed from being a flagship programme for the country to one in crisis. This shifting context needs to be borne in mind when the findings are viewed and interpreted. Results: The study identified weaknesses in both the design and implementation of the supervisory system of WBOTs, with the absence of clear guidance resulting in WBOTs and PHC facilities performing their roles in an ad hoc manner, defined within local contexts. The study documented evidence of high internal cohesion within WBOTs and (where present) with their immediate outreach team leaders (OTLs). However, the relationships between WBOTs and the rest of the primary health care (PHC) and district health system were characterised by considerable mistrust – both towards other workers and the system as a whole. This occurred against a backdrop of increasing OTL vacancies, and the perceived abandonment of WBOT training and development systems and career opportunities. These findings are not dissimilar to those reported previously on the WBOT programme in South Africa and in programmes in other low-resource settings. Nevertheless, through its in-depth, exploratory and participatory approaches, this study provides additional insights into the phenomenon of supportive supervision. Firstly, in conceptualising supportive supervision as a set of ‘bundled’ practices within complex local health systems, the findings reflected the complexity of everyday realities and lived experiences. Secondly, through the embedded nature of the research and the phased data-collection process, the study was able to observe the impact of wider health system contexts and crises on the coalface functioning of the WBOT programme. Thirdly, the study emphasised how supportive supervision depends on healthy relational dynamics and trust relationships, and, finally, how a co-production approach can translate broad guidance, experience and theoretical understanding into meaningful, local practice owned by all the actors involved. Ultimately, the process of engagement, building relationships and forging consensus proved to be more significant than the supportive supervision framework itself. Conclusion: The lack of explicit, coherent and holistic guidance in developing CHW supportive supervision guidance and the failure to address supervision constraints at a local level undermine the performance and sustainability of CHW programmes. Effective supportive supervisory systems require bottom-up collaborative platforms characterised by active participation, sharing of local tacit knowledge and mutual learning. Supervisory systems also need to be designed in ways that promote relationships and generate trust between CHW programmes, other actors and the health system.

<p>In April and May 2015 Nepal suffered two massive earthquakes of 7.5 and 6 5 magnitudes in the Richter scale, killing 8856 and injuring 22309. Two years later in September 2017, Puerto Rico underwent the Category 5 Hurricane Maria, killing an estimate of 800 to 8000 people and displacing hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans (Kishore et al., 2018). This dissertation project is the comparative study of Nepal’s and Puerto Rico’s networked communities, their actors, participants (Potts, 2014), and the users (Ingraham, 2015; Johnson, 1998) who used crisis communication practices to address the havoc created by the disaster. Using a mixed-methods research approach and with framework created with the Assemblage Theory (DeLanda, 2016), I argue that disasters create situations in which various networked communities are formed into transnational assemblages along with an emergence of innovative digital technical and professional communication practices.</p>

[EN] The dilemma of development and sustainability in the local context generates multiple interests and concerns. This dissertation arises from the challenge proposed by both concepts in the framework of decision making for urban planning. Its development has been guided by two main motivations. The first and most important is to discuss sustainable development in a context where little had been said, responding to how to improve the practices used for the prioritisation of actions during the planning stages of local development projects, taking as a case study the city of Cartagena de Indias (Colombia). The second, on the other hand, responds to the interest of contributing to the field of multicriteria decision making techniques. The objective is to design a methodology to help those responsible for territorial planning to evaluate development strategies and projects. In particular, it focuses on the participation of different stakeholders and on the approach to sustainable local development. Therefore, the general research question is: how can a participatory multicriteria methodology help to evaluate local development projects with a sustainable approach? To answer this research question the present dissertation, of an exploratory and descriptive nature, has