In the context of sustainable development, evaluations have particularly high relevance as complex issues have to be dealt with generally over an extended period of time. Furthermore, there is a growing demand to evaluate against the concept of sustainable development. Especially evaluations with sustainable development are a rather new type of evaluation, as the source of its evaluation questions and the criteria applied are rooted in the concept of sustainable development. Sustainability of a specific project or process is often highly case specific as sustainable development is determined by many often unique issues. However, evaluations would be highly inefficient, if they would have to be newly designed in every case. Thus it is necessary to determine and utilize the major issues for evaluations with sustainable development. This paper is part of a series of three papers - which can be used independently - that present the major common issues for evaluations with sustainable development in a Tool Box. The results presented here are based on outcomes of a research project funded by the "Austrian Science Fund". This paper presents practical problems related to the issue of complexity in evaluations with sustainable development. Notwithstanding the multiple challenges, the strategic options available are presented in terms of strategies. Especially commissioning agents, but also other evaluation stakeholders will find an overview and an assessment of the strategies regarding resources required, state of practical experience as well as their compatibility with the concept of sustainable development. (author's abstract) / Series: Research Paper Series of the Research Focus Managing Sustainability

In the context of sustainable development, evaluations have particularly high relevance as complex issues have to be dealt with generally over an extended period of time. Furthermore, there is a growing demand to evaluate against the concept of sustainable development. Especially evaluations with sustainable development are a rather new type of evaluation, as the source of its evaluation questions and the criteria applied are rooted in the concept of sustainable development. Sustainability of a specific project or process is often highly case specific as sustainable development is determined by many often unique issues. However, evaluations would be highly inefficient, if they would have to be newly designed in every case. Thus it is necessary to determine and utilize the major issues for evaluations with sustainable development. This paper is part of a series of three papers - which can be used independently - that present the major common issues for evaluations with sustainable development in a Tool Box. The results presented here are based on outcomes of a research project funded by the "Austrian Science Fund". This paper includes the evaluation planning and commissioning procedure. It describes the steps from the idea to implementation of an evaluation with sustainable development. In the context of general requirements of evaluation planning and commissioning, the special features of evaluations with sustainable development are highlighted. (author's abstract) / Series: Research Paper Series of the Research Focus Managing Sustainability

In the context of sustainable development, evaluations have particularly high relevance as complex issues have to be dealt with generally over an extended period of time. Furthermore, there is a growing demand to evaluate against the concept of sustainable development. Especially evaluations with sustainable development are a rather new type of evaluation, as the source of its evaluation questions and the criteria applied are rooted in the concept of sustainable development. Sustainability of a specific project or process is often highly case specific as sustainable development is determined by many often unique issues. However, evaluations would be highly inefficient, if they would have to be newly designed in every case. Thus it is necessary to determine and utilize the major issues for evaluations with sustainable development. This paper is part of a series of three papers - which can be used independently - that present the major common issues for evaluations with sustainable development in a Tool Box. The results presented here are based on outcomes of a research project funded by the "Austrian Science Fund". This paper includes the "strategic orientation tool", which was developed as a tool for reflection and decision upon the general outline of an evaluation with sustainable development. It helps to define a design- frame with respect to its information-focus, scope and utilization. The core of the tool is a matrix that is based on two key- functions. On the one hand it defines which contents should be assessed: "What is the object of evaluation?". On the other hand it is oriented along the actual utilization of the evaluation: "How the gained results of the evaluation should be communicated and to whom?". (author's abstract) / Series: Research Paper Series of the Research Focus Managing Sustainability

