A Design Thinking Approach to Teaching Knowledge Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Shouhong; Wang, Hai

2008-01-01

Pedagogies for knowledge management courses are still undeveloped. This Teaching Tip introduces a design thinking approach to teaching knowledge management. An induction model used to guide students' real-life projects for knowledge management is presented. (Contains 1 figure.)

The WISECARE Project and the impact of information technology on nursing knowledge.

PubMed

Sermeus, W; Hoy, D; Jodrell, N; Hyslop, A; Gypen, T; Kinnunen, J; Mantas, J; Delesie, L; Tansley, J; Hofdijk, J

1997-01-01

The European Union retained the WISECARE project "Work flow Information Systems for European nursing CARE" for funding. The project focuses on the use of telematics technology for clinical and resource management in oncology care in hospitals. This paper outlines the impact of introducing this kind of advanced nursing informatics application on the management of nursing knowledge. Three shift in knowledge management that will get high attention in WISECARE, are identified. The first is the shift from knowledge dissemination to knowledge sharing. The second is the shift from individual knowledge to organisational knowledge. The third is the shift from deductive, prescriptive knowledge as seen in guidelines, protocols to more inductive, experience based knowledge. The paper emphasizes that the real impact of information technology is not in the automation of existing processes but on the discovery of new ways of organisation and living.

Project management process.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2007-03-01

This course provides INDOT staff with foundational knowledge and skills in project management principles and methodologies. INDOTs project management processes provide the tools for interdisciplinary teams to efficiently and effectively deliver pr...

Knowledge Management in Sustainability Research Projects: Concepts, Effective Models, and Examples in a Multi-Stakeholder Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaiser, David Brian; Köhler, Thomas; Weith, Thomas

2016-01-01

This article aims to sketch a conceptual design for an information and knowledge management system in sustainability research projects. The suitable frameworks to implement knowledge transfer models constitute social communities, because the mutual exchange and learning processes among all stakeholders promote key sustainable developments through…

A Qualitative Study of the Relationship between a Banking IT Troubled Project and the Executive Project Sponsor's Project Management Maturity Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Northcraft, Terry G.

2017-01-01

This qualitative study examined the effect the level of project management maturity a banking IT project sponsor has on project success. Project management maturity is gauged by the amount of modern project management training, knowledge and organizational skills an individual or organization has and applies to their project lifecycle experiences.…

Advanced project management : training manual.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-07-14

This course identifies the principles and methodologies adopted by the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) to support successful project management and delivery. Project management requires the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and te...

Managing a project's legacy: implications for organizations and project management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cooper, Lynne P.; Hecht, Michael H.; Majchrzak, Ann

2003-01-01

Organizations that rely on projects to implement their products must find effective mechanisms for propagating lessons learned on one project throughout the organization. A broad view of what constitutes a project's 'legacy' is presented that includes not just the design products and leftover parts, but new processes, relationships, technology, skills, planning data, and performance metrics. Based on research evaluating knowledge reuse in innovative contexts, this paper presents an approach to project legacy management that focuses on collecting and using legacy knowledge to promote organizational learning and effective reuse, while addressing factors of post-project responsibility, information obsolescence, and the importance of ancillary contextual information. .

Linking Theory with Practice: Undergraduate Project Management with School-Age Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Falkenberg, Loren; Russell, Randy; Ricker, Lynne

2000-01-01

Management students taught basic business concepts to sixth graders and managed business projects with them. The management students applied knowledge of marketing, human resources, and operations management and developed reflective learning skills through project reports and coaching sessions. (SK)

Data Overload Impact on Project Management: How Knowledge Management Systems Can Improve Federal Agencies Effectiveness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodriguez, Jacinto

2013-01-01

This mixed method exploratory case study was used to explore the effect data overload has on project management, how data overload affects project management effectiveness, how prepared program office staff is to manage multiple projects effectively, and how the program office's organizational structure and data management systems affect project…

MSFC Propulsion Systems Department Knowledge Management Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Caraccioli, Paul A.

2007-01-01

This slide presentation reviews the Knowledge Management (KM) project of the Propulsion Systems Department at Marshall Space Flight Center. KM is needed to support knowledge capture, preservation and to support an information sharing culture. The presentation includes the strategic plan for the KM initiative, the system requirements, the technology description, the User Interface and custom features, and a search demonstration.

An Innovative, Experiential-Learning Project for Sales Management and Professional Selling Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chapman, Joseph; Schetzsle, Stacey; Wahlers, Russell

2016-01-01

This article presents an innovative, experiential-learning project that incorporates students from two different courses: sales management and professional selling. Sales management students actually manage sales students on an outside sales project. Students apply classroom knowledge to a real-life sales project for a local community…

The Project Manager Who Saved His Country

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baniszewski, John

2008-01-01

George Meade defeated Robert E. Lee, one of the greatest military leaders of all time. How did he do it? By using the skills he had learned as a project manager and outperforming Lee in all aspects of project management. Most project managers are familiar with the Project Management Institute's "Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge" (PMBOK), which identifies the skills and knowledge crucial to successful project management. Project managers need to make sure that all the elements of a project work together. They must develop and execute plans and coordinate changes to those plans. A project manager must define the scope of the work, break it into manageable pieces, verify and control what work is being done, and make sure that the work being done is essential to the project. Every project manager knows the challenges of schedule and the value of schedule slack. Project managers must get the resources they need and use them effectively. Project managers get the people they need and use their talents to achieve mission success. Projects generate huge amounts of information. A key to project success is getting sufficient and accurate information to the people who need it when they need it. Project managers must identify and quantify the risks that jeopardize project success and make plans for dealing with them. Studying Meade and Lee's performances at Gettysburg can help modern project managers appreciate, develop, and use the skills they need to be good project managers. The circumstances may be different, but the basic principles are the same. This dramatic event in American history shows how the skills of project management can be used in almost any situation. Former project manager George Meade used those skills to change the tide of the Civil War.

Integrating Organizational Learning and Business Praxis: A Case for Intelligent Project Management.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cavaleri, Steven A.; Fearon, David S.

2000-01-01

Project management provides a natural home for organizational learning, freeing it from mechanical processes. Organizational learning plays a critical role in intelligent project management, which combines manageability, performance outcomes of knowledge management, and innovation. Learning should be integrated into an organization's core…

Report on a Knowledge-Based Software Assistant.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-08-01

maintainers, project managers , and end-users). In this paradigm, software activities, including definition, management , and validation will be...project management . This report also presents a plan for the development of the KBSA, along with a description of the necessary supporting technology...Activity Coordination .. .. .. ..... ...... ..... .... 19 3.2 Project Management and Documentation. .. ... ........ 20 3.2.1 Project Management Facet

A framework for extracting and representing project knowledge contexts using topic models and dynamic knowledge maps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Jin; Li, Zheng; Li, Shuliang; Zhang, Yanyan

2015-07-01

There is still a lack of effective paradigms and tools for analysing and discovering the contents and relationships of project knowledge contexts in the field of project management. In this paper, a new framework for extracting and representing project knowledge contexts using topic models and dynamic knowledge maps under big data environments is proposed and developed. The conceptual paradigm, theoretical underpinning, extended topic model, and illustration examples of the ontology model for project knowledge maps are presented, with further research work envisaged.

FJET Database Project: Extract, Transform, and Load

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Samms, Kevin O.

2015-01-01

The Data Mining & Knowledge Management team at Kennedy Space Center is providing data management services to the Frangible Joint Empirical Test (FJET) project at Langley Research Center (LARC). FJET is a project under the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC). The purpose of FJET is to conduct an assessment of mild detonating fuse (MDF) frangible joints (FJs) for human spacecraft separation tasks in support of the NASA Commercial Crew Program. The Data Mining & Knowledge Management team has been tasked with creating and managing a database for the efficient storage and retrieval of FJET test data. This paper details the Extract, Transform, and Load (ETL) process as it is related to gathering FJET test data into a Microsoft SQL relational database, and making that data available to the data users. Lessons learned, procedures implemented, and programming code samples are discussed to help detail the learning experienced as the Data Mining & Knowledge Management team adapted to changing requirements and new technology while maintaining flexibility of design in various aspects of the data management project.

Community Data Management and the Exchange for Local Observations and Knowledge of the Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duerr, R.; Pulsifer, P. L.; Strawhacker, C.; Mccann, H. S.

2016-12-01

The mission of the Exchange for Local Observations and Knowledge of the Arctic (ELOKA) is to facilitate the collection, preservation, exchange, and use of local observations and knowledge by Indigenous communities in the Arctic by providing data management services and user support, and by fostering collaboration between resident Arctic experts and visiting researchers. ELOKA's overarching philosophy is that Local and Traditional Knowledge (LTK) and scientific data and expertise are complementary and reinforcing ways of understanding the Arctic system. Collecting, documenting, preserving, and sharing knowledge is a cooperative endeavor, and ELOKA is dedicated to fostering ethical knowledge sharing among Arctic residents and communities, scientists, educators, policy makers, and the general public. But what does that mean in practice and what are the next steps for ELOKA in the coming years? In this presentation, we discuss the ethical issues involved with data management for LTK and community-based projects, some of the tools ELOKA has developed for interacting with communities and researchers and for managing LTK data, and our plans for the future. These include a discussion of the considerations local and community-based projects should make when planning and conducting research. It is clear, for example, that research projects should either include Indigenous voices at the outset of the project or have a prominent Indigenous voice so that appropriate methods or approaches can be adopted. Discussion of data access and funder obligations will be included. The data management tools that ELOKA employs and is developing for the future that can manage the wide range of data types typical of a community or LTK project will also be described, as will ELOKA's program for transferring long-term data management skills to communities that wish to take that on. Finally, ELOKA's plans for the future will be described.

Sustainable knowledge development across cultural boundaries: Experiences from the EU-project SILMAS (Toolbox for conflict solving instruments in Alpine Lake Management)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fegerl, Michael; Wieden, Wilfried

2013-04-01

Increasingly people have to communicate knowledge across cultural and language boundaries. Even though recent technologies offer powerful communication facilities people often feel confronted with barriers which clearly reduce their chances of making their interaction a success. Concrete evidence concerning such problems derives from a number of projects, where generated knowledge often results in dead-end products. In the Alpine Space-project SILMAS (Sustainable Instruments for Lake Management in Alpine Space), in which both authors were involved, a special approach (syneris® ) was taken to avoid this problem and to manage project knowledge in sustainable form. Under this approach knowledge input and output are handled interactively: Relevant knowledge can be developed continuously and users can always access the latest state of expertise. Resort to the respective tools and procedures can also assist in closing knowledge gaps and in developing innovative responses to familiar or novel problems. This contribution intends to describe possible ways and means which have been found to increase the chances of success of knowledge communication across cultural boundaries. The process of trans-cultural discussions of experts to find a standardized solution is highlighted as well as the problem of dissemination of expert knowledge to variant stakeholders. Finally lessons learned are made accessible, where a main task lies in the creation of a tool box for conflict solving instruments, as a demonstrable result of the project and for the time thereafter. The interactive web-based toolbox enables lake managers to access best practice instruments in standardized, explicit and cross-linguistic form.

Preparing the Next Generations of Technology Project Managers to Lead through Knowledge Sharing: A Case Study at a Large Transportation Company

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kargbo, Michelle

2013-01-01

The purpose of this research was to identify knowledge transfer gaps and current practices, prepare current project managers to accept the challenges associated with leadership opportunities that are coming available due to retirements through cross training efforts and succession planning, and to identify the proper management of knowledge…

Project Management in Instructional Design: ADDIE Is Not Enough

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Rooij, Shahron Williams

2010-01-01

In the digital age, instructional designers must possess both a sound instructional design knowledge base and solid project management skills that will enable them to complete courseware projects on time, on budget and in conformance with client expectations. Project management skills include the ability to apply repeatable processes, along with…

Bringing Knowledge Management into an Engineering Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winberg, S. L.; Schach, S. R.; Inggs, M. R.

2007-01-01

The use of effective knowledge management is becoming an essential part of technical development projects in order to enable developers to handle the growing complexity of these projects. In this article we discuss an innovative approach to address this concern from the perspective of an undergraduate engineering curriculum. Instead of adding…

Building Information Management as a Tool for Managing Knowledge throughout whole Building Life Cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nývlt, Vladimír; Prušková, Kristýna

2017-10-01

BIM today is much more than drafting in 3D only, and project participants are further challenging, what is the topic of both this paper, and further research. Knowledge of objects, their behaviour, and other characteristics has high impact on whole building life cycle. Other structured and unstructured knowledge is rightfully added (e.g. historically based experience, needs and requirements of users, investors, needs for project and objects revisions) Grasping of all attributes into system for collection, managing and time control of knowledge. Further important findings lie in the necessity of understanding how to manage knowledge needs with diverse and variable ways, when BIM maturity levels are advanced, as defined by Bew and Richards (2008). All decisions made would always rely on good, timely, and correct data. Usage of BIM models in terms of Building Information Management can support all decisions through data gathering, sharing, and using across all disciplines and all Life Cycle steps. It particularly significantly improves possibilities and level of life cycle costing. Experience and knowledge stored in data models of BIM, describing user requirements, best practices derived from other projects and/or research outputs will help to understand sustainability in its complexity and wholeness.

Non-Algorithmic Issues in Automated Computational Mechanics

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-04-30

Tworzydlo, Senior Research Engineer and Manager of Advanced Projects Group I. Professor I J. T. Oden, President and Senior Scientist of COMCO, was project...practical applications of the systems reported so far is due to the extremely arduous and complex development and management of a realistic knowledge base...software, designed to effectively implement deep, algorithmic knowledge, * and 0 "intelligent" software, designed to manage shallow, heuristic

Rethinking Knowledge Management: Strategies for Enhancing District-Level Teacher and Leader Tacit Knowledge Sharing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edge, Karen

2013-01-01

Grounded within knowledge management (KM) theory and conceptions of tacit and explicit knowledge, this article draws on historical evidence from the Early Years Literacy Project (EYLP), a four-year instructional renewal strategy implemented across 100 schools in a large Canadian school district. The EYLP management approach included a series of…

Evaluation of need for ontologies to manage domain content for the Reportable Conditions Knowledge Management System.

PubMed

Eilbeck, Karen L; Lipstein, Julie; McGarvey, Sunanda; Staes, Catherine J

2014-01-01

The Reportable Condition Knowledge Management System (RCKMS) is envisioned to be a single, comprehensive, authoritative, real-time portal to author, view and access computable information about reportable conditions. The system is designed for use by hospitals, laboratories, health information exchanges, and providers to meet public health reporting requirements. The RCKMS Knowledge Representation Workgroup was tasked to explore the need for ontologies to support RCKMS functionality. The workgroup reviewed relevant projects and defined criteria to evaluate candidate knowledge domain areas for ontology development. The use of ontologies is justified for this project to unify the semantics used to describe similar reportable events and concepts between different jurisdictions and over time, to aid data integration, and to manage large, unwieldy datasets that evolve, and are sometimes externally managed.

Leveraging Text Content for Management of Construction Project Documents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alqady, Mohammed

2012-01-01

The construction industry is a knowledge intensive industry. Thousands of documents are generated by construction projects. Documents, as information carriers, must be managed effectively to ensure successful project management. The fact that a single project can produce thousands of documents and that a lot of the documents are generated in a…

E-Learning and Knowledge Management: The MEMORAe Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abel, Marie-Helene; Lenne, Dominique; Cisse, Omar

E-learning leads to changes in the way courses are conceived. Diffused through the Web, course content cannot be the pure transcription of a "classical" course. The students need to personalize it and to access it when they need it (just-in-time). The MEMORAe project aims at applying knowledge management techniques to improve the…

Boeing--A Case Study Example of Enterprise Project Management from a Learning Organization Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Szymczak, Conrad C.; Walker, Derek H. T.

2003-01-01

The evolution of the Boeing Company illustrates how to achieve an enterprise project management culture through organizational learning. Project management can be a survival technique for adapting to change as well as a proactive mechanism. An organizational culture that supports commitment and enthusiasm and a knowledge management infrastructure…

Organizational culture and knowledge management in the electric power generation industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayfield, Robert D.

Scarcity of knowledge and expertise is a challenge in the electric power generation industry. Today's most pervasive knowledge issues result from employee turnover and the constant movement of employees from project to project inside organizations. To address scarcity of knowledge and expertise, organizations must enable employees to capture, transfer, and use mission-critical explicit and tacit knowledge. The purpose of this qualitative grounded theory research was to examine the relationship between and among organizations within the electric power generation industry developing knowledge management processes designed to retain, share, and use the industry, institutional, and technical knowledge upon which the organizations depend. The research findings show that knowledge management is a business problem within the domain of information systems and management. The risks associated with losing mission critical-knowledge can be measured using metrics on employee retention, recruitment, productivity, training and benchmarking. Certain enablers must be in place in order to engage people, encourage cooperation, create a knowledge-sharing culture, and, ultimately change behavior. The research revealed the following change enablers that support knowledge management strategies: (a) training - blended learning, (b) communities of practice, (c) cross-functional teams, (d) rewards and recognition programs, (e) active senior management support, (f) communication and awareness, (g) succession planning, and (h) team organizational culture.

Five principles for the practice of knowledge exchange in environmental management.

PubMed

Reed, M S; Stringer, L C; Fazey, I; Evely, A C; Kruijsen, J H J

2014-12-15

This paper outlines five principles for effective practice of knowledge exchange, which when applied, have the potential to significantly enhance the impact of environmental management research, policy and practice. The paper is based on an empirical analysis of interviews with 32 researchers and stakeholders across 13 environmental management research projects, each of which included elements of knowledge co-creation and sharing in their design. The projects focused on a range of upland and catchment management issues across the UK, and included Research Council, Government and NGO funded projects. Preliminary findings were discussed with knowledge exchange professionals and academic experts to ensure the emerging principles were as broadly applicable as possible across multiple disciplines. The principles suggest that: knowledge exchange needs to be designed into research; the needs of likely research users and other stakeholders should be systematically represented in the research where possible; and long-term relationships must be built on trust and two-way dialogue between researchers and stakeholders in order to ensure effective co-generation of new knowledge. We found that the delivery of tangible benefits early on in the research process helps to ensure continued motivation and engagement of likely research users. Knowledge exchange is a flexible process that must be monitored, reflected on and continuously refined, and where possible, steps should be taken to ensure a legacy of ongoing knowledge exchange beyond initial research funding. The principles have been used to inform the design of knowledge exchange and stakeholder engagement guidelines for two international research programmes. They are able to assist researchers, decision-makers and other stakeholders working in contrasting environmental management settings to work together to co-produce new knowledge, and more effectively share and apply existing knowledge to manage environmental change. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Using computer software to improve group decision-making.

PubMed

Mockler, R J; Dologite, D G

1991-08-01

This article provides a review of some of the work done in the area of knowledge-based systems for strategic planning. Since 1985, with the founding of the Center for Knowledge-based Systems for Business Management, the project has focused on developing knowledge-based systems (KBS) based on these models. In addition, the project also involves developing a variety of computer and non-computer methods and techniques for assisting both technical and non-technical managers and individuals to do decision modelling and KBS development. This paper presents a summary of one segment of the project: a description of integrative groupware useful in strategic planning. The work described here is part of an ongoing research project. As part of this project, for example, over 200 non-technical and technical business managers, most of them working full-time during the project, developed over 160 KBS prototype systems in conjunction with MBA course in strategic planning and management decision making. Based on replies to a survey of this test group, 28 per cent of the survey respondents reported their KBS were used at work, 21 per cent reportedly received promotions, pay rises or new jobs based on their KBS development work, and 12 per cent reported their work led to participation in other KBS development projects at work. All but two of the survey respondents reported that their work on the KBS development project led to a substantial increase in their job knowledge or performance.

Knowledge management for chronic patient control and monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pedreira, Nieves; Aguiar-Pulido, Vanessa; Dorado, Julián; Pazos, Alejandro; Pereira, Javier

2014-10-01

Knowledge Management (KM) can be seen as the process of capturing, developing, sharing, and effectively using organizational knowledge. In this context, the work presented here proposes a KM System to be used in the scope of chronic patient control and monitoring for distributed research projects. It was designed in order to enable communication between patient and doctors, as well as to be usedbythe researchers involved in the project for its management. The proposed model integrates all the information concerning every patient and project management tasks in the Institutional Memory of a KMSystem and uses an ontology to maintain the information and its categorization independently. Furthermore, taking the philosophy of intelligent agents, the system will interact with the user to show him the information according to his preferences and access rights. Finally, three different scenarios of application are described.

Evaluation of need for ontologies to manage domain content for the Reportable Conditions Knowledge Management System

PubMed Central

Eilbeck, Karen L.; Lipstein, Julie; McGarvey, Sunanda; Staes, Catherine J.

2014-01-01

The Reportable Condition Knowledge Management System (RCKMS) is envisioned to be a single, comprehensive, authoritative, real-time portal to author, view and access computable information about reportable conditions. The system is designed for use by hospitals, laboratories, health information exchanges, and providers to meet public health reporting requirements. The RCKMS Knowledge Representation Workgroup was tasked to explore the need for ontologies to support RCKMS functionality. The workgroup reviewed relevant projects and defined criteria to evaluate candidate knowledge domain areas for ontology development. The use of ontologies is justified for this project to unify the semantics used to describe similar reportable events and concepts between different jurisdictions and over time, to aid data integration, and to manage large, unwieldy datasets that evolve, and are sometimes externally managed. PMID:25954354

Scaffolding Project-Based Learning with the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK[R])

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Rooij, Shahron Williams

2009-01-01

This paper reports the results of a study of the extent to which processes and procedures from the discipline of project management can scaffold online project-based learning in a graduate-level instructional technology course, by facilitating intra-team interaction, enhancing project outcomes and promoting a positive project team experience. With…

Day-to-day management of EU projects: Implementation of a local manager network to secure knowledge transfer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoffmann, Friederike; Meyer, Stefanie; de Vareilles, Mahaut

2017-04-01

In the past years there has been a strong push in Norway for increasing participation in the EU Framework Programmes for Research and Innovation. EU projects coordinated by the University of Bergen (UiB) usually receive management support from the central administration (mostly financial) in collaboration with a full- or part-time scientific project manager working on a fixed-term contract at the same institute as the project's principal scientist. With an increasing amount of granted EU projects, the number of scientific project managers employed across the whole university has also increased, and a need for coordination and professionalization of this service became obvious. Until recently, UiB had no unified structures and routines for training of newly recruited project managers, or for archiving and transferring routines and skills after the end of the project and the manager's employment contract. To overcome this administrative knowledge gap, the "Forum for scientific EU project managers at UiB" was founded in spring 2016 as an informal communication platform. Its purpose is to bring together current and previous scientific EU project managers from different disciplines to share their experiences. The main aim of the forum is to transfer and improve knowledge, skills and routines on effective management of EU funded projects, but also to function as a discussion forum where issues arising from handling international consortia can be reviewed. The group meets monthly and discusses current challenges from on-going EU projects as well as routines for specific project operation tasks. These routines are archived in an online best-practise guide which the group currently develops. The regular personal meetings are supplemented with an intense communication via a group mailing list and several individual mail- and phone-meetings. Since lessons learned during project implementation may improve future proposals, UiB research advisors for proposal support frequently interact with the members of the forum. The forum is also used to spread relevant information received from other sources. We already realize that the forum and its products lead to increased competence of scientific EU project managers and research advisors at UiB. To further harvest these synergy effects, we aim to increase our interaction with similar groups, networks, and online platforms in and beyond Europe.

34 CFR 642.34 - Priorities for funding.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... associations of persons having special knowledge with respect to the training needs of Special Programs... preparing students for doctoral studies. (14) Project evaluation. (15) Budget management. (16) Personnel management. (17) Reporting student and project performance. (18) Coordinating project activities with other...

Summer Principals'/Directors' Orientation Training Module.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mata, Robert L.; Garcia, Richard L.

Intended to provide current or potential project principals/directors with the basic knowledge, skills, abilities, and sensitivities needed to manage a summer migrant school project in the local educational setting, this module provides instruction in the project management areas of planning, preparation, control, and termination. The module…

Academy Sharing Knowledge (ASK). The NASA Source for Project Management Magazine, Volume 11, March 2003

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

APPL is a research-based organization that serves NASA program and project managers, as well as project teams, at every level of development. In 1997, APPL was created from an earlier program to underscore the importance that NASA places on project management and project teams through a wide variety of products and services, including knowledge sharing, classroom and online courses, career development guidance, performance support, university partnerships, and advanced technology tools. ASK Magazine grew out of APPL's Knowledge Sharing Initiative. The stories that appear in ASK are written by the 'best of the best' project managers, primarily from NASA, but also from other government agencies and industry. Contributors to this issue include: Teresa Bailey, a librarian at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Roy Malone, Deputy Director in the Safety and Mission Assurance (S&MA) Office at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), W. Scott Cameron, Capital Systems Manager for the Food and Beverage Global Business Unit of Procter and Gamble, Ray Morgan, recent retiree as Vice President of AeroVironment, Inc., Marty Davis, Program Manager of the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in Greenbelt, Maryland, Todd Post, editor of ASK Magazine, and works for EduTech Ltd. in Silver Spring, Maryland, Dr. Owen Gadeken, professor of Engineering Management at the Defense Acquisition University, Ken Schwer, currently the Project Manager of Solar Dynamics Observatory, Dr. Edward Hoffmwan, Director of the NASA Academy of Program and Project Leadership, Frank Snow, a member of the NASA Explorer Program at Goddard Space Flight Center since 1992, Dr. Alexander Laufer, Editor-in-Chief of ASK Magazine and a member of the Advisory Board of the NASA Academy of Program and Project Leadership, Judy Stokley, presently Air Force Program Executive Officer for Weapons in Washington, D.C. and Terry Little, Director of the Kinetic Energy Boost Office of the Missile Defense Agency.

Synthesis of Knowledge and Practice in Educational Management and Leadership. Volumes 1 and 2. Project No. ED 73-241.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lavin, Richard J.; Sanders, Jean E.

This is a systematic effort to review the knowledge and practice in management programs. In synthesizing the knowledge base, the study establishes and emphasizes the great need to link the knowledge banks of the producers' world with the users' stations. Several findings support this conclusion: (1) a wealth of knowledge exists; (2) although there…

Project monitoring and evaluation: an enhancing method for health research system management.

PubMed

Djalalinia, Shirin; Owlia, Parviz; Malekafzali, Hossein; Ghanei, Mostafa; Babamahmoodi, Abdolreza; Peykari, Niloofar

2014-04-01

Planning, organizing, staffing, leading and monitoring are the basic functional component of management. In present article, we aim to define the project monitoring and evaluation in health research system (HRS) considering its success and challenges based on our national experience. IN THIS STUDY BASED ON THE INFORMATION OF ANNUAL MEDICAL SCIENCE UNIVERSITIES EVALUATION DURING THE LAST DECADE THE HRS INDICATORS HAVE BEEN SCORED IN THREE AXES BASED ON HRS FUNCTIONS: Stewardship, capacity building and knowledge production. In this article, we will focus on the results of HRS evaluation from 2002 to 2010, also on its success and challenges. In an overall view, the main results are the experiences of the designing and implantation of such process after pre-project preparation, all parts followed under the whole supervision of the aims of the HRS evaluation. Project management light the way of practical application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques for better HRS evaluation and management. We concluded that; although monitoring and evaluation as an essential part of HRS Management light the improvement ahead way but we still need to advantage of the new project management advances.

Organizational Cultural Theory and Research Administration Knowledge Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lehman, Dwayne W.

2017-01-01

The administration and management of sponsored projects spans many levels within an institution of higher education. Research administration professionals require an operational understanding of a complex and intertwined set of disciplines that include project management, finance, legal, ethics, communication, and business acumen. The explicit…

Knowledge management systems for oral health in developing and developed countries.

PubMed

Nattestad, Anders

2012-10-01

Knowledge management systems utilize information technology to manage knowledge in organizations with the purpose of creating, supporting, storing and disseminating information. These systems have been around for decades, but have significantly changed over time in complexity and features with the evolution of information technology and the Internet. With the development of these new technologies, the concept of knowledge management has thrived and has had significant impact on the way in which knowledge is accumulated, stored and accessed. This article will describe the historical development of knowledge management systems in oral health, illustrate the technology using examples and explore the future use of these systems with emerging technologies such as Google Wave®. One example of how knowledge management systems may affect the quality of dental education is the DentEd project, where a collaborative website was developed to coordinate dental school visitations and collection of reports from working groups, leading to several important publications. MEDLINE is another example of an effective knowledge management system in health care, providing access to health care-related scientific literature, which is highly organized under the auspices of the United States National Library of Medicine. Another and very differently organized example of an effective knowledge management system is Wikipedia, which is a free, web-based, collaborative, multilingual encyclopedia project supported by a nonprofit foundation. The final example of an effective knowledge management system is all of the social media, including Facebook and Twitter. These tools have proven very powerful in organizing and collaborating. In conclusion, the development of new technologies and the Internet have changed the way in which information is developed and accessed. This development is still ongoing and only the future will reveal how this will continue to change. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Project TEAMS (Techniques and Education for Achieving Management Skills): Independent Business Owner/Managers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Platte Technical Community Coll., Columbus, NE.

These Project TEAMS (Techniques and Education for Achieving Managerial Skills) instructional materials consist of five units for use in training independent business owner/managers. The first unit contains materials which deal with management skills relating to personal characteristics of successful business people, knowledge of self and chosen…

A Collaborative Knowledge Management Process for Implementing Healthcare Enterprise Information Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Po-Hsun; Chen, Sao-Jie; Lai, Jin-Shin; Lai, Feipei

This paper illustrates a feasible health informatics domain knowledge management process which helps gather useful technology information and reduce many knowledge misunderstandings among engineers who have participated in the IBM mainframe rightsizing project at National Taiwan University (NTU) Hospital. We design an asynchronously sharing mechanism to facilitate the knowledge transfer and our health informatics domain knowledge management process can be used to publish and retrieve documents dynamically. It effectively creates an acceptable discussion environment and even lessens the traditional meeting burden among development engineers. An overall description on the current software development status is presented. Then, the knowledge management implementation of health information systems is proposed.

Management of natural health products in pediatrics: a provider-focused quality improvement project.

PubMed

Gutierrez, Emily; Silbert-Flagg, JoAnne; Vohra, Sunita

2015-01-01

The use of natural health products by pediatric patients is common, yet health care providers often do not provide management guidance. The purpose of this project was to improve management of natural health products by pediatric nurse practitioners. Pediatric nurse practitioners from large metropolitan city were recruited (n = 32). A paired pretest-posttest design was used. Study participants were engaged to improve knowledge of natural health products, and a management toolkit was created and tested. Mean knowledge scores increased from 59.19 to 76.3 (p < .01). Management practices improved with regard to patient guidance (p < .01) and resource utilization (p < .01). Assessments of product use (p = .51) and drug/herb interactions (p = .35) were not significant. This investigation is the first known study to improve knowledge and management of natural health products in pediatric clinical practice. Copyright © 2015 National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Deployment of Military Mothers during Wartime

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-11-12

Changes in Clinical Practice, Leadership, Management , Education, Policy, and/or Military Doctrine that Resulted from Study or Project 26...excellence Knowledge management Education and training Leadership, Ethics, and Mentoring: Health policy Recruitment and retention...research into practice/evidence-based practice Clinical excellence Knowledge management Education and training Leadership, Ethics, and Mentoring

A Knowledge Management Technology Architecture for Educational Research Organisations: Scaffolding Research Projects and Workflow Processing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muthukumar; Hedberg, John G.

2005-01-01

There is growing recognition that the economic climate of the world is shifting towards a knowledge-based economy where knowledge will be cherished as the most prized asset. In this regard, technology can be leveraged as a useful tool in effectually managing the knowledge capital of an organisation. Although several research studies have advanced…

A knowledge Management Technology Architecture for Educational Research Organisations: Scaffolding Research Projects and Workflow Processing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muthukumar; Hedberg, John G.

2005-01-01

There is growing recognition that the economic climate of the world is shifting towards a knowledge-based economy where knowledge will be cherished as the most prized asset. In this regard, technology can be leveraged as a useful tool in effectually managing the knowledge capital of an organisation. Although several research studies have advanced…

The Environmental Management Project Manager`s Handbook for improved project definition

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1995-02-01

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is committed to providing high quality products that satisfy customer needs and are the associated with this goal, DOE personnel must possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities to ensure successful job performance. In addition, there must be recognition that the greatest obstacle to proper project performance is inadequate project definition. Without strong project definition, DOE environmental management efforts are vulnerable to fragmented solutions, duplication of effort, and wastes resources. The primary means of ensuring environmental management projects meet cost and schedule milestones is through a structured and graded approach to project definition, whichmore » is the focus of this handbook.« less

Multifamily Retrofit Project Manager Job/Task Analysis and Report: September 2013

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Owens, C. M.

The development of job/task analyses (JTAs) is one of three components of the Guidelines for Home Energy Professionals project and will allow industry to develop training resources, quality assurance protocols, accredited training programs, and professional certifications. The Multifamily Retrofit Project Manager JTA identifies and catalogs all of the tasks performed by multifamily retrofit project managers, as well as the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) needed to perform the identified tasks.

Enlightenment from ancient Chinese urban and rural stormwater management practices.

PubMed

Wu, Che; Qiao, Mengxi; Wang, Sisi

2013-01-01

Hundreds of years ago, the ancient Chinese implemented several outstanding projects to cope with the changing climate and violent floods. Some of these projects are still in use today. These projects evolved from the experience and knowledge accumulated through the long coexistence of people with nature. The concepts behind these ancient stormwater management practices, such as low-impact development and sustainable drainage systems, are similar to the technology applied in modern stormwater management. This paper presents the cases of the Hani Terrace in Yunnan and the Fushou drainage system of Ganzhou in Jiangxi. The ancient Chinese knowledge behind these cases is seen in the design concepts and the features of these projects. These features help us to understand better their applications in the contemporary environment. In today's more complex environment, integrating traditional and advanced philosophy with modern technologies is extremely useful in building urban and rural stormwater management systems in China.

Project Leader's Dual Socialization and Its Impact on Team Learning and Performance: A Diagnostic Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gautam, Tanvi

2009-01-01

One of the important challenges for leadership in project teams is the ability to manage the knowledge, communication and coordination related activities of team. In cross-team collaboration, different boundaries contribute to the situated nature of knowledge and hamper the flow of knowledge and prevent shared understanding with those on the other…

Instructional Design as Knowledge Management: A Knowledge-in-Practice Approach to Choosing Instructional Methods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McIver, Derrick; Fitzsimmons, Stacey; Flanagan, David

2016-01-01

Decisions about instructional methods are becoming more complex, with options ranging from problem sets to experiential service-learning projects. However, instructors not trained in instructional design may make these important decisions based on convenience, comfort, or trends. Instead, this article draws on the knowledge management literature…

Knowledge sharing and collaboration in translational research, and the DC-THERA Directory

PubMed Central

Gündel, Michaela; Austyn, Jonathan M.; Cavalieri, Duccio; Scognamiglio, Ciro; Brandizi, Marco

2011-01-01

Biomedical research relies increasingly on large collections of data sets and knowledge whose generation, representation and analysis often require large collaborative and interdisciplinary efforts. This dimension of ‘big data’ research calls for the development of computational tools to manage such a vast amount of data, as well as tools that can improve communication and access to information from collaborating researchers and from the wider community. Whenever research projects have a defined temporal scope, an additional issue of data management arises, namely how the knowledge generated within the project can be made available beyond its boundaries and life-time. DC-THERA is a European ‘Network of Excellence’ (NoE) that spawned a very large collaborative and interdisciplinary research community, focusing on the development of novel immunotherapies derived from fundamental research in dendritic cell immunobiology. In this article we introduce the DC-THERA Directory, which is an information system designed to support knowledge management for this research community and beyond. We present how the use of metadata and Semantic Web technologies can effectively help to organize the knowledge generated by modern collaborative research, how these technologies can enable effective data management solutions during and beyond the project lifecycle, and how resources such as the DC-THERA Directory fit into the larger context of e-science. PMID:21969471

Leveraging Knowledge Management Tools to Support Security Risk Management in the Department of Homeland Security

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-12-01

34 Figure 7. NASA Knowledge Management Environment (From Holm, 2009, p. 5). ......36 x...sharing That are not able to show measurable benefits Loose management support without demonstrating effectiveness Because users do not perceive value...explore KM in one form or another. Both are large agencies with annual budgets in the billions and manage multi -billion dollar projects, whose

Integrated remote sensing and visualization (IRSV) system for transportation infrastructure operations and management, phase one, volume 4 : use of knowledge integrated visual analytics system in supporting bridge management.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-12-01

The goals of integration should be: Supporting domain oriented data analysis through the use of : knowledge augmented visual analytics system. In this project, we focus on: : Providing interactive data exploration for bridge managements. : ...

How to Grow Project Scientists: A Systematic Approach to Developing Project Scientists

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kea, Howard

2011-01-01

The Project Manager is one of the key individuals that can determine the success or failure of a project. NASA is fully committed to the training and development of Project Managers across the agency to ensure that highly capable individuals are equipped with the competencies and experience to successfully lead a project. An equally critical position is that of the Project Scientist. The Project Scientist provides the scientific leadership necessary for the scientific success of a project by insuring that the mission meets or exceeds the scientific requirements. Traditionally, NASA Goddard project scientists were appointed and approved by the Center Science Director based on their knowledge, experience, and other qualifications. However the process to obtain the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities was not documented or done in a systematic way. NASA Goddard's current Science Director, Nicholas White saw the need to create a pipeline for developing new projects scientists, and appointed a team to develop a process for training potential project scientists. The team members were Dr. Harley Thronson, Chair, Dr. Howard Kea, Mr. Mark Goldman, DACUM facilitator and the late Dr. Michael VanSteenberg. The DACUM process, an occupational analysis and evaluation system, was used to produce a picture of the project scientist's duties, tasks, knowledge, and skills. The output resulted in a 3-Day introductory course detailing all the required knowledge, skills and abilities a scientist must develop over time to be qualified for selections as a Project Scientist.

Doing Knowledge Transfer: Engaging Management and Labor with Research on Employee Health and Safety

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kramer, Desre M.; Cole, Donald C.; Leithwood, Kenneth

2004-01-01

In workplace health interventions, engaging management and union decision makers is considered important for the success of the project, yet little research has described the process of making this happen. A case study of a knowledge-transfer process is presented to describe the practices and processes adopted by a knowledge broker who engaged…

Concurrent engineering design and management knowledge capture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

The topics are presented in viewgraph form and include the following: real-time management, personnel management, project management, conceptual design and decision making; the SITRF design problem; and the electronic-design notebook.

On-Line Investment Analysis and Portfolio Management: Using Learning Outcome Statements To Design Projects.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pettijohn, James B.; Ragan, Gay A.; Ragan, Kent P.

2003-01-01

Describes an Internet-based project to familiarize students with online investment analysis and stock portfolio management. Outlines a process for writing learning outcomes that address three levels of cognition: knowledge/comprehension, application/analysis, and synthesis/evaluation. (SK)

An Instructional Feedback Technique for Teaching Project Management Tools Aligned With PMBOK

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goncalves, Rafael Queiroz; von Wangenheim, Christiane A. Gresse; Hauck, Jean C. R.; Zanella, Andreia

2018-01-01

Contribution: An approach is presented to provide contextualized feedback for students using a project management (PM) tool. This approach covers the ten PM knowledge areas, guiding students through the planning of software projects. Background: Because software PM is unfeasible without the support of a PM tool there is a growing demand that these…

Use of a Knowledge Management System in Waste Management Projects

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gruendler, D.; Boetsch, W.U.; Holzhauer, U.

