Wind farm operators utilize various financial agreements to generate revenue and mitigate risk. These agreements are often based on some estimate of the energy production from the wind farm. A power purchase agreement (PPAs), which is a long-term fixed volume fixed price arrangement, was the most common type of agreement for much of the growth of wind energy in the U.S. Recently, wind turbine power production estimations are relying less on fixed production volumes and PPAs as the basis for energy estimation in financial agreements and more on proxy generation, or an estimate of what the wind farm should make given a set of inflow conditions. These newer types of financial agreements are shifting the focus to when power is produced rather than just how much, and so it is imperative to understand and analyze the errors arising in proxy generation and how it may impact the financial agreements that use proxy generation. This work quantifies the errors in proxy generation and compares two methods of estimating power production, examining the financial impacts of both, for one wind project. These two methods are the nacelle transfer function (NTF) method and the reanalysis data method, which may be used if onsite data is unavailable. The different methods of estimating power production have varying impacts on the financial outcome of the project. Errors in power production estimates that coincide with large price events can result in significant financial impacts for the wind project, and this is more likely to occur with the reanalysis method compared to the NTF method. The results show that the Nacelle Transfer Function (NTF) method of estimating power production via onsite measurements has much less risk of being impacted by a price excursion than the reanalysis data method.

La presente investigación hace un análisis de las exportaciones de granos de café a Bélgica y los efectos de la firma del Acuerdo Comercial entre el Perú y la Unión Europea en el marco del Comercio Justo en el periodo 2012-2018. Diversas cooperativas del Cusco han venido exportando café con la certificación FLO; estas exportaciones se han dado incluso antes de la firma del tratado en referencia. Es así como, este estudio hace, por un lado, un análisis cualitativo a través de entrevistas a profundidad a actores y expertos de la industria cafetera para localizar motivos y percepciones en cuanto a datos relevantes de la industria. Este está seguido de un análisis cuantitativo con datos tomados del Ministerio del Ambiente, Ministerio de Agricultura y Riego y ENAHO, los cuales proporcionan al presente estudio de datos empíricos que presentan diversas perspectivas de como se ha dado el efecto en de la firma. Es así como, basándose en la combinación de estas dos técnicas, esta investigación sugiere dar un enfoque unificado que parta del Gobierno Central, a través de instituciones económicas inclusivas que refuercen la industria cafetera, alineada con el Capítulo IX del acuerdo en referencia, el cual está enfocado en el crecimiento sostenible; así como la implementación de gestión tecnológica y mejoras en gestión comercial dentro de las cooperativas. En ese contexto, el Estado peruano, junto con los empresarios deben aunar una dirección única que conduzca a alcanzar un desarrollo sostenido. / This research analyses the exportation of coffee beans and the effects of the signing of the Trade Agreement between Peru and The European Union within the frame of the Fair Trade in Belgium from 2012 to 2018. Cooperatives in Cusco have been working with the FLO Certification several years before the signing of the Trade Agreement in reference. On one side, this study has carried out a qualitative analysis through depth interviews to actors and specialists in the field in order to uncover hidden reasons and perceptions from actors who work in this industry. This was followed by a quantitative analysis taking data form the Ministry of Environment, and Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, and ENAHO, which offer empirical material that shows diverse views on how the Trade Agreement has impacted cooperatives through the years 2012-2018. Thus, based on the combination of these two techniques, this study suggests a unified approach from the Government through inclusive economic institutions to reinforce the coffee industry in order to serve the Chapter IX on Trade and Sustainable Development, as well as the implementation of technology management and business management within cooperatives. Therefore, many factors may explain the step-backs, some internal, some external. In this context, the Peruvian Government and the cooperatives should bring together a management that conducts a sustained development. / Tesis

