In Bish et al. (2014), two approaches for the generation of hospital evacuation transportation plans were proposed: the minimization of the overall risk and the minimization of the evacuation duration. The resulting evacuation plans differ in terms of overall risk and duration, but also in the evacuation order of patients with different characteristics, the filling of hospital beds, and the assignments of the patients to the various vehicle types. Due to the computational effort of the duration minimization, manipulations of the risk functions for the risk minimization approach were searched in this thesis such that the resulting evacuation plans approach the minimal duration without rules for the assignments of patients to vehicle types. It is possible to create risk functions such that the resulting plans have shorter durations than with the basic risk functions, but the overall risk increases and other properties of the plans change. Furthermore, a new objective function was introduced in this thesis that minimizes an overall penalty function, where penalties are incurred for time intervals in which patients are at the evacuating hospital or being transported. The characteristics of the patients are considered by different weights in the penalty function. For the given problem instance, it is possible to choose penalty factors such that the overall risk is close to the minimal risk or to choose them such that the duration decreases. It is a simple approach with run times that are comparable to the risk minimization approach for the given problem instance. / Master of Science

Yes / Goal setting is a fundamental practice in the effective management of healthcare services worldwide. This study investigated the extent to which leprosy goal formulation in Nigeria is logical and SMART. Method: Document review of baseline problems, goal statements and goal attainments for 2016 in six leprosy projects using a customised logical framework matrix. Results: A total of 15 main problems, 6 aims, 19 objectives and 42 indicators were found. The goals were problem-based and logically linked, with a pattern of a single aim per project, multiple objectives per aim, and multiple indicators per objective. Goal statements specified only impact in 5/6 aims, and only outcome and terminal timeframe in 17/19 (89.5%) objectives. Only one objective stated all four SMART components of outcome, indicator, target and timeframe. While three (7.1%) indicators and two (10.5%) objectives were measurable, no target was attainable. Discussion: Goal-setting frameworks for leprosy projects should be problem based and logical according to best practice. That most leprosy objectives were not completely SMART is similar to the reported structure of objectives published by other health organisations globally.

No / Goal-setting is indispensable for effective healthcare management. Yet, literature evidence suggests many organisations worldwide do not know how to formulate ‘SMART’ goals. Evidence of how existing theories work in practice is scarce, and the practices in low-income countries are unknown. Therefore, this research explored how leprosy project goals were formulated to describe the theoretical practice framework of A leprosy-focused organisation in Nigeria. Using a case-study design, ten managers were interviewed individually concerning their goal-setting knowledge, experience and perspective; and documented goals of six projects were reviewed. A five-step constructionist thematic data analysis generated eleven theoretical frameworks from the concepts of the emergent core themes of ‘stakeholders’, ‘strategies’ and ‘statements.’ Further theorisation reduced them to one general framework. This revealed organisational goal-setting practice as a four-stage centre-led, top-down, beneficiary-focused and problem-based process. The stages were national preparation, baseline needs-survey, centralised goal formulation and nationalised planning. The outcome was the formulation of assigned, ‘non-SMART’ objective statements, which are then used for planning projects. Other theoretical models constructed included a Goal Effects Cycle, ‘SMARTA’ goal attributes and hierarchical criteria for differentiating goal-types. A theory developed from the goal-setting practice postulates that: ‘Assigned non-SMART goal formulation directly results from centralised goal-setting practice and is the predictor of unrealistic project planning.’ Therefore, I propose that goal statements will be ‘SMARTA’ and plans, more realistic and relevant if goal-setting is done collaboratively by all stakeholders at all stages of the process. Also, ‘Change-Beneficiary-Indicator-Target-Timeframe’ and ‘Change-Beneficiary-Location-Timeframe’ frameworks are recommended as templates for writing SMART objectives and aims respectively.

謝淸美. / 複印本. / Thesis (M.A.)--香港中文大學. / Fu yin ben. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 48-54). / Xie Qingmei. / Thesis (M.A.)--Xianggang Zhong wen da xue.

<p>To reach an Ecological Sustainable Development, Sweden has established environmental quality objectives. Green spaces are attractive for exploitation and in Sweden the access to large jointly green spaces has decreased, which has impact on humans recreation and the biodiversity. The economic aspect has great impact on the planning process which gives indications that the environmental objective may collide with other sector goals within the municipality. The thesis overall aim is to see how the management by objectives for the green spaces implements and how the green spaces is handled in the planning process in a specific case. The thesis builds on a content analysis, strategic interviews and a case study. The implementation of the interim target: Program and strategies for green spaces does not function according to the intention with the environmental objectives. Strong economical incitements and a political will that is locked in the logic of competitiveness, makes the sustainable ecological management impossible in practise. The management by objectives for the green spaces falls in the shadow of other sector goals. The ecological aspects have low priority, which leads to a decision process that strives for ecological sustainability, yet are an vision for the future according to the case study.</p>