2006-07-01

In Germany the knowledge management system 'WasteInfo' about waste management and disposal issues has been developed and implemented. Beneficiaries of 'WasteInfo' are official decision makers having access to a large information pool. The information pool is fed by experts, so called authors This means compiling of information, evaluation and assigning of appropriate properties (metadata) to this information. The knowledge management system 'WasteInfo' has been introduced at the WM04, the operation of 'WasteInfo' at the WM05. The recent contribution describes the additional advantage of the KMS being used as a tool for the dealing with waste management projects. This specific aspectmore » will be demonstrated using a project concerning a comparative analysis of the implementation of repositories in six countries using nuclear power as examples: The information of 'WasteInfo' is assigned to categories and structured according to its origin and type of publication. To use 'WasteInfo' as a tool for the processing the projects, a suitable set of categories has to be developed for each project. Apart from technical and scientific aspects, the selected project deals with repository strategies and policies in various countries, with the roles of applicants and authorities in licensing procedures, with safety philosophy and with socio-economic concerns. This new point of view has to be modelled in the categories. Similar to this, new sources of information such as local and regional dailies or particular web-sites have to be taken into consideration. In this way 'WasteInfo' represents an open document which reflects the current status of the respective repository policy in several countries. Information with particular meaning for the German repository planning is marked and by this may influence the German strategy. (authors)« less

Optimization of knowledge-based systems and expert system building tools

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yasuda, Phyllis; Mckellar, Donald

1993-01-01

The objectives of the NASA-AMES Cooperative Agreement were to investigate, develop, and evaluate, via test cases, the system parameters and processing algorithms that constrain the overall performance of the Information Sciences Division's Artificial Intelligence Research Facility. Written reports covering various aspects of the grant were submitted to the co-investigators for the grant. Research studies concentrated on the field of artificial intelligence knowledge-based systems technology. Activities included the following areas: (1) AI training classes; (2) merging optical and digital processing; (3) science experiment remote coaching; (4) SSF data management system tests; (5) computer integrated documentation project; (6) conservation of design knowledge project; (7) project management calendar and reporting system; (8) automation and robotics technology assessment; (9) advanced computer architectures and operating systems; and (10) honors program.

The role of Indigenous knowledge in environmental health risk management in Yukon, Canada

PubMed Central

Friendship, Katelyn A.; Furgal, Chris M.

2012-01-01

Objectives This project aimed to gain better understandings of northern Indigenous risk perception related to food safety and to identify the role that Indigenous knowledge (IK) plays in risk management processes to support more effective and culturally relevant benefit-risk (B-R) management strategies. Study design The project used an exploratory qualitative case study design to investigate the role and place of IK in the management of environmental contaminants exposure via consumption of traditional foods in Yukon First Nations (YFNs). Methods Forty-one semi-directive interviews with Traditional Food Knowledge Holders and Health and Environment Decision-makers were conducted. A review and analysis of organizational documents related to past risk management events for the issue was conducted. Thematic content analysis was used to analyze transcripts and documents for key themes related to the research question. Results There was a recognized need by all participants for better collaboration between scientists and YFN communities. YFNs have been involved in identifying and defining community concerns about past risk issues, setting a local context, and participating in communications strategies. Interviewees stressed the need to commit adequate time for building relationships, physically being in the community, and facilitating open communication. Conducting community-based projects was identified as critical for collaboration and for cooperative learning and management of these issues. Conclusions The perception of “effective” benefit-risk management is significantly influenced by the efforts made to include local communities in the process. A set of common guiding principles within a process that brings together people and knowledge systems may provide a more effective way forward in cross-cultural, multiple knowledge system contexts for complex benefit-risk issues than a prescriptive rigid framework. PMID:22868192

ADOPTING THE PROBLEM BASED LEARNING APPROACH IN A GIS PROJECT MANAGEMENT CLASS

EPA Science Inventory

Problem Based Learning (PBL) is a process that emphasizes the need for developing problem solving skills through hands-on project formulation and management. A class adopting the PBL method provides students with an environment to acquire necessary knowledge to encounter, unders...

Relationship between time management in construction industry and project management performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nasir, Najuwa; Nawi, Mohd Nasrun Mohd; Radzuan, Kamaruddin

2016-08-01

Nowadays, construction industry particularly in Malaysia struggle in achieving status of eminent time management for construction project. Project managers have a great responsibility to keep the project success under time of project completion. However, studies shows that delays especially in Malaysian construction industry still unresolved due to weakness in managing the project. In addition, quality of time management on construction projects is generally poor. Due to the progressively extended delays issue, time performance becomes an important subject to be explored to investigate delay factors. The method of this study is review of literature towards issues in construction industry which affecting time performance of project in general by focusing towards process involved for project management. Based on study, it was found that knowledge, commitment, cooperation are the main criteria as an overall to manage the project into a smooth process during project execution until completion. It can be concluded that, the strength between project manager and team members in these main criteria while conducting the project towards good time performance is highly needed. However, there is lack of establishment towards factors of poor time performance which strongly related with project management. Hence, this study has been conducted to establish factors of poor time performance and its relations with project management.

Smart use of data, information and communication: the INFORM-ed Best Local Practice Project--Grafton Base Hospital.

PubMed

Lloyd, Sheree; Collie, Jean; McInnes, Alastair; King, Kevin; Lollback, Alison; Garland, Angie

This paper describes current progress for an information management project in a medium-sized rural hospital after the first four months of the one-year project. In particular, the article examines some of the project outcomes to date as these relate to the National Hospitals and Health Reform recommendations for the smart use of data, information and communication. The paper identifies a number of important challenges and issues that have been addressed by the project and proposes that the project findings may be used to inform similar projects in other settings. These findings relate to clinician requirements for reports, investment in human resources, development, and time for information management activities. An understanding of data collected, information systems, and presentation of clinician data are also important. The benefits of information sharing in assisting quality improvement activities are particularly relevant but, more importantly, they can engage and involve clinicians in the use of information. The importance of local data, information, and knowledge is described. Finally, issues for the health information management profession, such as working collegially and sharing knowledge and expertise, are outlined.

ASK Magazine. No. 15

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Laufer, Alexander (Editor); Post, Todd (Editor); Brady, Jody Lannen (Editor)

2003-01-01

WELCOME TO THE ACADEMY OF PROGRAM AND PROJECT Leadership (APPL) and ASK Magazine. APPL helps NASA managers and project teams accomplish today s missions and meet tomorrow s challenges by providing performance enhancement services and tools, supporting career development programs, sponsoring knowledge sharing events and publications, and creating opportu- nities for project management collaboration with univer- sities, professional associations, industry partners, and other government agencies. ASK Magazine grew out of APPL s Knowledge Sharing Initiative. The stories that appear in ASK are written by the best of the best project managers, primarily from NASA, but also from other government agencies and industry. In a mature view of the subject career development is not simply four years of college or a week at training, culminating in a diploma or a certificate to hang on an office wall. That s why we wanted to take a broad look at career development in this issue of ASK.

Organizational Learning, Knowledge Management Practices and Firm's Performance: An Empirical Study of a Heavy Engineering Firm in India

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jain, Ajay K.; Moreno, Ana

2015-01-01

Purpose: The study aims at investigating the impact of organizational learning (OL) on the firm's performance and knowledge management (KM) practices in a heavy engineering organization in India. Design/Methodology/Approach: The data were collected from 205 middle and senior executives working in the project engineering management division of a…

Conceptualizing the cross-cultural gaps in managing international aid: HIV/AIDS and TB project delivery in Southern Africa.

PubMed

Jackson, Terence

2011-01-01

There appears to be a gap between the billions of dollars inputted into fighting HIV/AIDS and TB and outcomes. This in part can be attributed to the lack of attention in International Development to managing programmes and projects within complex levels of cross-cultural interactions. International Development often ignores management issues, yet Management Studies is left wanting through a lack of engagement with development issues including the fight against disease and poverty. This paper attempts to link these two disciplines towards mutual benefit, through a critical cross-cultural approach. It provides contextualization of international development policies/strategies; conceptualization of dominant paradigms; structural analysis of how a programme/project fits into the global governance structure; analysis of complexities and levels of cross-cultural interaction and their consequences and the process and implications of knowledge transfer across cultural distances. It concludes with implications for policy and practice, as well as what is needed from cross-disciplinary research. This includes how feedback loops can be strengthened from local to global, how indigenous knowledge may be better understood and integrated, how power relations within the global governance structure could be managed, how cross-cultural interaction could be better understood, and how knowledge transfer/sharing should be critically managed. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Lessons Learned in Building the Ares Projects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sumrall, John Phil

2010-01-01

Since being established in 2005, the Ares Projects at Marshall Space Flight Center have been making steady progress designing, building, testing, and flying the next generation of exploration launch vehicles. Ares is committed to rebuilding crucial capabilities from the Apollo era that made the first human flights to the Moon possible, as well as incorporating the latest in computer technology and changes in management philosophy. One example of an Apollo-era practice has been giving NASA overall authority over vehicle integration activities, giving civil service engineers hands-on experience in developing rocket hardware. This knowledge and experience help make the agency a "smart buyer" of products and services. More modern practices have been added to the management tool belt to improve efficiency, cost effectiveness, and institutional knowledge, including knowledge management/capture to gain better insight into design and decision making; earned value management, where Ares won a NASA award for its practice and implementation; designing for operability; and Lean Six Sigma applications to identify and eliminate wasted time and effort. While it is important to learn technical lessons like how to fly and control unique rockets like the Ares I-X flight test vehicle, the Ares management team also has been learning important lessons about how to manage large, long-term projects.

[NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Paper 7:] The NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project: The DOD perspective

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pinelli, Thomas E.; Kennedy, John M.

1990-01-01

This project will provide descriptive and analytical data regarding the flow of STI at the individual, organizational, national, and international levels. It will examine both the channels used to communicate information and the social system of the aerospace knowledge diffusion process. Results of the project should provide useful information to R and D managers, information managers, and others concerned with improving access to and use of STI. Objectives include: (1) understanding the aerospace knowledge diffusion process at the individual, organizational, and national levels, placing particular emphasis on the diffusion of Federally funded aerospace STI; (2) understanding the international aerospace knowledge diffusion process at the individual and organizational levels, placing particular emphasis on the systems used to diffuse the results of Federally funded aerospace STI; (3) understanding the roles NASA/DoD technical report and aerospace librarians play in the transfer and use of knowledge derived from Federally funded aerospace R and D; (4) achieving recognition and acceptance within NASA, DoD and throughout the aerospace community that STI is a valuable strategic resource for innovation, problem solving, and productivity; and (5) providing results that can be used to optimize the effectiveness and efficiency of the Federal STI aerospace transfer system and exchange mechanism.

ScienceDesk Project Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Keller, Richard M.; Norvig, Peter (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

NASA's ScienceDesk Project at the Ames Research Center is responsible for scientific knowledge management which includes ensuring the capture, preservation, and traceability of scientific knowledge. Other responsibilities include: 1) Maintaining uniform information access which is achieved through intelligent indexing and visualization, 2) Collaborating both asynchronous and synchronous science teamwork, 3) Monitoring and controlling semi-autonomous remote experimentation.

5 CFR 470.201 - Purposes of research programs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... knowledge, techniques, and materials about personnel management; (b) Seeks solutions to personnel management... Section 470.201 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT RESEARCH PROGRAMS AND DEMONSTRATIONS PROJECTS Regulatory Requirements Pertaining to...

5 CFR 470.201 - Purposes of research programs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... knowledge, techniques, and materials about personnel management; (b) Seeks solutions to personnel management... Section 470.201 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT RESEARCH PROGRAMS AND DEMONSTRATIONS PROJECTS Regulatory Requirements Pertaining to...

The Digital Space Shuttle, 3D Graphics, and Knowledge Management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gomez, Julian E.; Keller, Paul J.

2003-01-01

The Digital Shuttle is a knowledge management project that seeks to define symbiotic relationships between 3D graphics and formal knowledge representations (ontologies). 3D graphics provides geometric and visual content, in 2D and 3D CAD forms, and the capability to display systems knowledge. Because the data is so heterogeneous, and the interrelated data structures are complex, 3D graphics combined with ontologies provides mechanisms for navigating the data and visualizing relationships.

Engaging Clinical Nurses in Quality Improvement Projects.

PubMed

Moore, Susan; Stichler, Jaynelle F

2015-10-01

Clinical nurses have the knowledge and expertise required to provide efficient and proficient patient care. Time and knowledge deficits can prevent nurses from developing and implementing quality improvement or evidence-based practice projects. This article reviews a process for professional development of clinical nurses that helped them to define, implement, and analyze quality improvement or evidence-based practice projects. The purpose of this project was to educate advanced clinical nurses to manage a change project from inception to completion, using the Six Sigma DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) Change Acceleration Process as a framework. One-to-one mentoring and didactic in-services advanced the knowledge, appreciation, and practice of advanced practice clinicians who completed multiple change projects. The projects facilitated clinical practice changes, with improved patient outcomes; a unit cultural shift, with appreciation of quality improvement and evidence-based projects; and engagement with colleagues. Project outcomes were displayed in poster presentations at a hospital exposition for knowledge dissemination. Copyright 2015, SLACK Incorporated.

NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Paper 68: Who is Managing Knowledge? The Implications for Knowledge Production and Management of Global Strategic Alliances in Knowledge Dependent Industries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Golich, Vicki L.; Pinelli, Thomas

1998-01-01

Knowledge is the foundation upon which researchers build as they innovate. Innovation lies at the core of a state's or a firm's ability to survive in a competitive world. Indeed, some economic historians ever that technological innovation, not trade, is the engine to economic growth. Despite the centrality of knowledge to corporate success, analysts have only recently shown an interest in the "knowledge capital" or "intellectual capital" of the firm, often literally trying to assign a value to this resource.

Knowledge, People, and Risk

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rogers, Edward W.

2008-01-01

NASA's mandate is to take risks to got into space while applying its best knowledge. NASA's knowledge is the result of scientific insights from research, engineering wisdom from experience, project management skills, safety and team consciousness and institutional support and collaboration. This presentation highlights NASA's organizational knowledge, communication and growth efforts.

Factors of human capital related to project success in health care work units.

PubMed

Suhonen, Marjo; Paasivaara, Leena

2011-03-01

To explore factors of human capital related to project success that employees expect from nurse managers. Human capital refers to those resources that managers working with projects possess, such as abilities, knowledge and qualities of character. The data were collected by open interviews (n=14) with nurses, public health nurses and nurse managers working in primary health care and a hospital. Data analysis was carried out using qualitative content analysis. The main factors of human capital related to project success proved to be as follows: (1) management of enthusiastic project culture, (2) management of regeneration and (3) management of emotional intelligence. Future research is needed on the kind of means nurse managers use in human capital management in projects and how they see their possibilities in managing human capital. Human capital management skills should be underlined as an important competence area when recruiting a nurse manager. The success of health care projects cannot be improved only through education or by training of nurse managers; in addition, projects need nurse managers who understand workplace spirituality and have high emotional intelligence. © 2011 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

An Action Research in Young Children (3-5) with Activities on Solid Waste Management in Greece: An Attempt for Assessment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Apanomeritaki, Olga

This action research project sought to increase the waste management and recycling knowledge among 20 children age 4 and 5 years enrolled in a preschool program in Thessaloniki, Greece. A structured interview was developed to assess the children's pre-intervention knowledge of waste management and recycling. It indicated that most children knew…

From industry to academia: Benefits of integrating a professional project management standard into (geo)science research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cristini, Luisa

2017-04-01

Scientific and technological research carried out within universities and public research institutions often involves large collaborations across several countries. Despite the considerable budget (typically millions of Euros), the high expectations (high impact scientific findings, new technological developments and links with policy makers, industry and civil society) and the length of the project over several years, these international projects often rely heavily on the personal skills of the management team (project coordinator, project manager, principal investigators) without a structured, transferable framework. While this approach has become an established practice, it's not ideal and can jeopardise the success of the entire effort with consequences ranging from schedule delays, loss of templates/systems, financial charges and ultimately project failure. In this presentation I will show the advantages of integrating a globally recognised standard for professional project management, such as the PMP® by the Project Management Institute, into academic research. I will cover the project management knowledge areas (integration management, scope management, time management, cost management, quality management, human resources management, risk management, procurement management, and stakeholder management) and the processes within these throughout the phases of the project lifetime (project initiation, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closure). I will show how application of standardised, transferable procedures, developed within the business & administration sector, can benefit academia and more generally scientific research.

Impact of senior design project for the development of leadership and management skills in construction management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chowdhury, Tamara

2013-08-01

Senior design courses are a core part of curricula across engineering and technology disciplines. Such courses offer Construction Management (CMG) students the opportunity to bring together, assimilate and apply the knowledge they have acquired over their entire undergraduate academic programme to an applied technical project. Senior or Capstone design course engages students in a real-world project, enhance leadership development, and prepare to manage and lead project teams. The CMG programme's multidisciplinary approach at Alabama A&M University, combines essential components of construction techniques with concepts of business management to develop technically qualified individuals for responsible management roles in the design, construction and operation of major construction projects. This paper analyses the performance of the students and improvement due to the interaction with the faculty advisors and industrial panel during the two semester Capstone project. The results of this Capstone sequence have shown a continuous improvement of student performance.

NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Paper Sixty Eight, Who is Managing Knowledge? The Implications for Knowledge Production and Management of Global Strategic Alliances in Knowledge-Dependent Industries

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-03-01

United States. Pittsburgh, PA: Carnegie Mellon University Press (August). Cohen, S.S., S . Halimi , and J. Zysman. 1986. "Institutions, Politics, and...San Marcos 333 S . Twin Oaks Valley Rd. San Marcos, CA 92096-0001 vgolich@csusm.edu Thomas E. Pinelli Technology & Distance Learning Officer NASA...1991; Chesnais, 1993; Cohen 1977; Cohen, Halimi , and Zysman, 1986 Crossland, 1975; Gillispie, 1980; Gilpin 1968; Golich

Discovering Collaboration and Knowledge Management Practices for the Future Digital Factory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flores, Myrna; Vera, Tomas; Tucci, Christopher

Recently there has been an explosion of new technologies and tools such as wikis, blogs, tags, Facebook, among many others, that are commonly identified under Web 2.0 and which promise a new digital business ecosystem fed by formal/informal and internal/external relationships and interactions. Although Web 2.0 is very promising to enable such collective knowledge creation, technology by itself is not the only ingredient. It is also required to define the right strategy, governance, culture, processes, training, incentives among others, before implementing such innovative open spaces for collaboration and knowledge sharing. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to present a Knowledge Management (KM) Framework and a Maturity Model developed by a CEMEX and EPFL collaborative research project to discover the AS-IS collaboration practices in CEMEX before the implementation of the SMARTBRICKS Web 2.0 prototype for Business Process Management (BPM), currently under development by the Intelligent Manufacturing Systems (IMS) Swiss Digital Factory (DiFac) project.

Knowledge transfer within EU-funded marine science research - a viewpoint

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bayliss-Brown, Georgia; Cheallachaín, Cliona Ní

2016-04-01

Knowledge transfer, in its most inherent form, can be tracked back to the earliest phase of the Neolithic Revolution, 10,000 years ago, at a time when innovators shared their thoughts on crop cultivation and livestock farming (Bellwood, 2004). Not to be mistaken for science transfer - the export of modern science to non-scientific audiences - it was in the 1960s, that modern knowledge transfer was initiated, when reporting research achievements shifted towards having institutional and political agendas (Lipphardt & Ludwig, 2011). Albeit that the economic contribution of scientific research has been scrutinised for decades; today, there is a pronounced need for the evaluation of its social, cultural and ecological impact. To have impact, it is essential that scientific knowledge is clear and accessible, as well as robust and credible, so that it can be successfully transferred and applied by those identifying solutions for today's societal and environmental challenges. This phenomenon is receiving growing academic interest, where publications including "knowledge transfer" in the title have increased near exponentially for 60 years. Furthermore, we are seeing a definite shift towards embedding a mission of knowledge transfer in Public Research Organisations. This new approach is rewarding researchers whom deliver on all three institutional missions: teaching, research and knowledge transfer. In addition, the European Commission (2008) recommends that "knowledge transfer between universities and industry is made a permanent political and operational priority" and that "sufficient resources and incentives [be] available to public research organisations and their staff to engage in knowledge transfer activities". It is also anticipated that funding agencies will soon make pathways-to-impact statements, also known as knowledge transfer plans, a mandatory requirement of all project proposals. AquaTT is a leader in scientific knowledge management, including knowledge transfer and dissemination. This Dublin-based SME has an ever-growing portfolio of FP7 and Horizon 2020 projects where they hold knowledge management responsibilities. In this session, we will present AquaTT's experiences in knowledge management for several European Union-funded marine research projects; including MarineTT (http://marinett.eu/) that was recognised as an exemplar project in the ex post evaluation of FP7 to the European Commission. These insights will be supplemented with an overview of the AquaTT-developed step-by-step knowledge transfer methodology, as used by the COLUMBUS project - the EU's flagship Blue Growth and Knowledge Transfer initiative (http://www.columbusproject.eu/). This session will provide a platform to launch AquaTT's European knowledge transfer network, established to support the research community in fostering a culture that recognises and rewards knowledge transfer between scientists and end-users (industry, policy, and wider society), thereby ensuring that research achieves its maximum potential impact. References Bellwood, P. (2004) The First Farmers: Origins of Agricultural Societies. Malden, MA. European Commission (2008) recommendation on the management of intellectual property in knowledge transfer activities and code of practice for universities and other public research organisations http://ec.europa.eu/invest-in-research/pdf/ip_recommendation_en.pdf Lipphardt, V. and D. Ludwig (2011) Knowledge transfer and science transfer. http://ieg-ego.eu/en/threads/theories-and-methods/knowledge-transfer/veronika-lipphardt-david-ludwig-knowledge-transfer-and-science-transfer

Automated support for experience-based software management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Valett, Jon D.

1992-01-01

To effectively manage a software development project, the software manager must have access to key information concerning a project's status. This information includes not only data relating to the project of interest, but also, the experience of past development efforts within the environment. This paper describes the concepts and functionality of a software management tool designed to provide this information. This tool, called the Software Management Environment (SME), enables the software manager to compare an ongoing development effort with previous efforts and with models of the 'typical' project within the environment, to predict future project status, to analyze a project's strengths and weaknesses, and to assess the project's quality. In order to provide these functions the tool utilizes a vast corporate memory that includes a data base of software metrics, a set of models and relationships that describe the software development environment, and a set of rules that capture other knowledge and experience of software managers within the environment. Integrating these major concepts into one software management tool, the SME is a model of the type of management tool needed for all software development organizations.

Unmanned space project management: Surveyor and lunar orbiter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kloman, E. H.

1972-01-01

An analysis of the management of two major NASA projects, Surveyor and Lunar Orbiter is presented. The analysis reflects the comments and criticisms of many NASA officials who were responsible for various phases of the projects as well as comments by knowledgeable persons outside NASA. Findings are submitted with respect to; (1) environment, (2) role of individuals, (3) teamwork, (4) roles and missions, (5) organization, and (6) cost performance.

The Swiss Virtual Campus Project NAHRIS: Experiences from a Multidisciplinary E-Learning Project in the Natural Hazard and Risk Management Domain

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lienert, Christophe; Bischof, Nicole; Hurni, Lorenz

2009-01-01

The overall goal of the Swiss Virtual Campus project Dealing with Natural Hazards and Risk (NAHRIS) is to create a common educational course program that compiles the most recent knowledge in the field of natural hazards and risk management. Several higher education institutes from all parts of Switzerland were involved in the realization of this…

Integrated Research on the Development of Global Climate Risk Management Strategies - Framework and Initial Results of the Research Project ICA-RUS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Emori, Seita; Takahashi, Kiyoshi; Yamagata, Yoshiki; Oki, Taikan; Mori, Shunsuke; Fujigaki, Yuko

2013-04-01

With the aim of proposing strategies of global climate risk management, we have launched a five-year research project called ICA-RUS (Integrated Climate Assessment - Risks, Uncertainties and Society). In this project with the phrase "risk management" in its title, we aspire for a comprehensive assessment of climate change risks, explicit consideration of uncertainties, utilization of best available information, and consideration of every possible conditions and options. We also regard the problem as one of decision-making at the human level, which involves social value judgments and adapts to future changes in circumstances. The ICA-RUS project consists of the following five themes: 1) Synthesis of global climate risk management strategies, 2) Optimization of land, water and ecosystem uses for climate risk management, 3) Identification and analysis of critical climate risks, 4) Evaluation of climate risk management options under technological, social and economic uncertainties and 5) Interactions between scientific and social rationalities in climate risk management (see also: http://www.nies.go.jp/ica-rus/en/). For the integration of quantitative knowledge of climate change risks and responses, we apply a tool named AIM/Impact [Policy], which consists of an energy-economic model, a simplified climate model and impact projection modules. At the same time, in order to make use of qualitative knowledge as well, we hold monthly project meetings for the discussion of risk management strategies and publish annual reports based on the quantitative and qualitative information. To enhance the comprehensiveness of the analyses, we maintain an inventory of risks and risk management options. The inventory is revised iteratively through interactive meetings with stakeholders such as policymakers, government officials and industrial representatives.

Randomized, Controlled Trial of CBT Training for PTSD Providers

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-10-01

Wilkinson (Project Manager ), Gayatri Ranganathan , MS (Statistician), Bernet Kato (Statistician), Julia Coleman (Research Associate), Julia Dwyer...I., Friedman, M. J., & Murray, S. (2005). Toward a knowledge management system for posttraumatic stress disorder treatment in veterans healthcare...Secondary Aim #1: To compare improvements in knowledge and attitudes following internet- based training with or without web-centered supervision and

A data management life-cycle

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ferderer, David A.

2001-01-01

Documented, reliable, and accessible data and information are essential building blocks supporting scientific research and applications that enhance society's knowledge base (fig. 1). The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), a leading provider of science data, information, and knowledge, is uniquely positioned to integrate science and natural resource information to address societal needs. The USGS Central Energy Resources Team (USGS-CERT) provides critical information and knowledge on the quantity, quality, and distribution of the Nation's and the world's oil, gas, and coal resources. By using a life-cycle model, the USGS-CERT Data Management Project is developing an integrated data management system to (1) promote access to energy data and information, (2) increase data documentation, and (3) streamline product delivery to the public, scientists, and decision makers. The project incorporates web-based technology, data cataloging systems, data processing routines, and metadata documentation tools to improve data access, enhance data consistency, and increase office efficiency

Pan-European management of coastal lagoons: A science-policy-stakeholder interface perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lillebø, Ana I.; Stålnacke, Per; Gooch, Geoffrey D.; Krysanova, Valentina; Bielecka, Małgorzata

2017-11-01

The main objective of the work carried out in the scope of a three years collaborative research project was to develop science-based strategies and a decision support framework for the integrated management of coastal lagoons and their catchments and, in this context, to enhance connectivity between research and policymaking. In this paper our main objective is to share the lessons learned from the innovative methodology used throughout the project. To achieve the proposed objectives, the multidisciplinary scientific knowledge in the project team was combined and integrated with the knowledge and views of local stakeholders of four selected European coastal lagoons, using a three step participatory approach. With this innovative approach, which included the usage of eco-hydrological and water quality-modelling tools, the team developed and analyzed integrated scenarios of possible economic development and environmental impacts in four European lagoons and their catchments. These scenarios were presented and discussed with stakeholders, giving rise to management recommendations for each case study lagoon. Results show that some management options might be transferrable to other European lagoons having similar climatic, geophysical and socio-economic settings. In management terms, the project output provides a set of policy guidelines derived from the different analyses conducted and proposes initiatives concerning management implementation in a local-regional-national-European setting.

The Birth, Death, and Resurrection of an SPI Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carlsson, Sven; Schönström, Mikael

Commentators on contemporary themes of strategic management and firm competitiveness stress that a firm's competitive advantage flows from its unique knowledge and how it manages knowledge, and for many firms their ability to create, share, exchange, and use knowledge have a major impact on their competitiveness (Nonaka & Teece 2001). In software development, knowledge management (KM) plays an increasingly important role. It has been argued that the KM-field is an important source for creating new perspectives on the software development process (Iivari 2000). Several Software Process Improvement (SPI) approaches stress the importance of managing knowledge and experiences as a way for improving software processes (Ahem et al. 2001). Another SPI-trend is the use of ideas from process management like in the Capability Maturity Model (CMM). Unfortunately, little research on the effects of the use of process management ideas in SPI exists. Given the influx of process management ideas to SPI, the impact of these ideas should be addressed.

10 rules for managing global innovation.

PubMed

Wilson, Keeley; Doz, Yves L

2012-10-01

More and more companies recognize that their dispersed, global operations are a treasure trove of ideas and capabilities for innovation. But it's proving harder than expected to unearth those ideas or exploit those capabilities. Part of the problem is that companies manage global innovation the same way they manage traditional, single-location projects. Single-location projects draw on a large reservoir of tacit knowledge, shared context, and trust that global projects lack. The management challenge, therefore, is to replicate the positive aspects of colocation while harnessing the opportunities of dispersion. In this article, Insead's Wilson and Doz draw on research into global strategy and innovation to present a set of guidelines for setting up and managing global innovation. They explore in detail the challenges that make global projects inherently different and show how these can be overcome by applying superior project management skills across teams, fostering a strong collaborative culture, and using a robust array of communications tools.

The PMDP Roadmap

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

NASA's complex and highly technical missions rely on effective project teams and managers. Since 1993, through its Project Management Development Process (PMDP), the Academy of Program and Project Leadership (APPL) has offered direction to the Agency's project practitioners as they advance in their careers. PMDP helps identify and sequence professional experiences, courses, and other project-based learning experiences that support individual career goals and center activities by outlining competencies at four levels of development. The result is that PMDP provides NASA project practitioners with a road map to the knowledge and competencies appropriate for their job and the jobs to which they aspire. Plus, new this year, APPL has rolled out its electronic Project Management Development Process (ePMDP) tool, a learning management system that includes a dynamic presentation of the PMDP levels, competency areas, competency organizational structures, Individual Development Plans (IDP), and online PMDP enrollment. APPL's website, www.appl.nasa.gov, provides access to ePMDP as well as other online resources for NASA practitioners enrolled in the Project Management Development Process.

Dissemination and Exploitation: Project Goals beyond Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamann, Kristin; Reitz, Anja

2017-04-01

Dissemination and Exploitation are essential parts of public funded projects. In Horizon 2020 a plan for the exploitation and dissemination of results (PEDR) is a requirement. The plan should contain a clear vision on the objectives of the project in relation to actions for dissemination and potential exploitation of the project results. The actions follow the basic idea to spread the knowledge and results gathered within the project and face the challenge of how to bring the results into potentially relevant policy circle and how they impact the market. The plan follows the purpose to assess the impact of the project and to address various target groups who are interested in the project results. Simply put, dissemination concentrates on the transfer of knowledge and exploitation on the commercialization of the project. Beyond the question of the measurability of project`s impact, strategies within science marketing can serve purposes beyond internal and external communication. Accordingly, project managers are facing the challenge to implement a dissemination and exploitation strategy that ideally supports the identification of all partners with the project and matches the current discourse of the project`s content within the society, politics and economy. A consolidated plan might unite all projects partners under a central idea and supports the identification with the project beyond the individual research questions. Which applications, strategies and methods can be used to bring forward a PEDR that accompanies a project successfully and allows a comprehensive assessment of the project afterwards? Which hurdles might project managers experience in the dissemination process and which tasks should be fulfilled by the project manager?

Social science to improve fuels management: a synthesis of research on collaboration.

Treesearch

Victoria Sturtevant; Margaret Ann Moote; Pamela Jakes; Anthony S. Cheng

2005-01-01

A series of syntheses were commissioned by the USDA Forest Service to aid in fuels mitigation project planning. This synthesis focuses on collaboration research, and offers knowledge and tools to improve collaboration in the planning and implementation of wildland fire and fuels management projects. It covers a variety of topics including benefits of collaboration,...

An Approach to Assess Knowledge and Skills in Risk Management through Project-Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Galvao, Tulio Acacio Bandeira; Neto, Francisco Milton Mendes; Campos, Marcos Tullyo; Junior, Edson de Lima Cosme

2012-01-01

The increasing demand for Software Engineering professionals, particularly Project Managers, and popularization of the Web as a catalyst of human relations have made this platform interesting for training this type of professional. The authors have observed the widespread use of games as an attractive instrument in the process of teaching and…

Lifestyle Management Program: Promoting Cardiovascular Health: in Community College Campuses.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Castro, Felipe G.; Jichaku, Patrick

The Lifestyle Management Project is a health promotion project and research study conducted in the spring of 1984 at five Los Angeles junior college campuses. Its goal was to increase knowledge of cardiovascular disease (CHD) risk factors among 400 to 2000 junior college students in each campus. This was done via five risk factor activities: blood…

The influence of flexible management practices on the sharing of experiential knowledge in the workplace: a case study of food service helpers.

PubMed

Ledoux, Elise; Cloutier, Esther; Fournier, Pierre-Sébastien

2012-01-01

Previous studies have shown that the job knowledge and prudent knowledge of experienced workers constitute a wealth that needs to be shared in workplaces to promote worker integration, job retention and occupational health and safety. It appears, however, that certain management practices undermine this knowledge sharing process. This case study of food service helpers in institutional food service departments is part of a research project aimed at comparing the impact of different work organization methods on knowledge sharing in the workplace on the basis of case studies carried out in several organizations. The results of this case study reveal that by destabilizing and weakening the work teams, flexible management practices create an environment that is not conducive to experiential knowledge sharing.

Naval Ship Maintenance: An Analysis of the Dutch Shipbuilding Industry using the Knowledge Value Added, Systems Dynamics, and Integrated Risk Management Methodologies

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-04-01

and Integrated Risk Management Methodologies 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5e...supply chains, risk management with real options, and sustainability . [dnford@nps.edu] Thomas J. Housel—Housel specializes in valuing intellectual...maintenance services for the RDN. Damen Schelde has used an ILS since 2002 to manage the shipbuilding process from project initiation through the

Randomized, Controlled Trial of CBT Training for PTSD Providers

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-10-01

Statistician and Co- Investigator), Michelle Pucillo, MPH (Project Manager ), Gayatri Ranganathan , MS (Statistician), Julia Coleman (Research Associate...Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 74, 898-907. Ruzek, J. I., Friedman, M. J., & Murray, S. (2005). Toward a knowledge management system...result in superior CBT skills than wait-list control. Secondary Aim #1: To compare improvements in knowledge and attitudes following internet- based

ASK Talks with W. Scott Cameron

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cameron, W. Scott

2002-01-01

This paper presents an interview with Scott Cameron who is the Capital Systems Manager for the Food and Beverage Global Business Unit of Procter and Gamble. He has been managing capital projects and mentoring other project managers for the past 20 years at Procter and Gamble within its Beauty Care, Health Care, Food and Beverage, and Fabric and Home Care Businesses. Scott also has been an Academy Sharing Knowledge (ASK) feature writer since Volume One.

Facilitating knowledge transfer between researchers and wildfire practitioners about trust: An international case study

Treesearch

Tara K. McGee; Allan Curtis; Bonita L. McFarlane; Bruce Shindler; Amy Christianson; Christine Olsen; Sarah M. McCaffrey

2016-01-01

The importance of knowledge transfer between researchers, policy makers and practitioners is widely recognized. However, barriers to knowledge transfer can make it difficult for practitioners to apply the results of scientific research. This paper describes a project that addressed barriers to knowledge transfer by involving wildfire management practitioners from three...

Cryopreservation and conservation of microalgae: the development of a Pan-European scientific and biotechnological resource (the COBRA project).

PubMed

Day, J G; Benson, E E; Harding, K; Knowles, B; Idowu, M; Bremner, D; Santos, L; Santos, F; Friedl, T; Lorenz, M; Lukesova, A; Elster, J; Lukavsky, J; Herdman, M; Rippka, R; Hall, T

2005-01-01

Microalgae are one of the most biologically important elements of worldwide ecology and could be the source of diverse new products and medicines. COBRA (The COnservation of a vital european scientific and Biotechnological Resource: microAlgae and cyanobacteria) is the acronym for a European Union, RTD Infrastructures project (Contract No. QLRI-CT-2001-01645). This project is in the process of developing a European Biological Resource Centre based on existing algal culture collections. The COBRA project's central aim is to apply cryopreservation methodologies to microalgae and cyanobacteria, organisms that, to date, have proved difficult to conserve using cryogenic methods. In addition, molecular and biochemical stability tests have been developed to ensure that the equivalent strains of microorganisms supplied by the culture collections give high quality and consistent performance. Fundamental and applied knowledge of stress physiology form an essential component of the project and this is being employed to assist the optimisation of methods for preserving a wide range of algal diversity. COBRA's "Resource Centre" utilises Information Technologies (IT) and Knowledge Management practices to assist project coordination, management and information dissemination and facilitate the generation of new knowledge pertaining to algal conservation. This review of the COBRA project will give a summary of current methodologies for cryopreservation of microalgae and procedures adopted within the COBRA project to enhance preservation techniques for this diverse group of organisms.

Research for Policy (R4P): development of a reflection tool for researchers to improve knowledge utilization.

PubMed

Hegger, Ingrid; Marks, Lisanne K; Janssen, Susan W J; Schuit, Albertine J; Keijsers, Jolanda F M; van Oers, Hans A M

2016-09-30

To improve knowledge utilization in policymaking, alignment between researchers and policymakers during knowledge production is essential, but difficult to maintain. In three previously reported case studies, we extensively evaluated complex research projects commissioned by policymakers to investigate how alignment is achieved in a research process and to discover ways to enhance knowledge contributions to health policy. In the present study, we investigated how the findings of these three research projects could be integrated into a practical tool for researchers to enhance their contribution to evidence-based policy. A cross-case analysis was conducted to integrate the findings of the evaluation of the three research projects and to identify important alignment areas in these projects. By means of an iterative process, we prepared a tool that includes reflection questions for researchers. The "Research for Policy" tool was tested with input from the project managers of three new research projects. Based on the findings, the final version of the Research for Policy tool was prepared. By cross-case analysis of the three case studies, the following important alignment areas were identified: the goal, quality, relevance, timing, and presentation of research, the tasks and authorities of actors, the consultative structure and vertical alignment within organizations, and the organizational environment. The project managers regarded the Research for Policy tool as a useful checklist for addressing the important alignment areas in a research project. Based on their feedback, the illustrative examples from the case studies were added to the reflection questions. The project managers suggested making the tool accessible not only to researchers but also to policymakers. The format of the Research for Policy tool was further adjusted to users' needs by adding clickable links. Alignment between research and policymaking requires continuous efforts and a clear understanding of process issues in the research project. The Research for Policy tool offers practical alignment guidance and facilitates reflection on process issues, which supports researchers in aligning with policymakers and in acting in a context-sensitive way.

Quality improvement in childhood obesity management through the maintenance of certification process.

PubMed

Huang, Jeannie S; Chun, Stanford; Sandhu, Amanpreet; Terrones, Laura

2013-11-01

To assess the Health and Obesity: Prevention and Education (HOPE) Curriculum Project, a web-based clinician education program that promotes appropriate screening, prevention, and management of weight among youth by pediatric practitioners, based on the 2007 Expert Committee recommendations. The project currently provides Maintenance of Certification (MOC) Part 4 credit through the American Board of Pediatrics. Participants identified themselves to the HOPE MOC Part 4 program. Enrollees were required to complete all continuing medical education modules (10.5 hours). Knowledge acquisition and self-reported confidence levels related to screening, prevention, and management practices of pediatric obesity were measured using preknowledge and postknowledge questionnaires. Participants were also required to perform a quality improvement project and submit practice performance data from repeated medical chart reviews over time. Knowledge acquisition, self-efficacy, and practice performance data were analyzed using repeated-measures analyses. The 51 participants demonstrated significant improvements in knowledge acquisition and self-efficacy scores after viewing individual modules. In addition, participants demonstrated significant improvements in measured clinical compliance with recommended practices over time. Participation in the HOPE MOC Part 4 program appeared to improve knowledge acquisition, self-efficacy, and physician compliance with recommended practice recommendations for the screening, prevention, and management of pediatric obesity. Further data are required to determine whether such practice-based improvements translate into actual reduction in patient weight and/or reduction in health-related costs related to overweight and obesity in youth. Copyright © 2013 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Application of data mining in science and technology management information system based on WebGIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Xiaofang; Xu, Zhiyong; Bao, Shitai; Chen, Feixiang

2009-10-01

With the rapid development of science and technology and the quick increase of information, a great deal of data is accumulated in the management department of science and technology. Usually, many knowledge and rules are contained and concealed in the data. Therefore, how to excavate and use the knowledge fully is very important in the management of science and technology. It will help to examine and approve the project of science and technology more scientifically and make the achievement transformed as the realistic productive forces easier. Therefore, the data mine technology will be researched and applied to the science and technology management information system to find and excavate the knowledge in the paper. According to analyzing the disadvantages of traditional science and technology management information system, the database technology, data mining and web geographic information systems (WebGIS) technology will be introduced to develop and construct the science and technology management information system based on WebGIS. The key problems are researched in detail such as data mining and statistical analysis. What's more, the prototype system is developed and validated based on the project data of National Natural Science Foundation Committee. The spatial data mining is done from the axis of time, space and other factors. Then the variety of knowledge and rules will be excavated by using data mining technology, which helps to provide an effective support for decisionmaking.

Communication management between architects and clients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taleb, Hala; Ismail, Syuhaida; Wahab, Mohammad Hussaini; Rani, Wan Nurul Mardiah Wan Mohd.