been designed, and developed from the application of three cases of iterative and complementary studies. The objective has been to propose a framework that systematically allows the taking of decisions and the integration of diverse positions, without trying to find a unique solution with the best decision model. The proposed methodology has been developed from the combination of two techniques known from the field of Operations Research, Analytic Network Process (ANP) and Social Network Analysis (SNA). SNA is used to find out how the network of actors related to a problem is structured, to study and evaluate the relationships between the actors that make it up, to determine their degree of cohesion, the actors in the most relevant positions and the existing structural gaps. All of this permits the selection of participants in the decision making process carried out through ANP. ANP is a wellknown multicriteria decision method, which provides a framework for addressing decision making or problem assessment. It defines a prioritisation model as a network with complex, interdependent and feedback relationships between elements. The elements represent characteristics, requirements, conditions or criteria related to a problem, as well as possible alternative solutions. ANP is used to discover the opinions of the participants, to obtain their decision profiles and to reach a consensus on the prioritisation of projects and strategies. Additionally, this methodological proposal, based on the SNA-ANP combination, can be completed with other techniques, for example, geographic information systems to add some components that improve the decision. The results suggest that this SNA-ANP methodology is a novel and useful combination for evaluating local development plans with a multicriteria, sustainable and participatory approach. The results establish a basis for proposing new applications and generating new discussions with the local administration and other actors. With the inclusion of the local and sustainable development approach in the decision framework, throughout this dissertation, the value of different heritages is highlighted, as is the promotion of a more adapted strategic planning and the recognition and inclusion of multiple groups of actors. In addition, the use of practical and replicable methodologies that account for the results is promoted, to be applied at different scales, in order to improve planning and prioritisation of actions. The proposal has considered the dimensions of sustainability in decision models, the active participation of decision-makers and a better selection of participants. In short, it has facilitated the construction of a more participatory decision making process. Finally, it also allows us to explore future applications and to continue the discussion related to the problem of decision making during the planning and evaluation stages of strategic projects, whether for local sustainable development or for other types of objectives. / [ES] El dilema del desarrollo y la sostenibilidad en el contexto local genera múltiples intereses e inquietudes. Esta disertación surge entorno al desafío propuesto por ambos conceptos en el marco de la toma de decisiones para la planeación urbana. Su desarrollo se ha orientado a partir de dos motivaciones principales. La primera y más importante es discutir sobre desarrollo sostenible en un contexto en el que se había hablado poco, respondiendo a cómo mejorar las prácticas utilizadas para la priorización de acciones durante las etapas de planeación de proyectos de desarrollo local, tomando como objeto de estudio la ciudad de Cartagena de Indias (Colombia). La segunda, por su parte, responde al interés por contribuir en el campo de las técnicas de toma de decisiones multicriterio. El objetivo es diseñar una metodología para ayudar a los responsables de la planificación territorial a evaluar estrategias y proyectos de desarrollo. En particular, se centra en la participación de diferentes partes interesadas y en el enfoque al desarrollo local sostenible. Por lo tanto, la pregunta general de investigación es: ¿Cómo puede una metodología multicriterio participativa ayudar a evaluar proyectos de desarrollo local con un enfoque sostenible? Para responder a esta pregunta de investigación se ha diseñado la presente disertación, de naturaleza exploratoria y descriptiva, desarrollada a partir de la aplicación de tres casos de estudios iterativos y complementarios. El objetivo ha sido proponer un marco que de forma sistemática permita tomar decisiones e integrar diversas posiciones, sin pretender hallar una solución única con el mejor modelo de decisión. La metodología propuesta se ha construido a partir de la combinación de dos técnicas conocidas del campo de la Investigación de Operaciones, el Proceso Analítico en Red (ANP) y el Análisis de Redes Sociales (SNA). El SNA se utiliza para conocer cómo se estructura la red de actores relacionados con un