Regional integration is not a new phenomenon in Africa. It can be traced back to the creation of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) in 1917, which was the world's first customs union. Upon gaining independence, states formed the Organization of African Unity (OAU). At that time, Heads of States viewed regional integration as a protectionist measure against colonialism and as a way of forming a self-sustaining continent. However, the additional challenges facing Africa over time prompted various initiatives by Heads of States which were aimed at deepening integration on the continent. Notable actions include the signing of the Abuja Treaty, which established the African Economic Community (AEC), and the replacement of the OAU by the African Union (AU). Further, the continent experienced an increase in the number of Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and there are now fourteen RECs. Despite the steps taken to further integration, the success of such regional integration on the continent has been minimal and Africa has become even more marginalized on the global market. This lack in progression can be attributed to challenges such as inadequate resources, overlapping memberships in multiple RECs and duplicated programmes and efforts. Another challenge that is not readily recognized is the lack of attention to the role of law in economic integration. RECs have largely focused on the economic and political aspects of regional integration but have given minimal attention to the necessity of a strong legal foundation. RECs develop community law and these laws should be enforceable within Member States. However, due to the weak legal systems of RECs in Africa that do not make community law supreme, enforceability of this law has proven challenging. Comparatively, other RECs such as the European Union, have achieved deeper levels of integration and this can partly be attributed to the strong legal systems that have been developed. It is on the basis of this challenge that this study is conducted. The study aims to provide an in-depth analysis of the weaknesses of existing legal systems of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). The study further analyses the manner in which other RECs, such as the European Union and the Economic Community of West African States, have successfully integrated through law, with the aim of identifying solutions for the existing weaknesses in Southern Africa.

Peace agreements are important tools towards gender equality, and how they are written in terms of language is of particular importance. In October 2000 the United Nations Security Council acknowledged among other things the need for gender inclusive peace agreements with their Resolution 1325. This study is a qualitative textual analysis that with the use of a content analysis and a critical discourse analysis analyzes two peace agreements, one from before the implementation of Resolution 1325 and one from after. The findings of the study suggest that references towards women and gender have increased since the implementation of Resolution 1325, and that the way women are portrayed in terms of agency and stereotypes have changed for the better. However, the latter agreement was still missing gender provisions that sufficiently addressed issues that fundamentally structure gender relations.

M.A. University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Humanities, 2012 / The past two decades have seen the rise of power sharing agreements as a means to end protracted civil wars. Following from the perceived success of these agreements, power sharing has become an important tool in the mediator’s arsenal and has increasingly been advocated in periods of democratic deadlock and civil strife following highly-contested elections. The viability of this model has rarely been questioned. This study will undertake a deep analysis of the success or failure of the power sharing agreements undertaken in Kenya and Zimbabwe in 2008 following the outbreak of violence in both countries. It will explain the different results seen in these two cases through an examination of the agreements, the roles played by regional and international actors as well as through an analysis of the influence of local political culture and inter-elite relations. The relative success of the Kenyan agreement can be attributed to a culture of cooperation amongst the elite alongside consistent and concerted pressure exerted by the mediation team and international actors. In contrast, the Zimbabwean government of national unity has hobbled along and little progress has been made to implement the agreement. This can largely be attributed to a badly drafted document which allowed for an inequitable distribution of power, the obduracy of the ZANU-PF elite and the unwillingness of the agreement guarantors to place sufficient pressure on the parties for reform. In a context where inter-elite relations are characterised by opposition and intransigence, the framing of the document and the actions of enforcer parties become particularly important. Due to the political cultures in both countries, it is unlikely that the power sharing agreements will have produced significant gains for democracy or have reformed the prevailing culture of impunity. This report concludes that in spite of the problems with the power sharing model, there are currently few alternatives to help mend torn societies. In order to overcome the problems that have been highlighted within this report, it is necessary for mediators to undertake innovative and reflexive strategies to ensure the full implementation of future agreements.

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Public school districts in Virginia face increasing calls for academic and fiscal accountability due to societal and governmental concerns. School districts are being pressed by community and governmental agencies to offer more services to meet the unique demands of each locality. As demands on time, on service provision, and for instructional accountability rise, financial assistance is not increasing at a rate to offset the service costs. Historically public school districts have accepted the responsibility for management, supervision, and provision of services such as transportation, custodial services, and instruction. As stresses mount on the administrators of public schools in Virginia, districts must become creative in the provision of services. Privatization is an alternative management strategy that school districts are using to provide educational services. The purpose of this study was to present, through description and analysis, the current status of the privatization of educational services by contractual agreement in the public school districts in Virginia. The study provided information indicating the current status of privatization and factors associated with contracting out such as the perceived effectiveness of contracted services, the annual budget allocation, the contractual arrangement, and the future status of privatization. This research will benefit the professionals responsible for the financial and service delivery processes in the public schools. The research instrument was mailed to the superintendents of the 132 public school districts in Virginia. The superintendents were to complete the survey or to forward it to their designees. Effective responses were received from 85 school districts; this represents a 64.39% return rate. An analysis of the data revealed that the public school districts in Virginia privatized 44 instructional and non-instructional services. The services most often provided by the private sector are school audits (64.7%), physical therapy (62.4%), legal services (58.8%), occupational therapy (56.5%), and HVAC maintenance (24.7%). The most privatized services require specialized skill and training. For school districts in Virginia, school audits are required by law to be performed by an outside agency or contractor. This indicates the data might not be a complete representation of the services privatized in the public schools. Public school districts in Virginia contract with the private sector to increase service effectiveness, to reduce service costs, to acquire expert personnel, and to eliminate capital outlay. Of the respondents, 88.2% indicated that the school districts received at least the same or better services from the private sector. The respondents also reported an anticipated increase of 31.8% for contracted services in the future. The majority of school districts do not expect to change the mode of service provision. / Ed. D.