2017-10-01

Architectural projects are initiated with the designing phase, that tends to translate and materialize the client's requirements and needs. This phase is highly and directly affected by the exchanged information and communication between architects with their clients. Nevertheless, despite of its importance, studies have proven that communication management, being a significant field of project management, is distinctly overlooked by architects in the architectural industry. Thus, this paper highlights the current practices and attributes of communication management in the context of architectural design phase. It outlines the different aspects' definitions of communication, as well as communication management standards and practices. By the end of this paper, the findings are expected to increase the communication management knowledge amongst architects to achieve success in projects by promoting the relationships between them and their clients. Finally, this paper uncover the architects' need for significant improvement of communication management as an insistent matter to ultimately fulfill project success.

Software Smarts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1998-01-01

Under an SBIR (Small Business Innovative Research) contract with Johnson Space Center, Knowledge Based Systems Inc. (KBSI) developed an intelligent software environment for modeling and analyzing mission planning activities, simulating behavior, and, using a unique constraint propagation mechanism, updating plans with each change in mission planning activities. KBSI developed this technology into a commercial product, PROJECTLINK, a two-way bridge between PROSIm, KBSI's process modeling and simulation software and leading project management software like Microsoft Project and Primavera's SureTrak Project Manager.

The Bologna Process Implementation and its Consequent Changes in the Teaching/Learning Model—the Industrial Management and Engineering Degree Case

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luísa Soares, Ana; Costa, Elga; Ferreira, Luís Pinto

2009-11-01

The present paper aims to present a Project included in a diversified programme and consequent implementation of a new Teaching/Learning model adapted to the Industrial Management and Engineering Degree (IMED) of the Management and Industrial Studies School (O'Porto Polytechnic Institute). Owning particular and specific characteristics, this model is based on the graduates' professional profile as well as on the work market dynamics, placing the student in the centre of the Learning Process, in opposition to the `teacher centred' method (as conceived by the Bologna Treat). Diverse in the approach, the model includes differentiating factors when compared to the project based traditional model. Through the development and conception of practical Interdisciplinary Projects, centring knowledges and techniques from the different Industrial Management and Engineering areas, we seek a new way of implementing the `Project Led Education' (PLE) bases, according to the Active Learning paradigm. This teaching/learning model aims to contribute to the Industrial Management and Engineering graduates' formation focused on a high level of performance and professional rectitude, to induce students' enthusiasm and motivation for acquiring scientific and technical knowledge, as well as to satisfy the diverse interest groups' expectations and promote the regional development.

Lessons Learned for Collaborative Clinical Content Development

PubMed Central

Collins, S.A.; Bavuso, K.; Zuccotti, G.; Rocha, R.A.

2013-01-01

Background Site-specific content configuration of vendor-based Electronic Health Records (EHRs) is a vital step in the development of standardized and interoperable content that can be used for clinical decision-support, reporting, care coordination, and information exchange. The multi-site, multi-stakeholder Acute Care Documentation (ACD) project at Partners Healthcare Systems (PHS) aimed to develop highly structured clinical content with adequate breadth and depth to meet the needs of all types of acute care clinicians at two academic medical centers. The Knowledge Management (KM) team at PHS led the informatics and knowledge management effort for the project. Objectives We aimed to evaluate the role, governance, and project management processes and resources for the KM team’s effort as part of the standardized clinical content creation. Methods We employed the Center for Disease Control’s six step Program Evaluation Framework to guide our evaluation steps. We administered a forty-four question, open-ended, semi-structured voluntary survey to gather focused, credible evidence from members of the KM team. Qualitative open-coding was performed to identify themes for lessons learned and concluding recommendations. Results Six surveys were completed. Qualitative data analysis informed five lessons learned and thirty specific recommendations associated with the lessons learned. The five lessons learned are: 1) Assess and meet knowledge needs and set expectations at the start of the project; 2) Define an accountable decision-making process; 3) Increase team meeting moderation skills; 4) Ensure adequate resources and competency training with online asynchronous collaboration tools; 5) Develop focused, goal-oriented teams and supportive, consultative service based teams. Conclusions Knowledge management requirements for the development of standardized clinical content within a vendor-based EHR among multi-stakeholder teams and sites include: 1) assessing and meeting informatics knowledge needs, 2) setting expectations and standardizing the process for decision-making, and 3) ensuring the availability of adequate resources and competency training. PMID:23874366

Transferring skills in quality collaboratives focused on improving patient logistics.

PubMed

Weggelaar-Jansen, Anne Marie; van Wijngaarden, Jeroen

2018-04-02

A quality improvement collaborative, often used by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, is used to educate healthcare professionals and improve healthcare at the same time. However, no prior research has been done on the knowledge and skills healthcare professionals need to achieve improvements or the extent to which quality improvement collaboratives help enhance both knowledge and skills. Our research focused on quality improvement collaboratives aiming to improve patient logistics and tried to identify which knowledge and skills are required and to what extent these were enhanced during the QIC. We defined skills important for logistic improvements in a three-phase Delphi study. Based on the Delphi results we made a questionnaire. We surveyed participants in a national quality improvement collaborative to assess the skills rated as 1) important, 2) available and 3) improved during the collaborative. At two sense-making meetings, experts reflected on our findings and hypothesized on how to improve (logistics) collaboratives. The Delphi study found 18 skills relevant for reducing patient access time and 21 for reducing throughput time. All skills retrieved from the Delphi study were scored as 'important' in the survey. Teams especially lacked soft skills connected to project and change management. Analytical skills increased the most, while more reflexive skills needed for the primary goal of the collaborative (reduce access and throughput times) increased modestly. At two sense-making meetings, attendees suggested four improvements for a quality improvement collaborative: 1) shift the focus to project- and change management skills; 2) focus more on knowledge transfer to colleagues; 3) teach participants to adapt the taught principles to their own situations; and 4) foster intra-project reflexive learning to translate gained insights to other projects (inter-project learning). Our findings seem to suggest that Quality collaboratives could benefit if more attention is paid to the transfer of 'soft skills' (e.g. change, project management and communication skills) and reflexive skills (e.g. adjusting logistics principles to specific situations and inter-project translation of experiences).

A Three-fold Outlook of the Ultra-Efficient Engine Technology Program Office (UEET)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Graham, La Quilia E.

2004-01-01

The Ultra-Efficient Engine Technology (UEET) Office at NASA Glenn Research Center is a part of the Aeronautics Directorate. Its vision is to develop and hand off revolutionary turbine engine propulsion technologies that will enable future generation vehicles over a wide range of flight speeds. There are seven different technology area projects of UEET. During my tenure at NASA Glenn Research Center, my assignment was to assist three different areas of UEET, simultaneously. I worked with Kathy Zona in Education Outreach, Lynn Boukalik in Knowledge Management, and Denise Busch with Financial Management. All of my tasks were related to the business side of UEET. As an intern with Education Outreach I created a word search to partner with an exhibit of a Turbine Engine developed out of the UEET office. This exhibit is a portable model that is presented to students of varying ages. The word search complies with National Standards for Education which are part of every science, engineering, and technology teachers curriculum. I also updated a Conference Planning/Workshop Excel Spreadsheet for the UEET Office. I collected and inputted facility overviews from various venues, both on and off site to determine where to hold upcoming conferences. I then documented which facilities were compliant with the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Hotel and Motel Fire Safety Act of 1990. The second area in which I worked was Knowledge Management. a large knowledge management system online which has extensive documentation that continually needs reviewing, updating, and archiving. Knowledge management is the ability to bring individual or team knowledge to an organizational level so that the information can be stored, shared, reviewed, archived. Livelink and a secure server are the Knowledge Management systems that UEET utilizes, Through these systems, I was able to obtain the documents needed for archiving. My assignment was to obtain intellectual property including reports, presentations, or any other documents related to the project. My next task was to document the author, date of creation, and all other properties of each document. To archive these documents I worked extensively with Microsoft Excel. different financial systems of accounting such as the SAP business accounting system. I also learned the best ways to present financial data and shadowed my mentor as she presented financial data to both UEET's project management and the Resources Analysis and Management Office (RAMO). I analyzed the June 2004 financial data of UEET and used Microsoft Excel to input the results of the data. This process made it easier to present the full cost of the project in the month of June. In addition I assisted in the End of the Year 2003 Reconciliation of Purchases of UEET.

78 FR 55687 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-11

... response to this notice should be submitted electronically through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http...); Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRPs); Knowledge Translation (KT) Projects; ADA National...

Enhanced Capabilities for Subcritical Experiments (ECSE) Risk Management Plan

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Urban, Mary Elizabeth

Risk is a factor, element, constraint, or course of action that introduces an uncertainty of outcome that could impact project objectives. Risk is an inherent part of all activities, whether the activity is simple and small, or large and complex. Risk management is a process that identifies, evaluates, handles, and monitors risks that have the potential to affect project success. The risk management process spans the entire project, from its initiation to its successful completion and closeout, including both technical and programmatic (non-technical) risks. This Risk Management Plan (RMP) defines the process to be used for identifying, evaluating, handling, andmore » monitoring risks as part of the overall management of the Enhanced Capabilities for Subcritical Experiments (ECSE) ‘Project’. Given the changing nature of the project environment, risk management is essentially an ongoing and iterative process, which applies the best efforts of a knowledgeable project staff to a suite of focused and prioritized concerns. The risk management process itself must be continually applied throughout the project life cycle. This document was prepared in accordance with DOE O 413.3B, Program and Project Management for the Acquisition of Capital Assets, its associated guide for risk management DOE G 413.3-7, Risk Management Guide, and LANL ADPM AP-350-204, Risk and Opportunity Management.« less

An end-users oriented methodology for enhancing the integration of knowledge on soil-water-sediment systems in River Basin Management: an illustration from the AquaTerra project.

PubMed

Merly, Corinne; Chapman, Antony; Mouvet, Christophe

2012-01-01

Research results in environmental and socio-economic sciences are often under-used by stakeholders involved in the management of natural resources. To minimise this gap, the FP6 EU interdisciplinary project AquaTerra (AT) developed an end-users' integration methodology in order to ensure that the data, knowledge and tools related to the soil-water-sediment system that were generated by the project were delivered in a meaningful way for end-users, thus improving their uptake. The methodology and examples of its application are presented in this paper. From the 408 project deliverables, 96 key findings were identified, 53 related to data and knowledge, and 43 describing advanced tools. River Basin Management (RBM) stakeholders workshops identified 8 main RBM issues and 25 specific stakeholders' questions related to RBM which were classified into seven groups of cross-cutting issues, namely scale, climate change, non-climatic change, the need for systemic approaches, communication and participation, international and inter-basin coordination and collaboration, and the implementation of the Water Framework Directive. The integration methodology enabled an assessment of how AT key findings meet stakeholders' demands, and for each main RBM issue and for each specific question, described the added-value of the AT project in terms of knowledge and tools generated, key parameters to consider, and recommendations that can be made to stakeholders and the wider scientific community. Added value and limitations of the integration methodology and its outcomes are discussed and recommendations are provided to further improve integration methodology and bridge the gaps between scientific research data and their potential uptake by end-users.

Tailoring Small IT Projects in the Project Planning Phase

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mulhearn, Michael F.

2011-01-01

Project management (PM) and systems engineering (SE) are essential skills in information technology (IT). There is an abundance of information available detailing the comprehensive bodies of knowledge, standards, and best practices. Despite the volume of information, there is surprisingly little information about how to tailor PM and SE tasks for…

The Adolescent Smoking and Health Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sutherland, Mary; And Others

This project was designed to specifically apply a health planning management system to a school based health education risk reduction program. Additionally, the Adolescent Smoking and Alcohol Project assisted youth in making informed decisions about the use/abuse of alcohol and cigarettes. Program components included a related knowledge base;…

Personalizing knowledge delivery services: a conceptual framework

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Majchrzak, Ann; Chelleppa, Ramnath K.; Cooper, Lynne P.; Hars, Alexander

2003-01-01

Consistent with the call of the Minnesota Symposium for new theory in knowledge management, we offer a new conceptualization of Knowledge Management Systems (KMS) as a portfolio of personalized knowledge delivery services. Borrowing from research on online consumer behavior, we describe the challenges imposed by personalized knowledge delivery services, and suggest design parameters that can help to overcome these challenges. We develop our design constructs through a set of hypotheses and discuss the research implications of our new conceptualization. Finally, we describe practical implications suggested by our conceptualization - practical suggestions that we hope to gain some experience with as part of an ongoing action research project at our partner organization.

Applying Project Histories and Project Learning through Knowledge Management in an Australian Construction Company

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maqsood, Tayyab; Finegan, Andrew; Walker, Derek

2006-01-01

Purpose: With the advent of information and communication technologies (ICT), some organisations have endeavoured to develop and maintain systems commonly known as project histories. This paper aims to provide a framework to the construction organisations in order to improve the learning from projects through the development and use of project…

Group diabetes self-management education in a primary care setting: a quality improvement project.

PubMed

Harris, Tara; Silva, Susan; Intini, Ronald; Smith, Tommy; Vorderstrasse, Allison

2014-01-01

This quality improvement project evaluated the effectiveness of a monthly diabetes self-management education intervention on HbA1C and knowledge levels in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. A retrospective analysis evaluating 51 patients found no significant improvement in HbA1C levels; however, there was a significant improvement in knowledge levels. Race was an influential factor on HbA1C levels showing a significant elevation in mean HbA1C in African Americans, while there was a decrease in mean HbA1c in Caucasians over the 6-month evaluation period.

Agents Contribute to Statewide Program Designs in Yardwaste Management.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

May, James H.; And Others

1994-01-01

A survey of 125 Virginia extension agents received 90 responses demonstrating their knowledge of yard waste management and composting. Results were used to develop public education programs and pilot projects about composting. (SK)

InWiM: knowledge management for insurance medicine.

PubMed

Bleuer, Juerg P; Bösch, Kurt; Ludwig, Christian A

2008-01-01

Suva (Swiss National Accident Insurance Fund) is the most important carrier of obligatory accident insurance in Switzerland. Its services not only comprise insurance but also prevention, case management and rehabilitation. Suva's medical division supports doctors in stationary and ambulatory care with comprehensive case management and with conciliar advice. Two Suva clinics provide stationary rehabilitation. Medicine in general, including insurance medicine, faces the problem of a diversity of opinions about the facts of a case. One of the reasons is a diversity of knowledge. This is the reason why Suva initiated a knowledge management project called InWiM. "InWiM" is the acronym for "Integrierte Wissensbasen der Medizin" which can be translated as "Integrated Knowledge Bases in Medicine". The project is part of an ISO 9001 certification program and comprises the definition and documentation of all processes in the field of knowledge management as well as the development of the underlying ITC infrastructure. The knowledge representation model used for the ICT implementation considers knowledge as a multidimensional network of interlinked units of information. In contrast to the hyperlink technology in the World Wide Web, links between items are bidirectional: the target knows the source of the link. Links are therefore called cross-links. The model allows annotation for the narrative description of the nature of the units of information (e.g. documents) and the cross-links as well. Information retrieval is achieved by means of a full implementation of the MeSH Index, the thesaurus of the United States National Library of Medicine (NLM). As far as the authors are aware, InWiM is currently the only implementation worldwide - with the exception of the NLM and its national representatives - which supports all MeSH features for in-house retrieval.

Student use of a Learning Management System for group projects: A case study investigating interaction, collaboration, and knowledge construction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lonn, Steven D.

Web-based Learning Management Systems (LMS) allow instructors and students to share instructional materials, make class announcements, submit and return course assignments, and communicate with each other online. Previous LMS-related research has focused on how these systems deliver and manage instructional content with little concern for how students' constructivist learning can be encouraged and facilitated. This study investigated how students use LMS to interact, collaborate, and construct knowledge within the context of a group project but without mediation by the instructor. The setting for this case study was students' use in one upper-level biology course of the local LMS within the context of a course-related group project, a mock National Institutes of Health grant proposal. Twenty-one groups (82 students) voluntarily elected to use the LMS, representing two-thirds of all students in the course. Students' peer-to-peer messages within the LMS, event logs, online surveys, focus group interviews, and instructor interviews were used in order to answer the study's overarching research question. The results indicate that students successfully used the LMS to interact and, to a significant extent, collaborate, but there was very little evidence of knowledge construction using the LMS technology. It is possible that the ease and availability of face-to-face meetings as well as problems and limitations with the technology were factors that influenced whether students' online basic interaction could be further distinguished as collaboration or knowledge construction. Despite these limitations, students found several tools and functions of the LMS useful for their online peer interaction and completion of their course project. Additionally, LMS designers and implementers are urged to consider previous literature on computer-supported collaborative learning environments in order to better facilitate independent group projects within these systems. Further research is needed to identify the best types of scaffolds and overall technological improvements in order to provide support for online collaboration and knowledge construction.

NASA/DoD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project, Paper Sixteen: Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-01-01

Understanding how STI is commun- aerospace knowledge- efficient and effective transfer and cated in the process of technolgical diffusion of knowledge within...However, as important international levels, diffusion of knowledge in the aeros- as the transfer and utilisation of STI is to which will help to pace...diffused is neces- diffusion of knowledge . Phase 3 ex- formation specialist). Phase 2 examined sary to successfully manage technolog- plores the information

ATM Technology Demonstration 1 (ATD-1) Project: Terminal Airspace Technologies for NextGen (Public)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robinson, John E.; Wang, Easter

2015-01-01

This video highlights the human-in-the-loop (HITL) simulations conducted by the ATD-1 project and features visual elements developed for Traffic Management Advisor - Terminal Metering, Controller Managed Spacing, and Flight Deck Interval Management. The video content is fairly technical and intended for audiences that have some knowledge of air traffic management issues. This includes researchers and management from NASA, FAA, industry partners, and others interested in terminal metering, controller managed spacing, and interval management technologies. Please note that the media release only clears the video for peer audiences such as ATM conferences or as part of presentations to researchers.

Examination of the relationship between project management critical success factors and project success of oil and gas drilling projects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alagba, Tonye J.

Oil and gas drilling projects are the primary means by which oil companies recover large volumes of commercially available hydrocarbons from deep reservoirs. These types of projects are complex in nature, involving management of multiple stakeholder interfaces, multidisciplinary personnel, complex contractor relationships, and turbulent environmental and market conditions, necessitating the application of proven project management best practices and critical success factors (CSFs) to achieve success. Although there is some practitioner oriented literature on project management CSFs for drilling projects, none of these is based on empirical evidence, from research. In addition, the literature has reported alarming rates of oil and gas drilling project failure, which is attributable not to technical factors, but to failure of project management. The aim of this quantitative correlational study therefore, was to discover an empirically verified list of project management CSFs, which consistent application leads to successful implementation of oil and gas drilling projects. The study collected survey data online, from a random sample of 127 oil and gas drilling personnel who were members of LinkedIn's online community "Drilling Supervisors, Managers, and Engineers". The results of the study indicated that 10 project management factors are individually related to project success of oil and gas drilling projects. These 10 CSFs are namely; Project mission, Top management support, Project schedule/plan, Client consultation, Personnel, Technical tasks, Client acceptance, Monitoring and feedback, Communication, and Troubleshooting. In addition, the study found that the relationships between the 10 CSFs and drilling project success is unaffected by participant and project demographics---role of project personnel, and project location. The significance of these findings are both practical, and theoretical. Practically, application of an empirically verified CSFs list to oil and gas drilling projects could help oil companies improve the performance of future drilling projects. Theoretically, the study's findings may help to bridge a gap in the project management CSFs literature, and add to the general project management body of knowledge.

Using Modern Technologies to Capture and Share Indigenous Astronomical Knowledge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakata, Martin; Hamacher, Duane W.; Warren, John; Byrne, Alex; Pagnucco, Maurice; Harley, Ross; Venugopal, Srikumar; Thorpe, Kirsten; Neville, Richard; Bolt, Reuben

2014-06-01

Indigenous Knowledge is important for Indigenous communities across the globe and for the advancement of our general scientific knowledge. In particular, Indigenous astronomical knowledge integrates many aspects of Indigenous Knowledge, including seasonal calendars, navigation, food economics, law, ceremony, and social structure. Capturing, managing, and disseminating this knowledge in the digital environment poses a number of challenges, which we aim to address using a collaborative project emerging between experts in the higher education, library, archive and industry sectors. Using Microsoft's WorldWide Telescope and Rich Interactive Narratives technologies, we propose to develop software, media design, and archival management solutions to allow Indigenous communities to share their astronomical knowledge with the world on their terms and in a culturally sensitive manner.

The Coordinated Care Management Skill Complex

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-08-01

knowledge of healthcare provider and consumer behavior have played in your CAM demonstration project? Unimportant Somewhat Neither Somewhat Important...Unimportant Important nor Important Unimportant B. How important a role has your knowledge of healthcare provider and consumer behavior played in your CAM

Web-Based versus High-Fidelity Simulation Training for Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists in the Management of High Risk/Low Occurrence Anesthesia Events

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kimemia, Judy

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to compare web-based to high-fidelity simulation training in the management of high risk/low occurrence anesthesia related events, to enhance knowledge acquisition for Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs). This project was designed to answer the question: Is web-based training as effective as…

Simulation and management games for training command and control in emergencies.

PubMed

Levi, Leon; Bregman, David

2003-01-01

The aim of our project was to introduce and implement simulation techniques in a problematic field of increasing health care system preparedness for disasters. This field was chosen as knowledge is gained by few experienced staff members who need to disperse it to others during the busy routine work of the system personnel. Knowledge management techniques ranging from classifying the current data, centralized organizational knowledge storage and using it for decision making and dispersing it through the organization--were used in this project. In the first stage we analyzed the current system of building a preparedness protocol (set of orders). We identified the pitfalls of changing personnel and loosing knowledge gained through lessons from local and national experience. For this stage we developed a database of resources and objects (casualties) to be used in the simulation in different possibilities. One of those was the differentiation between drills with trainer and those in front of computers enable to set the needed solution. The model rules for different scenarios of multi-casualty incidents from conventional warfare trauma to combined chemical/toxicological as well as, levels of care pre and inside hospitals--were incorporated to the database management system (we used Microsoft Access' DBMS). The hardware for management game was comprised of serial computers with network and possibility of projection of scenes. For prehospital phase the possibility of portable PC's and connections to central server was used to assess bidirectional flow of information. Simulation software (ARENA) and graphical interfase (Visual Basic, GUI) as shown in the attached figure. We hereby conclude that our system provides solutions which are in use in different levels of healthcare system to assess and improve management command and control for different scenarios of multi-casualty incidents.

Bottomland Hardwood Ecosystem Management Project

Treesearch

John A. Stanturf; Calvin E. Meier

1994-01-01

Federal agency approaches to land management are undergoing a shift from parcel-specific concerns toward a more holistic, ecosystem management approach. Southern bottomland hardwood ecosystems provide important environmental services and commodity goods (Wharton et al. 1982), yet much of our knowledge of these systems comes from anecdotal information. The Bottomland...

Information system support as a critical success factor for chronic disease management: Necessary but not sufficient.

PubMed

Green, Carolyn J; Fortin, Patricia; Maclure, Malcolm; Macgregor, Art; Robinson, Sylvia

2006-12-01

Improvement of chronic disease management in primary care entails monitoring indicators of quality over time and across patients and practices. Informatics tools are needed, yet implementing them remains challenging. To identify critical success factors enabling the translation of clinical and operational knowledge about effective and efficient chronic care management into primary care practice. A prospective case study of positive deviants using key informant interviews, process observation, and document review. A chronic disease management (CDM) collaborative of primary care physicians with documented improvement in adherence to clinical practice guidelines using a web-based patient registry system with CDM guideline-based flow sheet. Thirty community-based physician participants using predominantly paper records, plus a project management team including the physician lead, project manager, evaluator and support team. A critical success factor (CSF) analysis of necessary and sufficient pathways to the translation of knowledge into clinical practice. A web-based CDM 'toolkit' was found to be a direct CSF that allowed this group of physicians to improve their practice by tracking patient care processes using evidence-based clinical practice guideline-based flow sheets. Moreover, the information and communication technology 'factor' was sufficient for success only as part of a set of seven direct CSF components including: health delivery system enhancements, organizational partnerships, funding mechanisms, project management, practice models, and formal knowledge translation practices. Indirect factors that orchestrated success through the direct factor components were also identified. A central insight of this analysis is that a comprehensive quality improvement model was the CSF that drew this set of factors into a functional framework for successful knowledge translation. In complex primary care settings environment where physicians have low adoption rates of electronic tools to support the care of patients with chronic conditions, successful implementation may require a set of interrelated system and technology factors.

Remote Sensing Applications with High Reliability in Changjiang Water Resource Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, L.; Gao, S.; Yang, A.

2018-04-01

Remote sensing technology has been widely used in many fields. But most of the applications cannot get the information with high reliability and high accuracy in large scale, especially for the applications using automatic interpretation methods. We have designed an application-oriented technology system (PIR) composed of a series of accurate interpretation techniques,which can get over 85 % correctness in Water Resource Management from the view of photogrammetry and expert knowledge. The techniques compose of the spatial positioning techniques from the view of photogrammetry, the feature interpretation techniques from the view of expert knowledge, and the rationality analysis techniques from the view of data mining. Each interpreted polygon is accurate enough to be applied to the accuracy sensitive projects, such as the Three Gorge Project and the South - to - North Water Diversion Project. In this paper, we present several remote sensing applications with high reliability in Changjiang Water Resource Management,including water pollution investigation, illegal construction inspection, and water conservation monitoring, etc.

Enhancing Teacher and Student Engagement and Understanding of Marine Science Through Classroom Citizen Science Projects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goodale, T. A.

2016-02-01

Overview This paper presentation shares findings from a granted funded project that sought to expand teacher content knowledge and pedagogy within the fields of marine science and coastal resource management through the implementation of classroom citizen science projects. A secondary goal was to increase middle and high school student interest and participation in marine science and natural resources research. Background A local science & engineering fair has seen a rapid decline in secondary student participants in the past four years. Research has demonstrated that when students are a part of a system of knowledge production (citizen science) they become much more aware, involved and conscious of scientific concepts compared to traditional school laboratory and nature of science activities. This project's primary objectives were to: (a) enhance teacher content expertise in marine science, (b) enrich teacher professional learning, (c) support citizen science classroom projects and inspire student activism and marine science engagement. Methods Project goals were addressed through classroom and meaningful outdoor educational experiences that put content knowledge into field based practices. Teachers learned to apply thier expanded content knowlege through classroom citizen science projects that focus on marine resource conservation issues such as fisheries management, water quality, turtle nesting and biodiversity of coastal ecosystems. These projects would eventually become potential topics of citizen science research topics for their students to pursue. Upon completion of their professional development, participants were urged to establish student Marine Science clubs with the goal of mentoring student submissions into the local science fair. Supplemental awards were possible for the students of project participants. Findings Based on project measures participants significantly increased their knowledge and awareness of presented material marine science and coastal resources. 11/14 teacher participants established citizen science clubs that focused on marine related issues. Science fair participation increased by 42% and of those students whose mentor teacher was a project participant 90% stated they would likely pursue a marine science related major in college.

Project NFFL: The Niagara Fantasy Football League and Sport Marketing Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Dexter J.

2012-01-01

Estimates are that 32 million people currently play fantasy football every year. Project Based Learning (PBL) is one method of engaging students in the educational process. This paper outlines a semester long project undertaken by undergraduate sport management students that uses fantasy football as a vehicle to enhance student knowledge of basic…

How Many Brains Does It Take to Build a New Light: Knowledge Management Challenges of a Transdisciplinary Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

della Chiesa, Bruno; Christoph, Vanessa; Hinton, Christina

2009-01-01

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's (OECD) Center for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI) carried out the "Learning Sciences and Brain Research" project (1999-2007) to investigate how neuroscience research can inform education policy and practice. This transdisciplinary project brought many challenges. Within the…

12 CFR 1261.7 - Election process.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... directorships and a brief description of each nominee's qualifications, including his or her knowledge or..., derivatives, project development, organizational management and any other area of knowledge or experience set... directors, after again consulting with the Bank's Advisory Council, shall nominate at least as many...

Application of Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process to Building Research Teams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dąbrowski, Karol; Skrzypek, Katarzyna

2016-03-01

Building teams has a fundamental impact for execution of research and development projects. The teams appointed for the needs of given projects are based on individuals from both inside and outside of the organization. Knowledge is not only a product available on the market but also an intangible resource affecting their internal and external processes. Thus it is vitally important for businesses and scientific research facilities to effectively manage knowledge within project teams. The article presents a proposal to use Fuzzy AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) and ANFIS (Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference System) methods in working groups building for R&D projects on the basis of employees skills.

Universities and the Public Good: A Review of Knowledge Exchange Policy and Related University Practice in Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cuthill, Michael; O'Shea, Éidín; Wilson, Bruce; Viljoen, Pierre

2014-01-01

Australian policy relating to knowledge exchange has never been well articulated, notwithstanding that the nexus between knowledge, engagement and higher education in Australia has been on the national agenda for several decades (Grattan Institute, 2013). In universities, this policy deficit is reflected in a lack of project management and…

Who Exactly Is the Moderator? A Consideration of Online Knowledge Management Network Moderation in Educational Organisations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gairin-Sallan, Joaquin; Rodriguez-Gomez, David; Armengol-Asparo, Carme

2010-01-01

In the knowledge society, the appearance and development of new networked working and learning environments is increasingly common. In the "Accelera" project, which is the basis for this paper, we have developed an online community of practice which enables experiences and knowledge to be shared between various educational agents, and…

A Recipe for Streamlining Mission Management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mitchell, Andrew E.; Semancik, Susan K.

2004-01-01

This paper describes a project's design and implementation for streamlining mission management with knowledge capture processes across multiple organizations of a NASA directorate. Thc project's focus is on standardizing processes and reports; enabling secure information access and case of maintenance; automating and tracking appropriate workflow rules through process mapping; and infusing new technologies. This paper will describe a small team's experiences using XML technologies through an enhanced vendor suite of applications integrated on Windows-based platforms called the Wallops Integrated Scheduling and Document Management System (WISDMS). This paper describes our results using this system in a variety of endeavors, including providing range project scheduling and resource management for a Range and Mission Management Office; implementing an automated Customer Feedback system for a directorate; streamlining mission status reporting across a directorate; and initiating a document management, configuration management and portal access system for a Range Safety Office's programs. The end result is a reduction of the knowledge gap through better integration and distribution of information, improved process performance, automated metric gathering, and quicker identification of problem areas and issues. However, the real proof of the pudding comes through overcoming the user's reluctance to replace familiar, seasoned processes with new technology ingredients blended with automated procedures in an untested recipe. This paper shares some of the team's observations that led to better implementation techniques, as well as an IS0 9001 Best Practices citation. This project has provided a unique opportunity to advance NASA's competency in new technologies, as well as to strategically implement them within an organizational structure, while wetting the appetite for continued improvements in mission management.

Servant leadership behaviors of aerospace and defense project managers and their relation to project success

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dominik, Michael T.

The success of a project is dependent in part on the skills, knowledge, and behavior of its leader, the project manager. Despite advances in project manager certifications and professional development, the aerospace and defense industry has continued to see highly visible and expensive project failures partially attributable to failures in leadership. Servant leadership is an emerging leadership theory whose practitioners embrace empowerment, authenticity, humility, accountability, forgiveness, courage, standing back, and stewardship, but has not yet been fully examined in the context of the project manager as leader. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between servant leadership behaviors demonstrated by aerospace and defense project managers and the resulting success of their projects. Study participants were drawn from aerospace and defense oriented affinity groups from the LinkedInRTM social media web system. The participants rated their project managers using a 30-item servant leadership scale, and rated the success of their project using a 12-item project success scale. One hundred and fifteen valid responses were analyzed from 231 collected samples from persons who had worked for a project manager on an aerospace and defense project within the past year. The results of the study demonstrated statistically significant levels of positive correlation to project success for all eight servant leadership factors independently evaluated. Using multiple linear regression methods, the servant leadership factors of empowerment and authenticity were determined to be substantial and statistically significant predictors of project success. The study results established the potential application of servant leadership as a valid approach for improving outcomes of projects.

Designing and Developing a NASA Research Projects Knowledge Base and Implementing Knowledge Management and Discovery Techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dabiru, L.; O'Hara, C. G.; Shaw, D.; Katragadda, S.; Anderson, D.; Kim, S.; Shrestha, B.; Aanstoos, J.; Frisbie, T.; Policelli, F.; Keblawi, N.

2006-12-01

The Research Project Knowledge Base (RPKB) is currently being designed and will be implemented in a manner that is fully compatible and interoperable with enterprise architecture tools developed to support NASA's Applied Sciences Program. Through user needs assessment, collaboration with Stennis Space Center, Goddard Space Flight Center, and NASA's DEVELOP Staff personnel insight to information needs for the RPKB were gathered from across NASA scientific communities of practice. To enable efficient, consistent, standard, structured, and managed data entry and research results compilation a prototype RPKB has been designed and fully integrated with the existing NASA Earth Science Systems Components database. The RPKB will compile research project and keyword information of relevance to the six major science focus areas, 12 national applications, and the Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). The RPKB will include information about projects awarded from NASA research solicitations, project investigator information, research publications, NASA data products employed, and model or decision support tools used or developed as well as new data product information. The RPKB will be developed in a multi-tier architecture that will include a SQL Server relational database backend, middleware, and front end client interfaces for data entry. The purpose of this project is to intelligently harvest the results of research sponsored by the NASA Applied Sciences Program and related research program results. We present various approaches for a wide spectrum of knowledge discovery of research results, publications, projects, etc. from the NASA Systems Components database and global information systems and show how this is implemented in SQL Server database. The application of knowledge discovery is useful for intelligent query answering and multiple-layered database construction. Using advanced EA tools such as the Earth Science Architecture Tool (ESAT), RPKB will enable NASA and partner agencies to efficiently identify the significant results for new experiment directions and principle investigators to formulate experiment directions for new proposals.

Distributed Information System Development: Review of Some Management Issues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mishra, Deepti; Mishra, Alok

Due to the proliferation of the Internet and globalization, distributed information system development is becoming popular. In this paper we have reviewed some significant management issues like process management, project management, requirements management and knowledge management issues which have received much attention in distributed development perspective. In this literature review we found that areas like quality and risk management issues could get only scant attention in distributed information system development.

Adoption of Building Information Modelling in project planning risk management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mering, M. M.; Aminudin, E.; Chai, C. S.; Zakaria, R.; Tan, C. S.; Lee, Y. Y.; Redzuan, A. A.

2017-11-01

An efficient and effective risk management required a systematic and proper methodology besides knowledge and experience. However, if the risk management is not discussed from the starting of the project, this duty is notably complicated and no longer efficient. This paper presents the adoption of Building Information Modelling (BIM) in project planning risk management. The objectives is to identify the traditional risk management practices and its function, besides, determine the best function of BIM in risk management and investigating the efficiency of adopting BIM-based risk management during the project planning phase. In order to obtain data, a quantitative approach is adopted in this research. Based on data analysis, the lack of compliance with project requirements and failure to recognise risk and develop responses to opportunity are the risks occurred when traditional risk management is implemented. When using BIM in project planning, it works as the tracking of cost control and cash flow give impact on the project cycle to be completed on time. 5D cost estimation or cash flow modeling benefit risk management in planning, controlling and managing budget and cost reasonably. There were two factors that mostly benefit a BIM-based technology which were formwork plan with integrated fall plan and design for safety model check. By adopting risk management, potential risks linked with a project and acknowledging to those risks can be identified to reduce them to an acceptable extent. This means recognizing potential risks and avoiding threat by reducing their negative effects. The BIM-based risk management can enhance the planning process of construction projects. It benefits the construction players in various aspects. It is important to know the application of BIM-based risk management as it can be a lesson learnt to others to implement BIM and increase the quality of the project.

DECOVALEX Project: from 1992 to 2007

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsang, Chin-Fu; Stephansson, Ove; Jing, Lanru; Kautsky, Fritz

2009-05-01

The DECOVALEX project is a unique international research collaboration, initiated in 1992, for advancing the understanding and mathematical modelling of coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) and thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC) processes in geological systems—subjects of importance for performance assessment of radioactive waste repositories in geological formations. From 1992 up to 2007, the project has made important progress and played a key role in the development of numerical modelling of coupled processes in fractured rocks and buffer/backfill materials. The project has been conducted by research teams supported by a large number of radioactive-waste-management organizations and regulatory authorities, including those of Canada, China, Finland, France, Japan, Germany, Spain, Sweden, UK, and the USA. Through this project, in-depth knowledge has been gained of coupled THM and THMC processes associated with nuclear waste repositories, as well as numerical simulation models for their quantitative analysis. The knowledge accumulated from this project, in the form of a large number of research reports and international journal and conference papers in the open literature, has been applied effectively in the implementation and review of national radioactive-waste-management programmes in the participating countries. This paper presents an overview of the project.

Learning in Introductory E-Commerce: A Project-Based Teamwork Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ngai, Eric W. T.

2007-01-01

In this paper, we describe an e-commerce teamwork-based project designed and implemented at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) for undergraduate business and management students. The teaching objectives of this e-commerce project are to develop the students' knowledge and skills, such as in the use of e-commerce site building tools,…

The Reflective Macintosh: A Computer-Assisted Approach to Understanding and Improving Managerial Practice. Project Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kerchner, Charles; And Others

The early stages of a microcomputer-based project to integrate managerial knowledge and practice are described in this report. Analysis of the problem-framing process that effective principals use to reduce complex problems into more manageable ones forms the basis of the project. Three cognitive-mapping techniques are used to understand the…

The Role of the Health Information Manager in a Research-Based Information Technology Project.

PubMed

Freyne, Alice

2009-06-01

Information technology advances in healthcare provide many and varied opportunities for the Health Information Manager. Here is one example involving a Melbourne-based research project and an innovative approach to patient information delivery. The research project area of study is multimedia content delivery in the following applications: as an adjunct to the surgical informed consent process, patient information or instruction presentation and clinical education. The objective is to develop evidence-based, effective and accessible information and knowledge resources for patients and health care providers.

Implementation of quality management in early stages of research and development projects at a university.

PubMed

Fiehe, Sandra; Wagner, Georg; Schlanstein, Peter; Rosefort, Christiane; Kopp, Rüdger; Bensberg, Ralf; Knipp, Peter; Schmitz-Rode, Thomas; Steinseifer, Ulrich; Arens, Jutta

2014-04-01

The ultimate objective of university research and development projects is usually to create knowledge, but also to successfully transfer results to industry for subsequent marketing. We hypothesized that the university technology transfer requires efficient measures to improve this important step. Besides good scientific practice, foresighted and industry-specific adapted documentation of research processes in terms of a quality management system might improve the technology transfer. In order to bridge the gap between research institute and cooperating industry, a model project has been accompanied by a project specific amount of quality management. However, such a system had to remain manageable and must not constrain the researchers' creativity. Moreover, topics and research team are strongly interdisciplinary, which entails difficulties regarding communication because of different perspectives and terminology. In parallel to the technical work of the model project, an adaptable quality management system with a quality manual, defined procedures, and forms and documents accompanying the research, development and validation was implemented. After process acquisition and analysis the appropriate amount of management for the model project was identified by a self-developed rating system considering project characteristics like size, innovation, stakeholders, interdisciplinarity, etc. Employees were trained according to their needs. The management was supported and the technical documentation was optimized. Finally, the quality management system has been transferred successfully to further projects.

Managing Science: Management for R&D Laboratories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gelès, Claude; Lindecker, Gilles; Month, Mel; Roche, Christian

1999-10-01

A unique "how-to" manual for the management of scientific laboratories This book presents a complete set of tools for the management of research and development laboratories and projects. With an emphasis on knowledge rather than profit as a measure of output and performance, the authors apply standard management principles and techniques to the needs of high-flux, open-ended, separately funded science and technology enterprises. They also propose the novel idea that failure, and incipient failure, is an important measure of an organization's potential. From the management of complex, round-the-clock, high-tech operations to strategies for long-term planning, Managing Science: Management for R&D Laboratories discusses how to build projects with the proper research and development, obtain and account for funding, and deal with rapidly changing technologies, facilities, and trends. The entire second part of the book is devoted to personnel issues and the impact of workplace behavior on the various functions of a knowledge-based organization. Drawing on four decades of involvement with the management of scientific laboratories, the authors thoroughly illustrate their philosophy with real-world examples from the physics field and provide tables and charts. Managers of scientific laboratories as well as scientists and engineers expecting to move into management will find Managing Science: Management for R&D Laboratories an invaluable practical guide.