problema, estudiar y evaluar las relaciones entre los actores que la componen, determinar su grado de cohesión, los actores en posiciones más relevantes y los vacíos estructurales existentes. Todo ello permite seleccionar a los participantes en el proceso de toma de decisiones realizado a través del ANP. El ANP es un conocido método de decisión multicriterio, que proporciona un marco para abordar la toma de decisiones o la evaluación de problemas. Define un modelo de priorización como una red con relaciones complejas, interdependientes y retroalimentadas entre elementos. Los elementos representan características, requerimientos, condiciones o criterios relacionados con un problema, así como las posibles alternativas de solución. El ANP se utiliza para conocer las opiniones de los participantes, obtener sus perfiles de decisión y alcanzar un consenso sobre la priorización de proyectos y estrategias. Adicionalmente, esta propuesta metodológica, basada en la combinación SNA-ANP, se puede completar con otras técnicas, por ejemplo, los sistemas de información geográfica para agregar algunos componentes que mejoren la decisión. Los resultados sugieren que esta metodología SNA-ANP, es una combinación novedosa y útil para evaluar planes de desarrollo local con un enfoque multicriterio, sostenible y participativo. Los resultados establecen una base para proponer nuevas aplicaciones y generar nuevas discusiones con la administración local y otros actores. Con la inclusión del enfoque del desarrollo local y sostenible en el marco de las decisiones, a lo largo de esta disertación, se resalta el valor de distintos patrimonios, la promoción de una planeación estratégica más adaptada y el reconocimiento e inclusión de múltiples grupos de actores. Además, se promueve el uso de metodologías prácticas y replicables que den cuenta de los resultados, para ser aplicadas a diferentes escalas, con el fin de mejorar la planeación y la priorización de acciones. La propuesta ha considerado las dimensiones de la sostenibilidad en los modelos de decisión, la participación activa de los decisores y una mejor selección de los participantes. En síntesis, ha facilitado la construcción de un proceso de decisión más participativo. Finalmente, también permite explorar futuras aplicaciones y continuar la discusión relacionada con el problema de la toma de decisiones durante las etapas de planeación y evaluación de proyectos estratégicos sean para el desarrollo local sostenible o para otro tipo de objetivos. / [CA] El dilema del desenvolupament i la sostenibilitat en el context local genera múltiples interessos i inquietuds. Aquesta dissertació sorgeix entorn al desafiament proposat per ambdós conceptes en el marc de la presa de decisions per a la planificació urbana. El seu desenvolupament s'ha orientat a partir de dues motivacions principals. La primera i més important és discutir sobre desenvolupament sostenible en un context en què s'havia parlat poc, responent a com millorar les pràctiques utilitzades per a la priorització d'accions durant les etapes de planificació de projectes de desenvolupament local, prenent com a objecte d'estudi la ciutat de Cartagena d'Índies (Colòmbia). La segona, per la seva banda, respon a l'interès per contribuir en el camp de les tècniques de presa de decisions multicriteri. L'objectiu és dissenyar una metodologia per ajudar els responsables de la planificació territorial a avaluar estratègies i projectes de desenvolupament. En particular, es centra en la participació de diferents parts interessades i en l'enfocament al desenvolupament local sostenible. Per tant, la pregunta general d'investigació és: Com pot una metodologia multicriteri participativa ajudar a avaluar projectes de desenvolupament local amb un enfocament sostenible? Per respondre a aquesta pregunta de recerca s'ha dissenyat la present dissertació, de naturalesa exploratòria i descriptiva, desenvolupada a partir de l'aplicació de tres casos d'estudi iteratius i complementaris. L'objectiu ha estat proposar un marc que de forma sistemàtica permeti prendre decisions i integrar diverses posicions, sense pretendre trobar una solució única amb el millor model de decisió. La metodologia proposada s'ha construït a partir de la combinació de dues tècniques conegudes del camp de la Investigació d'Operacions, el Procés Analític en Xarxa (ANP) i l'anàlisi de xarxes socials (SNA). El SNA s'utilitza per conèixer com s'estructura la xarxa d'actors relacionats amb un problema, estudiar i avaluar les relacions entre els actors que la componen, determinar el seu grau de cohesió, els actors en posicions més rellevants i els buits estructurals existents. Tot això permet seleccionar els participants en el procés de presa de decisions realitzat a través de l'ANP. L'ANP és un conegut mètode de decisió multicriteri, que proporciona un marc per abordar la presa de decisions o l'avaluació de problemes. Defineix un model de priorització com una xarxa amb relacions