Equitable allocation of health care resources is crucial for promoting health equity. Since the emergence of the resource allocation working party (RAWP) formula nearly three decades ago, many countries have implemented resource allocation policy reforms aiming to improve equity. Little is known about whether, how and the extent to which, most of these policies have actually improved equity. This study examined whether, and the extent to which, decentralisation of health resource allocation decision-making in Ghana has improved equity in funding within regions and explored the factors that influenced the equitable allocation of resources for health care in Ghana. The study used a mixture of quantitative and qualitative methods. Two of the ten regions in Ghana: Ashanti and Northern, covering the southern and northern sectors of the country, were purposefully selected. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to measure levels of relative deprivation of districts applied as a proxy of need. An equity-adjusted share index (EAS) was developed and used as a yardstick against which equity in funding was assessed. Factors influencing the equitable allocation of resources were explored qualitatively through open-ended interviews with policy makers and other health sector stakeholders. The study found that resource allocation in the Ashanti and Northern Regions were largely inequitable, in terms of differentially benefiting the most disadvantaged districts. The proportion of variance in the actual share of funds that could be explained by the predicted EAS was below 50% for all the years examined, except for the allocation of government funds to the Ashanti Region for 1999, where the proportion of variance was 56%. Resource allocation in the Northern Region favoured three urban districts over their rural counterparts. However, in the Ashanti Region, there was a significant shift in resources from richer to poorer districts from 2000 to 2002. The Kumasi Metro district, for example, saw its share of donor-pooled funds reduced drastically from 20% of the total budget in 2000 to 7.2% in 2001 and 5.6% in 2002. Key factors influencing resource allocation and equity included low funding of the health system, local capacity to utilise funds efficiently, manpower availability, politics, donor influence and the nature of collaboration with the local government. The study concluded that intra-regional resource allocation in Ghana???s Ashanti and Northern regions was less equitable than expected, despite efforts to redistribute funds. It recommended more effective mechanisms for promoting equity through intra-regional resource allocation in Ghana.

Resource management for a data center with multiple job classes is investigated in this thesis. We focus on strategies for allocating resources to an application mix such that the service level agreements (SLAs) of individual applications are met. A performance model with two interactive job classes is used to determine the smallest number of processor nodes required to meet the SLAs of both classes. For each class, the SLA is specified by the relationship: Prob(response time≤x)≥y. Two allocation strategies are considered: shared allocation (SA) and dedicated allocation (DA). For the case of FCFS scheduling, analytic results for response time distribution are used to develop a heuristic algorithm that determines the allocation strategy (SA or DA) that requires fewer processor nodes. The effectiveness of this algorithm is evaluated over a range of operating conditions. The performance of SA with non-FCFS scheduling is also investigated. Among the scheduling disciplines considered, a new discipline called probability dependent priority (PDP) is found to have the best performance in terms of requiring the smallest number of nodes. Furthermore, we extend our heuristic algorithm for FCFS to three job classes. The effectiveness of this extended algorithm is evaluated. As to priority scheduling, the performance advantage of PDP is also confirmed for the case of three job classes.

Resource management for a data center with multiple job classes is investigated in this thesis. We focus on strategies for allocating resources to an application mix such that the service level agreements (SLAs) of individual applications are met. A performance model with two interactive job classes is used to determine the smallest number of processor nodes required to meet the SLAs of both classes. For each class, the SLA is specified by the relationship: Prob(response time≤x)≥y. Two allocation strategies are considered: shared allocation (SA) and dedicated allocation (DA). For the case of FCFS scheduling, analytic results for response time distribution are used to develop a heuristic algorithm that determines the allocation strategy (SA or DA) that requires fewer processor nodes. The effectiveness of this algorithm is evaluated over a range of operating conditions. The performance of SA with non-FCFS scheduling is also investigated. Among the scheduling disciplines considered, a new discipline called probability dependent priority (PDP) is found to have the best performance in terms of requiring the smallest number of nodes. Furthermore, we extend our heuristic algorithm for FCFS to three job classes. The effectiveness of this extended algorithm is evaluated. As to priority scheduling, the performance advantage of PDP is also confirmed for the case of three job classes.