Exploring the Media Mix during IT-Offshore Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wende, Erik; Schwabe, Gerhard; Philip, Tom

Offshore outsourced IT projects continue to gain relevance in the globalized world scenario. The temporal, geographical and cultural distances involved during the development of software between distributed team members result in communication challenges. As software development involves the coding of knowledge, the management of knowledge and its transfer remain critical for the success of the project. For effective knowledge transfer between geographically dispersed teams the ongoing selection of communication medium or the media channel mix becomes highly significant. Although there is an abundance of theory dealing with knowledge transfer and media channel selection during offshore outsourcing projects, the specific role of cultural differences in the media mix is often overlooked. As a first step to rectify this, this paper presents an explorative outsourcing case study with emphasis on the chosen media channels and the problems that arose from differences in culture. The case study is analyzed in light of several theoretical models. Finally the paper presents the idea of extending the Media Synchonicity theory with cultural factors.

IASON - Fostering sustainability and uptake of research results through Networking activities in Black Sea & Mediterranean areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patias, P.

2014-09-01

IASON Project has the ultimate goal to establish a permanent and sustainable Network of scientific and non-scientific institutions, stakeholders and private sector enterprises belonging in the EU and third countries located in two significant areas: The Mediterranean and the Black Sea regions. The main focal points of the project will be the usage and application of Earth Observation (EO) in the following topics: - climate change - resource efficiency - raw materials management IASON aims to build on the experiences gained by 5 FP7 funded projects, OBSERVE, enviroGRIDS, GEONETCab, EGIDA, and BalkanGEONet. All of the above projects focused on enhancing EO capacities, knowledge and technology in the EU and in neighborhood countries. During their execution time they managed to establish links with a critical mass of research institutions, organizations, public organizations, stakeholders, and policy makers in the Balkan region, the Mediterranean, and the Black Sea Basin. IASON intends to create the proper conditions for enhancing knowledge transfer capacity building, and market opportunities in using EO applications and mechanisms in specific research fields that are addressing climate actions resource efficiency and raw materials management.

Current and Projected Modes of Delivery of Veterinary Medical Services to Animal Agriculture: Industrial/Commercial Services.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glick, Phillip Ray

1980-01-01

Veterinary education must re-establish its teaching objectives. Students need practical knowledge in areas such as business management, communications, marketing, public relations, facility management, and personnel management. Industry must also meet its obligations to continue to provide safe, dependable products that fill a practice need. (MLW)

Integrating science into management of ecosystems in the Greater Blue Mountains.

PubMed

Chapple, Rosalie S; Ramp, Daniel; Bradstock, Ross A; Kingsford, Richard T; Merson, John A; Auld, Tony D; Fleming, Peter J S; Mulley, Robert C

2011-10-01

Effective management of large protected conservation areas is challenged by political, institutional and environmental complexity and inconsistency. Knowledge generation and its uptake into management are crucial to address these challenges. We reflect on practice at the interface between science and management of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area (GBMWHA), which covers approximately 1 million hectares west of Sydney, Australia. Multiple government agencies and other stakeholders are involved in its management, and decision-making is confounded by numerous plans of management and competing values and goals, reflecting the different objectives and responsibilities of stakeholders. To highlight the complexities of the decision-making process for this large area, we draw on the outcomes of a recent collaborative research project and focus on fire regimes and wild-dog control as examples of how existing knowledge is integrated into management. The collaborative research project achieved the objectives of collating and synthesizing biological data for the region; however, transfer of the project's outcomes to management has proved problematic. Reasons attributed to this include lack of clearly defined management objectives to guide research directions and uptake, and scientific information not being made more understandable and accessible. A key role of a local bridging organisation (e.g., the Blue Mountains World Heritage Institute) in linking science and management is ensuring that research results with management significance can be effectively transmitted to agencies and that outcomes are explained for nonspecialists as well as more widely distributed. We conclude that improved links between science, policy, and management within an adaptive learning-by-doing framework for the GBMWHA would assist the usefulness and uptake of future research.

Integrating Science into Management of Ecosystems in the Greater Blue Mountains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chapple, Rosalie S.; Ramp, Daniel; Bradstock, Ross A.; Kingsford, Richard T.; Merson, John A.; Auld, Tony D.; Fleming, Peter J. S.; Mulley, Robert C.

2011-10-01

Effective management of large protected conservation areas is challenged by political, institutional and environmental complexity and inconsistency. Knowledge generation and its uptake into management are crucial to address these challenges. We reflect on practice at the interface between science and management of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area (GBMWHA), which covers approximately 1 million hectares west of Sydney, Australia. Multiple government agencies and other stakeholders are involved in its management, and decision-making is confounded by numerous plans of management and competing values and goals, reflecting the different objectives and responsibilities of stakeholders. To highlight the complexities of the decision-making process for this large area, we draw on the outcomes of a recent collaborative research project and focus on fire regimes and wild-dog control as examples of how existing knowledge is integrated into management. The collaborative research project achieved the objectives of collating and synthesizing biological data for the region; however, transfer of the project's outcomes to management has proved problematic. Reasons attributed to this include lack of clearly defined management objectives to guide research directions and uptake, and scientific information not being made more understandable and accessible. A key role of a local bridging organisation (e.g., the Blue Mountains World Heritage Institute) in linking science and management is ensuring that research results with management significance can be effectively transmitted to agencies and that outcomes are explained for nonspecialists as well as more widely distributed. We conclude that improved links between science, policy, and management within an adaptive learning-by-doing framework for the GBMWHA would assist the usefulness and uptake of future research.

NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Paper 67: Maximizing the Results of Federally-Funded Research and Development Through Knowledge Management: A Strategic Imperative for Improving US Competitiveness

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pinelli, Thomas E.; Barclay, Rebecca O.

1998-01-01

Federally-funded research and development (R&D) represents a significant annual investment (approximately $79 billion in fiscal year 1996) on the part of U.S. taxpayers. Based on the results of a 10-year study of knowledge diffusion in U.S. aerospace industry, the authors take the position that U.S. competitiveness will be enhanced if knowledge management strategies, employed within a capability-enhancing U.S. technology policy framework, are applied to diffusing the results of federally-funded R&D. In making their case, the authors stress the importance of knowledge as the source of competitive advantage in today's global economy. Next, they offer a practice-based definition of knowledge management and discuss three current approaches to knowledge management implementation-mechanistic, "the learning organization," and systemic. The authors then examine three weaknesses in existing U.S. public policy and policy implementation-the dominance of knowledge creation, the need for diffusion-oriented technology policy, and the prevalence of a dissemination model- that affect diffusion of the results of federally-funded R&D. To address these shortcomings, they propose the development of a knowledge management framework for diffusing the results of federally-funded R&D. The article closes with a discussion of some issues and challenges associated with implementing a knowledge management framework for diffusing the results of federally-funded R&D.

Cross-Cutting Risk Framework: Mining Data for Common Risks Across the Portfolio

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klein, Gerald A., Jr.; Ruark, Valerie

2017-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) defines risk management as an integrated framework, combining risk-informed decision making and continuous risk management to foster forward-thinking and decision making from an integrated risk perspective. Therefore, decision makers must have access to risks outside of their own project to gain the knowledge that provides the integrated risk perspective. Through the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Flight Projects Directorate (FPD) Business Change Initiative (BCI), risks were integrated into one repository to facilitate access to risk data between projects. With the centralized repository, communications between the FPD, project managers, and risk managers improved and GSFC created the cross-cutting risk framework (CCRF) team. The creation of the consolidated risk repository, in parallel with the initiation of monthly FPD risk managers and risk governance board meetings, are now providing a complete risk management picture spanning the entire directorate. This paper will describe the challenges, methodologies, tools, and techniques used to develop the CCRF, and the lessons learned as the team collectively worked to identify risks that FPD programs projects had in common, both past and present.

Project ECHO Telementoring Intervention for Managing Chronic Pain in Primary Care: Insights from a Qualitative Study.

PubMed

Carlin, Leslie; Zhao, Jane; Dubin, Ruth; Taenzer, Paul; Sidrak, Hannah; Furlan, Andrea

2017-09-27

Family physicians in Canada receive little training in chronic pain management; concomitantly, they face increasing pressure to reduce their prescribing of opioids. Project ECHO Ontario Chronic Pain/Opioid Stewardship (ECHO) is a telementoring intervention for primary care practitioners that enhances their pain management skills. This qualitative study reports participants' experiences and assessment of ECHO. An opportunistic sample of multidisciplinary primary care providers attending one of three residential weekend workshops participated in focus group discussions. University or hospital facilities in Toronto, Thunder Bay, and Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Seventeen physicians and 20 allied health professionals. Six focus group discussions were conducted at three different sites during 2014 and 2015. Transcripts were analyzed using a qualitative-descriptive approach involving analytic immersion in the data, reflection, and achieving consensus around themes discerned from transcribed discussions. Findings resolved into five main themes: 1) challenges of managing chronic pain in primary care; 2) ECHO participation and improvement in patient-provider interaction and participant knowledge; 3) the diffusion of knowledge gained through ECHO to participants' colleagues and patients; 4) ECHO participation generating a sense of community; and 5) disadvantages associated with participating in ECHO. Managing patients with chronic pain in primary care can be difficult, particularly in remote or underserved practices. Project ECHO offers guidance to primary care practitioners for their most challenging patients, promotes knowledge acquisition and diffusion, and stimulates the development of a "community of practice." © 2017 American Academy of Pain Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Galileo: Exploration of Jupiter's system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, T. V.; Yeates, C. M.; Colin, L.; Fanale, F. P.; Frank, L.; Hunten, D. M.

1985-01-01

The scientific objectives of the Galileo mission to the Jovian system is presented. Topics discussed include the history of the project, our current knowledge of the system, the objectives of interrelated experiments, mission design, spacecraft, and instruments. The management, scientists, and major contractors for the project are also given.

Decision Analysis Techniques for Adult Learners: Application to Leadership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Toosi, Farah

2017-01-01

Most decision analysis techniques are not taught at higher education institutions. Leaders, project managers and procurement agents in industry have strong technical knowledge, and it is crucial for them to apply this knowledge at the right time to make critical decisions. There are uncertainties, problems, and risks involved in business…

New Directions in Interdisciplinarity: Broad, Deep, and Critical

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frodeman, Robert; Mitcham, Carl

2007-01-01

Aristotle launched Western knowledge on a trajectory toward disciplinarity that continues to this day. But is the knowledge management project that began with Aristotle adequate for the age of Google? Perhaps an undisciplined discourse more evocative of Plato can help us constitute new, more relevant inter- and transdisciplinary forms of…

Information system to manage anatomical knowledge and image data about brain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barillot, Christian; Gibaud, Bernard; Montabord, E.; Garlatti, S.; Gauthier, N.; Kanellos, I.

1994-09-01

This paper reports about first results obtained in a project aiming at developing a computerized system to manage knowledge about brain anatomy. The emphasis is put on the design of a knowledge base which includes a symbolic model of cerebral anatomical structures (grey nuclei, cortical structures such as gyri and sulci, verntricles, vessels, etc.) and of hypermedia facilities allowing to retrieve and display information associated with the objects (texts, drawings, images). Atlas plates digitized from a stereotactic atlas are also used to provide natural and effective communication means between the user and the system.

From hospital information system components to the medical record and clinical guidelines & protocols.

PubMed

Veloso, M; Estevão, N; Ferreira, P; Rodrigues, R; Costa, C T; Barahona, P

1997-01-01

This paper introduces an ongoing project towards the development of a new generation HIS, aiming at the integration of clinical and administrative information within a common framework. Its design incorporates explicit knowledge about domain objects and professional activities to be processed by the system together with related knowledge management services and act management services. The paper presents the conceptual model of the proposed HIS architecture, that supports a rich and fully integrated patient data model, enabling the implementation of a dynamic electronic patient record tightly coupled with computerised guideline knowledge bases.

Project Plan for Recreation Resources Development. North Hartland Lake, Hartland and Hartford, Vermont.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-01-01

of reservoir management are included within the scope of thle project plan. The plan represents a culmination of knowledge gathered from past...a detailed inventory and analysis of the projects natural resources in order to minimize environment and aesthetic impact, promote logical development...and minimize development costs. Factors inventoried included soil types, vegetation, topography, wildlife, surface geology, historical

A Junior High School Industrial Technology Curriculum Project: A Final Evaluation of the Industrial Arts Curriculum Project (IACP), 1965-1971.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buffer, James J.; And Others

The objective of the Industrial Arts Curriculum Project (IACP) was to develop, refine, and institutionalize a new and relevant 2-year junior high industrial arts program. The study focused on "industrial technology," the knowledge of management, production, and personnel practices used by men to produce goods to satisfy their needs…

Opencast Matterhorn: A Community-Driven Open Source Software Project for Producing, Managing, and Distributing Academic Video

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ketterl, Markus; Schulte, Olaf A.; Hochman, Adam

2010-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to introduce the Opencast Community, a global community of individuals, institutions, and commercial stakeholders exchanging knowledge about all matters relevant in the context of academic video and promoting projects in this context. It also gives an overview of the most prominent of these projects, Opencast…

E-KIT: An Electronic-Knowledge Information Tool for Organizing Site Information and Improving Technical Communication with Stakeholders - 13082

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kautsky, Mark; Findlay, Richard C.; Hodges, Rex A.

2013-07-01

Managing technical references for projects that have long histories is hampered by the large collection of documents, each of which might contain discrete pieces of information relevant to the site conceptual model. A database application has been designed to improve the efficiency of retrieving technical information for a project. Although many databases are currently used for accessing analytical and geo-referenced data, applications designed specifically to manage technical reference material for projects are scarce. Retrieving site data from the array of available references becomes an increasingly inefficient use of labor. The electronic-Knowledge Information Tool (e-KIT) is designed as a project-level resourcemore » to access and communicate technical information. The e-KIT is a living tool that grows as new information becomes available, and its value to the project increases as the volume of site information increases. Having all references assembled in one location with complete reference citations and links to elements of the site conceptual model offers a way to enhance communication with outside groups. The published and unpublished references are incorporated into the e-KIT, while the compendium of references serves as a complete bibliography for the project. (authors)« less

Evolution: Advancing Communities of Practice in Naval Intelligence

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-06-01

Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0704-0188) Washington DC 20503. 1. AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank) 2...principles of Knowledge Management (KM). One of the key components of KM is the Community of Practice. Communities of Practice are groups that form to

Formalization of the engineering science discipline - knowledge engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Xiao

Knowledge is the most precious ingredient facilitating aerospace engineering research and product development activities. Currently, the most common knowledge retention methods are paper-based documents, such as reports, books and journals. However, those media have innate weaknesses. For example, four generations of flying wing aircraft (Horten, Northrop XB-35/YB-49, Boeing BWB and many others) were mostly developed in isolation. The subsequent engineers were not aware of the previous developments, because these projects were documented such which prevented the next generation of engineers to benefit from the previous lessons learned. In this manner, inefficient knowledge retention methods have become a primary obstacle for knowledge transfer from the experienced to the next generation of engineers. In addition, the quality of knowledge itself is a vital criterion; thus, an accurate measure of the quality of 'knowledge' is required. Although qualitative knowledge evaluation criteria have been researched in other disciplines, such as the AAA criterion by Ernest Sosa stemming from the field of philosophy, a quantitative knowledge evaluation criterion needs to be developed which is capable to numerically determine the qualities of knowledge for aerospace engineering research and product development activities. To provide engineers with a high-quality knowledge management tool, the engineering science discipline Knowledge Engineering has been formalized to systematically address knowledge retention issues. This research undertaking formalizes Knowledge Engineering as follows: 1. Categorize knowledge according to its formats and representations for the first time, which serves as the foundation for the subsequent knowledge management function development. 2. Develop an efficiency evaluation criterion for knowledge management by analyzing the characteristics of both knowledge and the parties involved in the knowledge management processes. 3. Propose and develop an innovative Knowledge-Based System (KBS), AVD KBS, forming a systematic approach facilitating knowledge management. 4. Demonstrate the efficiency advantages of AVDKBS over traditional knowledge management methods via selected design case studies. This research formalizes, for the first time, Knowledge Engineering as a distinct discipline by delivering a robust and high-quality knowledge management and process tool, AVDKBS. Formalizing knowledge proves to significantly impact the effectiveness of aerospace knowledge retention and utilization.

Knowledge capture and the retirement of the director of finance: succession planning in the San Mateo County Human Services Agency.

PubMed

Winship, Kathy

2012-01-01

Concern over the impending retirement of several top-level managers led a county agency to engage in efforts aimed at more efficient succession management. Administrators developed plans to prevent the loss of invaluable knowledge and wisdom accompanying retirement of experienced agency leaders. The agency's Director of Finance (DoF) was one of the first key figures projected to retire, and a succession plan was implemented to transfer his knowledge for use after his departure. The knowledge transfer process involved three stages, including: (1) employing the DoF as teacher, having him develop curricula and conduct trainings; (2) engaging the DoF as mentor, allowing an existing staff member and the DoF's successor to shadow and be coached by the DoF; and (3) developing a knowledge management system that could be used after the DoF departed. This case study describes the knowledge transfer process and experiences shared by the DoF and this agency. Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

Projecting Project Management's Future within the Academic Landscape

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Halfond, Jay A.

2011-01-01

U.S. universities have had century-long success in absorbing existing professions into their curricula--by making academe their gatekeeper. These professions often started with apprenticeships and short training courses leading to a certification examination--and were then elevated and "academized" into a comprehensive body of knowledge,…

Has the Starkey Project delivered on its commitments?

Treesearch

Jack Ward Thomas; Michael J. Wisdom

2004-01-01

The Starkey Project was conceived from intense debate about how best to manage habitats and populations of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and elk (Cervus elaphus) in western North America (Rowland et al. 1997). Founders of the research effort promised to provide definitive knowledge about effects of the dominant public land...

Collaborative Learning in Advanced Supply Systems: The KLASS Pilot Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rhodes, Ed; Carter, Ruth

2003-01-01

The Knowledge and Learning in Advanced Supply Systems (KLASS) project developed collaborative learning networks of suppliers in the British automotive and aerospace industries. Methods included face-to-face and distance learning, work toward National Vocational Qualifications, and diagnostic workshops for senior managers on improving quality,…

Farms and Learning Partnerships in Farming Systems Projects: A Response to the Challenges of Complexity in Agricultural Innovation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crawford, Anne; Nettle, Ruth; Paine, Mark; Kabore, Carolyn

2007-01-01

Managing the competing interests of productivity growth, environmental concerns, landscape change and societal expectations presents challenges for agricultural industries. Innovation projects supporting knowledge development to address these challenges often involve partnerships with commercial farms, a methodology which promises much but has…

Management of knowledge gaps: concept representation of things we don't know.

PubMed

Bleuer, Juerg P; Talerico, Daniele; Bösch, Kurt; Lampérière, Vincent; Ludwig, Christian A

2010-01-01

Suva (Swiss National Accident Insurance Fund) is the most important carrier of obligatory accident insurance in Switzerland. Its medical division supports doctors working in inpatient and outpatient care with comprehensive case management and with conciliar advice. The Suva hospitals provide inpatient rehabilitation. In 2002, Suva started the InWiM project. InWiM is an acronym and stands for "Integrierte Wissensbasen der Medizin", which can be translated as "Integrated Knowledge Bases in Medicine". Information retrieval within InWiM is achieved by means of the MeSH Index (Medical Subject Headings), the thesaurus of the United States National Library of Medicine (NLM). InWiM has now been extended towards the management not only of publications but also of areas where sound knowledge is missing, so called "knowledge gaps": Knowledge gaps are indexed with MeSH terms in a similar way to publications. This improves knowledge management: In particular it is possible to search and find knowledge gaps and solutions covering the same or a similar topic, thus allowing adequate collating and it prevents duplication of work. Furthermore, literature search strategies for the NML are predefined and do not need every time to be reinvented from scratch.

Report on a Two-Year Farm Management/Agricultural Mechanics Curriculum Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eighmy, Myron A.; Tews, Bradley D.

2006-01-01

The purpose of this project was to review the Farm Management curriculum at the North Dakota State College of Science (NDSCS) to determine if current curriculum content provides the knowledge and skills needed to be an entry-level farm manager in a contemporary farming operation. The nominal group technique was selected for this curriculum review.…

Fire and aquatic ecosystems of the western USA: Current knowledge and key questions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bisson, P.A.; Rieman, B.; Luce, C.; Hessburg, Paul F.; Lee, D.; Kershner, J.; Reeves, G.H.; Gresswell, Robert E.

2003-01-01

Understanding of the effects of wildland fire and fire management on aquatic and riparian ecosystems is an evolving field, with many questions still to be resolved. Limitations of current knowledge, and the certainty that fire management will continue, underscore the need to summarize available information. Integrating fire and fuels management with aquatic ecosystem conservation begins with recognizing that terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems are linked and dynamic, and that fire can play a critical role in maintaining aquatic ecological diversity. To protect aquatic ecosystems we argue that it will be important to: (1) accommodate fire-related and other ecological processes that maintain aquatic habitats and biodiversity, and not simply control fires or fuels; (2) prioritize projects according to risks and opportunities for fire control and the protection of aquatic ecosystems; and (3) develop new consistency in the management and regulatory process. Ultimately, all natural resource management is uncertain; the role of science is to apply experimental design and hypothesis testing to management applications that affect fire and aquatic ecosystems. Policy-makers and the public will benefit from an expanded appreciation of fire ecology that enables them to implement watershed management projects as experiments with hypothesized outcomes, adequate controls, and replication.

ARCUS Project Managers and the Intangible Infrastructure of Large Interdisciplinary Arctic Research Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Myers, B.; Wiggins, H. V.; Turner-Bogren, E. J.; Warburton, J.

2017-12-01

Project Managers at the Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS) lead initiatives to convene, communicate with, and connect the Arctic research community across challenging disciplinary, geographic, temporal, and cultural boundaries. They regularly serve as the organizing hubs, archivists and memory-keepers for collaborative projects comprised of many loosely affiliated partners. As leading organizers of large open science meetings and other outreach events, they also monitor the interdisciplinary landscape of community needs, concerns, opportunities, and emerging research directions. However, leveraging the ARCUS Project Manager role to strategically build out the intangible infrastructure necessary to advance Arctic research requires a unique set of knowledge, skills, and experience. Drawing on a range of lessons learned from past and ongoing experiences with collaborative science, education and outreach programming, this presentation will highlight a model of ARCUS project management that we believe works best to support and sustain our community in its long-term effort to conquer the complexities of Arctic research.

When Measurement Benefits the Measured

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-04-23

manage how you estimate your work and how you manage the quality of our work. Knowledge workers manage themselves with data. Software engineers...development, coaching, and training. His current research and development interests include data quality assessment and improvement, project...was an engineer and manager at Boeing in Seattle. He has a Masters Degree in Systems Engineering and is a senior member of IEEE. Mark is a certified

Project Overview: A Reef Manager’s Guide to Coral Bleaching

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of this report is to provide the latest scientific knowledge and discuss available management options to assist local and regional managers in responding effectively to mass coral bleaching events.

Background

Software Tools Streamline Project Management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2009-01-01

Three innovative software inventions from Ames Research Center (NETMARK, Program Management Tool, and Query-Based Document Management) are finding their way into NASA missions as well as industry applications. The first, NETMARK, is a program that enables integrated searching of data stored in a variety of databases and documents, meaning that users no longer have to look in several places for related information. NETMARK allows users to search and query information across all of these sources in one step. This cross-cutting capability in information analysis has exponentially reduced the amount of time needed to mine data from days or weeks to mere seconds. NETMARK has been used widely throughout NASA, enabling this automatic integration of information across many documents and databases. NASA projects that use NETMARK include the internal reporting system and project performance dashboard, Erasmus, NASA s enterprise management tool, which enhances organizational collaboration and information sharing through document routing and review; the Integrated Financial Management Program; International Space Station Knowledge Management; Mishap and Anomaly Information Reporting System; and management of the Mars Exploration Rovers. Approximately $1 billion worth of NASA s projects are currently managed using Program Management Tool (PMT), which is based on NETMARK. PMT is a comprehensive, Web-enabled application tool used to assist program and project managers within NASA enterprises in monitoring, disseminating, and tracking the progress of program and project milestones and other relevant resources. The PMT consists of an integrated knowledge repository built upon advanced enterprise-wide database integration techniques and the latest Web-enabled technologies. The current system is in a pilot operational mode allowing users to automatically manage, track, define, update, and view customizable milestone objectives and goals. The third software invention, Query-Based Document Management (QBDM) is a tool that enables content or context searches, either simple or hierarchical, across a variety of databases. The system enables users to specify notification subscriptions where they associate "contexts of interest" and "events of interest" to one or more documents or collection(s) of documents. Based on these subscriptions, users receive notification when the events of interest occur within the contexts of interest for associated document or collection(s) of documents. Users can also associate at least one notification time as part of the notification subscription, with at least one option for the time period of notifications.

Engaging indigenous and academic knowledge on bees in the Amazon: implications for environmental management and transdisciplinary research.

PubMed

Athayde, Simone; Stepp, John Richard; Ballester, Wemerson C

2016-06-20

This paper contributes to the development of theoretical and methodological approaches that aim to engage indigenous, technical and academic knowledge for environmental management. We present an exploratory analysis of a transdisciplinary project carried out to identify and contrast indigenous and academic perspectives on the relationship between the Africanized honey bee and stingless bee species in the Brazilian Amazon. The project was developed by practitioners and researchers of the Instituto Socioambiental (ISA, a Brazilian NGO), responding to a concern raised by a funding agency, regarding the potential impact of apiculture development by indigenous peoples, on the diversity of stingless bee species in the Xingu Park, southern Brazilian Amazon. Research and educational activities were carried out among four indigenous peoples: Kawaiwete or Kaiabi, Yudja or Juruna, Kīsêdjê or Suyá and Ikpeng or Txicão. A constructivist qualitative approach was developed, which included academic literature review, conduction of semi-structured interviews with elders and leaders, community focus groups, field walks and workshops in schools in four villages. Semi-structured interviews and on-line surveys were carried out among academic experts and practitioners. We found that in both indigenous and scientific perspectives, diversity is a key aspect in keeping exotic and native species in balance and thus avoiding heightened competition and extinction. The Africanized honey bee was compared to the non-indigenous westerners who colonized the Americas, with whom indigenous peoples had to learn to coexist. We identify challenges and opportunities for engagement of indigenous and scientific knowledge for research and management of bee species in the Amazon. A combination of small-scale apiculture and meliponiculture is viewed as an approach that might help to maintain biological and cultural diversity in Amazonian landscapes. The articulation of knowledge from non-indigenous practitioners and researchers with that of indigenous peoples might inform sustainable management practices that are, at the same time, respectful of indigenous perspectives and intellectual property rights. However, there are ontological, epistemological, political and financial barriers and constraints that need to be addressed in transdisciplinary research projects inter-relating academic, technical and indigenous knowledge systems for environmental management.

Stakeholders and public involvement for flood protection: traditional river management organisations for a better consideration of local knowledge?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Utz, Stephan; Lane, Stuart; Reynard, Emmanuel

2016-04-01

This research explores participatory processes in the domain of river management in Switzerland. The main objective is to understand how traditional, highly participatory, local organisations for flood protection have been institutionalised into current river management policy, and to what extent this has impacted on wider participatory processes of producing knowledge. Traditionally, flood protection strategies have been based upon scientific knowledge but have often ignored the capacities of local actors to contribute to the development of the policy. Thus, there may be a gap between scientists, stakeholders and the public that favours controversies and leads to opposition to flood protection projects. In order to reduce this gap and to increase incorporation of local knowledge, participatory processes are set up. They are considered as allowing the integration of all the actors concerned by flood risks to discuss their positions and to develop alternative solutions. This is a particularly important goal in the Swiss political system where direct democracy (the possibility of calling the decision of any level of government into question through a popular vote) means that a reasonable level of project acceptance is a necessary element of project. In order to support implementation of participatory processes, federal funding includes a special grant to cover the additional costs due to these actions. It is considered that, since its introduction in 2008, this grant certainly furthered participatory processes for flood protection projects and fostered water management policy implementation. However, the implication of stakeholders and public in decision-making processes is much well-established than modern river management often assumes. In some regions, flood protection tasks have been traditionally assumed by local organisations such as dyke corporations (DCs). These comprise land and property owners who are DC members and have to participate in flood protection tasks. All members have to pay an annual contribution and can vote about decisions taken by the corporation. In that sense, DCs may be considered as common-pool resource institutions according to Ostrom's (1990) definition (see also Thomi, 2010). Initially, they were local and non-governmental institutions, fully responsible for flood protection in their catchment. But, progressively DCs have been institutionalised and replaced or weakened, bound to apply governmental requirements for flood protection to secure funding of their projects. The increasing complexity of water management through proliferation of norms like river restoration, but also socio-political changes make DCs struggle in delivering flood protection tasks nowadays. Finally, this study demonstrates the effectiveness of DCs for participative decision-making and integration of local flood risk knowledge, reinforcing the conclusions by Gerber et al. (2008) that noticed the usefulness of such self-governing institutions for the implementation of environmental policies in Switzerland. The aim is to show in which way those assets have been modified by the progressive institutionalisation of DCs, and how this has led to the hybridisation of these organisations. Through this case study the factors affecting water management knowledge inclusion and co-production will be discussed, and more generally the importance of such processes for effective flood protection. References Gerber J.D., Nahrath S., Reynard E., Thomi L. (2008). The role of common pool resource institutions in the implementation of Swiss natural resource management policy, Int. Journal of the Commons, 2/2, 222-247. Ostrom E. (1990). Governing the Commons. The evolution of institutions for collective action. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. Thomi L. (2010) Rôle des paramètres sociopolitiques et des connaissances dans la gestion des risques hydrologiques. PhD Thesis, University of Lausanne.

INTEGRATING HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT PRINCIPLES IN FORMULARY MANAGEMENT.

PubMed

Teng, Monica; Khoo, Ai Leng; Zhao, Ying Jiao; Lin, Liang; Lim, Boon Peng

2016-01-01

Effective formulary management in healthcare institutions safeguards rational drug use and optimizes health outcomes. We implemented a formulary management program integrating the principles of health technology assessment (HTA) to improve the safe, appropriate, and cost-effective use of medicine in Singapore. A 3-year formulary management program was initiated in 2011 in five public healthcare institutions. This program was managed by a project team comprising HTA researchers. The project team worked with institutional pharmacy and therapeutics (P&T) committees to: (i) develop tools for formulary drug review and decision making; (ii) enhance the HTA knowledge and skills of formulary pharmacists and members of P&T committees; (iii) devise a prioritization framework to overcome resource constraints and time pressure; and (iv) conceptualize and implement a framework to review existing formulary. Tools that facilitate drug request submission, drug review, and decision making were developed for formulary drug inclusion. A systematic framework to review existing formulary was also developed and tested in selected institutions. A competency development plan was rolled out over 2 years to enhance formulary pharmacists' proficiency in systematic literature search and review, meta-analysis, and pharmacoeconomic evaluation. The plan comprised training workshops and on-the-job knowledge transfer between the project team and institutional formulary pharmacists through collaborating on selected drug reviews. A resource guide that consolidated the tools and templates was published to encourage the adoption of best practices in formulary management. Based on the concepts of HTA, we implemented an evidence-based approach to optimize formulary management.

Career Development Opportunities for Educational Linking Agents. A Guide to Preliminary Planning and Locating Resources.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosenau, Fred S.

Suggestions are made for helping project managers aid educational linking agents in acquiring new skills or sharpening existing skills. These tentative suggestions are grouped into five categories: (l) skill/knowledge domains; (2) setting priorities; (3) choosing among options; (4) selecting trainers; (5) resources. Skill/knowledge priorities…

Results of a NASA Kennedy Space Center Earned Value Management Pilot Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Delgado, Hector N.; Rhodeside, Glenn R.

2004-01-01

The Earn Value Management Pilot provided a tremendous amount of data on the strengths and weaknesses of the new financial system, the ability to support EVM from many viewpoints, the lack of tools for small to medium projects implementing EVM, and the training and environment necessary to successfully deploy EVM to all projects. This data along with other pilots will prove invaluable. Deploying EVM should not be taken lightly - a full assessment of capabilities and supporting infrastructure should be done prior to any deployment, and some very basic questions should be asked. For instance, will sufficient training be provided? Can the project managers readily and easily obtain all the necessary data? If EVM is to thrive in all projects regardless of cost, the transition should be as seamless as possible, minimizing cost and effort, and with the end user in mind. In setting up an EVM implementation, the question, "How does the project manager benefit from this process?" must remain at the forefront. Further research in this area is needed to answer the question,"Is EVM cost effective in small projects?" The authors welcome knowledge sharing with other organizations that are striving to gain the benefits of EVM on small projects.

Integrated Assessment of Prevention and Restoration Actions to Combat Desertification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bautista, S.; Orr, B. J.; Vallejo, R.

2009-12-01

Recent advances in desertification and land degradation research have provided valuable conceptual and analytical frameworks, degradation indicators, assessment tools and surveillance systems with respect to desertification drivers, processes, and impacts. These findings, together with stakeholders’ perceptions and local/regional knowledge, have helped to define and propose measures and strategies to combat land degradation. However, integrated and comprehensive assessment and evaluation of prevention and restoration strategies and techniques to combat desertification is still lacking, and knowledge on the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of the proposed strategies over a wide range of environmental and socio-economic conditions is very scarce. To address this challenge, we have launched a multinational project (PRACTICE - Prevention and Restoration Actions to Combat Desertification. An Integrated Assessment), funded by the European Commission, in order to link S & T advances and traditional knowledge on prevention and restoration practices to combat desertification with sound implementation, learning and adaptive management, knowledge sharing, and dissemination of best practices. The key activities for pursuing this goal are (1) to establish a platform and information system of long-term monitoring sites for assessing sustainable management and actions to combat desertification, (2) to define an integrated protocol for the assessment of these actions, and (3) to link project assessment and evaluation with training and education, adaptive management, and knowledge sharing and dissemination through a participatory approach involving scientists, managers, technicians, financial officers, and members of the public who are/were impacted by the desertification control projects. Monitoring sites are distributed in the Mediterranean Europe (Greece, Italy, Spain, and Portugal), Africa (Morocco, Namibia, South Africa), Middle East (Israel), China, and South and North America (Chile, Mexico, and USA). PRACTICE integrated assessment protocol (IAPro) assumes the mutual human-environment interactions in land-use/cover change at multiple scales, and therefore adopts an integrated approach, which simultaneously considers both biophysical and socio-economic attributes, for assessing actions to combat desertification. IAPro mostly relies on critical slow variables and particularly exploits long-term monitoring data. Integration of biophysical and socio-economic assessment indicators and stakeholder preferences is based on a participatory multi-criteria decision making process. The process is iterative and provides a framework for knowledge exchange and a path to consensus building.

Evaluating success criteria and project monitoring in river enhancement within an adaptive management framework

USGS Publications Warehouse

O'Donnell, T. K.; Galat, D.L.

2008-01-01

Objective setting, performance measures, and accountability are important components of an adaptive-management approach to river-enhancement programs. Few lessons learned by river-enhancement practitioners in the United States have been documented and disseminated relative to the number of projects implemented. We conducted scripted telephone surveys with river-enhancement project managers and practitioners within the Upper Mississippi River Basin (UMRB) to determine the extent of setting project success criteria, monitoring, evaluation of monitoring data, and data dissemination. Investigation of these elements enabled a determination of those that inhibited adaptive management. Seventy river enhancement projects were surveyed. Only 34% of projects surveyed incorporated a quantified measure of project success. Managers most often relied on geophysical attributes of rivers when setting project success criteria, followed by biological communities. Ninety-one percent of projects that performed monitoring included biologic variables, but the lack of data collection before and after project completion and lack of field-based reference or control sites will make future assessments of ecologic success difficult. Twenty percent of projects that performed monitoring evaluated ???1 variable but did not disseminate their evaluations outside their organization. Results suggest greater incentives may be required to advance the science of river enhancement. Future river-enhancement programs within the UMRB and elsewhere can increase knowledge gained from individual projects by offering better guidance on setting success criteria before project initiation and evaluation through established monitoring protocols. ?? 2007 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

Introducing Risk Management Techniques Within Project Based Software Engineering Courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Port, Daniel; Boehm, Barry

2002-03-01

In 1996, USC switched its core two-semester software engineering course from a hypothetical-project, homework-and-exam course based on the Bloom taxonomy of educational objectives (knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation). The revised course is a real-client team-project course based on the CRESST model of learning objectives (content understanding, problem solving, collaboration, communication, and self-regulation). We used the CRESST cognitive demands analysis to determine the necessary student skills required for software risk management and the other major project activities, and have been refining the approach over the last 5 years of experience, including revised versions for one-semester undergraduate and graduate project course at Columbia. This paper summarizes our experiences in evolving the risk management aspects of the project course. These have helped us mature more general techniques such as risk-driven specifications, domain-specific simplifier and complicator lists, and the schedule as an independent variable (SAIV) process model. The largely positive results in terms of review of pass / fail rates, client evaluations, product adoption rates, and hiring manager feedback are summarized as well.

A Knowledge Portal and Collaboration Environment for the Earth Sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Agnese, F. A.

2008-12-01

Earth Knowledge is developing a web-based 'Knowledge Portal and Collaboration Environment' that will serve as the information-technology-based foundation of a modular Internet-based Earth-Systems Monitoring, Analysis, and Management Tool. This 'Knowledge Portal' is essentially a 'mash- up' of web-based and client-based tools and services that support on-line collaboration, community discussion, and broad public dissemination of earth and environmental science information in a wide-area distributed network. In contrast to specialized knowledge-management or geographic-information systems developed for long- term and incremental scientific analysis, this system will exploit familiar software tools using industry standard protocols, formats, and APIs to discover, process, fuse, and visualize existing environmental datasets using Google Earth and Google Maps. An early form of these tools and services is being used by Earth Knowledge to facilitate the investigations and conversations of scientists, resource managers, and citizen-stakeholders addressing water resource sustainability issues in the Great Basin region of the desert southwestern United States. These ongoing projects will serve as use cases for the further development of this information-technology infrastructure. This 'Knowledge Portal' will accelerate the deployment of Earth- system data and information into an operational knowledge management system that may be used by decision-makers concerned with stewardship of water resources in the American Desert Southwest.

Developing an Environmental Decision Support System for Stream Management: the STREAMES Experience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riera, J.; Argerich, A.; Comas, J.; Llorens, E.; Martí, E.; Godé, L.; Pargament, D.; Puig, M.; Sabater, F.

2005-05-01

Transferring research knowledge to stream managers is crucial for scientifically sound management. Environmental decision support systems are advocated as an effective means to accomplish this. STREAMES (STream REAach Management: an Expert System) is a decision tree based EDSS prototype developed within the context of an European project as a tool to assist water managers in the diagnosis of problems, detection of causes, and selection of management strategies for coping with stream degradation issues related mostly to excess nutrient availability. STREAMES was developed by a team of scientists, water managers, and experts in knowledge engineering. Although the tool focuses on management at the stream reach scale, it also incorporates a mass-balance catchment nutrient emission model and a simple GIS module. We will briefly present the prototype and share our experience in its development. Emphasis will be placed on the process of knowledge acquisition, the design process, the pitfalls and benefits of the communication between scientists and managers, and the potential for future development of STREAMES, particularly in the context of the EU Water Framework Directive.

A Knowledge Engineering Approach to Analysis and Evaluation of Construction Schedules

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-02-01

software engineering discipline focusing on constructing KBSs. It is an incremental and cyclical process that requires the interaction of a domain expert(s...the U.S. Army Coips of Engineers ; and (3) the project management software developer, represented by Pinnell Engineering , Inc. Since the primary...the programming skills necessary to convert the raw knowledge intn a form a computer can understand. knowledge engineering : The software engineering

A Menu of Options for Developing Tribal Air Grant Work Plans and Managing Grants for Environmental Results

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Tool to assist tribes that apply for Clean Air Act (CAA) funding to draft more effective work plans for projects that will develop tribal knowledge of air quality issues and build tribal expertise to manage air quality on tribal lands.

Academic Entrepreneurship vs. Changing Governance and Institutional Management Structures at European Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kwiek, Marek

2008-01-01

This article discusses academic entrepreneurship in the context of ongoing changes in university management and governance in European universities. The comparative perspective is provided by the European Union (EU) research project "European Universities for Entrepreneurship: Their Role in the Europe of Knowledge" (EUEREK) comprising…

Knowledge management strategies: Enhancing knowledge transfer to clinicians and patients.