Since the 1980s, private sector spending on Research and Development (RandD) has outpaced federal RandD spending. For example, while the Department of Defense (DoD) spent $64 billion on RandD in fiscal year 2015, the private sector spent $260 billion. DoD relies on the private sector to develop advanced technologies for defense requirements. However, some innovative businesses are hesitant to work with DoD because of the perceived bureaucracy of the DoD procurement system. Recognizing this problem, in 1989, Congress created a new type of non-procurement agreement for DoD called Other Transactions Agreements (OTs). OTs are excluded from most laws and regulations that govern traditional procurement agreements. OTs can be written to meet the needs of the parties and the project, enabling agreements that resemble commercial contracting. Congress has expanded OT authority, and DoD has issued OT guidance to its employees. But DoD has not used OTs as widely as expected. This is puzzling because commentators find OTs are helpful to DoD and the private sector in reducing the legal and regulatory compliance costs associated with the DoD procurement system. Using qualitative methods, and drawing on the OT and historical institutionalism literature, this study explores institutional factors that may explain why DoD has not more widely used OTs. The study relied on interviews with DoD employees and contractors. OT case studies were used to triangulate the interview findings. Potential causal mechanisms are identified to support future research of the DoD OT program using causal process tracing. The study findings are used to offer policy recommendations to support the wider use of OTs by DoD. / Ph. D. / Some innovative businesses are reluctant to work with the Department of Defense (DoD) due to the perceived bureaucracy of the DoD procurement system. Recognizing this problem, in 1989, Congress created a new type of non-procurement agreement for DoD called Other Transactions Agreements (OTs). Unlike traditional procurement agreements, OTs are excluded from many of the laws and regulations that reportedly deter the private sector from doing business with DoD. OTs enable agreements that more closely resemble commercial contracting. The terms and conditions of the OT can be written to meet the needs of the parties and the OT project. Thus, OTs are a flexible tool to help attract innovative businesses that would not otherwise work for DoD under traditional procurement agreements. Congress has expanded OT authority to encourage DoD to use OTs more widely. DoD has issued guidance to help its employees negotiate and administer OTs. But DoD has not used OTs as much as expected. This is puzzling because procurement and policy experts find that OTs are helpful to DoD and the private sector in reducing the legal and regulatory compliance costs often associated with the DoD procurement system. This study explores institutional and other factors that may help explain why DoD has not more widely used OTs. The study relied on interviews with DoD employees and contractors. OT case studies were used to corroborate the interview findings. The study findings are used to offer policy recommendations to support the wider use of OTs by DoD.

Network management is a problem that faces designers and operators of any type of network. Conventional methods of capacity planning or configuration management are difficult to apply directly to networks that dynamically allocate resources, such as Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) networks and emerging Internet Protocol (IP) networks employing Differentiated Services (DiffServ). This work shows a method to generically classify traffic in an ATM network such that capacity planning may be possible. These methods are generally applicable to other networks that support dynamically allocated resources. In this research, Call Detail Records (CDRs) captured from a ¡§live¡¨ ATM network were successfully classified into three traffic categories. The traffic categories correspond to three different video speeds (1152 kbps, 768 kbps, and 384 kbps) in the network. Further statistical analysis was used to characterize these traffic categories and found them to fit deterministic distributions. The statistical analysis methods were also applied to several different network planning and management functions. Three specific potential applications related to network management were examined: capacity planning, traffic modeling, and configuration management. / Master of Science