To reach an Ecological Sustainable Development, Sweden has established environmental quality objectives. Green spaces are attractive for exploitation and in Sweden the access to large jointly green spaces has decreased, which has impact on humans recreation and the biodiversity. The economic aspect has great impact on the planning process which gives indications that the environmental objective may collide with other sector goals within the municipality. The thesis overall aim is to see how the management by objectives for the green spaces implements and how the green spaces is handled in the planning process in a specific case. The thesis builds on a content analysis, strategic interviews and a case study. The implementation of the interim target: Program and strategies for green spaces does not function according to the intention with the environmental objectives. Strong economical incitements and a political will that is locked in the logic of competitiveness, makes the sustainable ecological management impossible in practise. The management by objectives for the green spaces falls in the shadow of other sector goals. The ecological aspects have low priority, which leads to a decision process that strives for ecological sustainability, yet are an vision for the future according to the case study.

Syftet har varit att undersöka om de Svenska miljömålen kan vara ett sätt att göra hållbar ut­veckling synlig för elever på byggprogrammet. Det har också varit att ta reda på vilka mervärden som kan skapas genom att hållbar utveckling synliggörs genom att miljömål integreras i under­visningen. Delmålen är verklighetsnära och direkt kopplade till byggbranschen, vilket kan med­föra ett ökat engagemang och vilja till att medverka till förändring. Resultatet visar att yrkeslärare, elever och platschefer på byggföretag inte hade kännedom om miljömålen. Svenska miljömål behöver integreras i karaktärsämnena på byggprogrammet för att politiskt fattade beslut om vad som krävs för att vi ska kunna nå hållbar utveckling förmedlas till de elever som skall ut i yrkeslivet, så att de kan komma ut med en hand­lingskompetens som kan leda till förändring. Nästan samtliga var överrens om att det skulle kunna ge mervärden att ha kunskap om hur de i sin vardag kan arbeta med hållbar utveckling. De tyckte att det var viktigt att arbeta med de frågorna och beskrev det i termen yrkesstolthet samt att det leder till välmående, vilket också stöds av litteraturen. / The aim has been to examine whether the Swedish environmental objectives may be a way to make sustainable development visible for students on the construction program. It has also been to determine the added value that can be created by making sustainable development visible by integrating environmental objectives into the teaching. Interim objectives are realistic and directly linked to the construction sector, which can lead to an increased commitment and desire to con­tribute to change. The result shows that vocational teachers, students, and site managers in construction compa­nies were not aware of the environmental objectives. Swedish environmental objectives need to be integrated into vocational school subjects of the construction programme so that political decisions in order to achieve sustainable development is communicated to the students, so that they can come out in working life with action skills which can lead to changes. Almost all interviewed felt that it could provide added value to have knowledge of how they in their everyday lives can work with sustainable development. They think it is important to work with the issues and that it results in prosperous in daily life, which also is supported by the literature and described it in terms of professional pride.

Den svenska miljöpolitiken drivs huvudsakligen genom ett system med 16 så kallade nationella miljökvalitetsmål och övergripande så kallade generationsmål. Dessa målsätter ramarna för miljöarbetet i Sverige på nationell, regional och lokal nivå. Utgångsläget för Sveriges miljöpolitik är att vi till nästa generation, år 2020, ska lämnaöver ett välmående samhälle där de stora miljöproblemen i Sverige är lösta. Nyckelpersoner från Kalmar, Jönköping och Skåne länsstyrelser har intervjuats, såvälsom nyckelpersoner från utvalda kommuner i respektive län. Resultatet av intervjuerna tyder på att arbetet med miljömål kräver kommunikation och samverkan både horisontellt och vertikalt och att länsstyrelsen har en central och viktigroll.Syftet med denna studie är att den ska vara till hjälp för Länsstyrelsen i Kalmar imiljömålsarbetet. / The Swedish environmental policy is dictated through a system of 16 so called national environmental quality objectives, and broad so called generational objectives. These set the frames of the environmental work done in Sweden at a national, regional and local level.The overall goal of the environmental work done in Sweden is to hand over aprosperous, healthy society to the next generation, where the major environmental challenges has been overcome, no later than the year 2020. Key persons at the county administrations of Kalmar, Jönköping and Skåne have been interviewed, as well as persons from selected municipalities in each county.The results of these interviews show the importance of the county administration in the environmental work of the municipalities and that this work requires extensive communication, both vertical and horizontal.The results of this paper is meant to help the county administration of Kalmar in the environmental work.