PubMed

Roemer, Lorrie K; Rocha, Roberto A; Del Fiol, Guilherme; Bradshaw, Richard L; Hanna, Timothy P; Hulse, Nathan C

2006-01-01

At Intermountain Healthcare (Intermountain), executive clinical content experts are responsible for disseminating consistent evidence-based clinical content throughout the enterprise at the point-of-care. With a paper-based system it was difficult to ensure that current information was received and was being used in practice. With electronic information systems multiple applications were supplying similar, but different, vendor-licensed and locally-developed content. These issues influenced the consistency of clinical practice within the enterprise, jeopardized patient and clinician safety, and exposed the enterprise and its employees to potential financial penalties. In response to these issues Intermountain is developing a knowledge management infrastructure providing tools and services to support clinical content development, deployment, maintenance, and communication. The Intermountain knowledge management philosophy includes strategies guiding clinicians and consumers of health information to relevant best practice information with the intention of changing behaviors. This paper presents three case studies describing different information management problems identified within Intermountain, methods used to solve the problems, implementation challenges, and the current status of each project.

Assess, Map and Predict the Integrity, Resilience, and ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This project will provide knowledge and adaptive management techniques to both maintain healthy waters and to improve degraded systems. It will provide scientific support for the National Aquatic Resource Surveys. Results will provide a basis for informed decision making and tools applicable to EPA program office and regional needs at national regional, and local scales. The research products, tools, models, and maps produced will be an excellent means to communicate management options with stakeholders. To share information about SSWR research projects

A viewpoint-based case-based reasoning approach utilising an enterprise architecture ontology for experience management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, Andreas; Emmenegger, Sandro; Hinkelmann, Knut; Thönssen, Barbara

2017-04-01

The accessibility of project knowledge obtained from experiences is an important and crucial issue in enterprises. This information need about project knowledge can be different from one person to another depending on the different roles he or she has. Therefore, a new ontology-based case-based reasoning (OBCBR) approach that utilises an enterprise ontology is introduced in this article to improve the accessibility of this project knowledge. Utilising an enterprise ontology improves the case-based reasoning (CBR) system through the systematic inclusion of enterprise-specific knowledge. This enterprise-specific knowledge is captured using the overall structure given by the enterprise ontology named ArchiMEO, which is a partial ontological realisation of the enterprise architecture framework (EAF) ArchiMate. This ontological representation, containing historical cases and specific enterprise domain knowledge, is applied in a new OBCBR approach. To support the different information needs of different stakeholders, this OBCBR approach has been built in such a way that different views, viewpoints, concerns and stakeholders can be considered. This is realised using a case viewpoint model derived from the ISO/IEC/IEEE 42010 standard. The introduced approach was implemented as a demonstrator and evaluated using an application case that has been elicited from a business partner in the Swiss research project.

Use of Satellite SAR Data for Seismic Risk Management: Results from the Pre-Operational ASI-SIGRIS Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salvi, Stefano; Vignoli, Stefano; Zoffoli, Simona; Bosi, Vittorio

2010-12-01

The scope of the SIGRIS pilot project is the development of an infrastructure to provide value-added information services for the seismic risk management, assuring a close integration between ground-based and satellite Earth Observation data. The project is presently in the demonstration phase, and various information products are constantly generated and disseminated to the main user, the Italian Civil Protection Department. We show some examples of the products generated during the Crisis management of the 2009 L'Aquila earthquake in Central Italy. We also show an example of products generated for the Knowledge and Prevention service in support of the seismic hazard assessment in the area of the Straits of Messina.

How Can Clients Improve the Quality of Transport Infrastructure Projects? The Role of Knowledge Management and Incentives

PubMed Central

Warsame, Abukar; Borg, Lena; Lind, Hans

2013-01-01

The aim of this paper is to argue for a number of statements about what is important for a client to do in order to improve quality in new infrastructure projects, with a focus on procurement and organizational issues. The paper synthesizes theoretical and empirical results concerning organizational performance, especially the role of the client for the quality of a project. The theoretical framework used is contract theory and transaction cost theory, where assumptions about rationality and self-interest are made and where incentive problems, asymmetric information, and moral hazard are central concepts. It is argued that choice of procurement type will not be a crucial factor. There is no procurement method that guarantees a better quality than another. We argue that given the right conditions all procurement methods can give good results, and given the wrong conditions, all of them can lead to low quality. What is crucial is how the client organization manages knowledge and the incentives for the members of the organization. This can be summarized as “organizational culture.” One way to improve knowledge and create incentives is to use independent second opinions in a systematic way. PMID:24250274

Collaboration with Environmental Protection Administration Taiwan (EPAT)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Through this partnership, U.S. and Taiwan environmental authorities have developed a strong capacity to reduce pollution and manage the environment through joint projects, innovate research, and knowledge exchange.

Social science informing forest management — bringing new knowledge to fuels managers

Treesearch

Pamela Jakes

2007-01-01

To improve access, interpretability, and use of the full body of research, a pilot project was initiated by the USDA Forest Service to synthesize relevant scientific information and develop publications and decision support tools that managers can use to inform fuels treatment plans. This article provides an overview of the work of the Social Science Core Team. Team...

Wilderness science in a time of change conference-Volume 4: Wilderness visitors, experiences, and visitor management; 1999 May 23-27; Missoula, MT

Treesearch

David N. Cole; Stephen F. McCool; William T. Borrie; Jennifer O' Loughlin

2000-01-01

Thirty-seven papers are presented on wilderness visitors, experiences, and visitor management. Three overview papers synthesize knowledge and research about wilderness visitors, management of visitor experiences, and wilderness recreation planning. Other papers contain the results of specific research projects on wilderness visitors, information and education, and...

An Examination of the Social Systems of Engineering Projects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawson, Errol

2006-01-01

In this article, the author describes his PhD thesis, titled "An examination of the social systems of engineering projects," which was transdisciplinary in that it drew from bodies of knowledge in domains of engineering, management, sociology, education and philosophy. The thesis drew together threads of the representation of real-world entities…

Self-management for patients with inflammatory bowel disease in a gastroenterology ward in China: a best practice implementation project.

PubMed

Chen, Ruo-Bing

2016-11-01

Globally, there is an increasing incidence of inflammatory bowel disease. It is very important for patients to be involved with self-management that can optimize personal heath behavior to control the disease. The aim of this project was to increase nursing staff knowledge of inflammatory bowel disease discharge guidance, and to improve the quality of education for discharged patients, thereby improving their self-management. A baseline audit was conducted by interviewing 30 patients in the gastroenterology ward of Huadong Hospital, Fudan University. The project utilized the Joanna Briggs Institute's Practical Application of Clinical Evidence System and Getting Research Into Practice audit tools for promoting quality of education and self-management of patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Thirty patients were provided with written materials, which included disease education and information regarding self-management. A post-implementation audit was conducted. There was improvement of education prior to discharge and dietary consultancy in the gastroenterology ward. Self-management plans utilizing written materials only were not sufficient for ensuring sustainability of the project. Comprehensive self-management education can make a contribution to improving awareness of the importance of self-management for patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Mainstreaming conservation agriculture in Malawi: Knowledge gaps and institutional barriers.

PubMed

Dougill, Andrew J; Whitfield, Stephen; Stringer, Lindsay C; Vincent, Katharine; Wood, Benjamin T; Chinseu, Edna L; Steward, Peter; Mkwambisi, David D

2017-06-15

Conservation agriculture (CA) practices of reduced soil tillage, permanent organic soil coverage and intercropping/crop rotation, are being advocated globally, based on perceived benefits for crop yields, soil carbon storage, weed suppression, reduced soil erosion and improved soil water retention. However, some have questioned their efficacy due to uncertainty around the performance and trade-offs associated with CA practices, and their compatibility with the diverse livelihood strategies and varied agro-ecological conditions across African smallholder systems. This paper assesses the role of key institutions in Malawi in shaping pathways towards more sustainable land management based on CA by outlining their impact on national policy-making and the design and implementation of agricultural development projects. It draws on interviews at national, district and project levels and a multi-stakeholder workshop that mapped the institutional landscape of decision-making for agricultural land management practices. Findings identify knowledge gaps and institutional barriers that influence land management decision-making and constrain CA uptake. We use our findings to set out an integrated roadmap of research needs and policy options aimed at supporting CA as a route to enhanced sustainable land management in Malawi. Findings offer lessons that can inform design, planning and implementation of CA projects, and identify the multi-level institutional support structures required for mainstreaming sustainable land management in sub-Saharan Africa. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nonstructural urban stormwater quality measures: building a knowledge base to improve their use.

PubMed

Taylor, André C; Fletcher, Tim D

2007-05-01

This article summarizes a research project that investigated the use, performance, cost, and evaluation of nonstructural measures to improve urban stormwater quality. A survey of urban stormwater managers from Australia, New Zealand, and the United States revealed a widespread trend of increasing use of nonstructural measures among leading stormwater management agencies, with at least 76% of 41 types of nonstructural measures being found to be increasing in use. Data gathered from the survey, an international literature review, and a multicriteria analysis highlighted four nonstructural measures of greatest potential value: mandatory town planning controls that promote the adoption of low-impact development principles and techniques; development of strategic urban stormwater management plans for a city, shire, or catchment; stormwater management measures and programs for construction/building sites; and stormwater management activities related to municipal maintenance operations such as maintenance of the stormwater drainage network and manual litter collections. Knowledge gained on the use and performance of nonstructural measures from the survey, literature review, and three trial evaluation projects was used to develop tailored monitoring and evaluation guidelines for these types of measure. These guidelines incorporate a new evaluation framework based on seven alternative styles of evaluation that range from simply monitoring whether a nonstructural measure has been fully implemented to monitoring its impact on waterway health. This research helps to build the stormwater management industry's knowledge base concerning nonstructural measures and provides a practical tool to address common impediments associated with monitoring and evaluating the performance and cost of these measures.

A knowledge discovery object model API for Java

PubMed Central

Zuyderduyn, Scott D; Jones, Steven JM

2003-01-01

Background Biological data resources have become heterogeneous and derive from multiple sources. This introduces challenges in the management and utilization of this data in software development. Although efforts are underway to create a standard format for the transmission and storage of biological data, this objective has yet to be fully realized. Results This work describes an application programming interface (API) that provides a framework for developing an effective biological knowledge ontology for Java-based software projects. The API provides a robust framework for the data acquisition and management needs of an ontology implementation. In addition, the API contains classes to assist in creating GUIs to represent this data visually. Conclusions The Knowledge Discovery Object Model (KDOM) API is particularly useful for medium to large applications, or for a number of smaller software projects with common characteristics or objectives. KDOM can be coupled effectively with other biologically relevant APIs and classes. Source code, libraries, documentation and examples are available at . PMID:14583100

Improving the Professional Knowledge Base for Education: Using Knowledge Management and Web 2.0 Tools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leask, Marilyn

2011-01-01

Improving education systems is an elusive goal. Despite considerable investment, international studies such as the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) project of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the McKinsey Report, "How The World's Best Performing Schools Come Out On Top", indicate that improving…

The treatment implementation advisor: a component of the GypsES project

Treesearch

Michael C. Saunders; Michael A. Foster

1991-01-01

The treatment implementation advisor is one of the knowledge based advisory modules of GypsES, a knowledge system environment for decision support in gypsy moth management. Its function is to provide detailed advice on intervention tactics for gypsy moth: e.g. aerial and ground application of insecticides and microbials, inundative or augmentative releases of...

Experience as Knowledge in a New Product Development Team: Implications for Knowledge Management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cooper, Lynne P.

2009-01-01

This study was conducted to better understand how New Product Development (NPD) team members apply their experiences to meet the task needs of their project. Although "experience" is highly valued in team members, little research has looked specifically at experiences as a type of knowledge, and how this knowledge is used in work settings. This research evaluated nearly 200 instances where team members referenced past experiences during team meetings. During these experience exchanges, team members structured the sharing of their experiences to include three common elements: the source of the experience, the nature of the experience, and the degree of relevance to the current work of the team. The experiences fell into four categories: people (relationships), process, product, and politics. This paper describes how team members structured, applied, and integrated their individual experiences and presents the resulting implications for knowledge management systems that wish to exploit experience knowledge.

The Interpretation of a Knowledge Claim in the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and the Impact of This on RPL Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Graaff, Frederika

2014-01-01

The question addressed in this paper is: what does a knowledge claim consist of in the context of the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)? The research comprises a case study of RPL applicants' entry into a postgraduate diploma (a fourth-year programme) in project management. The focus is on the knowledge claims made as part of the RPL application…

Development of a component centered fault monitoring and diagnosis knowledge based system for space power system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, S. C.; Lollar, Louis F.

1988-01-01

The overall approach currently being taken in the development of AMPERES (Autonomously Managed Power System Extendable Real-time Expert System), a knowledge-based expert system for fault monitoring and diagnosis of space power systems, is discussed. The system architecture, knowledge representation, and fault monitoring and diagnosis strategy are examined. A 'component-centered' approach developed in this project is described. Critical issues requiring further study are identified.

Leadership and management influences the outcome of wildlife reintroduction programs: findings from the Sea Eagle Recovery Project.

PubMed

Sutton, Alexandra E

2015-01-01

Wildlife reintroductions and translocations are statistically unlikely to succeed. Nevertheless, they remain a critical part of conservation because they are the only way to actively restore a species into a habitat from which it has been extirpated. Past efforts to improve these practices have attributed the low success rate to failures in the biological knowledge (e.g., ignorance of social behavior, poor release site selection), or to the inherent challenges of reinstating a species into an area where threats have already driven it to local extinction. Such research presumes that the only way to improve reintroduction outcomes is through improved biological knowledge. This emphasis on biological solutions may have caused researchers to overlook the potential influence of other factors on reintroduction outcomes. I employed a grounded theory approach to study the leadership and management of a successful reintroduction program (the Sea Eagle Recovery Project in Scotland, UK) and identify four critical managerial elements that I theorize may have contributed to the successful outcome of this 50-year reintroduction. These elements are: 1. Leadership & Management: Small, dedicated team of accessible experts who provide strong political and scientific advocacy ("champions") for the project. 2. Hierarchy & Autonomy: Hierarchical management structure that nevertheless permits high individual autonomy. 3. Goals & Evaluation: Formalized goal-setting and regular, critical evaluation of the project's progress toward those goals. 4. Adaptive Public Relations: Adaptive outreach campaigns that are open, transparent, inclusive (esp. linguistically), and culturally relevant.

Composting of Municipal Solid Wastes in the United States.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Breidenbach, Andrew W.

To gain more comprehensive knowledge about composting as a solid waste management tool and to better assess the limited information available, the Federal solid waste management program, within the U. S. Public Health Service, entered into a joint experimental windrow composting project in 1966 with the Tennessee Valley Authority and the City of…

Assessing Organization Culture Readiness for Knowledge Management Implementation: The Case of Aeronautical Systems Center Directorate of Contracting

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-03-01

effective change management techniques (Gibson, Ivancevich , & Donnelly, 2001). Based on case study 15 research, KM projects require more...Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. 1986. Gibson, J.L., J.M. Ivancevich , and J.H. Donnelly Jr. Organizations. (10th ed.). Boston: Irwin McGraw-Hill

Hydraulic Structures for Wetlands

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-08-01

storage, water treatment to remove undesirable materials, sediment trapping, and ground water recharge. Also required is a knowledge of the operation ... management and maintenance resources that will be available during the life of the project.

The syphilis elimination project: targeting the Hispanic community of Baltimore city.

PubMed

Endyke-Doran, Cara; Gonzalez, Rosa Maria; Trujillo, Marangellie; Solera, Angelo; Vigilance, Pierre N; Edwards, Lori A; Groves, Sara L

2007-01-01

The objective of the Syphilis Elimination Project was to decrease the incidence of syphilis in the Hispanic community of Baltimore City through a culturally appropriate health initiative. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used in the study design. Surveillance data were used to collect testing information. Comparisons at the start and end of the project measured change in individual knowledge about syphilis. Cross-sectional data from interviews with business owners and qualitative comments from outreach workers evaluated perception of program effectiveness. The local health department collected surveillance data. A convenience sample of 63 Hispanic community members, 12 business owners/managers, and 8 outreach workers was utilized throughout the evaluation process. The project was a culturally appropriate approach to health promotion with street and business outreach. Post intervention there was a statistically significant increase in knowledge about syphilis within the Hispanic community and an increase in testing behaviors. The Syphilis Elimination Project was created in response to a marked increase in syphilis in Baltimore among the Hispanic population and a health disparity that existed within the city. It increased community members' knowledge of syphilis and positively influenced testing behaviors.

Curriculum Weaving: Developing Creative Curricular Opportunities for Pre-Service Teachers and Elementary Students through Project-Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DuBois, Alison Lynn; Keller, Tina Marie

2016-01-01

Curriculum Weaving uses multi-layered goal planning designed to activate the students' prior knowledge, connect the student to student competencies and encourage them to engage in professionally-based, project management activities that will cultivate effective professional in the field classroom teacher. The focus of weaving these elements…

Money Management and the Consumer, Basic Economic Skills: "Baffled, Bothered, Bewildered".

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Florida State Dept. of Education, Tallahassee. Div. of Elementary and Secondary Education.

This document, one in a series of six Project SCAT (Skills for Consumers Applied Today) units for senior high school students, provides an overview of basic economic skills and consumer practices. Project SCAT is designed to help students develop basic skills, solve problems, and apply consumer knowledge necessary for making wise choices in the…

Student-Led Project Teams: Significance of Regulation Strategies in High- and Low-Performing Teams

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ainsworth, Judith

2016-01-01

We studied group and individual co-regulatory and self-regulatory strategies of self-managed student project teams using data from intragroup peer evaluations and a postproject survey. We found that high team performers shared their research and knowledge with others, collaborated to advise and give constructive criticism, and demonstrated moral…

Bromus response to climate and projected changes with climate change [Chapter 9

Treesearch

Bethany A. Bradley; Caroline A. Curtis; Jeanne C. Chambers

2016-01-01

A prominent goal of invasive plant management is to prevent or reduce the spread of invasive species into uninvaded landscapes and regions. Monitoring and control efforts often rely on scientific knowledge of suitable habitat for the invasive species. However, rising temperatures and altered precipitation projected with climate change are likely to shift the...

Towards a resilience management framework for complex enterprise systems upgrade implementation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teoh, Say Yen; Yeoh, William; Zadeh, Hossein Seif

2017-05-01

The lack of knowledge of how resilience management supports enterprise system (ES) projects accounts for the failure of firms to leverage their investments in costly ES implementations. Using a structured-pragmatic-situational (SPS) case study research approach, this paper reports on an investigation into the resilience management of a large utility company as it implemented an ES upgrade. Drawing on the literature and on the case study findings, we developed a process-based resilience management framework that involves three strategies (developing situation awareness, demystifying threats, and executing restoration plans) and four organisational capabilities that transform resilience management concepts into practices. We identified the crucial phases of ES upgrade implementation and developed indicators for how different strategies and capabilities of resilience management can assist managers at different stages of an ES upgrade. This research advances the state of existing knowledge by providing specific and verifiable propositions for attaining a state of resilience, the knowledge being grounded in the empirical reality of a case study. Moreover, the framework offers ES practitioners a roadmap to better identify appropriate responses and levels of preparedness.

Selection of Construction Methods: A Knowledge-Based Approach

PubMed Central

Skibniewski, Miroslaw

2013-01-01

The appropriate selection of construction methods to be used during the execution of a construction project is a major determinant of high productivity, but sometimes this selection process is performed without the care and the systematic approach that it deserves, bringing negative consequences. This paper proposes a knowledge management approach that will enable the intelligent use of corporate experience and information and help to improve the selection of construction methods for a project. Then a knowledge-based system to support this decision-making process is proposed and described. To define and design the system, semistructured interviews were conducted within three construction companies with the purpose of studying the way that the method' selection process is carried out in practice and the knowledge associated with it. A prototype of a Construction Methods Knowledge System (CMKS) was developed and then validated with construction industry professionals. As a conclusion, the CMKS was perceived as a valuable tool for construction methods' selection, by helping companies to generate a corporate memory on this issue, reducing the reliance on individual knowledge and also the subjectivity of the decision-making process. The described benefits as provided by the system favor a better performance of construction projects. PMID:24453925

Harnessing: Technologies for Sustainable Reindeer Husbandry in the Arctic

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maynard, Nancy G.; Yurchak, Boris; Turi, Johan Mathis; Mathiesen, Svein

2004-01-01

To accelerate the development of sustainable reindeer husbandry under the lead of indigenous reindeer herders, it is critical to empower reindeer herders with the best available technologies and to promote a new kind of science where traditional knowledge is fully integrated into the scientific management of the natural environment in the Arctic. This is particularly true given the dramatic environmental, climatic, economic, social and industrial changes, which have taken place across the Arctic in recent years, all of which have had serious impacts on the reindeer herding communities of the North. The Anar Declaration, adopted by the 2d World Reindeer Herders Congress (WRHC), in Inari, Finland, June 2001drew guidelines for the development of a sustainable reindeer husbandry based on reindeer peoples values and goals. The declaration calls for the reindeer herding peoples to be given the possibilities to develop and influence the management of the reindeer industry and its natural environment because of their knowledge and traditional practices. At the same time, Arctic scientists from many institutions and governments are carrying out increasingly highly technical reindeer related research activities. It is important that the technologies and results of these activities be more commonly co-produced with the reindeer herder community and/or made more readily available to the reindeer peoples for comparison with traditional knowledge for improved herd management. This paper describes a project in which reindeer herders and scientists are utilizing technologies to create a system for collecting and sharing knowledge. The project, Reindeer Mapper, is creating an information management and knowledge sharing system, which will help make technologies more readily available to the herder community for observing, data collection and analysis, monitoring, sharing, communications, and dissemination of information - to be integrated with traditional, local knowledge. The paper describes some of the technologies which comprise the system including an intranet system to enable the team members to work together and share information electronically, remote sensing data for monitoring environmental parameters important to reindeer husbandry (e.g. SAR, Landsat), acquisition of ground-based measurements, and the GIS-based information management and knowledge sharing system.

Experiences in managing the Prometheus Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lehman, David H.; Clark, Karla B.; Cook, Beverly A.; Gavit, Sarah A.; Kayali, Sammy A.; McKinney, John C.; Milkovich, David C.; Reh, Kim R.; Taylor, Randall L.; Casani, John R.

2006-01-01

Congress authorized NASA?s Prometheus Project in February 2003, with the first Prometheus mission slated to explore the icy moons of Jupiter. The Project had two major objectives: (1) to develop a nuclear reactor that would provide unprecedented levels of power and show that it could be processed safely and operated reliably in space for long-duration, deep-space exploration and (2) to explore the three icy moons of Jupiter - Callisto, Ganymede, and Europa - and return science data that would meet the scientific goals as set forth in the Decadal Survey Report of the National Academy of Sciences. Early in Project planning, it was determined that the development of the Prometheus nuclear powered Spaceship would be complex and require the intellectual knowledge residing at numerous organizations across the country. In addition, because of the complex nature of the Project and the multiple partners, approaches beyond those successfully used to manage a typical JPL project would be needed. This paper1 will describe the key experiences in managing Prometheus that should prove useful for future projects of similar scope and magnitude

Mission operations and command assurance: Instilling quality into flight operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Welz, Linda L.; Witkowski, Mona M.; Bruno, Kristin J.; Potts, Sherrill S.

1993-01-01

Mission Operations and Command Assurance (MO&CA) is a Total Quality Management (TQM) task on JPL projects to instill quality in flight mission operations. From a system engineering view, MO&CA facilitates communication and problem-solving among flight teams and provides continuous process improvement to reduce the probability of radiating incorrect commands to a spacecraft. The MO&CA task has evolved from participating as a member of the spacecraft team to an independent team reporting directly to flight project management and providing system level assurance. JPL flight projects have benefited significantly from MO&CA's effort to contain risk and prevent rather than rework errors. MO&CA's ability to provide direct transfer of knowledge allows new projects to benefit from previous and ongoing flight experience.

NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Paper 66: Emerging Trends in the Globalization of Knowledge: The Role of the Technical Report in Aerospace Research and Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pinelli,Thomas E.; Golich, Vicki L.

1997-01-01

Economists, management theorists, business strategists, and governments alike recognize knowledge as the single most important resource in today's global economy. Because of its relationship to technological progress and economic growth, many governments have taken a keen interest in knowledge; specifically its production, transfer, and use. This paper focuses on the technical report as a product for disseminating the results of aerospace research and development (R&D) and its use and importance to aerospace engineers and scientists. The emergence of knowledge as an intellectual asset, its relationship to innovation, and its importance in a global economy provides the context for the paper. The relationships between government and knowledge and government and innovation are used to place knowledge within the context of publicly-funded R&D. Data, including the reader preferences of NASA technical reports, are derived from the NASA/DoD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project, a ten-year study of knowledge diffusion in the U.S. aerospace industry.

Engineering and management experience at Texas A&M Transportation Institute

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chowdhury, Arif Tahjibul

This manuscript presents the author's engineering and management experience during his internship in the Materials and Pavements (M&P) Division at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI), and is a record of study for the Doctor of Engineering at Texas A&M University. Through this internship, he met his established internship objectives of gaining technical knowledge as well as knowledge and skills in project management, organizational communication, and quality management of pavement condition data, and of attaining professional development. In meeting these objectives, the author describes the history, mission, and organizational structure of his workplace. He also presents his experience of developing and delivering a two-week training course on pavement design and construction in Kosovo. Participating in a number of professional development training courses and other activities prepared him for working as an engineering manager. These activities include Delta-T leadership training, an instructor development course, a time management and organizational skills course, and the M&P Division lecture series. Leadership and skills learned through the Delta-T program were beneficial for the employee as well as the employer. For the class project, the author and his teammates performed a study dealing with improving TTI's deliverables. The Delta-T team composed a report summarizing their efforts of examining the current state of TTI's project deliverables, the deliverables' shortcomings, and potential enhancements to expand the deliverables' appeal to additional types of potential users outside the traditional research community. The team also developed a prototype web-based model of deliverables and presented some implementation recommendations. Participating in the Texas Department of Transportation's (TxDOT's) pavement surface distress data collection program enabled the author to become familiar with pavement distress data quality management and thus attain the technical and nontechnical skills required for project management. He noticed some areas for improvement in TxDOT's rater's manual, rater's training class, and acceptance criteria for visual distress data.

Enhancing resource coordination for multi-modal evacuation planning.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-01-01

This research project seeks to increase knowledge about coordinating effective multi-modal evacuation for disasters. It does so by identifying, evaluating, and assessing : current transportation management approaches for multi-modal evacuation planni...

A legal framework to enable sharing of Clinical Decision Support knowledge and services across institutional boundaries.

PubMed

Hongsermeier, Tonya; Maviglia, Saverio; Tsurikova, Lana; Bogaty, Dan; Rocha, Roberto A; Goldberg, Howard; Meltzer, Seth; Middleton, Blackford

2011-01-01

The goal of the CDS Consortium (CDSC) is to assess, define, demonstrate, and evaluate best practices for knowledge management and clinical decision support in healthcare information technology at scale - across multiple ambulatory care settings and Electronic Health Record technology platforms. In the course of the CDSC research effort, it became evident that a sound legal foundation was required for knowledge sharing and clinical decision support services in order to address data sharing, intellectual property, accountability, and liability concerns. This paper outlines the framework utilized for developing agreements in support of sharing, accessing, and publishing content via the CDSC Knowledge Management Portal as well as an agreement in support of deployment and consumption of CDSC developed web services in the context of a research project under IRB oversight.

Computer integrated documentation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boy, Guy

1991-01-01

The main technical issues of the Computer Integrated Documentation (CID) project are presented. The problem of automation of documents management and maintenance is analyzed both from an artificial intelligence viewpoint and from a human factors viewpoint. Possible technologies for CID are reviewed: conventional approaches to indexing and information retrieval; hypertext; and knowledge based systems. A particular effort was made to provide an appropriate representation for contextual knowledge. This representation is used to generate context on hypertext links. Thus, indexing in CID is context sensitive. The implementation of the current version of CID is described. It includes a hypertext data base, a knowledge based management and maintenance system, and a user interface. A series is also presented of theoretical considerations as navigation in hyperspace, acquisition of indexing knowledge, generation and maintenance of a large documentation, and relation to other work.

Educational outreach and collaborative care enhances physician's perceived knowledge about Developmental Coordination Disorder.

PubMed

Gaines, Robin; Missiuna, Cheryl; Egan, Mary; McLean, Jennifer

2008-01-24

Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is a chronic neurodevelopmental condition that affects 5-6% of children. When not recognized and properly managed during the child's development, DCD can lead to academic failure, mental health problems and poor physical fitness. Physicians, working in collaboration with rehabilitation professionals, are in an excellent position to recognize and manage DCD. This study was designed to determine the feasibility and impact of an educational outreach and collaborative care model to improve chronic disease management of children with DCD. The intervention included educational outreach and collaborative care for children with suspected DCD. Physicians were educated by and worked with rehabilitation professionals from February 2005 to April 2006. Mixed methods evaluation approach documented the process and impact of the intervention. Physicians: 750 primary care physicians from one major urban area and outlying regions were invited to participate; 147 physicians enrolled in the project. Children: 125 children were identified and referred with suspected DCD. The main outcome was improvement in knowledge and perceived skill of physicians concerning their ability to screen, diagnose and manage DCD. At baseline 91.1% of physicians were unaware of the diagnosis of DCD, and only 1.6% could diagnose condition. Post-intervention, 91% of participating physicians reported greater knowledge about DCD and 29.2% were able to diagnose DCD compared to 0.5% of non-participating physicians. 100% of physicians who participated in collaborative care indicated they would continue to use the project materials and resources and 59.4% reported they would recommend or share the materials with medical colleagues. In addition, 17.6% of physicians not formally enrolled in the project reported an increase in knowledge of DCD. Physicians receiving educational outreach visits significantly improved their knowledge about DCD and their ability to identify and diagnose children with this condition. Physicians who collaborated with occupational therapists in providing care reported more confidence in diagnosing children with DCD and were more likely to continue to use screening measures and to provide educational materials to families.

Improving Nursing Communication Skills in an Intensive Care Unit Using Simulation and Nursing Crew Resource Management Strategies: An Implementation Project.

PubMed

Turkelson, Carman; Aebersold, Michelle; Redman, Richard; Tschannen, Dana

Effective interprofessional communication is critical to patient safety. This pre-/postimplementation project used a multifaceted educational strategy with high-fidelity simulation to introduce evidence-based communication tools, adapted from Nursing Crew Resource Management, to intensive care unit nurses. Results indicated that participants were satisfied with the education, and their perceptions of interprofessional communication and knowledge improved. Teams (n = 16) that used the communication tools during simulation were more likely to identify the problem, initiate key interventions, and have positive outcomes.

Debriefing in Moodle: Written Feedback on Trust and Knowledge Sharing in a Social Dilemma Game

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oertig, Margaret

2010-01-01

This article describes a new approach to debriefing that uses the discussion forum feature of the Moodle open source course management system to debrief a simulation game with undergraduate business students. The simulation game allowed the students to experience the fragility of trust when sharing knowledge in a global virtual project team. I…

Food: The Challenge to Manage. [Project ECOLogy ELE Pak, Roush Pak].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roush, Judy

This is one of a series of units for environmental education developed by the Highline Public Schools. The unit is designed for students at the senior high level who have a basic knowledge of nutrition, some experience in menu planning, and who are ready to put this knowledge of nutrition to work in selecting foods to attain maximum nutrition with…

THE EXPERIMENTAL DEALER TRAINING PROGRAM, CHANGES IN KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES AND PERFORMANCE OF FARM SUPPLY DEALERS, CHANGES IN BUSINESS FIRMS. RURAL SOCIOLOGY REPORT NUMBER 55.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

WARREN, RICHARD D.; AND OTHERS

A RESEARCH PROJECT WAS CONDUCTED BY THE IOWA AGRICULTURAL AND HOME ECONOMICS EXPERIMENT STATION TO DETERMINE THE INFLUENCE OF AN INTENSIVE TRAINING PROGRAM FOR GENERAL MANAGERS OF LOCAL RETAIL FARM SUPPLY BUSINESSES DEALING IN FERTILIZER AND AGRICULTURAL CEHMICALS. CHANGES IN KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES AND PERFORMANCE, INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT AND…

Developing of a Collaborative Learning Environment through Technology Enhanced Education (TE3) Support

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Robert J.

2008-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to report on the development of a knowledge transfer project, part funded through TE3, designed to encourage innovation and improve the capability of SMEs in the West Midlands region of the UK. Knowledge is critical to developing competency within small businesses and managers that understand how their…

Developing an Advanced Environment for Collaborative Computing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Becerra-Fernandez, Irma; Stewart, Helen; DelAlto, Martha; DelAlto, Martha; Knight, Chris

1999-01-01

Knowledge management in general tries to organize and make available important know-how, whenever and where ever is needed. Today, organizations rely on decision-makers to produce "mission critical" decisions that am based on inputs from multiple domains. The ideal decision-maker has a profound understanding of specific domains that influence the decision-making process coupled with the experience that allows them to act quickly and decisively on the information. In addition, learning companies benefit by not repeating costly mistakes, and by reducing time-to-market in Research & Development projects. Group-decision making tools can help companies make better decisions by capturing the knowledge from groups of experts. Furthermore, companies that capture their customers preferences can improve their customer service, which translates to larger profits. Therefore collaborative computing provides a common communication space, improves sharing of knowledge, provides a mechanism for real-time feedback on the tasks being performed, helps to optimize processes, and results in a centralized knowledge warehouse. This paper presents the research directions. of a project which seeks to augment an advanced collaborative web-based environment called Postdoc, with workflow capabilities. Postdoc is a "government-off-the-shelf" document management software developed at NASA-Ames Research Center (ARC).

Towards sustainable infrastructure management: knowledge-based service-oriented computing framework for visual analytics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vatcha, Rashna; Lee, Seok-Won; Murty, Ajeet; Tolone, William; Wang, Xiaoyu; Dou, Wenwen; Chang, Remco; Ribarsky, William; Liu, Wanqiu; Chen, Shen-en; Hauser, Edd

2009-05-01

Infrastructure management (and its associated processes) is complex to understand, perform and thus, hard to make efficient and effective informed decisions. The management involves a multi-faceted operation that requires the most robust data fusion, visualization and decision making. In order to protect and build sustainable critical assets, we present our on-going multi-disciplinary large-scale project that establishes the Integrated Remote Sensing and Visualization (IRSV) system with a focus on supporting bridge structure inspection and management. This project involves specific expertise from civil engineers, computer scientists, geographers, and real-world practitioners from industry, local and federal government agencies. IRSV is being designed to accommodate the essential needs from the following aspects: 1) Better understanding and enforcement of complex inspection process that can bridge the gap between evidence gathering and decision making through the implementation of ontological knowledge engineering system; 2) Aggregation, representation and fusion of complex multi-layered heterogeneous data (i.e. infrared imaging, aerial photos and ground-mounted LIDAR etc.) with domain application knowledge to support machine understandable recommendation system; 3) Robust visualization techniques with large-scale analytical and interactive visualizations that support users' decision making; and 4) Integration of these needs through the flexible Service-oriented Architecture (SOA) framework to compose and provide services on-demand. IRSV is expected to serve as a management and data visualization tool for construction deliverable assurance and infrastructure monitoring both periodically (annually, monthly, even daily if needed) as well as after extreme events.

A study on the effectiveness of task manager board game as a training tool in managing project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yusof, Shahrul Azmi Mohd; Radzi, Shanizan Herman Md; Din, Sharifah Nadera Syed; Khalid, Nurhafizah

2016-08-01

Nowadays, games have become one of the useful tools in training. Many instructors choose to use games to enhance the way of delivering the subject. Failure to apply the suitable tool in training will lead to discouragement in learning and causing waste to the resources. An effective game will help the student understand the concept quickly. It can also help students to get involve in experiential learning where the student can manage and solve the problem as in the actual situation. This study will focus on the effectiveness of board game as a training tool for managing projects. This game has 4 tasks to be completed by students. They will be divided into a group of 4 or 5. Two methods are used in this study, pilot test, and post-test. These methods are chosen to analyze the effectiveness of using Task Manager Board Game as a teaching tool and the improvement of student's knowledge in project management. Three sub-components assessed were motivation, user experience and learning using case studies on Kirkpatrick's level one base on the perception of the students. The result indicated that the use of Task Manager board game as a training tool for managing project has a positive impact on students. It helps students to experience the situation of managing projects. It is one of the easiest ways for improving time management, human resources and communication skill.

Crossing Science-Policy-Societal Boundaries to Reduce Scientific and Institutional Uncertainty in Small-Scale Fisheries.

PubMed

Sutton, Abigail M; Rudd, Murray A

2016-10-01

The governance of small-scale fisheries (SSF) is challenging due to the uncertainty, complexity, and interconnectedness of social, political, ecological, and economical processes. Conventional SSF management has focused on a centralized and top-down approach. A major criticism of conventional management is the over-reliance on 'expert science' to guide decision-making and poor consideration of fishers' contextually rich knowledge. That is thought to exacerbate the already low governance potential of SSF. Integrating scientific knowledge with fishers' knowledge is increasingly popular and is often assumed to help reduce levels of biophysical and institutional uncertainties. Many projects aimed at encouraging knowledge integration have, however, been unsuccessful. Our objective in this research was to assess factors that influence knowledge integration and the uptake of integrated knowledge into policy-making. We report results from 54 semi-structured interviews with SSF researchers and practitioners from around the globe. Our analysis is framed in terms of scientific credibility, societal legitimacy, and policy saliency, and we discuss cases that have been partially or fully successful in reducing uncertainty via push-and-pull-oriented boundary crossing initiatives. Our findings suggest that two important factors affect the science-policy-societal boundary: a lack of consensus among stakeholders about what constitutes credible knowledge and institutional uncertainty resulting from shifting policies and leadership change. A lack of training for scientific leaders and an apparent 'shelf-life' for community organizations highlight the importance of ongoing institutional support for knowledge integration projects. Institutional support may be enhanced through such investments, such as capacity building and specialized platforms for knowledge integration.

Crossing Science-Policy-Societal Boundaries to Reduce Scientific and Institutional Uncertainty in Small-Scale Fisheries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sutton, Abigail M.; Rudd, Murray A.

2016-10-01

The governance of small-scale fisheries (SSF) is challenging due to the uncertainty, complexity, and interconnectedness of social, political, ecological, and economical processes. Conventional SSF management has focused on a centralized and top-down approach. A major criticism of conventional management is the over-reliance on `expert science' to guide decision-making and poor consideration of fishers' contextually rich knowledge. That is thought to exacerbate the already low governance potential of SSF. Integrating scientific knowledge with fishers' knowledge is increasingly popular and is often assumed to help reduce levels of biophysical and institutional uncertainties. Many projects aimed at encouraging knowledge integration have, however, been unsuccessful. Our objective in this research was to assess factors that influence knowledge integration and the uptake of integrated knowledge into policy-making. We report results from 54 semi-structured interviews with SSF researchers and practitioners from around the globe. Our analysis is framed in terms of scientific credibility, societal legitimacy, and policy saliency, and we discuss cases that have been partially or fully successful in reducing uncertainty via push-and-pull-oriented boundary crossing initiatives. Our findings suggest that two important factors affect the science-policy-societal boundary: a lack of consensus among stakeholders about what constitutes credible knowledge and institutional uncertainty resulting from shifting policies and leadership change. A lack of training for scientific leaders and an apparent `shelf-life' for community organizations highlight the importance of ongoing institutional support for knowledge integration projects. Institutional support may be enhanced through such investments, such as capacity building and specialized platforms for knowledge integration.

Effective Monitoring and Control of Outsourced Software Development Projects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ponisio, Laura; Vruggink, Peter

In our study of four outsourcing projects we discover mechanisms to support managerial decision making during software development processes. We report on Customer Office, a framework used in practice that facilitates reasoning about projects by highlighting information paths and making co-ordination issues explicit. The results suggest a key role of modularisation and standardisation to assist in value creation, by facilitating information flow and keeping the overview of the project. The practical implications of our findings are guidelines for managing outsourcing projects such as to have a modularised view of the project based on knowledge domains and to standardise co-ordination operations.

The Software Management Environment (SME)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Valett, Jon D.; Decker, William; Buell, John

1988-01-01

The Software Management Environment (SME) is a research effort designed to utilize the past experiences and results of the Software Engineering Laboratory (SEL) and to incorporate this knowledge into a tool for managing projects. SME provides the software development manager with the ability to observe, compare, predict, analyze, and control key software development parameters such as effort, reliability, and resource utilization. The major components of the SME, the architecture of the system, and examples of the functionality of the tool are discussed.

Managing and learning with multiple models: Objectives and optimization algorithms

USGS Publications Warehouse

Probert, William J. M.; Hauser, C.E.; McDonald-Madden, E.; Runge, M.C.; Baxter, P.W.J.; Possingham, H.P.