complexes, interdependents i retroalimentades entre elements. Els elements representen característiques, requeriments, condicions o criteris relacionats amb un problema, així com les possibles alternatives de solució. El ANP s'utilitza per conèixer les opinions dels participants, obtenir els seus perfils de decisió i arribar a un consens sobre la priorització de projectes i estratègies. Addicionalment, aquesta proposta metodològica, basada en la combinació SNA-ANP, es pot completar amb altres tècniques, per exemple, els sistemes d'informació geogràfica per afegir alguns components que millorin la decisió. Els resultats suggereixen que aquesta metodologia SNA-ANP, és una combinació innovadora i útil per avaluar plans de desenvolupament local amb un enfocament multicriteri, sostenible i participatiu. Els resultats estableixen una base per proposar noves aplicacions i generar noves discussions amb l'administració local i altres actors. Amb la inclusió de l'enfocament del desenvolupament local i sostenible en el marc de les decisions, al llarg d'aquesta dissertació, es ressalta el valor de diferents patrimonis, la promoció d'una planificació estratègica més adaptada i el reconeixement i inclusió de múltiples grups d'actors . A més, es promou l'ús de metodologies pràctiques i replicables que donin compte dels resultats, per ser aplicades a diferents escales, per tal de millorar la planificació i la priorització d'accions. La proposta ha considerat les dimensions de la sostenibilitat en els models de decisió, la participació activa dels decisors i una millor selecció dels participants. En síntesi, ha facilitat la construcció d'un procés de decisió més participatiu. Finalment, també permet explorar futures aplicacions i continuar la discussió relacionada amb el problema de la presa de decisions durant les etapes de planificació i avaluació de projectes estratègics siguin per al desenvolupament local sostenible o per a un altre tipus d'objectius. / Gonzalez Urango, HK. (2020). A participatory multicriteria approach to evaluate strategic projects for local sustainable development [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/149490 / TESIS

<p>Social presence positively influences the motivation, satisfaction, retention, and learning outcomes of online students. Although it is crucial for successful online learning experiences, little work has thoroughly examined the evolution of social presence over time and the influence of social presence on peer interaction. In other words, if social presence can be learned by interacting with others. This three-article dissertation study elucidates this gap by answering the overarching question: How does online students' social presence evolve over time to shape their online learning behaviors? Using stochastic-actor oriented models to reflect the dependence among learners in online collaborative learning communities, this dissertation investigated how learners' social presence evolved in learner-learner interaction resulting in two empirical studies and one conceptual framework. The first study explored social presence through clickstream interaction (e.g., number of replies received/sent in an online discussion) of 382 learners enrolled in a Massive Open Online Course. Three key findings from the study were: 1) dropout rates could be lowered if social presence affordances are used purposefully; 2) adding social media characteristics to online discussion boards, for example, "like" buttons, inhibits conversational behavior, and eventually, decreases achievement of learning outcomes; and 3) the "rich-get-richer" effect also applies to social presence, reinforcing highly active students' behavior and risking inactive online students to experience isolation. The second study used peer-nomination data (i.e., asking students who they interact with) and a scale to investigate the spread of social presence perceptions in online networks of students over three consecutive courses (n = 197). Although there was no evidence of social influence, online learners who nominated more peers are more likely to report higher social presence perceptions over time. Students were not more likely to share with those who showed similar levels of social presence. The "rich-get-richer effect" was observed in the incoming nominations of learners. The third study is a conceptual framework that integrates network theory and the online learning literature into a new perspective to analyze learners' online behaviors and interactions under the light of social presence theory. The proposed framework includes four main steps: 1) interaction, 2) social presence alignment, 3) unit of analysis definition, and 3) network statistics and inferential analysis selection. The findings of this dissertation improve educational practice by identifying behaviors that harm online social presence and providing specific actions for online instructors and instructional designers to promote social presence in online learning.  </p>