近年来，中国的农村建设飞速发展，农村的建筑格局和生活方式也发生了很大变化。与此同时，中国的建成环境评估体系尚处在起步阶段。面对大规模的新农村建设对农村人居环境产生的巨大冲击，缺乏一个完善的建成环境评估体系已经成为农村建设日益突出的问题。 / 本研究梳理了西南农村地区可持续建筑环境评估的必要性、操作策略和评估框架。通过对国内外可持续发展理论、可持续建筑理论和建筑环境评估体系理论的研究，以及对西南农村地区现状的调查分析，本研究建立起了一套适用于西南贫困农村地区的建成环境可持续性评估框架。它包括评估的目的、范围、项目指标、运作方式等内容。评估系统的项目和指标分涵盖了可持续发展的环境、社会和经济三个方面，这些项目和指标充分强调了西南贫困农村地区的特点，以区别于一般的城市建筑评估体系。此外，本研究对三个不同的村落进行了案例分析，将不同的建筑评估体系对案例的评估结果进行了比较，以考察不同评估体系对西南贫困农村地区的适应性和灵敏度。分析结果显示，西南农村地区建筑环境可持续性评估体系框架最能充分适应当地实际情况，对案例做出全面的评价。 / 研究结果表明，西南贫困农村地区建成环境可持续性评估体系框架结合了可持续发展、可持续建筑理论和西南贫困农村地区的实际情况，为西南贫困农村地区的可持续建筑提供了一个全面的认识和评估的框架。它是西南贫困农村地区可持续建筑评价体系的雏形，也为西南贫困农村的可持续建设发展提供了指导和思路。 / 本研究主要有以下几点成果： / -本研究为中国西南贫困农村地区的建成环境可持续性评估提供了一个全面的理解和认识。与中国目前常规的农村发展模式不同的是，本研究强调了农村的内源性发展模式。 / -本研究建立了中国西南贫困农村地区的建成环境可持续性评估体系框架。该框架可以作为更加具体的评估标准和评估工具的建立基础。 / -对中国西南贫困农村地区的建成环境可持续性评估体系的认识和框架建立，亦可作为农村建设的设计指导依据。 / 本研究的局限性： / -本研究只建立了评估系统的框架，具体的定量评价指标、权重体系和评分方法还未建立。本研究的成果还不能作为评估工具使用。 / -本研究主要针对的是中国西南贫困农村地区。中国各地农村的自然环境和社会发展条件都各不相同，本研究不能覆盖所有的中国农村地区。 / In recent years, China’s rural areas developed rapidly, the settlement pattern and lifestyle in rural areas are also changing rapidly. At the same time, the development of built environmental assessment system in China is still in the initial stage. In the face of tremendous impact on rural settlement environment from the massive New Countryside Construction, the lack of comprehensive built environmental assessment system has become an increasingly prominent issue. / This study furthers the field by clarifying the necessity, strategies and framework of built environmental sustainability assessment in poor rural areas of Southwest China. This study reviewed the sustainable development theories, sustainable architecture theories and built environmental assessment methods in China and abroad; investigated the current situation and problems of village development and built environmental construction in poor rural areas of Southwest China. Based on these theories and context, a framework of rural built environmental sustainability assessment system including the assessment purpose, scope, issues and indicators were established. This framework covers environmental, social, and economic aspects. It provided the main issues and features of built environmental sustainability of poor rural areas of Southwest China which are quite different from urban areas. Then, three different cases were analyzed with different building environmental assessment system. Analysis outcomes were compared and discussed to investigate the applicability and sensitivity of existing assessment systems and the rural built environmental sustainability assessment system established by this study. The result shows that the framework of rural built environmental sustainability assessment system is more suitable for poor rural areas of Southwest China than other existing assessment systems. / Establishing a comprehensive understanding of sustainable development model and assessment system of rural areas is one of the significant strategies to solve the contradiction and problems between rural construction and sustainable development in poor rural areas of Southwest China. Furthermore, the promotion of sustainable rural development is to solve the much larger, longer-term problem of villagers leaving and abandoning their villages to move to the city in search of better living conditions. It is believed that a way to solve the problem is to raise the standard of the villages to a higher level of amenity and comfort for villagers and make it affordable and sustainable for them. / There are several main contributions of this study: / This study provided a comprehensive understanding of built environment sustainability of poor rural areas of Southwest China. Different from conventional rural development model in China, this study emphasizes the endogenous development model of rural areas. / This study established a framework of built environmental sustainability assessment system of poor rural areas of Southwest China. A more specific and detailed standard or rating tool can be developed based on this framework. / The understanding and assessment framework of built environmental sustainability of poor rural areas of Southwest China also can be used as a reference for the design and construction of rural built environment. / There are some limitations in this study: / This study only established the framework of the assessment system. The specific quantitative evaluation criteria have not been developed yet. And the weighting and rating method is also not yet been established. Therefore it is still can’t be used as a rating tool. / This study is mainly focusing on the poor rural areas of Southwest China. The natural and social conditions of different areas of rural China are quite different from each other. This study cannot cover all of the rural areas of China. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Wan, Li. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2013. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 207-213). / Abstracts also in Chinese. / ABSTRACT --- p.i / ACKNOWLEDGMENT --- p.v / CONTENTS --- p.vi / LIST OF FIGURES --- p.ix / LIST OF TABLES --- p.xii / Chapter CHAPTER 1 --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Context and problems --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Objectives and significance --- p.5 / Chapter 1.3 --- Methodology --- p.6 / Chapter 1.4 --- Research scope and definitions --- p.7 / Chapter CHAPTER 2 --- LITERATURE REVIEW AND HYPOTHESIS --- p.11 / Chapter 2.1 --- Sustainability and building environmental assessment --- p.11 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- Sustainable development and sustainability --- p.11 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- Sustainable architecture and approaches --- p.15 / Chapter 2.1.3 --- Ecovillage and sustainable communities --- p.20 / Chapter 2.1.4 --- Building environmental assessment method --- p.22 / Chapter 2.2 --- Rural construction and rural built environmental assessment --- p.31 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Rural development and countryside construction --- p.31 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Rural Built environmental sustainability assessment --- p.37 / Chapter 2.3 --- Hypothesis of this study --- p.41 / Chapter 2.4 --- Summary and conclusions --- p.42 / Chapter CHAPTER 3 --- CONTEXT OF SOUTHWEST RURAL CHINA AND ITS INSPIRATION --- p.43 / Chapter 3.1 --- Context of southwest rural China --- p.43 / Chapter 3.1.1 --- Natural environment --- p.43 / Chapter 3.1.2 --- Social conditions --- p.52 / Chapter 3.2 --- Sustainable development of southwest rural China --- p.54 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- Current situation and ecological potential of southwest rural China --- p.54 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Development models and sustainable construction practice in southwest rural China --- p.57 / Chapter 3.3 --- Inspiration to built environmental sustainability assessment --- p.60 / Chapter 3.4 --- Summary and conclusions --- p.63 / Chapter CHAPTER 4 --- FRAMEWORK OF BUILT ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENT SYSTEM OF POOR RURAL AREAS OF SOUTHWEST CHINA --- p.64 / Chapter 4.1 --- Rural Built Environmental Sustainability Assessment System (RBESAS) --- p.64 / Chapter 4.1.1 --- Aims of assessment --- p.64 / Chapter 4.1.2 --- Scope of assessment --- p.64 / Chapter 4.1.3 --- Structure and levels of the system --- p.67 / Chapter 4.2 --- Self-reliance capability issues and indicators --- p.68 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Issue 1: Land and resources conservation --- p.69 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Issue 2: Waste management --- p.70 / Chapter 4.2.3 --- Issue 3: Pollution control --- p.72 / Chapter 4.2.4 --- Issue 4: Food self-reliance --- p.74 / Chapter 4.2.5 --- Issue 5: Water self-reliance --- p.77 / Chapter 4.2.6 --- Issue 6: Housing self-reliance --- p.82 / Chapter 4.2.7 --- Issue 7: Safety and security --- p.88 / Chapter 4.2.8 --- Issue 8: Health and well-being --- p.89 / Chapter 4.2.9 --- Issue 9: Energy self-reliance --- p.91 / Chapter 4.2.10 --- Issue 10: Economic self-reliance --- p.103 / Chapter 4.3 --- Development capability issues and indicators --- p.104 / Chapter 4.3.1 --- Issue 11: Sustainable landscaping --- p.105 / Chapter 4.3.2 --- Issue 12: Sustainable agriculture --- p.107 / Chapter 4.3.3 --- Issue 13: Culture and context --- p.109 / Chapter 4.3.4 --- Issue 14: Inclusiveness and participation --- p.112 / Chapter 4.3.5 --- Issue 15: Education and information --- p.114 / Chapter 4.4 --- Summary of issues of the assessment system --- p.115 / Chapter 4.5 --- Evaluation and assessment output --- p.117 / Chapter 4.5.1 --- Quantitative and qualitative evaluation --- p.118 / Chapter 4.5.2 --- User-friendly for rural area --- p.118 / Chapter 4.6 --- Stakeholders and operation --- p.120 / Chapter 4.7 --- Summary and conclusions --- p.122 / Chapter CHAPTER 5 --- CASE STUDY --- p.124 / Chapter 5.1 --- Case I: Liudou Village --- p.126 / Chapter 5.1.1 --- Project description --- p.126 / Chapter 5.1.2 --- Analysis --- p.129 / Chapter 5.1.3 --- Discussion --- p.150 / Chapter 5.2 --- Case II: Group 3 of Ma'anqiao Village --- p.151 / Chapter 5.2.1 --- Project description --- p.151 / Chapter 5.2.2 --- Analysis --- p.154 / Chapter 5.2.3 --- Discussion --- p.172 / Chapter 5.3 --- Case III: Group 2 of Ma'anqiao Village --- p.172 / Chapter 5.3.1 --- Project description --- p.172 / Chapter 5.3.2 --- Analysis --- p.180 / Chapter 5.3.3 --- Discussion --- p.197 / Chapter 5.4 --- Summary and conclusions --- p.197 / Chapter CHAPTER 6 --- DISCUSSIONS AND CONCLUSIONS --- p.200 / Chapter 6.1 --- Research summary --- p.200 / Chapter 6.1.1 --- Fundamental research --- p.200 / Chapter 6.1.2 --- Establishment of the framework of RBESAS --- p.201 / Chapter 6.1.3 --- Case study --- p.204 / Chapter 6.2 --- Conclusion and discussion --- p.204 / Chapter 6.3 --- Research contributions and limitations --- p.205 / Chapter 6.3.1 --- Research contributions --- p.205 / Chapter 6.3.2 --- Research limitations --- p.206 / Chapter 6.4 --- Needs for further research --- p.206 / REFERENCE --- p.207

This study considers a Grade 9 Integrated Environmental Research Project which was implemented as a vehicle to induce knowledge-based change in learners. It was noted that change did not occur as hoped, and this study was undertaken to review the Grade 9 Project in order to improve it and to probe the apparent gap between knowledge and action. The study generated evidence on the learning processes within the project. This revealed a number of contradictions and tensions which limit change initiatives within the local environment. Notable here was a contradictory mandate between undertaking a research-based change project and responding to the rubric of assessment which was not linked to the research done. It was found that faced with this dual mandate, learners chose to focus on the assessment-laden mandate as this was the ultimate agenda that would reap the reward within the traditional school environment. The study examines the gap between knowledge and practice to probe ways in which to close this gap in the context of an environmental research assignment. The outcome is a recommendation that we as the project designers review the evidence of tensions and contradictions revealed in the study to reflect on the underlying purpose of the project and reshape it in light of recent literature on the challenges of social learning and change.