2011-01-01

The quality of environmental decisions should be gauged according to managers' objectives. Management objectives generally seek to maximize quantifiable measures of system benefit, for instance population growth rate. Reaching these goals often requires a certain degree of learning about the system. Learning can occur by using management action in combination with a monitoring system. Furthermore, actions can be chosen strategically to obtain specific kinds of information. Formal decision making tools can choose actions to favor such learning in two ways: implicitly via the optimization algorithm that is used when there is a management objective (for instance, when using adaptive management), or explicitly by quantifying knowledge and using it as the fundamental project objective, an approach new to conservation.This paper outlines three conservation project objectives - a pure management objective, a pure learning objective, and an objective that is a weighted mixture of these two. We use eight optimization algorithms to choose actions that meet project objectives and illustrate them in a simulated conservation project. The algorithms provide a taxonomy of decision making tools in conservation management when there is uncertainty surrounding competing models of system function. The algorithms build upon each other such that their differences are highlighted and practitioners may see where their decision making tools can be improved. ?? 2010 Elsevier Ltd.

Keep Talking & Monitoring: the importance of longitudinal research & community-based monitoring to support sustainable land management in southern Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dougill, Andrew; Stringer, Lindsay

2015-04-01

Projects come and go with researchers, development practioners and government staff initiating new forms of community engagement in environmental monitoring and land management practices. We analyse interventions from Botswana and Swaziland and highlight that for benefits to be long-lived and lead to sustainable land management, requires community engagement in project design, implementation and for project outputs to be used in developing community-led environmental monitoring tools that can then help to guide local decision-making systems. We stress the vital importance of continued participatory engagement of researchers with community leaders and key government staff beyond the timeframe of their initial research such that longitudinal research approaches can realise significant benefits to all concerned. In dynamic (non-equilibrium) dryland environments, it is vitally important that research approaches address temporal and spatial variability by mapping patterns of change, using a range of participatory tools to enhance understandings of the causes of land degradation and the opportunities for shifts towards more sustainable land management. Decision-support tools, such as rangeland assessment guides produced for various Kalahari rangeland settings in Botswana (via a UNEP project and affiliated research), provide opportunities to support more sustainable land management. However, at present benefits are not being fully realised as project and research staff move on after projects end. Similarly, findings from mixed farming systems in Swaziland (assessing a JICA-funded project) show problems in maintaining new institutional structures to manage rangeland degradation, whilst issues on arable areas associated with parasitic weeds (Striga asiatica) remain problematic. Findings from longitudinal research in Swaziland also show that community understandings of environmental problems have evolved over 10 years and identify new problems associated with intensified drought events linked to climate change. Returning to communities (even if irregularly) after project completion enables identification of local-level knowledge and institutional problems that are often the underlying cause of the post-project failings. In many cases, such failings have led to a lack of sustained benefits as significant community-level goodwill and knowledge is developed during projects, but limited input and guidance through remaining institutional channels means that any strong grounding for success is not harnessed or sustained. It is vital that researchers work pro-actively with formal state institutions (notably agricultural extension services) to ensure that research and development project outputs are understood and used in the post-project phase. Continued engagement with local and institutional actors through longitudinal research assessing multi-stakeholder partnerships and local management practices can realise significant additional benefits far beyond the small time and cost implications of such continued engagement. Shifts to trans-disciplinary, multi-stakeholder working need to address the need for such longer-term, longitudinal research processes to ensure that benefits are not immediately lost and that new forms of sustainable land management can indeed be sustained.

Governance and management dynamics of landscape restoration at multiple scales: Learning from successful environmental managers in Sweden.

PubMed

Dawson, Lucas; Elbakidze, Marine; Angelstam, Per; Gordon, Johanna

2017-07-15

Due to a long history of intensive land and water use, habitat networks for biodiversity conservation are generally degraded in Sweden. Landscape restoration (LR) is an important strategy for achieving representative and functional green infrastructures. However, outcomes of LR efforts are poorly studied, particularly the dynamics of LR governance and management. We apply systems thinking methods to a series of LR case studies to analyse the causal structures underlying LR governance and management in Sweden. We show that these structures appear to comprise of an interlinked system of at least three sets of drivers and four core processes. This system exhibits many characteristics of a transformative change towards an integrated, adaptive approach to governance and management. Key challenges for Swedish LR projects relate to institutional and regulatory flexibility, the timely availability of sufficient funds, and the management of learning and knowledge production processes. In response, successful project leaders develop several key strategies to manage complexity and risk, and enhance perceptions of the attractiveness of LR projects. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pressure damage prevention: basing practice on evidence.

PubMed

Parker, K; Morgan, L; Clayton, J; Gerrish, K; Nolan, M

As part of an initiative to develop evidence-based practice at the Northern General Hospital, Sheffield, a three-part project was undertaken. The aims were to identify barriers to using research in nursing, establish a baseline of nurses' knowledge and its influence on their practice in one essential area of nursing care--pressure damage prevention--and develop a strategy for change which took account of the findings from the first two parts of the project. In this article, the authors describe the second part of the project which examined nursing knowledge and practice with reference to the management of pressure damage prevention. The findings are discussed and the authors recommend that nurses integrate into their practice evidence from sources such as systematic reviews.

Fulbright project focuses on rehabilitation technician education and physiotherapy practice at the Kachere Rehabilitation Centre in Malawi.

PubMed

Glickman, Leslie B

2017-09-01

The aim of this project was to strengthen rehabilitation technician education and physiotherapy practice at the Kachere Rehabilitation Centre in the less-resourced country of Malawi by enlarging and reinforcing the skills of faculty, administrators, and adjunct clinicians, and fostering their continuing professional development. The project was developed through a partnership with the Kachere Rehabilitation Centre (KRC), the Medical Rehabilitation College (MRC), and a US-trained physical therapist (a Fulbright Program Scholar - FPS). The elements were education of staff, faculty, and students, and administrative consultation for rehabilitation managers, educational administrators, and faculty clinicians. Formal and informal participant feedback on the project was positive. It indicated a receptive audience who expanded their knowledge and willingly considered ideas to modify teaching, clinical, and management approaches for optimal patient care, enhanced clinician/student learning, meeting curricular accreditation standards, and solving day-to-day challenges. The project made a positive impact on the participants, fostering their goal to parallel clinical practice and educational initiatives used by recognized international standard bearers. Lessons learned emphasized the power of partnerships, networking, flexibility, and creative thinking. For international physiotherapists, it is an underutilized opportunity to extend global outreach, scholarship, clinical practice, and academic knowledge in a less-resourced country eager to upgrade the background and skills of rehabilitation providers.

Use of structured decision-making to explicitly incorporate environmental process understanding in management of coastal restoration projects: Case study on barrier islands of the northern Gulf of Mexico.

PubMed

Dalyander, P Soupy; Meyers, Michelle; Mattsson, Brady; Steyer, Gregory; Godsey, Elizabeth; McDonald, Justin; Byrnes, Mark; Ford, Mark

2016-12-01

Coastal ecosystem management typically relies on subjective interpretation of scientific understanding, with limited methods for explicitly incorporating process knowledge into decisions that must meet multiple, potentially competing stakeholder objectives. Conversely, the scientific community lacks methods for identifying which advancements in system understanding would have the highest value to decision-makers. A case in point is barrier island restoration, where decision-makers lack tools to objectively use system understanding to determine how to optimally use limited contingency funds when project construction in this dynamic environment does not proceed as expected. In this study, collaborative structured decision-making (SDM) was evaluated as an approach to incorporate process understanding into mid-construction decisions and to identify priority gaps in knowledge from a management perspective. The focus was a barrier island restoration project at Ship Island, Mississippi, where sand will be used to close an extensive breach that currently divides the island. SDM was used to estimate damage that may occur during construction, and guide repair decisions within the confines of limited availability of sand and funding to minimize adverse impacts to project objectives. Sand was identified as more limiting than funds, and unrepaired major breaching would negatively impact objectives. Repairing minor damage immediately was determined to be generally more cost effective (depending on the longshore extent) than risking more damage to a weakened project. Key gaps in process-understanding relative to project management were identified as the relationship of island width to breach formation; the amounts of sand lost during breaching, lowering, or narrowing of the berm; the potential for minor breaches to self-heal versus developing into a major breach; and the relationship between upstream nourishment and resiliency of the berm to storms. This application is a prototype for using structured decision-making in support of engineering projects in dynamic environments where mid-construction decisions may arise; highlights uncertainty about barrier island physical processes that limit the ability to make robust decisions; and demonstrates the potential for direct incorporation of process-based models in a formal adaptive management decision framework. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Use of structured decision-making to explicitly incorporate environmental process understanding in management of coastal restoration projects: Case study on barrier islands of the northern Gulf of Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dalyander, P. Soupy; Meyers, Michelle B.; Mattsson, Brady; Steyer, Gregory; Godsey, Elizabeth; McDonald, Justin; Byrnes, Mark R.; Ford, Mark

2016-01-01

Coastal ecosystem management typically relies on subjective interpretation of scientific understanding, with limited methods for explicitly incorporating process knowledge into decisions that must meet multiple, potentially competing stakeholder objectives. Conversely, the scientific community lacks methods for identifying which advancements in system understanding would have the highest value to decision-makers. A case in point is barrier island restoration, where decision-makers lack tools to objectively use system understanding to determine how to optimally use limited contingency funds when project construction in this dynamic environment does not proceed as expected. In this study, collaborative structured decision-making (SDM) was evaluated as an approach to incorporate process understanding into mid-construction decisions and to identify priority gaps in knowledge from a management perspective. The focus was a barrier island restoration project at Ship Island, Mississippi, where sand will be used to close an extensive breach that currently divides the island. SDM was used to estimate damage that may occur during construction, and guide repair decisions within the confines of limited availability of sand and funding to minimize adverse impacts to project objectives. Sand was identified as more limiting than funds, and unrepaired major breaching would negatively impact objectives. Repairing minor damage immediately was determined to be generally more cost effective (depending on the longshore extent) than risking more damage to a weakened project. Key gaps in process-understanding relative to project management were identified as the relationship of island width to breach formation; the amounts of sand lost during breaching, lowering, or narrowing of the berm; the potential for minor breaches to self-heal versus developing into a major breach; and the relationship between upstream nourishment and resiliency of the berm to storms. This application is a prototype for using structured decision-making in support of engineering projects in dynamic environments where mid-construction decisions may arise; highlights uncertainty about barrier island physical processes that limit the ability to make robust decisions; and demonstrates the potential for direct incorporation of process-based models in a formal adaptive management decision framework.

Ecosystem services driven by the diversity of soil biota - understanding and management in agriculture - The Biodiversa SoilMan-Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Potthoff, Martin; Pérès, Guénola; Taylor, Astrid; Schrader, Stefan; Landa, Blanca; Nicolai, Annegret; Sandor, Mignon; Öptik, Maarja; Gema, Guzmán; Bergmann, Holger; Cluzeau, Daniel; Banse, Martin; Bengtsson, Jan; Guernion, Muriel; Zaller, Johann; Roslin, Tomas; Scheu, Stefan; Gómez Calero, José Alfonso

2017-04-01

Soil biota diversity is ensuring primary production in terrestrial ecosystems and agricultural productivity. Water and nutrient cycling, soil formation and aggregation, decomposition and carbon sequestration as well as control of pest organisms are important functions in soil that are driven by biota and biota interactions. In agricultural systems these functions support and regulate ecosystem services directed to agricultural production and agricultural sustainability. A main goal of future cropping systems will be to maintain or raise agricultural productivity while keeping production sustainable in spite of increasing food demands and ongoing soil degradation caused by inappropriate soil management practices. Farm based tools that farmers use to engineer soils for plant production depend as soil management factors on decisions by farmers, which are triggered by regional traditions, knowledge and also by agriculture policies as a governance impact. However, biological impacts on soil fertility and soil health are often neglected or overseen when planning and shaping soil management in annual cropping systems or perennial systems like vineyards. In order to get progress in conservation farming and in agricultural sustainability not only knowledge creation is in need, but also a clash of perspectives has to be overcome within the societies (generals public, farmers associations, NGOs) The talk will present the conception of the recently startet SoilMan-project and summaries selected results from current and recent European research projects.

NAVSEA 05D Ship Design and Certification Network Knowledge Management Project

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-09-12

Junod , Vinek Kaistha N SW C C D -C IS D -2 00 7/ 00 1 REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form Approved OMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for this...NUMBER 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5e. TASK NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) John Junod , LCdr Mark Read, Vinek Kaistha 5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER 06-1-2002

Knowledge-based geographic information systems on the Macintosh computer: a component of the GypsES project

Treesearch

Gregory Elmes; Thomas Millette; Charles B. Yuill

1991-01-01

GypsES, a decision-support and expert system for the management of Gypsy Moth addresses five related research problems in a modular, computer-based project. The modules are hazard rating, monitoring, prediction, treatment decision and treatment implementation. One common component is a geographic information system designed to function intelligently. We refer to this...

Integrating Farm Production and Natural Resource Management in Tasmania, Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cotching, W. E.; Sherriff, L.; Kilpatrick, S.

2009-01-01

This paper reports on the social learning from a project aimed to increase the knowledge and capacity of a group of farmers in Tasmania, Australia, to reduce the impacts of intensive agriculture on soil health and waterways, and to optimise the efficient use of on-farm inputs. The plan-do-check-review cycle adopted in this project required the…

Mission operations and command assurance: Flight operations quality improvements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Welz, Linda L.; Bruno, Kristin J.; Kazz, Sheri L.; Potts, Sherrill S.; Witkowski, Mona M.

1994-01-01

Mission Operations and Command Assurance (MO&CA) is a Total Quality Management (TQM) task on JPL projects to instill quality in flight mission operations. From a system engineering view, MO&CA facilitates communication and problem-solving among flight teams and provides continuous solving among flight teams and provides continuous process improvement to reduce risk in mission operations by addressing human factors. The MO&CA task has evolved from participating as a member of the spacecraft team, to an independent team reporting directly to flight project management and providing system level assurance. JPL flight projects have benefited significantly from MO&CA's effort to contain risk and prevent rather than rework errors. MO&CA's ability to provide direct transfer of knowledge allows new projects to benefit from previous and ongoing flight experience.

The KINDRA H2020 Project: a knowledge inventory for hydrogeology research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petitta, Marco; Bodo, Balazs; Caschetto, Mariachiara; Correia, Victor; Cseko, Adrienn; Fernandez, Isabel; Hartai, Eva; Hinsby, Klaus; Madarasz, Tamas; Garcia Padilla, Mercedes; Szucs, Peter

2015-04-01

Hydrogeology-related research activities cover a wide spectrum of research areas at EU and national levels. This fact is due to the intrinsic nature of the "water" topic, representing a key-aspect of the modern society: water is not only necessary for human, biological and environmental requirements, but it is one basic "engine" of several interconnected research topics, including energy, health, climate, food, security and others as exemplified by the water-food-energy-climate nexus described by e.g. the World Economic Forum. With respect to the water cycle, the management of groundwater brings additional challenges to the implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) and climate change adaptation (such as integrated transboundary management of groundwater resources). This fact is related to the nature of groundwater, which represents the "hidden" part of the water cycle, difficult to evaluate, communicate and appreciate, although it sustains the health of both humans and ecosystems as well as industrial and agricultural production. In general, groundwater has been considered mainly for its relationships with surface waters, influencing river flow, e-flows, GDE (groundwater-dependent ecosystems), pollutant fate, agricultural practices, water scarcity and others. In this framework, the importance of groundwater inside the WFD has been reinforced by the daughter directive on groundwater. In the last years, particular insights have been developed on surface waters/groundwater interactions and several related research projects have been carried out. Nevertheless, a specific focus on hydrogeology, the science branch studying groundwater, has not looked into until now, despite of its utmost importance as renewable, high-quality, naturally protected (but still vulnerable) resource. At the same time the European knowledge-base that has been acquired on this important topic is widespread into several projects, plans, actions, realized at national and fragmented into wider programs generally related to water, environment or ecology. In order to have a comprehensive understanding on the groundwater theme, it is necessary to create a "snapshot" of our scientific knowledge as of 2015/2016 covering as many European countries as possible. Such comprehensive coverage will result in an accurate assessment of the state of the art in hydrogeology research in various geographical and geo-environmental settings, allowing for direct comparison and the exploitation of synergies. The KINDRA project (Knowledge Inventory for hydrogeology research, Grant Agreement No. 642047, www.kindraproject.eu) seeks to create a critical mass for scientific knowledge exchange of hydrogeology research, to ensure wide applicability of research results, including support of innovation and development, and to reduce unnecessary duplication of efforts. KINDRA is funded by the European Commission's HORIZON2020 Framework Programme. The project started on 1 January 2015 with the overall objective to take stock of our contemporary knowledge of hydrogeology with the help of an inventory of research results, activities, projects and programmes, and then use the inventory to identify critical research challenges and gaps, with a view to avoiding overlaps. This approach takes into account the implementation of the WFD and new innovation areas within integrated water resources management, allowing at EU scale the future correct management and policy development of groundwater.

An Environmental Management Maturity Model of Construction Programs Using the AHP-Entropy Approach.

PubMed

Bai, Libiao; Wang, Hailing; Huang, Ning; Du, Qiang; Huang, Youdan

2018-06-23

The accelerating process of urbanization in China has led to considerable opportunities for the development of construction projects, however, environmental issues have become an important constraint on the implementation of these projects. To quantitatively describe the environmental management capabilities of such projects, this paper proposes a 2-dimensional Environmental Management Maturity Model of Construction Program (EMMMCP) based on an analysis of existing projects, group management theory and a management maturity model. In this model, a synergetic process was included to compensate for the lack of consideration of synergies in previous studies, and it was involved in the construction of the first dimension, i.e., the environmental management index system. The second dimension, i.e., the maturity level of environment management, was then constructed by redefining the hierarchical characteristics of construction program (CP) environmental management maturity. Additionally, a mathematical solution to this proposed model was derived via the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP)-entropy approach. To verify the effectiveness and feasibility of this proposed model, a computational experiment was conducted, and the results show that this approach could not only measure the individual levels of different processes, but also achieve the most important objective of providing a reference for stakeholders when making decisions on the environmental management of construction program, which reflects this model is reasonable for evaluating the level of environmental management maturity in CP. To our knowledge, this paper is the first study to evaluate the environmental management maturity levels of CP, which would fill the gap between project program management and environmental management and provide a reference for relevant management personnel to enhance their environmental management capabilities.

Who Really Wants an Ambitious Large-Scale Restoration of the Seine Estuary? A Strategic Analysis of a Science-Policy Interface Locked in a Stalemate.

PubMed

Coreau, Audrey; Narcy, Jean-Baptiste; Lumbroso, Sarah

2018-05-01

The development of ecosystem knowledge is an essential condition for effective environmental management but using available knowledge to solve environmental controversies is still difficult in "real" situations. This paper explores the conditions under which ecological knowledge could contribute to the environmental strategies and actions of stakeholders at science-policy interface. Ecological restoration of the Seine estuary is an example of an environmental issue whose overall management has run into difficulties despite the production of a large amount of knowledge by a dedicated organization, GIP Seine Aval. Thanks to an action-research project, based on a futures study, we analyze the reasons of these difficulties and help the GIP Seine Aval adopt a robust strategy to overcome them. According to our results, most local stakeholders involved in the large-scale restoration project emphasize the need for a clear divide between knowledge production and environmental action. This kind of divide may be strategic in a context where the robustness of environmental decisions is strongly depending on the mobilization of "neutral" scientific knowledge. But in our case study, this rather blocks action because some powerful stakeholders continuously ask for more knowledge before taking action. The construction and analysis of possible future scenarios has led to three alternative strategies being identified to counter this stalemate situation: (1) to circumvent difficulties by creating indirect links between knowledge and actions; (2) to use knowledge to sustain advocacy for the interests of each and every stakeholder; (3) to involve citizens in decisions about knowledge production and use, so that environmental issues weight more on the local political agenda.

Implementation of Task-Tracking Software for Clinical IT Management.

PubMed

Purohit, Anne-Maria; Brutscheck, Clemens; Prokosch, Hans-Ulrich; Ganslandt, Thomas; Schneider, Martin

2017-01-01

Often in clinical IT departments, many different methods and IT systems are used for task-tracking and project organization. Based on managers' personal preferences and knowledge about project management methods, tools differ from team to team and even from employee to employee. This causes communication problems, especially when tasks need to be done in cooperation with different teams. Monitoring tasks and resources becomes impossible: there are no defined deliverables, which prevents reliable deadlines. Because of these problems, we implemented task-tracking software which is now in use across all seven teams at the University Hospital Erlangen. Over a period of seven months, a working group defined types of tasks (project, routine task, etc.), workflows, and views to monitor the tasks of the 7 divisions, 20 teams and 340 different IT services. The software has been in use since December 2016.

Concept for Highly Mechanized Data Processing, Project 111.

DTIC Science & Technology

A concept is developed for a highly mechanized maintenance data processing system capable of deriving factors, influences, and correlations to raise...the level of logistics knowledge and lead to the design of a management-control system. (Author)

Tribal Air Grants Framework - Menu of Options

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Tool to assist tribes that apply for CAA funding to draft moreeffective work plans for projects that will develop tribal knowledge of air quality issues andbuild tribal expertise to manage air quality on reservations and tribal trust land

Digital Literacy Development of Students Involved in an ICT Educational Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quintana, Maria Graciela Badilla; Pujol, Meritxell Cortada

The impact of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) has become the core of a change that involves most of the society fields, consequently the technological and informational literacy are essential requirements in education. The research is a quasi-experimental and ex-post-facto study in schools from Spain. The aim was to describe and analyze the involvement showed by 219 students who participated in a development of ICT's Project named Ponte dos Brozos. The research objective was to respond if the students who usually worked with ICT, had better knowledge and management with computing tools, and if they are better prepared in researching and selecting information. Results showed that students who have a higher contact with ICTs know about the technology and how to use it, also better knowledge and control of the computer and operative systems, a high information management level trough the Internet, although their literacy in information is devoid.

The future is no longer what it used to be. Managing health telematics projects.

PubMed

Demeester, M; Beuscart, R

1997-09-01

Future used to mean global progress and convergence of science and technology and society. Today, we observe the decoupling of the two poles of knowledge formation and application (i.e. science and technology, and culture and society, respectively) and also fierce confrontation between them. The key issue to reconcile the two poles is to re-invent the link between them. The new future lies in the development of mental and technical capacities for change and the creation of new forms of solidarity. We propose, as a general attitude, to reactivate and develop the four principles of efficacy-effectiveness-efficiency, hospitality, responsibility and pertinence. Translated into driving forces for the development of health care telematic projects, they amount to the acceptance of and capacity for enterprise-wide solutions, hospitality and capacity to acquire outside knowledge, self-managed, multi-functional team work spirit, reengineering mentality to achieve pertinent technico-cultural solutions.

Focus on training at CAFS.

PubMed

Azorbo, S; Muna, C

1993-01-01

The training and technical assistance programs of the Center for African Family Studies (CAFS), which is part of the International Planned Parenthood Federation for the African Region, were described. Programs included service delivery, management development, family life education, family planning communication, and research monitoring and evaluation. Several courses were offered: a week-long contraceptive technology update course for trainers and supervisors of family planning programs. Management training needs were filled through a 6-week middle level management course, a 2-week senior level management course, a 4-week community based family planning program course, a 6-week financial management of family planning and reproductive health programs course, and a 5-week course in leadership skills for management of women and health programs. Family life education courses were offered under the CAFS Women and Health Program for teachers, curriculum developers, youth leaders, and those working with young people for 3 weeks. Course issues of discussion included population and development, the family in contemporary African life, and policy legislation and laws to promote young people's health and social psychological and ethical aspects of adolescent sexuality. Family planning communication training programs were directed to strengthening IEC knowledge and skills over a 4-week period for senior and middle level personnel. The 3-week press course aimed to train journalists in print and electronic media for French-speaking countries who could gain cover population and family planning issues. The family planning research and evaluation course over 4 weeks aimed to increase the knowledge and skills of health personnel in project design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation, in order to conduct assessment of program effectiveness. The course was directed to senior and middle level manager researchers, population project directors, and personnel of women-centered projects.

Enhancing frontline clinical leadership in an acute hospital trust.

PubMed

Phillips, Natasha; Byrne, Geraldine

2013-09-01

To report on a leadership programme for ward managers in one National Health Service Trust that aimed to enhance their contribution to the delivery of the organisation's key objectives to support excellent patient experience. Effective ward leadership has been recognised as vital to the quality of care, resource management and interprofessional working. However, there is evidence that, at present, front-line nurse leaders are ill equipped to lead effectively and lack confidence in their ability to do so. The project aimed to provide a tailored programme for ward managers to develop their portfolio of skills to perform this pivotal role. The course contained two key elements: an integrated teaching programme to enhance leadership knowledge and skills and action learning to facilitate application to individual's own leadership practice. Both were underpinned by a change project where each individual identified, undertook and evaluated an innovation in practice. Twenty-two ward managers completed the leadership programme. Participants completed semi-structured questionnaires after each taught module. Action learning was evaluated through a combined structured and semi-structured questionnaire. All participants evaluated the programme as increasing their repertoire of leadership skills. Following completion of the programme, ward managers continue to work together as an evolving community of practice. Ward managers' development is enhanced by a programme integrating theory, action learning and completion of a ward-based project. Ward managers cannot be effectively developed in isolation. Leadership development is best supported where the organisation is also committed to developing. A leadership development programme that incorporates knowledge from within the organisation with external expertise can be an effective method to enhance front-line clinical leadership. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Clinical nursing leaders', team members' and service managers' experiences of implementing evidence at a local level.

PubMed

Kitson, Alison; Silverston, Heidi; Wiechula, Rick; Zeitz, Kathryn; Marcoionni, Danni; Page, Tammy

2011-05-01

To describe the experiences of 14 clinical nursing leaders introducing a knowledge translation (KT) project into one metropolitan acute care hospital in South Australia. The study also explored team members' and service managers' experiences. KT strategies assume that local (nursing) clinical leaders have the capacity and capability to champion innovation combining positional leadership roles (ward leader) with a project lead role. There is limited evidence to support these assumptions. Semi-structured interviews of clinical nursing leaders and managers were undertaken at month 4 and 12 of the project. Data were also collected from the interdisciplinary team members (n = 28). Clinical nursing leaders identified risks and anxieties associated with taking on an additional leadership role, whereas managers acknowledged the multiple pressures on the system and the need for local level innovation. Team members generally reported positive experiences. With support, clinical nursing leaders can effectively embrace KT project leadership roles that complement their positional leadership roles. Clinical nursing leaders' experiences differed from nursing and medical managers' experiences.   Managers need to be more attuned to the personal risks local leaders experience, providing support for leaders to experiment and innovate. Managers need to integrate local priorities with broader system wide agendas. © 2011 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

IGEA--a chronic disease management project for people with diabetes.

PubMed

Maggini, Marina

2009-01-01

Chronic diseases can be prevented and controlled using available knowledge. Moreover, the solutions are not only effective but can be highly cost-effective. Chronic care model and disease management have emerged, in the last decades, as new models of care delivery. The two models share the objective of improving the quality of care for people with chronic diseases while optimizing health care expenditure. In Italy, within the National Prevention Plan, the Italian Centre for Disease Prevention and Control of the Ministry of Health, and the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS) are developing the IGEA project, which defines a comprehensive strategy for implementing a chronic disease management intervention for people with diabetes.

A diabetes management mentor program: outcomes of a clinical nurse specialist initiative to empower staff nurses.

PubMed

Modic, Mary Beth; Canfield, Christina; Kaser, Nancy; Sauvey, Rebecca; Kukla, Aniko

2012-01-01

The purpose of this project was to enhance the knowledge of the bedside nurse in diabetes management. A forum for ongoing support and exploration of clinical problems, along with the distribution of educational tools were the components of this program. Diabetes accounts for 30% of patients admitted to the hospital. It has become more challenging to manage as the treatment choices have increased. There are a number of researchers who have identified nurse and physician knowledge of diabetes management principles as suboptimal. DESCRIPTION OF THE INNOVATION: Staff nurses are educated for a role as a Diabetes Management Mentor and are expected to educate/dialogue with peers monthly, model advocacy and diabetes patient education skills, facilitate referrals for diabetes education, and direct staff to resources for diabetes management. Diabetes Management Mentors feel more confident in their knowledge of diabetes and their ability to resolve clinical issues as they arise. The Diabetes Management Mentor role is another avenue for nurses to refine their clinical knowledge base and acquire skills to share with colleagues while remaining at the bedside. The clinical nurse specialist is expertly prepared to foster the professional development of bedside nurses while simultaneously making a positive impact on disease management. Opportunity for future investigation includes efficacy of teaching tools on diabetes mastery, the effect of clinical nurse specialist mentoring on a select group of bedside nurses, and the Diabetes Management Mentor's impact on prevention of near-miss events.

Adaptive Management and Planning Models for Cultural Resources in Oil and Gas Fields in New Mexico and Wyoming

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Eckerle, William; Hall, Stephen

2005-12-30

In 2002, Gnomon, Inc., entered into a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) for a project entitled, Adaptive Management and Planning Models for Cultural Resources in Oil and Gas Fields in New Mexico and Wyoming (DE-FC26-02NT15445). This project, funded through DOE’s Preferred Upstream Management Practices grant program, examined cultural resource management practices in two major oil- and gas-producing areas, southeastern New Mexico and the Powder River Basin of Wyoming (Figure 1). The purpose of this project was to examine how cultural resources have been investigated and managed and to identify more effectivemore » management practices. The project also was designed to build information technology and modeling tools to meet both current and future management needs. The goals of the project were described in the original proposal as follows: Goal 1. Create seamless information systems for the project areas. Goal 2. Examine what we have learned from archaeological work in the southeastern New Mexico oil fields and whether there are better ways to gain additional knowledge more rapidly or at a lower cost. Goal 3. Provide useful sensitivity models for planning, management, and as guidelines for field investigations. Goal 4. Integrate management, investigation, and decision- making in a real-time electronic system. Gnomon, Inc., in partnership with the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office (WYSHPO) and Western GeoArch Research, carried out the Wyoming portion of the project. SRI Foundation, in partnership with the New Mexico Historic Preservation Division (NMHPD), Statistical Research, Inc., and Red Rock Geological Enterprises, completed the New Mexico component of the project. Both the New Mexico and Wyoming summaries concluded with recommendations how cultural resource management (CRM) processes might be modified based on the findings of this research.« less

Success in large high-technology projects: What really works?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crosby, P.

2014-08-01

Despite a plethora of tools, technologies and management systems, successful execution of big science and engineering projects remains problematic. The sheer scale of globally funded projects such as the Large Hadron Collider and the Square Kilometre Array telescope means that lack of project success can impact both on national budgets, and collaborative reputations. In this paper, I explore data from contemporary literature alongside field research from several current high-technology projects in Europe and Australia, and reveal common `pressure points' that are shown to be key influencers of project control and success. I discuss the how mega-science projects sit between being merely complicated, and chaotic, and explain the importance of understanding multiple dimensions of project complexity. Project manager/leader traits are briefly discussed, including capability to govern and control such enterprises. Project structures are examined, including the challenge of collaborations. I show that early attention to building project resilience, curbing optimism, and risk alertness can help prepare large high-tech projects against threats, and why project managers need to understand aspects of `the silent power of time'. Mission assurance is advanced as a critical success function, alongside the deployment of task forces and new combinations of contingency plans. I argue for increased project control through industrial-style project reviews, and show how post-project reviews are an under-used, yet invaluable avenue of personal and organisational improvement. Lastly, I discuss the avoidance of project amnesia through effective capture of project knowledge, and transfer of lessons-learned to subsequent programs and projects.

Defense Acquisition University (DAU) Program Managers Tool Kit

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-03-01

SUBTITLE Program Managers Tool Kit 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5e . TASK...strve for optmal solutons, seek better ways to manage, and provde lessons -learned to those who follow; • be candd about program status, ncludng...practces, lessons learned, and rsks to avod; • valdated practces wth consstent, verfiable nformaton; • an actve knowledge base to help wth

Vision 2020, part I: profile of the future nurse leader.

PubMed

Scoble, Kathleen B; Russell, Gail

2003-06-01

The demand for knowledgeable and skilled nursing leaders at the first, middle, and executive levels of management in healthcare organizations drove a multi-phased project about the kinds of nurse managers who will be needed in the future and their educational needs. This first article in a two-part series describes seasoned nurse leaders' opinions about the educational preparation, experiences, and competencies desired in nurse managers for the year 2020.

Sustainability of knowledge implementation in a low- and middle- income context: Experiences from a facilitation project in Vietnam targeting maternal and neonatal health

PubMed Central

Bergström, Anna; Hoa, Dinh Thi Phuong; Nga, Nguyen Thu; Eldh, Ann Catrine

2017-01-01

Background In a previous trial in Vietnam, a facilitation strategy to secure evidence-based practice in primary care resulted in reduced neonatal mortality over a period of three years. While little is known as to what ensures sustainability in the implementation of community-based strategies, the aim of this study was to investigate factors promoting or hindering implementation, and sustainability of knowledge implementation strategies, by means of the former Neonatal Knowledge Into Practice (NeoKIP) trial. Methods In 2014 we targeted all levels in the Vietnamese healthcare system: six individual interviews with representatives at national, provincial and district levels, and six focus group discussions with representatives at the commune level. The interviews were transcribed verbatim, translated to English, and analysed using inductive and deductive thematic analysis. Results To achieve successful implementation and sustained effect of community-based knowledge implementation strategies, engagement of leaders and key stakeholders at all levels of the healthcare system is vital–prior to, during and after a project. Implementation and sustainability require thorough needs assessment, tailoring of the intervention, and consideration of how to attain and manage funds. The NeoKIP trial was characterised by a high degree of engagement at the primary healthcare system level. Further, three years post trial, maternal and neonatal care was still high on the agenda for healthcare workers and leaders, even though primary aspects such as stakeholder engagement at all levels, and funding had been incomplete or lacking. Conclusions The current study illustrates factors to support successful implementation and sustain effects of community-based strategies in projects in low- and middle-income settings; some but not all factors were represented during the post-NeoKIP era. Most importantly, trials in this and similar contexts require deliberate management throughout and beyond the project lifetime, and engagement of key stakeholders, in order to promote and sustain knowledge implementation. PMID:28806744

Effectiveness evaluation of the R&D projects in organizations financed by the budget expenses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yakovlev, D.; Yushkov, E.; Pryakhin, A.; Bogatyreova, M.

2017-01-01

The issues of R&D project performance and their prospects are closely concerned with knowledge management. In the initial stages of the project development, it is the quality of the project evaluation that is crucial for the result and generation of future knowledge. Currently there does not exist any common methodology for the evaluation of new R&D financed by the budget. Suffice it to say, the assessment of scientific and technical projects (ST projects) varies greatly depending on the type of customer - government or business structures. An extensive methodological groundwork was formed with respect to orders placed by business structures. It included “an internal administrative order” by the company management for the results of STA intended for its own ST divisions. Regretfully this is not the case with state orders in the field of STA although the issue requires state regulation and official methodological support. The article is devoted to methodological assessment of scientific and technical effectiveness of studies performed at the expense of budget funds, and suggests a new concept based on the definition of the cost-effectiveness index. Thus, the study reveals it necessary to extend the previous approach to projects of different levels - micro-, meso-, macro projects. The preliminary results of the research show that there must be a common methodological approach to underpin the financing of projects under government contracts within the framework of budget financing and stock financing. This should be developed as general guidelines as well as recommendations that reflect specific sectors of the public sector, various project levels and forms of financing, as well as different stages of project life cycle.

Reproduction on cut-over swamplands in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan

Treesearch

Z.A. Zasada

1952-01-01

The 1 ¼ million acres of coniferous swamp forest in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan are important to industry, game management and water conservation. Because there was little knowledge on handling this type, foresters in 1950 began a program of research in swamp forest management. The first project was a survey of recent swamp cuttings. The survey shows that...

Managing Astronomy Research Data: Data Practices in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and Large Synoptic Survey Telescope Projects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sands, Ashley Elizabeth

2017-01-01

Ground-based astronomy sky surveys are massive, decades-long investments in scientific data collection. Stakeholders expect these datasets to retain scientific value well beyond the lifetime of the sky survey. However, the necessary investments in knowledge infrastructures for managing sky survey data are not yet in place to ensure the long-term…

Cryogenic Fluid Technologies for Long Duration In-Space Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Motil, Susan M.; Tramel, Terri L.

2008-01-01

Reliable knowledge of low-gravity cryogenic fluid management behavior is lacking and yet is critical in the areas of storage, distribution, and low-gravity propellant management. The Vision for Space Exploration mission objectives will require the use of high performance cryogenic propellants (hydrogen, oxygen, and methane). Additionally, lunar missions will require success in storing and transferring liquid and gas commodities on the surface. The fundamental challenges associated with the in-space use of cryogens are their susceptibility to environmental heat, their complex thermodynamic and fluid dynamic behavior in low gravity and the uncertainty of the position of the liquid-vapor interface if the propellants are not settled. The Cryogenic Fluid Management (CFM) project is addressing these issues through ground testing and analytical model development, and has crosscutting applications and benefits to virtually all missions requiring in-space operations with cryogens. Such knowledge can significantly reduce or even eliminate tank fluid boil-off losses for long term missions, reduce propellant launch mass and on-orbit margins, and simplify vehicle operations. The Cryogenic Fluid Management (CFM) Project is conducting testing and performing analytical evaluation of several areas to enable NASA s Exploration Vision. This paper discusses the content and progress of the technology focus areas within CFM.

Incorporating Trust into Department of Defense Acquisition Risk Management

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-01

Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0704–0188) Washington DC 20503. 1. AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank) 2. REPORT DATE September 2014 3. REPORT TYPE...Sydney, Australia. Paper published and archived, SETE Conference Proceedings. xviii Langford, Gary O. 2012. Engineering Systems Integration Theory...and knowledge on the subject were invaluable in keeping me focused and nudging me in the proper direction. This project would have been impossible

[Hospital management in Brazil: a review of the literature with a view toenhance administrative practices in hospitals].

PubMed

Farias, Diego Carlos; Araujo, Fernando Oliveira de

2017-06-01

Hospitals are complex organizations which, in addition to the technical assistance expected in the context of treatment and prevention of health hazards, also require good management practices aimed at improving their efficiency in their core business. However, in administrative terms, recurrent conflicts arise involving technical and managerial areas. Thus, this article sets out to conducta review of the scientific literature pertaining to the themes of hospital management and projects that have been applied in the hospital context. In terms of methodology, the study adopts the webiblioming method of collection and systematic analysis of knowledge in indexed journal databases. The results show a greater interest on the part of researchers in looking for a more vertically and horizontally dialogical administration, better definition of work processes, innovative technological tools to support the management process and finally the possibility of applying project management methodologies in collaboration with hospital management.

Supporting Knowledge Transfer in IS Deployment Projects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schönström, Mikael

To deploy new information systems is an expensive and complex task, and does seldom result in successful usage where the system adds strategic value to the firm (e.g. Sharma et al. 2003). It has been argued that innovation diffusion is a knowledge integration problem (Newell et al. 2000). Knowledge about business processes, deployment processes, information systems and technology are needed in a large-scale deployment of a corporate IS. These deployments can therefore to a large extent be argued to be a knowledge management (KM) problem. An effective deployment requires that knowledge about the system is effectively transferred to the target organization (Ko et al. 2005).

Lessons Learned for Improving Spacecraft Ground Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bell, Michael; Henderson, Gena; Stambolian, Damon

2013-01-01

NASA policy requires each Program or Project to develop a plan for how they will address Lessons Learned. Projects have the flexibility to determine how best to promote and implement lessons learned. A large project might budget for a lessons learned position to coordinate elicitation, documentation and archival of the project lessons. The lessons learned process crosses all NASA Centers and includes the contactor community. o The Office of The Chief Engineer at NASA Headquarters in Washington D.C., is the overall process owner, and field locations manage the local implementation. One tool used to transfer knowledge between program and projects is the Lessons Learned Information System (LLIS). Most lessons come from NASA in partnership with support contractors. A search for lessons that might impact a new design is often performed by a contractor team member. Knowledge is not found with only one person, one project team, or one organization. Sometimes, another project team, or person, knows something that can help your project or your task. Knowledge sharing is an everyday activity at the Kennedy Space Center through storytelling, Kennedy Engineering Academy presentations and through searching the Lessons Learned Information system. o Project teams search the lessons repository to ensure the best possible results are delivered. o The ideas from the past are not always directly applicable but usually spark new ideas and innovations. Teams have a great responsibility to collect and disseminate these lessons so that they are shared with future generations of space systems designers. o Leaders should set a goal for themselves to host a set numbers of lesson learned events each year and do more to promote multiple methods of lessons learned activities. o High performing employees are expected to share their lessons, however formal knowledge sharing presentation are not the norm for many employees.