As health care costs continue to increase at rates higher than the general inflation rate, there is increased focus on controlling health care expenditures in the public and private sectors. In particular, there is a compelling need for more creative and informed allocation decisions for limited government public health funds. This thesis suggests several methods for better forecasting the demand for health care and allocating health care resources more efficiently. First, productivity of dental sealant programs is studied and suggestions are made for increased efficiency. Using simulation and data from several states programs, guidelines are offered for optimal programs based on program size, distance to site, and practice act requirements. We find that under most conditions, it is better to carry an extra dental assistant to every program. The cost of satisfying practice act requirements is also quantified. Second, a model for allocating health resources to Community Health Centers (CHCs) is provided. Using the state of Georgia as a prototype, local estimation is used to forecast county insurance types, disease prevalence, and likelihood of using a clinic. Then, the optimal locations and service portfolios to be offered under financial constraints are determined using a developed mixed-integer programming model. Finally, shortcomings in current Markovian modeling of chronic disease are analyzed. Common forecasting techniques can overestimate or underestimate the population in need of care, as illustrated by analytic results and an example with lung cancer data. The chapter presents suggestions for improving such modeling. Each of these issues affect the planning models for scarce resources in health care, and improving those models can positively impact utilization of those services. Through this research, models are presented that can positively impact public health decisions in coming years, particularly those for growing high-risk and low-income groups.

Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Auburn University, / Abstract. Includes bibliographic references (p.141-146).

Thesis (M.B.A.)--Naval Postgraduate School, December 2003. / "MBA professional report"--Cover. Thesis advisor(s): Joseph G. San Miguel, Don E. Summers. Includes bibliographical references (p. 35). Also available online.

This study is concerned with an aspect of public sector resource allocation, specifically the mechanisms whereby United Kingdom central government public expenditure within the New Towns budget heading was utilised for the planned expansion of the town of Northampton from 1965 to 1985. The distinctive feature of the town expansion process associated with Northampton was that, for the first time in the history of the New Town programme, such expansion involved a designated area which contained within it the whole of a County Borough. The consequences of this were that the central government and its agent, the development corporation, found themselves involved in establishing a pattern of allocative, decision making relationships which included a major role for the County Borough. A partnership was established and codified between central government and the County Borough of Northampton that involved institutional, functional and process arrangements of a unique kind, that have not, in total, been replicated elsewhere in the New Town programme. This unique partnership between central government and the County Borough of Northampton provided a focal point for the wider consideration of the role of 'policy communities' in central-local relations. The detailed consideration of the policy community associated with Northampton's town expansion has been based on the model devised by R A W Rhodes. The use of the model in this way has both tested it as a methodological tool and provided an opportunity for indicating possible further areas for development. In addition, its specific application to the Northampton experience has raised issues and indicated possible policy options that are of significance for other centrally funded urban development schemes such as the regeneration of the United Kingdom's inner city areas.

Equitable allocation of health care resources is crucial for promoting health equity. Since the emergence of the resource allocation working party (RAWP) formula nearly three decades ago, many countries have implemented resource allocation policy reforms aiming to improve equity. Little is known about whether, how and the extent to which, most of these policies have actually improved equity. This study examined whether, and the extent to which, decentralisation of health resource allocation decision-making in Ghana has improved equity in funding within regions and explored the factors that influenced the equitable allocation of resources for health care in Ghana. The study used a mixture of quantitative and qualitative methods. Two of the ten regions in Ghana: Ashanti and Northern, covering the southern and northern sectors of the country, were purposefully selected. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to measure levels of relative deprivation of districts applied as a proxy of need. An equity-adjusted share index (EAS) was developed and used as a yardstick against which equity in funding was assessed. Factors influencing the equitable allocation of resources were explored qualitatively through open-ended interviews with policy makers and other health sector stakeholders. The study found that resource allocation in the Ashanti and Northern Regions were largely inequitable, in terms of differentially benefiting the most disadvantaged districts. The proportion of variance in the actual share of funds that could be explained by the predicted EAS was below 50% for all the years examined, except for the allocation of government funds to the Ashanti Region for 1999, where the proportion of variance was 56%. Resource allocation in the Northern Region favoured three urban districts over their rural counterparts. However, in the Ashanti Region, there was a significant shift in resources from richer to poorer districts from 2000 to 2002. The Kumasi Metro district, for example, saw its share of donor-pooled funds reduced drastically from 20% of the total budget in 2000 to 7.2% in 2001 and 5.6% in 2002. Key factors influencing resource allocation and equity included low funding of the health system, local capacity to utilise funds efficiently, manpower availability, politics, donor influence and the nature of collaboration with the local government. The study concluded that intra-regional resource allocation in Ghana???s Ashanti and Northern regions was less equitable than expected, despite efforts to redistribute funds. It recommended more effective mechanisms for promoting equity through intra-regional resource allocation in Ghana.

Thesis (M.S.)--Ohio State University, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 100-105). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Virginia Commonwealth University, 2008. / Prepared for: Dept. of Accounting. Title from title-page of electronic thesis. Bibliography: leaves 81-92.