Over the last two decades more attention has been paid by the governments of developed and developing countries to the role of higher education in general and universities in particular. Their major concern is the growing demand for higher education and the growing expenditure of that sector. These two reasons led to an inquiry into the role of higher education institutions, their objectives and their effective use of the resources allocated to them. The need to achieve better understanding and definition of the role of higher education institutions and effectiveness requires better understanding of the institutional objectives and their measure of achievement by the various constituencies involved in the institutions' activities. This study aimed to investigate the different objectives and to examine the appropriateness and degree of achievement of measures of a set of institutional goals in four Arab Universities. The study approach used included a literature survey of studies conducted on higher education institutions in Europe, North America and the Arab States and the collection of data by a questionnaire. The population sample represents administrators and faculty members in the four Arab Universities. Mean scores were used to generate the ranking of the objective areas, in terms of their perceived preferences among the four universities and among the respondent groups. Also, the analysis of variance technique was used to ascertain which of the objective areas and their measures received divergent views among the four universities and among the respondent groups. The analysis of variance technique was followed by Duncan's New Multiple Comparison test to identify pairs of factors which differ significantly, to help in the interpretation of the findings. The study revealed that there were differences in respondent ratings of the objective areas, their measures and degree of achievement among the four universities but not among the different respondents categories. The findings of the study provided the conclusion that: only in some objective areas were priorities perceived differently by the universities and by respondent groups; homogeneity exists among the respondent groups on the appropriateness of the measures and the degree of achievement of these measures; close correlation appears to exist between the ratings of the objective areas and their associated measures; and, finally, there was consensus among the respondents that all universities were performing poorly on the most highly rated objective areas. The results and conclusions of the study were utilised to draw up some recommendations which might be useful to decision-makers in achieving their institutional objectives.

Idag eftersträvar institutioner på olika nivåer i samhället parallellt bättre kvalitet på den naturliga miljön. Internationella organisationer, riksdag, länsstyrelser och kommuner sätter upp miljö- och hållbarhetsmål, uppföljningsplaner baserade på mätbara indikatorer, samt redovisar sitt arbete på olika sätt. Från de högsta instanserna på internationell nivå ner till de lägsta på lokal nivå är kedjan lång och det kan vara svårt att nå sammanlänkade resultat. På kommunal nivå finns ett stort intresse att formulera lokala miljö- och hållbarhetsmål, men det saknas fasta riktlinjer för hur detta bör gå till. Följaktligen har kommuner förhållit sig olika till olika globala, nationella och regionala mål. Detta arbete syftade till att ta fram en modell för lokal målformulering och uppföljning med förankring till högre instanser. Denna modell avsågs i sin tur vara ett komplement till de verktyg som finns idag. Fokus i detta arbete låg på indikatorval. Vidare genomfördes en fallstudie genom att undersöka hur Bodens kommuns redan antagna lokala vattenrelaterade miljömål följde den framtagna modellen och assistera deras arbetet i uppföljningen genom att välja mätbara indikatorer. Metoden till arbetet utgjordes av en dokument- och litteraturstudie tillsammans med en fallstudie. Med information från vetenskapliga artiklar från databaser som Scopus, Science citation index, Social science citation index, Academic search premier och Business source premier tillsammans med besök på statliga myndigheters websidor med tillgång till offentliga dokument, kunde litteratur hittas som svarade mot syftet. Resultatet av studien blev en modell baserad på litteraturstudien som testades i fallstudien, med fokus på vattenrelaterade miljömål. Bodens kommuns målformuleringar länkade bra uppåt till högre målinstansers formuleringar, främst till de nationella miljökvalitetsmålen.   Indikatorer som valdes till fokusområde vatten var för Bodens första delmål ”Andel kommunala vattentäkter med vattenskyddsområde (%)”. För det andra delmålet om kartläggning av läckage för näringsämnen till Bodensjöarna föreslogs indikatorn ”Gjord kartläggning eller inte (Ja/Nej/Delvis)”. Det tredje delmålet avsåg en plan för att minska utsläppen från avlopp till Bodensjöarna och fick den föreslagna indikatorn ” Framtagen plan eller inte (Ja/Nej/Delvis)”. För det sista målet gällande synkronisering av Bottenvikens vattendistrikt förvaltningsarbete föreslogs de två indikatorerna ”Uppnådd God ekologisk status i Bodensjöarna” samt ”Halten totalfosfor ska inte överstiga den teoretiska målhalten”. I resultatet finns även ett exempel på visualisering av uppföljningen, med ett diagram för totalfosfor med tillhörande beräknad teoretisk målhalt för att bidra till att uppnå God ekologisk status i Svartbyträsket. Slutsatsen från studien var att de mål som Bodens kommun hade formulerat visades ha en bra förankring i målformuleringarna till det nationella steget i målhierarkin. Däremot hade uppföljningsarbetet underlättats om Bodens kommun hade fastställt indikatorer samtidigt som målen formulerades. Vidare har Bodens kommun uppmärksammat belastade lokala system i enlighet med teorin för de planetära gränserna då många mål behandlar belastningen av näringsämnen till Bodensjöarna. Om kommuner kan förankra sina miljö- och hållbarhetsmål mer till regionala, nationella och globala instansers mål går det att skapa ett mer enhetligt arbete då samma mål eftersträvas och samma indikatorer mäts, vilket kan leda till att fler mål uppnås. Samtidigt är det viktigt att arbetet alltid anpassas efter lokala förutsättningar och tillåter prioriteringar efter egna behov. Arbetet med fallstudien visade att den föreslagna modellen med fördel kan användas vid formulering av kommunala miljömål.