Training Interactive Videodisc Designers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allen, Brockenbrough S.; Erickson, Debra M.

1986-01-01

Describes a model for training instructional designers who will work as members of videodisc development teams. This model develops and integrates competencies relating to instructional design, project management, interpersonal skills, storyboarding and flowcharting, programming, video production, and interactive video system knowledge. Three…

Simplifying the construction of domain-specific automatic programming systems: The NASA automated software development workstation project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allen, Bradley P.; Holtzman, Peter L.

1987-01-01

An overview is presented of the Automated Software Development Workstation Project, an effort to explore knowledge-based approaches to increasing software productivity. The project focuses on applying the concept of domain specific automatic programming systems (D-SAPSs) to application domains at NASA's Johnson Space Center. A version of a D-SAPS developed in Phase 1 of the project for the domain of space station momentum management is described. How problems encountered during its implementation led researchers to concentrate on simplifying the process of building and extending such systems is discussed. Researchers propose to do this by attacking three observed bottlenecks in the D-SAPS development process through the increased automation of the acquisition of programming knowledge and the use of an object oriented development methodology at all stages of the program design. How these ideas are being implemented in the Bauhaus, a prototype workstation for D-SAPS development is discussed.

Simplifying the construction of domain-specific automatic programming systems: The NASA automated software development workstation project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allen, Bradley P.; Holtzman, Peter L.

1988-01-01

An overview is presented of the Automated Software Development Workstation Project, an effort to explore knowledge-based approaches to increasing software productivity. The project focuses on applying the concept of domain specific automatic programming systems (D-SAPSs) to application domains at NASA's Johnson Space Flight Center. A version of a D-SAPS developed in Phase 1 of the project for the domain of space station momentum management is described. How problems encountered during its implementation led researchers to concentrate on simplifying the process of building and extending such systems is discussed. Researchers propose to do this by attacking three observed bottlenecks in the D-SAPS development process through the increased automation of the acquisition of programming knowledge and the use of an object oriented development methodology at all stages of the program design. How these ideas are being implemented in the Bauhaus, a prototype workstation for D-SAPS development is discussed.

What is the reward? Medical students' learning and personal development during a research project course.

PubMed

Möller, Riitta; Shoshan, Maria; Heikkilä, Kristiina

2015-01-01

Until recently, the outcome of medical students' research projects has mainly been assessed in terms of scientific publications, whereas other results important for students' development have been less studied. The aim of this study was to investigate medical students' experiences of learning as an outcome of the research project course. Written reflections of 50 students were analyzed by manifest inductive content analysis. Three categories emerged: 'thinking as a scientist', 'working as a scientist', and 'personal development'. Students became more aware about the nature of knowledge, how to generate new knowledge, and developed skills in scientific thinking and critical appraisal. Unexpectedly, effects on personal characteristics, such as self-confidence, self-discipline, independence, and time management skills were also acknowledged. We conclude that individual research projects enhance research-specific skills and competencies needed in evidence-based clinical work and are beneficial for personal and professional development.

Clinical Knowledge Governance Framework for Nationwide Data Infrastructure Projects.

PubMed

Wulff, Antje; Haarbrandt, Birger; Marschollek, Michael

2018-01-01

The availability of semantically-enriched and interoperable clinical information models is crucial for reusing once collected data across institutions like aspired in the German HiGHmed project. Funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, this nationwide data infrastructure project adopts the openEHR approach for semantic modelling. Here, strong governance is required to define high-quality and reusable models. Design of a clinical knowledge governance framework for openEHR modelling in cross-institutional settings like HiGHmed. Analysis of successful practices from international projects, published ideas on archetype governance and own modelling experiences as well as modelling of BPMN processes. We designed a framework by presenting archetype variations, roles and responsibilities, IT support and modelling workflows. Our framework has great potential to make the openEHR modelling efforts manageable. Because practical experiences are rare, prospectively our work will be predestinated to evaluate the benefits of such structured governance approaches.

Application of IT-technologies in visualization of innovation project life-cycle stages during the study of the course "Management of innovation projects"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolychev, V. D.; Prokhorov, I. V.

2017-01-01

The article presents a methodology for the application of IT-technologies in teaching discipline "Management of innovation projects," which helps students to be more competitive and gather the useful skills for their future specialization in high-tech areas. IT-technologies are widely used nowadays in educational and training spheres especially in knowledge-intensive disciplines such as systems analysis, the theory of games, operations research, theory of risks, innovation management etc. For studying such courses it is necessary to combine both mathematical models and information technology approaches for the clear understanding of the investigated object. That is why this article comprises both the framework of research and the IT-tools for investigation in the educational process. Taking into consideration the importance of the IT-system implementation especially for the university we assume to suggest the methods of research in the area of innovation projects with the help of IT-support.

The need for a holistic approach in mangrove-related fisheries research: a specific review of the German and Brazilian research project MADAM.

PubMed

Saint-Paul, U; Schneider, H

2016-07-01

The main objective of the bilateral German-Brazilian mangrove development and management (MADAM) programme (mangrove dynamics and management) was to generate the scientific basis to enable the sustainable stewardship of the resources of the Caeté mangrove estuary in north-east Brazil in the sense of integrated coastal (zone) management. Main emphasis was given to fishes and crabs captured by artisanal fishermen. This paper describes the project strategy as developed and modified in the context of research results obtained over a period of 10 years. It is argued that a continuous discussion process is essential to assess the validity of the strategies formulated at the beginning of a medium-term project, particularly if the project is of an interdisciplinary nature. To achieve this, it was necessary to acquire in-depth knowledge of natural processes as well as of the relevant institutional, cultural, economic, social and political dynamics. © 2016 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

Dollar$ & $en$e. Part VI: Knowledge management: the state of the art.

PubMed

Wilkinson, I

2001-01-01

In Part I of this series, I introduced the concept of memes (1). Memes are ideas or concepts--the information world equivalent of genes. The goal of this series of articles is to infect you with memes so you will assimilate, translate, and express them. No matter what our area of expertise or "-ology," we all are in the information business. Our goal is to be in the wisdom business. In the previous articles in this series, I showed that when we convert raw data into wisdom, we are moving along a value chain. Each step in the chain adds a different amount of value to the final product: timely, relevant, accurate, and precise knowledge that then can be applied to create the ultimate product in the value chain--wisdom. In part II of this series, I introduced a set of memes for measuring the cost of adding value (2). In part III of this series, I presented a new set of memes for measuring the added value of knowledge, i.e., intellectual capital (3). In part IV of this series, I discussed practical knowledge management tools for measuring the value of people, structural, and customer capital (4). In part V of this series, I applied intellectual capital and knowledge management concepts at the individual level, to help answer a fundamental question: what is my added value (5)? In the final part of this series, I will review the state of intellectual capital and knowledge management development to date and outline the direction of current knowledge management initiatives and research projects.

Towards AN Inventory for Archaeological Heritage Management in Israel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alef, Y.

2017-08-01

The vast amount of archaeological data and information that is systematically accumulated in the Israel Antiquities Authority database, has not yet been transformed into a tool for heritage management, i.e. accessible knowledge of the sites' cultural significance and risk assessment that is needed to support wise decision making regarding its future. As a response, a pilot project for developing an inventory for the archaeological heritage management was launched. A basic ESRI ArcGIS Online system was developed as a prototype, following the categories recommended in international standards for documentation. Five field surveys implementing the GIS system were conducted to examine different aspects and workflows: ancient synagogues in the Galilee, sites at risk, mosaics in Tel Shiqmona, the ancient settlement of Huqoq and sites included in The National Master Plan for Forests and Afforestation. The pilot project revealed the main gaps in knowledge and the critical faults in the working procedures. In spite of the systems' technological limitations, the results were convincing enough to promote a multidisciplinary discussion about the need for integration of significance and risk assessment in the working processes of the organization.

Expert Seeker

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fernandez, Becerra

2003-01-01

Expert Seeker is a computer program of the knowledge-management-system (KMS) type that falls within the category of expertise-locator systems. The main goal of the KMS system implemented by Expert Seeker is to organize and distribute knowledge of who are the domain experts within and without a given institution, company, or other organization. The intent in developing this KMS was to enable the re-use of organizational knowledge and provide a methodology for querying existing information (including structured, semistructured, and unstructured information) in a way that could help identify organizational experts. More specifically, Expert Seeker was developed to make it possible, by use of an intranet, to do any or all of the following: Assist an employee in identifying who has the skills needed for specific projects and to determine whether the experts so identified are available. Assist managers in identifying employees who may need training opportunities. Assist managers in determining what expertise is lost when employees retire or otherwise leave. Facilitate the development of new ways of identifying opportunities for innovation and minimization of duplicated efforts. Assist employees in achieving competitive advantages through the application of knowledge-management concepts and related systems. Assist external organizations in requesting speakers for specific engagements or determining from whom they might be able to request help via electronic mail. Help foster an environment of collaboration for rapid development in today's environment, in which it is increasingly necessary to assemble teams of experts from government, universities, research laboratories, and industries, to quickly solve problems anytime, anywhere. Make experts more visible. Provide a central repository of information about employees, including information that, heretofore, has typically not been captured by the human-resources systems (e.g., information about past projects, patents, or hobbies). Unify myriad collections of data into Web-enabled repository that could easily be searched for relevant data.

Geothermal projects funded under the NER 300 programme - current state of development and knowledge gained

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shortall, Ruth; Uihlein, Andreas

2017-04-01

Introduction The NER 300 programme, managed by the European Commission is one of the largest funding programmes for innovative low-carbon energy demonstration projects. NER 300 is so called because it is funded from the sale of 300 million emission allowances from the new entrants' reserve (NER) set up for the third phase of the EU emissions trading system (ETS). The programme aims to successfully demonstrate environmentally safe carbon capture and storage (CCS) and innovative renewable energy (RES) technologies on a commercial scale with a view to scaling up production of low-carbon technologies in the EU. Consequently, it supports a wide range of CCS and RES technologies (bioenergy, concentrated solar power, photovoltaics, geothermal, wind, ocean, hydropower, and smart grids). Funded projects and the role of geothermal projects for the programme In total, about EUR 2.1 billion have been awarded through the programme's 2 calls for proposals (the first awarded in December 2012, the second in July 2014). The programme has awarded around EUR 70 million funding to 3 geothermal projects in Hungary, Croatia and France. The Croatian geothermal project will enter into operation during 2017 the Hungarian in 2018, and the French in 2020. Knowledge Sharing Knowledge sharing requirements are built into the legal basis of the programme as a critical tool to lower risks in bridging the transition to large-scale production of innovative renewable energy and CCS deployment. Projects have to submit annually to the European Commission relevant knowledge gained during that year in the implementation of their project. The relevant knowledge is aggregated and disseminated by the European Commission to industry, research, government, NGO and other interest groups and associations in order to provide a better understanding of the practical challenges that arise in the important step of scaling up technologies and operating them at commercial scale. The knowledge sharing of the NER 300 programme should lead to better planning and faster introduction of low carbon technologies in the future. Content of the presentation The presentation will introduce the geothermal projects that have been awarded funding (see Annex), including their state-of-play. Insights and knowledge gained from the projects that have entered into operation will be shown and discussed. Furthermore, the presentation will provide an overview of the NER 300 programme.

Can a theory-based educational intervention change nurses' knowledge and attitudes concerning cancer pain management? A quasi-experimental design.

PubMed

Gustafsson, Markus; Borglin, Gunilla

2013-08-19

Registered Nurses (RNs) play an important role in caring for patients suffering from cancer pain. A lack of knowledge regarding pain management and the RNs' own perception of cancer pain could act as barriers to effective pain management. Educational interventions that target RNs' knowledge and attitudes have proved promising. However, an intervention consisting of evidence-based practice is a multifaceted process and demands behavioural and cognitive changes to sustain the effects of the intervention. Therefore, our study aimed to investigate if a theory-based educational intervention could change RNs' knowledge and attitudes to cancer pain and pain management, both four and 12 weeks after the start of the intervention. A quasi-experimental design with non-equivalent control groups was used. The primary outcome was measured using a modified version of the instrument Nurses' Knowledge and Attitudes Survey Regarding Pain (NKAS) at baseline, four weeks and 12 weeks after the start of the intervention to evaluate its persistence. The intervention's educational curriculum was based on the principles of Ajzen's Theory of Planned Behaviour and consisted of interactive learning activities conducted in workshops founded on evidence-based knowledge. The RN's own experiences from cancer pain management were used in the learning process. The theory-based educational intervention aimed at changing RNs knowledge and attitudes regarding cancer pain management measured by primary outcome NKAS resulted in a statistical significant (p<0.05) improvement of total mean score from baseline to four weeks at the intervention ward. The findings of this study, suggest that a theory-based educational intervention focused at RNs can be effective in changing RN's knowledge and attitudes regarding cancer pain management. However, the high number of dropouts between baseline and four weeks needs to be taken into account when evaluating our findings. Finally, this kind of theory-based educational intervention with interactive learning activities has been sparsely researched and needs to be evaluated further in larger projects. Clinical Trials. Gov: NCT01313234.

Supply Chain Engineering and the Use of a Supporting Knowledge Management Application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laakmann, Frank

The future competition in markets will happen between logistics networks and no longer between enterprises. A new approach for supporting the engineering of logistics networks is developed by this research as a part of the Collaborative Research Centre (SFB) 559: "Modeling of Large Networks in Logistics" at the University of Dortmund together with the Fraunhofer-Institute of Material Flow and Logistics founded by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG). Based on a reference model for logistics processes, the process chain model, a guideline for logistics engineers is developed to manage the different types of design tasks of logistics networks. The technical background of this solution is a collaborative knowledge management application. This paper will introduce how new Internet-based technologies support supply chain design projects.

Conceptual framework of the Controlling Asthma in American Cities Project.

PubMed

Herman, Elizabeth Jane

2011-02-01

The Controlling Asthma in American Cities Project (CAACP) was designed to improve the control of asthma in inner-city populations of children with a disparate burden of symptoms and adverse outcomes. As with many chronic diseases, asthma is the manifestation of multiple biologic, environmental, and social determinants. In addition to appropriate medical management, individuals with asthma must have logistical, financial, and cultural access to environments that allow avoidance of asthma triggers and encourage good asthma management practices. In recognition of this complexity, the CAACP required the seven project sites to coordinate and synchronize multiple interventions (education, healthcare access, medical management, trigger reduction) at multiple levels (individual, home, school, community, and policy) through the collaboration of relevant groups, institutions, and individuals. This paper describes the "program theory" of the CAACP project-the assumptions about how the project worked, how the components were linked, and what outcomes were anticipated. It relates the subsequent papers in the supplement to the program theory and describes how the papers can inform and guide other community-based interventions, and advance the translation of scientific knowledge to effective interventions in communities of need.

The Role of a Facilitated Online Workspace Component of a Community of Practice: Knowledge Building and Value Creation for NASA

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davey, Bradford Thomas

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of an online workspace component of a community in the work of a community of practice. Much has been studied revealing the importance of communities of practice to organizations, project success, and knowledge management and some of these same successes hold true for virtual communities of…

Spiral and Project-Based Learning with Peer Assessment in a Computer Science Project Management Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaime, Arturo; Blanco, José Miguel; Domínguez, César; Sánchez, Ana; Heras, Jónathan; Usandizaga, Imanol

2016-06-01

Different learning methods such as project-based learning, spiral learning and peer assessment have been implemented in science disciplines with different outcomes. This paper presents a proposal for a project management course in the context of a computer science degree. Our proposal combines three well-known methods: project-based learning, spiral learning and peer assessment. Namely, the course is articulated during a semester through the structured (progressive and incremental) development of a sequence of four projects, whose duration, scope and difficulty of management increase as the student gains theoretical and instrumental knowledge related to planning, monitoring and controlling projects. Moreover, the proposal is complemented using peer assessment. The proposal has already been implemented and validated for the last 3 years in two different universities. In the first year, project-based learning and spiral learning methods were combined. Such a combination was also employed in the other 2 years; but additionally, students had the opportunity to assess projects developed by university partners and by students of the other university. A total of 154 students have participated in the study. We obtain a gain in the quality of the subsequently projects derived from the spiral project-based learning. Moreover, this gain is significantly bigger when peer assessment is introduced. In addition, high-performance students take advantage of peer assessment from the first moment, whereas the improvement in poor-performance students is delayed.

Evaluation Methodologies for Information Management Systems; Building Digital Tobacco Industry Document Libraries at the University of California, San Francisco Library/Center for Knowledge Management; Experiments with the IFLA Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR); Coming to Term: Designing the Texas Email Repository Model.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morse, Emile L.; Schmidt, Heidi; Butter, Karen; Rider, Cynthia; Hickey, Thomas B.; O'Neill, Edward T.; Toves, Jenny; Green, Marlan; Soy, Sue; Gunn, Stan; Galloway, Patricia

2002-01-01

Includes four articles that discuss evaluation methods for information management systems under the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency; building digital libraries at the University of California San Francisco's Tobacco Control Archives; IFLA's Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records; and designing the Texas email repository model…

Academy Sharing Knowledge (ASK). The NASA Source for Project Management Magazine. Volume 5

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Post, Todd (Editor)

2001-01-01

How big is your project world? Is it big enough to contain other cultures, headquarters, hierarchies, and weird harpoon-like guns? Sure it is. The great American poet Walt Whitman said it best, 'I am large/I contain multitudes.' And so must you, Mr. and Ms. Project Manager. In this issue of ASK, we look outside the project box. See how several talented project managers have expanded their definition of project scope to include managing environments outside the systems and subsystems under their care. Here's a sampling of what we've put together for you this issue: In 'Three Screws Missing,' Mike Skidmore tells about his adventures at the Plesetek Cosmodrome in northern Russia. Ray Morgan in his story, 'Our Man in Kauai,' suggests we take a broader view of what's meant by 'the team.' Jenny Baer-Riedhart, the NASA program manager on the same Pathfinder solar-powered airplane, schools us in how to sell a program to Headquarters in 'Know Thyself--But Don't Forget to Learn About the Customer Too.' Scott Cameron of Proctor and Gamble talks about sharpening your hierarchical IQ in 'The Project Manager and the Hour Glass.' Mike Jansen in 'The Lawn Dart' describes how he and the 'voodoo crew' on the Space Shuttle Advanced Solid Rocket Motor program borrowed a harpoon-like gun from the Coast Guard to catch particles inside of a plume. These are just some of the stories you'll find in ASK this issue. We hope they cause you to stop and reflect on your own project's relationship to the world outside. We are also launching a new section this issue, 'There are No Mistakes, Only Lessons.' No stranger to ASK readers, Terry Little inaugurates this new section with his article 'The Don Quixote Complex.'

Education for eHealth--a status analysis.

PubMed

Herzog, Juliane; Pohn, Birgit; Forjan, Mathias; Sauermann, Stefan; Urbauer, Philipp

2014-01-01

eHealth is not only a growing market, but also an important factor for new healthcare systems. National and European initiatives implicitly demand a higher level of knowledge in the areas of healthcare, engineering and management. As part of the eLearning4eHealth project an initial web based study was performed concentrating on European and global eHealth related educational programs. The results show that eHealth related courses do not evenly exist for the identified professions. 43% of the offered programs are focused on the engineering sector, whereas only 21% are available for the management sector. In order to offer compatible and comparable state of knowledge in the identified fields of profession and knowledge, further educational programs may be necessary. Despite the found shortcomings, results have shown that international activities have started in order to close the gaps and improve the quality of knowledge in the interdisciplinary field of eHealth.

Impact of educational posters on the lay knowledge of school teachers regarding emergency management of dental injuries.

PubMed

Lieger, Olivier; Graf, Christoph; El-Maaytah, Mohammed; Von Arx, Thomas

2009-08-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the knowledge of school teachers about the emergency management of dental trauma, after an educational poster campaign. A total of 1000 questionnaires were sent to 100 schools in the area where the poster had been distributed. This was compared to another 100 schools (1000 questionnaires) in an area, Where the poster had not been distributed. The questionnaire surveyed demographic data, basic knowledge of emergency management of tooth fracture, luxation and avulsion injuries. A total of 511 questionnaires were returned (25.5%) and analyzed. Results showed differences between the two assessed areas. Teachers, who worked in the area with poster distribution, had better knowledge in handling tooth injuries. For the management of tooth fractures the portion of teachers, who knew the correct handling procedure, was 78.9% (area with poster campaign) vs 72.1% (area with no poster campaign), for the management of tooth luxation it was 87% vs 84% and for the management of tooth avulsion it was 71% vs 54%. In the area with the poster campaign 49% (n = 90 out of 185) of the teachers stated to have gained some knowledge about this topic beforehand. Out of these, 75 teachers (75/90 = 83%), had gained their information from the educational poster. Out of the 75 teachers, who had seen a poster on this topic, 68 (68/75 = 91%) would have managed such an emergency correctly. The present study shows the positive effect of educational poster campaigns. It therefore should encourage professionals in this field to embark on similar projects.

Capacity development for knowledge translation: evaluation of an experiential approach through secondment opportunities.

PubMed

Gerrish, Kate; Piercy, Hilary

2014-06-01

Experiential approaches to skills development using secondment models are shown to benefit healthcare organizations more generally, but little is known about the potential of this approach to develop capacity for knowledge translation (KT). To evaluate the success of KT capacity development secondments from the perspective of multiple stakeholders. A pluralistic evaluation design was used. Data were collected during 2011-2012 using focus group and individual interviews with 14 clinical and academic secondees, and five managers from host and seconding organizations to gain insight into participants' perceptions of the success of secondments and the criteria by which they judged success. Six After Action Reviews were undertaken with KT project teams to explore participants' perceptions of the contribution secondees made to KT projects. Semistructured interviews were undertaken with three healthcare managers on completion of projects to explore the impact of secondments on the organization, staff, and patients. Qualitative content analysis was used to identify criteria for success. The criteria provided a framework through which the overall success of secondments could be judged. Six criteria for judging the success of the secondments at individual, team, and organization level were identified: KT skills development, effective workload management, team working, achieving KT objectives, enhanced care delivery, and enhanced education delivery. Benefits to the individual, KT team, seconding, and host organizations were identified. Hosting teams should provide mentorship support to secondees, and be flexible to accommodate secondees' needs as team members. Ongoing support of managers from seconding organizations is needed to maximize the benefits to individual secondees and the organization. Experiential approaches to KT capacity development using secondments can benefit individual secondees, project teams, seconding, and host organizations. © 2014 Sigma Theta Tau International.

Wilderness science in a time of change conference-Volume 5: Wilderness ecosystems, threats, and management; 1999 May 23-27; Missoula, MT

Treesearch

David N. Cole; Stephen F. McCool; William T. Borrie; Jennifer O' Loughlin

2000-01-01

Forty-six papers are presented on the nature and management of threats to wilderness ecosystems. Five overview papers synthesize knowledge and research on wilderness fire, recreation impacts, livestock in wilderness, nonnative invasive plants, and wilderness air quality. Other papers contain the results of specific research projects on wilderness recreation impacts and...

Towards efficient use of research resources: a nationwide database of ongoing primary care research projects in the Netherlands.

PubMed

Kortekaas, Marlous F; van de Pol, Alma C; van der Horst, Henriëtte E; Burgers, Jako S; Slort, Willemjan; de Wit, Niek J

2014-04-01

PURPOSE. Although in the last decades primary care research has evolved with great success, there is a growing need to prioritize the topics given the limited resources available. Therefore, we constructed a nationwide database of ongoing primary care research projects in the Netherlands, and we assessed if the distribution of research topics matched with primary care practice. We conducted a survey among the main primary care research centres in the Netherlands and gathered details of all ongoing primary care research projects. We classified the projects according to research topic, relation to professional guidelines and knowledge deficits, collaborative partners and funding source. Subsequently, we compared the frequency distribution of clinical topics of research projects to the prevalence of problems in primary care practice. We identified 296 ongoing primary care research projects from 11 research centres. Most projects were designed as randomized controlled trial (35%) or observational cohort (34%), and government funded mostly (60%). Thematically, most research projects addressed chronic diseases, mainly cardiovascular risk management (8%), depressive disorders (8%) and diabetes mellitus (7%). One-fifth of the projects was related to defined knowledge deficits in primary care guidelines. From a clinical primary care perspective, research projects on dermatological problems were significantly underrepresented (P = 0.01). This survey of ongoing projects demonstrates that primary care research has a firm basis in the Netherlands, with a strong focus on chronic disease. The fit with primary care practice can improve, and future research should address knowledge deficits in professional guidelines more.

Knowledge management for systems biology a general and visually driven framework applied to translational medicine.

PubMed

Maier, Dieter; Kalus, Wenzel; Wolff, Martin; Kalko, Susana G; Roca, Josep; Marin de Mas, Igor; Turan, Nil; Cascante, Marta; Falciani, Francesco; Hernandez, Miguel; Villà-Freixa, Jordi; Losko, Sascha

2011-03-05

To enhance our understanding of complex biological systems like diseases we need to put all of the available data into context and use this to detect relations, pattern and rules which allow predictive hypotheses to be defined. Life science has become a data rich science with information about the behaviour of millions of entities like genes, chemical compounds, diseases, cell types and organs, which are organised in many different databases and/or spread throughout the literature. Existing knowledge such as genotype-phenotype relations or signal transduction pathways must be semantically integrated and dynamically organised into structured networks that are connected with clinical and experimental data. Different approaches to this challenge exist but so far none has proven entirely satisfactory. To address this challenge we previously developed a generic knowledge management framework, BioXM™, which allows the dynamic, graphic generation of domain specific knowledge representation models based on specific objects and their relations supporting annotations and ontologies. Here we demonstrate the utility of BioXM for knowledge management in systems biology as part of the EU FP6 BioBridge project on translational approaches to chronic diseases. From clinical and experimental data, text-mining results and public databases we generate a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) knowledge base and demonstrate its use by mining specific molecular networks together with integrated clinical and experimental data. We generate the first semantically integrated COPD specific public knowledge base and find that for the integration of clinical and experimental data with pre-existing knowledge the configuration based set-up enabled by BioXM reduced implementation time and effort for the knowledge base compared to similar systems implemented as classical software development projects. The knowledgebase enables the retrieval of sub-networks including protein-protein interaction, pathway, gene--disease and gene--compound data which are used for subsequent data analysis, modelling and simulation. Pre-structured queries and reports enhance usability; establishing their use in everyday clinical settings requires further simplification with a browser based interface which is currently under development.

Knowledge management for systems biology a general and visually driven framework applied to translational medicine

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background To enhance our understanding of complex biological systems like diseases we need to put all of the available data into context and use this to detect relations, pattern and rules which allow predictive hypotheses to be defined. Life science has become a data rich science with information about the behaviour of millions of entities like genes, chemical compounds, diseases, cell types and organs, which are organised in many different databases and/or spread throughout the literature. Existing knowledge such as genotype - phenotype relations or signal transduction pathways must be semantically integrated and dynamically organised into structured networks that are connected with clinical and experimental data. Different approaches to this challenge exist but so far none has proven entirely satisfactory. Results To address this challenge we previously developed a generic knowledge management framework, BioXM™, which allows the dynamic, graphic generation of domain specific knowledge representation models based on specific objects and their relations supporting annotations and ontologies. Here we demonstrate the utility of BioXM for knowledge management in systems biology as part of the EU FP6 BioBridge project on translational approaches to chronic diseases. From clinical and experimental data, text-mining results and public databases we generate a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) knowledge base and demonstrate its use by mining specific molecular networks together with integrated clinical and experimental data. Conclusions We generate the first semantically integrated COPD specific public knowledge base and find that for the integration of clinical and experimental data with pre-existing knowledge the configuration based set-up enabled by BioXM reduced implementation time and effort for the knowledge base compared to similar systems implemented as classical software development projects. The knowledgebase enables the retrieval of sub-networks including protein-protein interaction, pathway, gene - disease and gene - compound data which are used for subsequent data analysis, modelling and simulation. Pre-structured queries and reports enhance usability; establishing their use in everyday clinical settings requires further simplification with a browser based interface which is currently under development. PMID:21375767

Review article: Critical Care Airway Management eLearning modules.

PubMed

Doshi, Deepak; McCarthy, Sally; Mowatt, Elizabeth; Cahill, Angela; Peirce, Bronwyn; Hawking, Geoff; Osborne, Ruth; Hibble, Belinda; Ebbs, Katharine

2017-11-16

The Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM) has recently launched the Critical Care Airway Management eLearning modules to support emergency medicine trainees in developing their airway management skills in the ED. A team of emergency physicians and trainees worked collaboratively to develop the eLearning resources ensuring extensive stakeholder consultation. A comprehensive resource manual was written to provide learners with knowledge that underpins the modules. ACEM provided project coordination as well as administrative and technical team support to the production. Although specifically developed with early ACEM trainees in mind, it is envisaged the resources will be useful for all emergency clinicians. The project was funded by the Australian Commonwealth Department of Health. © 2017 Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and Australasian Society for Emergency Medicine.

Kwf-Grid workflow management system for Earth science applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tran, V.; Hluchy, L.

2009-04-01

In this paper, we present workflow management tool for Earth science applications in EGEE. The workflow management tool was originally developed within K-wf Grid project for GT4 middleware and has many advanced features like semi-automatic workflow composition, user-friendly GUI for managing workflows, knowledge management. In EGEE, we are porting the workflow management tool to gLite middleware for Earth science applications K-wf Grid workflow management system was developed within "Knowledge-based Workflow System for Grid Applications" under the 6th Framework Programme. The workflow mangement system intended to - semi-automatically compose a workflow of Grid services, - execute the composed workflow application in a Grid computing environment, - monitor the performance of the Grid infrastructure and the Grid applications, - analyze the resulting monitoring information, - capture the knowledge that is contained in the information by means of intelligent agents, - and finally to reuse the joined knowledge gathered from all participating users in a collaborative way in order to efficiently construct workflows for new Grid applications. Kwf Grid workflow engines can support different types of jobs (e.g. GRAM job, web services) in a workflow. New class of gLite job has been added to the system, allows system to manage and execute gLite jobs in EGEE infrastructure. The GUI has been adapted to the requirements of EGEE users, new credential management servlet is added to portal. Porting K-wf Grid workflow management system to gLite would allow EGEE users to use the system and benefit from its avanced features. The system is primarly tested and evaluated with applications from ES clusters.

Translating Knowledge Into Practice Through an Academic-Practice Partnership for Exploring Barriers That Impact Management of Homebound Patients With Heart Failure.

PubMed

Echevarria, Mercedes

A knowledge translation project involving an academic-practice partnership and guided by action-oriented research was used for exploring barriers that impact management of homebound heart failure patients. The intervention process followed an action research model of interaction, self-reflection, response, and change in direction. External facilitators (academia) and internal facilitators (practice) worked with clinicians to identify a topic for improvement, explore barriers, locate the evidence compare current practice against evidence-based practice recommendations, introduce strategies to "close the gap" between actual practice and the desired practice, develop audit criteria, and reevaluate the impact.

Management of CAD/CAM information: Key to improved manufacturing productivity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fulton, R. E.; Brainin, J.

1984-01-01

A key element to improved industry productivity is effective management of CAD/CAM information. To stimulate advancements in this area, a joint NASA/Navy/Industry project designated Integrated Programs for Aerospace-Vehicle Design (IPAD) is underway with the goal of raising aerospace industry productivity through advancement of technology to integrate and manage information involved in the design and manufacturing process. The project complements traditional NASA/DOD research to develop aerospace design technology and the Air Force's Integrated Computer-Aided Manufacturing (ICAM) program to advance CAM technology. IPAD research is guided by an Industry Technical Advisory Board (ITAB) composed of over 100 repesentatives from aerospace and computer companies. The IPAD accomplishments to date in development of requirements and prototype software for various levels of company-wide CAD/CAM data management are summarized and plans for development of technology for management of distributed CAD/CAM data and information required to control future knowledge-based CAD/CAM systems are discussed.

Creating a testing field where delta technology and water innovations are tested and demonstrated with the help of citizen science methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Vries, Sandra; Rutten, Martine; de Vries, Liselotte; Anema, Kim; Klop, Tanja; Kaspersma, Judith

2017-04-01

In highly populated deltas, much work is to be done. Complex problems ask for new and knowledge driven solutions. Innovations in delta technology and water can bring relief to managing the water rich urban areas. Testing fields form a fundamental part of the knowledge valorisation for such innovations. In such testing fields, product development by start-ups is coupled with researchers, thus supplying new scientific insights. With the help of tests, demonstrations and large-scale applications by the end-users, these innovations find their way to the daily practices of delta management. More and more cities embrace the concept of Smart Cities to tackle the ongoing complexity of urban problems and to manage the city's assets - such as its water supply networks and other water management infrastructure. Through the use of new technologies and innovative systems, data are collected from and with citizens and devices - then processed and analysed. The information and knowledge gathered are keys to enabling a better quality of life. By testing water innovations together with citizens in order to find solutions for water management problems, not only highly spatial amounts of data are provided by and/or about these innovations, they are also improved and demonstrated to the public. A consortium consisting of a water authority, a science centre, a valorisation program and two universities have joined forces to create a testing field for delta technology and water innovations using citizen science methods. In this testing field, the use of citizen science for water technologies is researched and validated by facilitating pilot projects. In these projects, researchers, start-ups and citizens work together to find the answer to present-day water management problems. The above mentioned testing field tests the use of crowd-sourcing data as for example hydrological model inputs, or to validate remote sensing applications, or improve water management decisions. Currently the testing field starts two pilot projects concerning (1) the validation of green measures used for water storage in order to better quantify their worth, and (2) the collection of water quality data in a polder polluted by horticulture in such manner that water management and awareness are improved.

Knowledge base and sensor bus messaging service architecture for critical tsunami warning and decision-support

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sabeur, Z. A.; Wächter, J.; Middleton, S. E.; Zlatev, Z.; Häner, R.; Hammitzsch, M.; Loewe, P.

2012-04-01

The intelligent management of large volumes of environmental monitoring data for early tsunami warning requires the deployment of robust and scalable service oriented infrastructure that is supported by an agile knowledge-base for critical decision-support In the TRIDEC project (TRIDEC 2010-2013), a sensor observation service bus of the TRIDEC system is being developed for the advancement of complex tsunami event processing and management. Further, a dedicated TRIDEC system knowledge-base is being implemented to enable on-demand access to semantically rich OGC SWE compliant hydrodynamic observations and operationally oriented meta-information to multiple subscribers. TRIDEC decision support requires a scalable and agile real-time processing architecture which enables fast response to evolving subscribers requirements as the tsunami crisis develops. This is also achieved with the support of intelligent processing services which specialise in multi-level fusion methods with relevance feedback and deep learning. The TRIDEC knowledge base development work coupled with that of the generic sensor bus platform shall be presented to demonstrate advanced decision-support with situation awareness in context of tsunami early warning and crisis management.

Stop the pain! A nation-wide quality improvement programme in paediatric oncology pain control.

PubMed

Zernikow, Boris; Hasan, Carola; Hechler, Tanja; Huebner, Bettina; Gordon, Deb; Michel, Erik

2008-10-01

Little is known about the impact of translation of pain management clinical practice guidelines on pain control in paediatrics. In an effort to overcome this, a longitudinal, nation-wide, multi-centre paediatric quality improvement (QI) study was initiated by the German Society of Pediatric Haematology and Oncology (GPOH) entitled Schmerz-Therapie in der Onkologischen Paediatrie (STOP). The project's primary major aims were to improve paediatric oncology pain control in Germany, and to evaluate the project's impact on the pain management quality. To achieve these aims, STOP encompassed six sequential phases to evaluate present practice, develop recommendations for practical pain control, actively engage participants in improvement strategies, and assess change. The purpose of this paper is to briefly describe STOP in its entirety, report on comparisons between active quality management (QM) departments that actively participated in the project and non-active QM departments regarding differences in pain control, patients' and parents' perspectives on pain control and health professionals' knowledge, and to discuss the impact of STOP as a whole. Four hypotheses were examined: (1) changes in health care professionals' knowledge on pain in paediatric oncology and pain management after a three-year period (2) impact of active participation in the STOP-project; (3) differences in patients' and parents' perspective in active QM versus non-active QM departments; (4) impact of the STOP-project on the health care professionals' knowledge in active QM versus non-active QM departments. Data included surveys, interviews, and standardised pre-/post-intervention documentation of pain control. All German paediatric oncology departments were invited to participate. The prime means of intervention was education (printed material, passive participation; additional lectures and feed-back, active participation). Quality indicators were defined and compared with regards to the four hypotheses. Sixty-eight departments participated passively. Eight departments participated actively, enrolling 224 patients (median age, 9 years) and documenting a total of 2265 treatment days. In the areas addressed, all health professionals demonstrated increases in knowledge on pain and pain control after a three-year period. STOP objectively improved pain control in the actively participating departments. Painful modes of drug administration were used less frequently; the usage of mixed opioid agonists-antagonists was reduced; the physicians' knowledge of the treatment of neuropathic pain increased; pain ratings significantly decreased, and less episodes of strong pain were observed. There was a significant increase in the proportion of health-care professionals who post-interventionally judged that pain therapy had been initiated earlier and at exactly the right time. Neither patients nor parents felt, however, that there was any quality improvement. According to participants' self-assessment, STOP improved practical pain management in actively participating departments, while in passively participating departments the change to the better was negligible. STOP predominantly aimed at and succeeded in the improvement of structure, process and outcome quality. With regard to patients' and parents' opinions, the interview tools might have been unsuited to measure the quality of pain control, or STOP was insufficient to improve pain control to a magnitude significant to the patient.

Community-based Monitoring of Water Resources in Remote Mountain Regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buytaert, W.; Hannah, D. M.; Dewulf, A.; Clark, J.; Zulkafli, Z. D.; Karpouzoglou, T.; Mao, F.; Ochoa-Tocachi, B. F.

2016-12-01

Remote mountain regions are often represented by pockets of poverty combined with accelerated environmental change. The combination of harsh climatic and topographical conditions with limited infrastructure puts severe pressures on local livelihoods, many of which rely strongly on local ecosystem services (ESS) such as agricultural production and water supply. It is therefore paramount to optimise the management of ESS for the benefit of local people. This is hindered by a scarcity of quantitative data about physical processes such as precipitation and river flow as well as qualitative data concerning the management of water and land. National and conventional scientific monitoring networks tend to be insufficient to cover adequately the spatial and temporal gradients. Additionally, the data that are being collected often fail to be converted into locally relevant and actionable knowledge for ESS management. In such conditions, community-based monitoring of natural resources may be an effective way to reduce this knowledge gap. The participatory nature of such monitoring also enhances knowledge co-production and integration in locally-based decision-making processes. Here, we present the results of a 4-year consortium project on the use of citizen science technologies for ecosystem services management (Mountain-EVO). The project analyzed ecosystem service dynamics and decision-making processes and implemented a comparative analysis of experiments with community-based monitoring of water resources in 4 remote mountain regions, i.e. Peru, Nepal, Kyrgyzstan, and Ethiopia. We find that community-based monitoring can have a transformative impact on local ESS management, because of its potential to be more inclusive, polycentric, and context-driven as compared to conventional monitoring. However, the results and effectiveness of community-based approaches depend strongly on the natural and socio-economic boundary conditions. As such, this requires a tailored and bottom-up approach to implementation, which ideally isrooted in locally-based set of actors that can act as catalysts for knowledge co-production between the scientific community and local ESS users.

Methodology for Knowledge Synthesis of the Management of Vaccination Pain and Needle Fear.

PubMed

Taddio, Anna; McMurtry, C Meghan; Shah, Vibhuti; Yoon, Eugene W; Uleryk, Elizabeth; Pillai Riddell, Rebecca; Lang, Eddy; Chambers, Christine T; Noel, Melanie; MacDonald, Noni E

2015-10-01

A knowledge synthesis was undertaken to inform the development of a revised and expanded clinical practice guideline about managing vaccination pain in children to include the management of pain across the lifespan and the management of fear in individuals with high levels of needle fear. This manuscript describes the methodological details of the knowledge synthesis and presents the list of included clinical questions, critical and important outcomes, search strategy, and search strategy results. The Grading of Assessments, Recommendations, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) and Cochrane methodologies provided the general framework. The project team voted on clinical questions for inclusion and critically important and important outcomes. A broad search strategy was used to identify relevant randomized-controlled trials and quasi-randomized-controlled trials. Quality of research evidence was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool and quality across studies was assessed using GRADE. Multiple measures of the same construct within studies (eg, observer-rated and parent-rated infant distress) were combined before pooling. The standardized mean difference and 95% confidence intervals (CI) or relative risk and 95% CI was used to express the effects of an intervention. Altogether, 55 clinical questions were selected for inclusion in the knowledge synthesis; 49 pertained to pain management during vaccine injections and 6 pertained to fear management in individuals with high levels of needle fear. Pain, fear, and distress were typically prioritized as critically important outcomes across clinical questions. The search strategy identified 136 relevant studies. This manuscript describes the methodological details of a knowledge synthesis about pain management during vaccination and fear management in individuals with high levels of needle fear. Subsequent manuscripts in this series will present the results for the included questions.

Bridge scour conference shares knowledge and innovations : Tech Transfer Spotlight

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2018-01-01

The National Cooperative Highway Research Programs Domestic Scan (NCHRP Project 20-68A) on bridge scour risk management brought more than 30 national bridge scour experts together for a week in July 2016 to examine ways to prevent and remediate br...

Re-Engineering Complex Legacy Systems at NASA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ruszkowski, James; Meshkat, Leila

2010-01-01

The Flight Production Process (FPP) Re-engineering project has established a Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) methodology and the technological infrastructure for the design and development of a reference, product-line architecture as well as an integrated workflow model for the Mission Operations System (MOS) for human space exploration missions at NASA Johnson Space Center. The design and architectural artifacts have been developed based on the expertise and knowledge of numerous Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). The technological infrastructure developed by the FPP Re-engineering project has enabled the structured collection and integration of this knowledge and further provides simulation and analysis capabilities for optimization purposes. A key strength of this strategy has been the judicious combination of COTS products with custom coding. The lean management approach that has led to the success of this project is based on having a strong vision for the whole lifecycle of the project and its progress over time, a goal-based design and development approach, a small team of highly specialized people in areas that are critical to the project, and an interactive approach for infusing new technologies into existing processes. This project, which has had a relatively small amount of funding, is on the cutting edge with respect to the utilization of model-based design and systems engineering. An overarching challenge that was overcome by this project was to convince upper management of the needs and merits of giving up more conventional design methodologies (such as paper-based documents and unwieldy and unstructured flow diagrams and schedules) in favor of advanced model-based systems engineering approaches.

Typical and Individual Doctoral Processes and Lifecourses: The Types of Narratives of The Project Manager, The Survivor and The Seeker

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maunula, Minna

2015-01-01

One task of the doctoral education is, globally as well as nationally, to produce and renew the highest expertise and knowledge in a high quality and efficient way. Even though in this global time the high-quality knowledge and skills are a competition factor which the success of the societies is expected to be able to lean on, also the doctoral…

Improvement in smallholder farmer knowledge of cattle production, health and biosecurity in Southern Cambodia between 2008 and 2010.

PubMed

Nampanya, S; Suon, S; Rast, L; Windsor, P A

2012-04-01

Farmer knowledge surveys were conducted in 2008 and 2010 in Cambodia to evaluate the impact of a research project studying interventions that can improve cattle production and health, including biosecurity and practices relating to risks of transmission of transboundary diseases. The project hypothesis is that by increasing the value of smallholder-owned large ruminants through nutritional interventions and improved marketing, knowledge-based interventions including risk management for infectious diseases such as foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) can be implemented into a more sustainable pathway for rural development. Between 2008 and 2010, significant improvements in farmer knowledge and attitudes were recorded in three villages in three provinces of southern Cambodia. This was achieved through participatory 'applied field research', 'on the job' training plus 'formal' training programmes. No cases of FMD were recorded during the study period in the 'high-intervention' (HI) villages despite the common occurrence of the disease in a nearby 'low-intervention' and many other villages in the three provinces. Whilst it is likely that protection of these villages from FMD infection was from increasing the herd immunity by vaccination, it could also have been partly because of a decrease in risk behaviours by farmers as a result of their increasing knowledge of biosecurity. The research indicates that smallholder farmers are motivated by nutritional interventions that improve the value of their cattle 'bank' and offer better marketing opportunities. This provides a more receptive environment for introduction of disease risk management for infectious and other production limiting diseases, best implemented for smallholder farmers in Cambodia by intensive training programmes. In lieu of a widespread public awareness programme to deliver mass education of smallholder farmers in disease prevention and biosecurity, livestock development projects in South-East Asia should be encouraged to include training in disease risk management as an important intervention if the current momentum for trade in large ruminant livestock and large ruminant meat is to continue to progress and contribute to addressing global food security concerns. © 2011 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Designing the Bridge: Perceptions and Use of Downscaled Climate Data by Climate Modelers and Resource Managers in Hawaii

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keener, V. W.; Brewington, L.; Jaspers, K.

2016-12-01

To build an effective bridge from the climate modeling community to natural resource managers, we assessed the existing landscape to see where different groups diverge in their perceptions of climate data and needs. An understanding of a given community's shared knowledge and differences can help design more actionable science. Resource managers in Hawaii are eager to have future climate projections at spatial scales relevant to the islands. National initiatives to downscale climate data often exclude US insular regions, so researchers in Hawaii have generated regional dynamically and statistically downscaled projections. Projections of precipitation diverge, however, leading to difficulties in communication and use. Recently, a two day workshop was held with scientists and managers to evaluate available models and determine a set of best practices for moving forward with decision-relevant downscaling in Hawaii. To seed the discussion, the Pacific Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (RISA) program conducted a pre-workshop survey (N=65) of climate modelers and freshwater, ecosystem, and wildfire managers working in Hawaii. Scientists reported spending less than half of their time on operational research, although the majority was eager to partner with managers on specific projects. Resource managers had varying levels of familiarity with downscaled climate projections, but reported needing more information about uncertainty for decision making, and were less interested in the technical model details. There were large differences between groups of managers, with 41.7% of freshwater managers reporting that they used climate projections regularly, while a majority of ecosystem and wildfire managers reported having "no familiarity". Scientists and managers rated which spatial and temporal scales were most relevant to decision making. Finally, when asked to compare how confident they were in projections of specific climate variables between the dynamical and statistical data, 80-90% of managers responded that they had no opinion. Workshop attendees were very interested in the survey results, adding to evidence of a need for sustained engagement between modeler and user groups, as well as different strategies for working with different types of resource managers.

Marshall Space Flight Center Propulsion Systems Department (PSD) Knowledge Management (KM) Initiative

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Caraccioli, Paul; Varnedoe, Tom; Smith, Randy; McCarter, Mike; Wilson, Barry; Porter, Richard

2006-01-01

NASA Marshall Space Flight Center's Propulsion Systems Department (PSD) is four months into a fifteen month Knowledge Management (KM) initiative to support enhanced engineering decision making and analyses, faster resolution of anomalies (near-term) and effective, efficient knowledge infused engineering processes, reduced knowledge attrition, and reduced anomaly occurrences (long-term). The near-term objective of this initiative is developing a KM Pilot project, within the context of a 3-5 year KM strategy, to introduce and evaluate the use of KM within PSD. An internal NASA/MSFC PSD KM team was established early in project formulation to maintain a practitioner, user-centric focus throughout the conceptual development, planning and deployment of KM technologies and capabilities within the PSD. The PSD internal team is supported by the University of Alabama's Aging Infrastructure Systems Center of Excellence (AISCE), lntergraph Corporation, and The Knowledge Institute. The principle product of the initial four month effort has been strategic planning of PSD KNI implementation by first determining the "as is" state of KM capabilities and developing, planning and documenting the roadmap to achieve the desired "to be" state. Activities undertaken to suppoth e planning phase have included data gathering; cultural surveys, group work-sessions, interviews, documentation review, and independent research. Assessments and analyses have beon pedormed including industry benchmarking, related local and Agency initiatives, specific tools and techniques used and strategies for leveraging existing resources, people and technology to achieve common KM goals. Key findings captured in the PSD KM Strategic Plan include the system vision, purpose, stakeholders, prioritized strategic objectives mapped to the top ten practitioner needs and analysis of current resource usage. Opportunities identified from research, analyses, cultural1KM surveys and practitioner interviews include: executive and senior management sponsorship, KM awareness, promotion and training, cultural change management, process improvement, leveraging existing resources and new innovative technologies to align with other NASA KM initiatives (convergence: the big picture). To enable results based incremental implementation and future growth of the KM initiative, key performance measures have been identified including stakeholder value, system utility, learning and growth (knowledge capture, sharing, reduced anomaly recurrence), cultural change, process improvement and return-on-investment. The next steps for the initial implementation spiral (focused on SSME Turbomachinery) have been identified, largely based on the organization and compilation of summary level engineering process models, data capture matrices, functional models and conceptual-level svstems architecture. Key elements include detailed KM requirements definition, KM technology architecture assessment, - evaluation and selection, deployable KM Pilot design, development, implementation and evaluation, and justifying full implementation (estimated Return-on-Investment). Features identified for the notional system architecture include the knowledge presentation layer (and its components), knowledge network layer (and its components), knowledge storage layer (and its components), User Interface and capabilities. This paper provides a snapshot of the progress to date, the near term planning for deploying the KM pilot project and a forward look at results based growth of KM capabilities with-in the MSFC PSD.

Cooperation between Japanese and Cambodian Dietitians in Setting up a Hospital Diet Management System.

PubMed

Ly, Koung Ry; Saito, Shino; Kusama, Kaoru

2015-01-01

Cambodia faces a considerably high percentage of the stunted under 5 (Unicef, 2014). Despite the National Nutrition Strategy Launched by the Ministry of Health in cooperation with development partners, nutrition improvement projects have not always been effective. It is generally said these issues are addressed in many other developing nations, and the literature largely documented that successful nutrition programmes are community-based programmes because of their sustainability and the intensive communications between health workers and beneficiaries. Learning from the past experiences, the Foundation for International Development/Relief organized a project team with a Cambodian dietitian and an experienced Japanese dietitian to implement a hospital diet programme for children from April 2006 to March 2014 in the National Pediatric Hospital (NPH) in Cambodia. The project has two objectives: establishing a hospital diet management system, and developing the capacity of NPH staff. Hospital food menus were created paying particular attention to Cambodian culture, eating habits and accessibility to the ingredients for the purpose of continuous supply. We have also put emphasis on the communication between dietitians and family members of the children to let them understand the importance of a nutritious diet. After 8 y of project implementation, the hospital diet management system was established providing 7 types of menu with nutritious diets. The final evaluation of the project showed that NPH staff have the intention to continue hospital food supply with their acquired knowledge and capacity. In practice, a Cambodian dietitian currently takes the initiative for a continuous nutritional diet in NPH. The key to this success is the collaboration between Japanese dietitians with experience and Cambodian dietitians with knowledge of Cambodian eating habits. Taking our experience into account, it is highly recommended to educate Cambodian dietitians, as they are extremely scarce, and to increase the awareness of health care staff towards the importance of nutrition management.

Geothermal projects funded under the NER 300 programme - current state of development and knowledge gained

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uihlein, Andreas; Salto Saura, Lourdes; Sigfusson, Bergur; Lichtenvort, Kerstin; Gagliardi, Filippo

2015-04-01

Introduction The NER 300 programme, managed by the European Commission is one of the largest funding programmes for innovative low-carbon energy demonstration projects. NER 300 is so called because it is funded from the sale of 300 million emission allowances from the new entrants' reserve (NER) set up for the third phase of the EU emissions trading system (ETS). The programme aims to successfully demonstrate environmentally safe carbon capture and storage (CCS) and innovative renewable energy (RES) technologies on a commercial scale with a view to scaling up production of low-carbon technologies in the EU. Consequently, it supports a wide range of CCS and RES technologies (bioenergy, concentrated solar power, photovoltaics, geothermal, wind, ocean, hydropower, and smart grids). Funded projects and the role of geothermal projects for the programme In total, about EUR 2.1 billion have been awarded to 39 projects through the programme's 2 calls for proposals (the first awarded in December 2012, the second in July 2014). The programme has awarded around 70 mEUR funding to 3 geothermal projects in Hungary, Croatia and France (see Annex). The Hungarian geothermal project awarded funding under the first call will enter into operation at the end of 2015 and the rest are expected to start in 2016 (HR) and in 2018 (FR), respectively. Knowledge Sharing Knowledge sharing requirements are built into the legal basis of the programme as a critical tool to lower risks in bridging the transition to large-scale production of innovative renewable energy and CCS deployment. Projects have to submit annually to the European Commission relevant knowledge gained during that year in the implementation of their project. The relevant knowledge is aggregated and disseminated by the European Commission to industry, research, government, NGO and other interest groups and associations in order to provide a better understanding of the practical challenges that arise in the important step of scaling up technologies and operating them at commercial scale. The knowledge sharing of the NER 300 programme should lead to better planning and faster introduction of low carbon technologies in the future. Content of the presentation The presentation will introduce the geothermal projects that have been awarded funding, including their state-of-play. Insights and knowledge gained from the projects that have entered into operation will be shown and discussed. Furthermore, the presentation will provide an overview of the NER 300 programme.

Evaluation of a Pain Management Education Program and Operational Guideline on Nursing Practice, Attitudes, and Pain Management.

PubMed

Bonkowski, Sara L; De Gagne, Jennie C; Cade, Makia B; Bulla, Sally A

2018-04-01

Nurses lack adequate pain management knowledge, which can result in poorly managed postsurgical pain. This study aimed to develop, implement, and evaluate pain management education and operational guidelines to improve nursing knowledge and pain management. This quality improvement project employed convenience samples of surgical oncology nurses and postoperative patients. The intervention involved an online module, live education, and operational guideline for pain management. Nurses completed pre- and postintervention practice and attitudes surveys. Random chart reviews of intravenous narcotic administrations the day before discharge were completed to evaluate whether narcotic administration changed after intervention. Readmissions and Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems data were collected to determine whether the intervention influenced patient satisfaction. A statistically significant improvement in nursing practice and intravenous narcotic administrations demonstrated changes to pain management practices employed by the nursing staff. Although not statistically significant, fewer pain-related readmissions occurred postintervention. Findings demonstrate that targeted pain management continuing education, paired with operational guidelines, improves nursing practice and decreases intravenous narcotic administrations prior to discharge. J Contin Educ Nurs. 2018;49(4):178-185. Copyright 2018, SLACK Incorporated.

The Case for Information Brokering During Major Change: The Experience of the Transition Support Office of the McGill University Health Centre.

PubMed

Klag, Malvina; Richer, Marie-Claire

2016-01-01

This paper describes the emergence of an "information brokerage" in the project management office of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) in Montreal. This process evolved during unprecedented transformation linked to a redevelopment project. Information brokering became a core function in the MUHC's context of major change. To develop an information brokering model, the paper draws upon the literature on knowledge brokering, applies Daft and Lengel's (1986) seminal framework on information processing in organizations, and builds on the MUHC experience. The paper proposes that knowledge brokering and information brokering are related, yet distinct in content, purpose and structure.

Contemporary disease management in Quebec.

PubMed

Gogovor, Amédé; Savoie, Michelle; Moride, Yola; Krelenbaum, Marilyn; Montague, Terrence

2008-01-01

Health or disease management (DM) has emerged as a promising solution to improve the quality of healthcare and patient outcomes in a cost-efficient way. This solution is particularly relevant in the care of our increasing, and aging, patient populations with multiple chronic diseases. This article reviews the recent history and current status of DM in the province of Quebec and summarizes its evolving perspectives and future prospects. Most DM projects in Quebec have developed from a public-private partnership, and they have addressed several disease states. The results of completed programs confirmed the presence of care gaps--the differences between best and usual care in several disease states. They also identified process changes leading to improved practices and enhanced professional satisfaction among stakeholders. Priorities identified for further research include increased knowledge of the underlying causes of care gaps and greater concentration on the measurement of clinical, humanistic and fiscal outcomes and their causal links to DM structures and processes. Although still embryonic in Quebec and Canada, the available evidence suggests that DM partnerships are practical and functional vehicles to expedite knowledge creation and transfer in the care of whole populations of patients. Future projects offer the promise of updated knowledge and continuously improved care and outcomes.

Safety Risk Knowledge Elicitation in Support of Aeronautical R and D Portfolio Management: A Case Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shih, Ann T.; Ancel, Ersin; Jones, Sharon Monica; Reveley, Mary S.; Luxhoj, James T.

2012-01-01

Aviation is a problem domain characterized by a high level of system complexity and uncertainty. Safety risk analysis in such a domain is especially challenging given the multitude of operations and diverse stakeholders. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) projects that by 2025 air traffic will increase by more than 50 percent with 1.1 billion passengers a year and more than 85,000 flights every 24 hours contributing to further delays and congestion in the sky (Circelli, 2011). This increased system complexity necessitates the application of structured safety risk analysis methods to understand and eliminate where possible, reduce, and/or mitigate risk factors. The use of expert judgments for probabilistic safety analysis in such a complex domain is necessary especially when evaluating the projected impact of future technologies, capabilities, and procedures for which current operational data may be scarce. Management of an R&D product portfolio in such a dynamic domain needs a systematic process to elicit these expert judgments, process modeling results, perform sensitivity analyses, and efficiently communicate the modeling results to decision makers. In this paper a case study focusing on the application of an R&D portfolio of aeronautical products intended to mitigate aircraft Loss of Control (LOC) accidents is presented. In particular, the knowledge elicitation process with three subject matter experts who contributed to the safety risk model is emphasized. The application and refinement of a verbal-numerical scale for conditional probability elicitation in a Bayesian Belief Network (BBN) is discussed. The preliminary findings from this initial step of a three-part elicitation are important to project management practitioners as they illustrate the vital contribution of systematic knowledge elicitation in complex domains.

External cooperation for the professional management of health services in Romania.

PubMed

Enachescu, D

1998-01-01

Political change in Romania in 1989 played a crucial part in new health system leadership in the country. However, this new leadership had limited managerial experience and knowledge, with trainers using outdated cultural models. External assistance and cooperation from officials in Western Europe and the United States was needed to train a new leadership and reject the socialist system of health care. This article details Romania's external cooperation experience, including descriptions of the need for such training, development of the training project, work with universities in Europe and North America, critical review of the project and realization of external cooperation for the professional training of managers.

Knowledge Framework Implementation with Multiple Architectures - 13090

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Upadhyay, H.; Lagos, L.; Quintero, W.

2013-07-01

Multiple kinds of knowledge management systems are operational in public and private enterprises, large and small organizations with a variety of business models that make the design, implementation and operation of integrated knowledge systems very difficult. In recent days, there has been a sweeping advancement in the information technology area, leading to the development of sophisticated frameworks and architectures. These platforms need to be used for the development of integrated knowledge management systems which provides a common platform for sharing knowledge across the enterprise, thereby reducing the operational inefficiencies and delivering cost savings. This paper discusses the knowledge framework andmore » architecture that can be used for the system development and its application to real life need of nuclear industry. A case study of deactivation and decommissioning (D and D) is discussed with the Knowledge Management Information Tool platform and framework. D and D work is a high priority activity across the Department of Energy (DOE) complex. Subject matter specialists (SMS) associated with DOE sites, the Energy Facility Contractors Group (EFCOG) and the D and D community have gained extensive knowledge and experience over the years in the cleanup of the legacy waste from the Manhattan Project. To prevent the D and D knowledge and expertise from being lost over time from the evolving and aging workforce, DOE and the Applied Research Center (ARC) at Florida International University (FIU) proposed to capture and maintain this valuable information in a universally available and easily usable system. (authors)« less

Managed Realignment in Europe: Achievements and Challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Esteves, L. S.

2017-12-01

Environmental and financial sustainability associated with climate change adaptation needs are the key drivers leading to the development of national and regional strategies which promote managed realignment. Managed realignment aims to maximise environmental and socioeconomic benefits by creating space for coastal habitats to evolve more naturally. Therefore, the natural adaptive capacity of coastal habitats and the range of ecosystem services they provide are paramount to the success of these strategies. In Europe, most projects involve the creation of intertidal areas by artificially restoring tidal flow into embanked land. Projects generally involve at least one of the following: removal, breach, or realignment of existing coastal protection, controlled tidal restoration and managed retreat (i.e. relocation from risk areas). Since early 1980s, over 140 managed realignment projects have been implemented (or are under construction) in Europe, mainly in the UK, France, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium and Spain, resulting in approximately 15,800 ha of habitat creation. This paper will present an overview of managed realignment initiatives in Europe, summarise achievements so far and discuss ways to overcome commonly faced challenges, focusing on high-level strategy; delivery of objectives at the project level; and public perception. Projects vary greatly as planning must take into account local social and environmental characteristics and constraints. Evidence of benefits gained in each project and their contribution to high level targets need to be quantified and widely disseminated to help attract public support. However, the lack of information and/or undisputable evidence about the realisation of tangible socioeconomic benefits is still hindering public acceptance. The knowledge about how the many social, economic, and technical aspects interact is evolving fast as new policies are formulated, more projects are implemented, and monitoring data are made available.

RMS: a platform for managing cross-disciplinary and multi-institutional research project collaboration.

PubMed

Luo, Jake; Apperson-Hansen, Carolyn; Pelfrey, Clara M; Zhang, Guo-Qiang

2014-11-30

Cross-institutional cross-disciplinary collaboration has become a trend as researchers move toward building more productive and innovative teams for scientific research. Research collaboration is significantly changing the organizational structure and strategies used in the clinical and translational science domain. However, due to the obstacles of diverse administrative structures, differences in area of expertise, and communication barriers, establishing and managing a cross-institutional research project is still a challenging task. We address these challenges by creating an integrated informatics platform to reduce the barriers to biomedical research collaboration. The Request Management System (RMS) is an informatics infrastructure designed to transform a patchwork of expertise and resources into an integrated support network. The RMS facilitates investigators' initiation of new collaborative projects and supports the management of the collaboration process. In RMS, experts and their knowledge areas are categorized and managed structurally to provide consistent service. A role-based collaborative workflow is tightly integrated with domain experts and services to streamline and monitor the life-cycle of a research project. The RMS has so far tracked over 1,500 investigators with over 4,800 tasks. The research network based on the data collected in RMS illustrated that the investigators' collaborative projects increased close to 3 times from 2009 to 2012. Our experience with RMS indicates that the platform reduces barriers for cross-institutional collaboration of biomedical research projects. Building a new generation of infrastructure to enhance cross-disciplinary and multi-institutional collaboration has become an important yet challenging task. In this paper, we share the experience of developing and utilizing a collaborative project management system. The results of this study demonstrate that a web-based integrated informatics platform can facilitate and increase research interactions among investigators.

Interaction of the Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment (GEWEX) Water Resources Applications Project (WRAP) and Coordinated Enhanced Observing Project (CEOP) in Support of Water Resource Management and Planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martz, L.

2004-05-01

The Water Resources Applications Project (WRAP) has been developed within the Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment (GEWEX) to facilitate the testing of GEWEX products and their transfer to operational water managers. The WRAP activity builds upon projects within the GEWEX Continental Scale Experiments (CSEs), and facilitates dialogue between these CSEs and their local water management communities regarding their information needs and opportunities for GEWEX products to meet those needs. Participating Continental Scale Experiments are located in the United States, the Mackenzie River Basin in Canada, the Amazon River Basin in Brazil, the Baltic Sea drainage area, eastern Asia and the Murray-Darling Basin in Australia. In addition, the development of WRAP is facilitating the transfer of techniques and demonstration projects to other areas through collaboration with IAHS, UNESCO/WMO HELP, WMO Hydrology and WWAP. The initiation of CEOP presents a significant new opportunity for collaborations to support the application of global hydro-climatological scientific data and techniques to water resource management. Some important scientific and operational issues identified by water resource management professionals in earlier workshops will be reviewed, some scientific initiatives needed to address these issues will be presented, and some case study examples of the application of GEWEX knowledge to water resource problems will be presented. Against this background, the unique opportunities that CEOP provides to improve our use and management of water resources globally will be discussed.

The Business Change Initiative: A Novel Approach to Improved Cost and Schedule Management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shinn, Stephen A.; Bryson, Jonathan; Klein, Gerald; Lunz-Ruark, Val; Majerowicz, Walt; McKeever, J.; Nair, Param

2016-01-01

Goddard Space Flight Center's Flight Projects Directorate employed a Business Change Initiative (BCI) to infuse a series of activities coordinated to drive improved cost and schedule performance across Goddard's missions. This sustaining change framework provides a platform to manage and implement cost and schedule control techniques throughout the project portfolio. The BCI concluded in December 2014, deploying over 100 cost and schedule management changes including best practices, tools, methods, training, and knowledge sharing. The new business approach has driven the portfolio to improved programmatic performance. The last eight launched GSFC missions have optimized cost, schedule, and technical performance on a sustained basis to deliver on time and within budget, returning funds in many cases. While not every future mission will boast such strong performance, improved cost and schedule tools, management practices, and ongoing comprehensive evaluations of program planning and control methods to refine and implement best practices will continue to provide a framework for sustained performance. This paper will describe the tools, techniques, and processes developed during the BCI and the utilization of collaborative content management tools to disseminate project planning and control techniques to ensure continuous collaboration and optimization of cost and schedule management in the future.

Report to Congress on the U.S. Department of Energy`s Environmental Management Science Program: Research funded and its linkages to environmental cleanup problems, and high out-year cost environmental management project descriptions. Volume 3 of 3 -- Appendix C

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1998-04-01

The Department of Energy`s Environmental Management Science Program (EMSP) serves as a catalyst for the application of scientific discoveries to the development and deployment of technologies that will lead to reduction of the costs and risks associated with cleaning up the nation`s nuclear complex. Appendix C provides details about each of the Department`s 82 high cost projects and lists the EMSP research awards with potential to impact each of these projects. The high cost projects listed are those having costs greater than $50 million in constant 1998 dollars from the year 2007 and beyond, based on the March 1998 Acceleratingmore » Cleanup: Paths to Closure Draft data, and having costs of quantities of material associated with an environmental management problem area. The high cost project information is grouped by operations office and organized by site and project code. Each operations office section begins with a list of research needs associated with that operations office. Potentially related research awards are listed by problem area in the Index of Research Awards by Environmental Management Problem Area, which can be found at the end of appendices B and C. For projects that address high risks to the public, workers, or the environment, refer also the Health/Ecology/Risk problem area awards. Research needs are programmatic or technical challenges that may benefit from knowledge gained through basic research.« less

Information revolution in nursing and health care: educating for tomorrow's challenge.

PubMed

Kooker, B M; Richardson, S S

1994-06-01

Current emphasis on the national electronic highway and a national health database for comparative health care reporting demonstrates society's increasing reliance on information technology. The efficient electronic processing and managing of data, information, and knowledge are critical for survival in tomorrow's health care organization. To take a leadership role in this information revolution, informatics nurse specialists must possess competencies that incorporate information science, computer science, and nursing science for successful information system development. In selecting an appropriate informatics educational program or to hire an individual capable of meeting this challenge, nurse administrators must look for the following technical knowledge and skill set: information management principles, system development life cycle, programming languages, file design and access, hardware and network architecture, project management skills, and leadership abilities.

Local soil classification and crop suitability: Implications for the historical land use and soil management in Monti di Trapani (Sicily)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia-Vila, Margarita; Corselli, Rocco; Bonet, María Teresa; Lopapa, Giuseppe; Pillitteri, Valentina; Fereres, Elias

2017-04-01

In the past, the lack of technologies (e.g. synthetic fertilizers) to overcome biophysical limitations has played a central role in land use planning. Thus, landscape management and agronomic practices are reactions to local knowledge and perceptions on natural resources, particularly soil. In the framework of the European research project MEMOLA (FP7), the role of local farmers knowledge and perceptions on soil for the historical land use through the spatial distribution of crops and the various management practices have been assessed in three different areas of Monti di Trapani region (Sicily). The identification of the soil classification systems of farmers and the criteria on which it is based, linked to the evaluation of the farmers' ability to identify and map the different soil types, was a key step. Nevertheless, beyond the comparison of the ethnopedological classification approach versus standard soil classification systems, the study also aims at understanding local soil management and land use decisions. The applied methodology was based on an interdisciplinary approach, combining soil science methods and participatory appraisal tools, particularly: i) semi-structured interviews; ii) soil sampling and analysis; iii) discussion groups; and iv) a workshop with local edafologists and agronomists. A rich local glossary of terms associated with the soil conditions and an own soil classification system have been identified in the region. Also, a detailed soil map, including process of soil degradation and soil capability, has been generated. This traditional soil knowledge has conditioned the management and the spatial distribution of the crops, and therefore the configuration of the landscape, until the 1990s. Acknowledgements This work has been funded by the European Union project MEMOLA (Grant agreement no: 613265).

Factors shaping the evolution of electronic documentation systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dede, Christopher J.; Sullivan, Tim R.; Scace, Jacque R.

1990-01-01

The main goal is to prepare the space station technical and managerial structure for likely changes in the creation, capture, transfer, and utilization of knowledge. By anticipating advances, the design of Space Station Project (SSP) information systems can be tailored to facilitate a progression of increasingly sophisticated strategies as the space station evolves. Future generations of advanced information systems will use increases in power to deliver environmentally meaningful, contextually targeted, interconnected data (knowledge). The concept of a Knowledge Base Management System is emerging when the problem is focused on how information systems can perform such a conversion of raw data. Such a system would include traditional management functions for large space databases. Added artificial intelligence features might encompass co-existing knowledge representation schemes; effective control structures for deductive, plausible, and inductive reasoning; means for knowledge acquisition, refinement, and validation; explanation facilities; and dynamic human intervention. The major areas covered include: alternative knowledge representation approaches; advanced user interface capabilities; computer-supported cooperative work; the evolution of information system hardware; standardization, compatibility, and connectivity; and organizational impacts of information intensive environments.

Quandaries of a decade-long restoration experiment trying to reduce invasive species: Beat them, join them, give up, or start over?

Treesearch

Susan Cordell; Rebecca Ostertag; Jené Michaud; Laura Warman

2016-01-01

We evaluate the outcomes and consequences of a decade-long restoration project in a Hawaiian lowland wet forest as they relate to long-term management actions. Our initial study was designed both to promote native biodiversity and to develop knowledge that would enable land management agencies to restore invaded forests. Our premise of success followed the...

A Comparative Study of Management System between the U.S. and Korea.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-09-01

PROGRAM ELEMENT. PROJECT, TASK AREA & WORK UNIT NUMBERS Naval Postgraduate School Monterey, CA 93943 I. CONTROLLING OFFICE NAME AND ADDRESS 12. REPORT... Controlling Office) 15. SECURITY CLASS. (of this report) Unclassified 0 1Sa. DECLASSIFICATION’ DOWNGRADING SCHEDULE 16. OISTRIBUTION STATEMENT (of this Report...Now, however, research on leadership, management and organization provides a more stable hcdy of knowledge. Manajement practice can be hasel on

Soil moisture monitoring for crop management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boyd, Dale

2015-07-01

The 'Risk management through soil moisture monitoring' project has demonstrated the capability of current technology to remotely monitor and communicate real time soil moisture data. The project investigated whether capacitance probes would assist making informed pre- and in-crop decisions. Crop potential and cropping inputs are increasingly being subject to greater instability and uncertainty due to seasonal variability. In a targeted survey of those who received regular correspondence from the Department of Primary Industries it was found that i) 50% of the audience found the information generated relevant for them and less than 10% indicted with was not relevant; ii) 85% have improved their knowledge/ability to assess soil moisture compared to prior to the project, with the most used indicator of soil moisture still being rain fall records; and iii) 100% have indicated they will continue to use some form of the technology to monitor soil moisture levels in the future. It is hoped that continued access to this information will assist informed input decisions. This will minimise inputs in low decile years with a low soil moisture base and maximise yield potential in more favourable conditions based on soil moisture and positive seasonal forecasts

Office of Nuclear Energy Knowledge Management Program Situational Analysis Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kimberlyn C. Mousseau

2011-12-01

Knowledge management (KM) has been a high priority for the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) for the past several years. NE Programs are moving toward well-established knowledge management practices and a formal knowledge management program has been established. Knowledge management is being practiced to some level within each of the NE programs. Although it continues to evolve as NE programs evolve, a formal strategic plan that guides the implementation of KM has been developed. Despite the acceptance of KM within DOE NE, more work is necessary before the NE KM program can be considered fully successful.more » Per Dr. David J. Skyrme[1], an organization typically moves through the following evolutionary phases: (1) Ad-hoc - KM is being practiced to some level in some parts of the organization; (2) Formal - KM is established as a formal project or program; (3) Expanding - the use of KM as a discipline grows in practice across different parts of the organization; (4) Cohesive - there is a degree of coordination of KM; (5) Integrated - there are formal standards and approaches that give every individual access to most organizational knowledge through common interfaces; and (6) Embedded - KM is part-and-parcel of everyday tasks; it blends seamlessly into the background. According to the evolutionary phases, the NE KM program is operating at the two lower levels, Ad-hoc and Formal. Although KM is being practiced to some level, it is not being practiced in a consistent manner across the NE programs. To be fully successful, more emphasis must be placed on establishing KM standards and processes for collecting, organizing, sharing and accessing NE knowledge. Existing knowledge needs to be prioritized and gathered on a routine basis, its existence formally recorded in a knowledge inventory. Governance to ensure the quality of the knowledge being used must also be considered. For easy retrieval, knowledge must be organized according to a taxonomy that mimics nuclear energy programs. Technologies need to be established to make accessing the knowledge easier for the user. Finally, knowledge needs to be used as part of a well defined work process.« less

Communication During an Environmental Decision

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stamm, Keith R.; Bowes, John E.

1972-01-01

An analysis of information exchange about a Corps of Engineers water management project reveals inefficiency in mass media communication, thus inhibiting knowledgeable public action. The particular failings of current communication channels and procedures (or lack of them) are documented, and suggestions are made for increasing the contribution of…

Rural Water Quality Database: Educational Program to Collect Information.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lemley, Ann; Wagenet, Linda

1993-01-01

A New York State project created a water quality database for private drinking water supplies, using the statewide educational program to collect the data. Another goal was to develop this program so rural residents could increase their knowledge of water supply management. (Author)

A knowledge management platform for infrastructure performance modeling

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-05-10

The ITS/JPO Evaluation Program is requesting ITS costs information in order to update the ITS Costs database with current data and account for new/emerging services and technologies. If you have ITS Costs on recent ITS projects, or if you have ITS co...

Stakeholder Participation in Freshwater Monitoring and Evaluation Programs: Applying Thresholds of Potential Concern within Environmental Flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conallin, John; McLoughlin, Craig A.; Campbell, Josh; Knight, Roger; Bright, Troy; Fisher, Ian

2018-03-01

The complex nature of freshwater systems provides challenges for incorporating evidence-based techniques into management. This paper investigates the potential of participatory evidence-based techniques to involve local stakeholders and make decisions based on different "knowledge" sources within adaptive management programs. It focuses on the application of thresholds of potential concern (TPC) within strategic adaptive management (SAM) for facilitating inclusive decision-making. The study is based on the case of the Edward-Wakool (E-W) "Fish and Flows" SAM project in the Murray-Darling River Basin, Australia. We demonstrate the application of TPCs for improving collaborative decision-making within the E-W, associated with environmental watering requirements, and other natural resource management programs such as fish stocking. The development of TPCs in the E-W fish and flows SAM project helped improve stakeholder involvement and understanding of the system, and also the effectiveness of the implemented management interventions. TPCs ultimately helped inform environmental flow management activities. The TPC process complemented monitoring that was already occurring in the system and provided a mechanism for linking formal and informal knowledge to form explicit and measurable endpoints from objectives. The TPC process faced challenges due to the perceived reduction in scientific rigor within initial TPC development and use. However, TPCs must remain tangible to managers and other stakeholders, in order to aid in the implementation of adaptive management. Once accepted by stakeholders, over time TPCs should be reviewed and refined in order to increase their scientific rigor, as new information is generated.

An infrastructure for ontology-based information systems in biomedicine: RICORDO case study.

PubMed

Wimalaratne, Sarala M; Grenon, Pierre; Hoehndorf, Robert; Gkoutos, Georgios V; de Bono, Bernard

2012-02-01

The article presents an infrastructure for supporting the semantic interoperability of biomedical resources based on the management (storing and inference-based querying) of their ontology-based annotations. This infrastructure consists of: (i) a repository to store and query ontology-based annotations; (ii) a knowledge base server with an inference engine to support the storage of and reasoning over ontologies used in the annotation of resources; (iii) a set of applications and services allowing interaction with the integrated repository and knowledge base. The infrastructure is being prototyped and developed and evaluated by the RICORDO project in support of the knowledge management of biomedical resources, including physiology and pharmacology models and associated clinical data. The RICORDO toolkit and its source code are freely available from http://ricordo.eu/relevant-resources. sarala@ebi.ac.uk.

Applying the Kanban method in problem-based project work: a case study in a manufacturing engineering bachelor's programme at Aalborg University Copenhagen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balve, Patrick; Krüger, Volker; Tolstrup Sørensen, Lene

2017-11-01

Problem-based learning (PBL) has proven to be highly effective for educating students in an active and self-motivated manner in various disciplines. Student projects carried out following PBL principles are very dynamic and carry a high level of uncertainty, both conditions under which agile project management approaches are assumed to be highly supportive. The paper describes an empirical case study carried out at Aalborg University Copenhagen involving students from two different semesters of a Bachelor of Science programme. While executing the study, compelling examples of how PBL and the agile project management method Kanban blend could be identified. A final survey reveals that applying Kanban produces noticeable improvements with respect to creating, assigning and coordinating project tasks. Other improvements were found in group communication, knowledge about the work progress with regards to both the individual and the collective and the students' way of continuously improving their own teamwork.

Knowledge Management in Taxonomy and Biostratigraphy using TaxonConcept Software

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klump, J.; Huber, R.; Goetz, S.

2005-12-01

The use of fossils to constrain age models for geological samples is not as straightforward as it might seem. Even though index fossils have been defined as biostratigraphic time markers ambiguity arises from the synonymous use of taxonomic names. Progress in our understanding of the origin of certain species have sometimes lead to substantial changes in the taxonomic classification of these organisms. TaxonConcept was created as part of the Stratigraphy.net initiative as a tool to manage taxonomic information and complex knowledge networks to help resolve taxonomic ambiguities in biostratigraphy. Its workflow is based on the principles of open nomenclature. Open nomenclature allows researchers to comment on the identification of a specimen which cannot exactly be determined and is frequently used in synonymy lists. The use of such synonymy lists in TaxonConcept allows to work with taxonomic classifications that are uncertain, or where several versions exist. Every single taxonomic entity in TaxonConcept is recorded with its relevant citations in the literature. This allows to manage information on taxonomy. The members of working groups using TaxonConcept can record their opinion on the taxonomic classification of each taxon in the framework of open nomenclature and annotate it in free text. This managed and structured collection of taxonomic opinions is an example of knowledge management. Taxonomic opinions are otherwise dispersed throughout the literature, if recorded at all, and are only available to the specialist. Assembled as a collection, they represent our knowledge on the taxonomy of a certain group of organisms. In the terminology of computer science, the semantic relationships between taxonomic terms are an ontology. Open nomenclature offers a formal framework that lends itself very well to describe the nature of the relations between taxonomic terms. The use of such synonymy lists in a taxonomic information system allows interesting search options, ranging from tracking name changes to the investigation of complex taxonomic topologies. In addition to its synonymy and literature management, TaxonConcept allows to store many other information categories such as textual descriptions (e.g. diagnoses and comments), images, bioevents and specimen and collection data. Ecological information is scheduled for a later stage of the project. Already now TaxonConcept is linked to taxon names in paleoenvironmental data of the World Data Center for Marine Environmental Sciences (WDC-MARE), interfaces to other databases are planned. WDC-MARE stores environmental, marine and geological research data and frequently uses taxon names in its parameters. By linking TaxonConcept and WDC-MARE, synonymous names can be included in queries, e.g. when researching for stable isotope data measured on microfossils. TaxonConcept is not a project on authoritative taxonomic information, but is a tool for taxonomic projects to use to find a taxonomic consensus, e.g. to define a taxonomic framework for biostratigraphic studies. Both, the project specific hierarchical classification of selected taxa, as well as a project specific selection of any other information categories is supported by TaxonConcept. The results of such a taxonomic consensus can be used to create Fossilium Catalogus style summaries in various output formats which can later be used to create online or print publications.

Management of Service Projects in Support of Space Flight Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Love, J.

2009-01-01

Goal:To provide human health and performance countermeasures, knowledge, technologies, and tools to enable safe, reliable, and productive human space exploration . [HRP-47051] Specific Objectives: 1) Develop capabilities, necessary countermeasures, and technologies in support of human space exploration, focusing on mitigating the highest risks to human health and performance. 2) Define and improve human spaceflight medical, environmental, and human factors standards. 3) Develop technologies that serve to reduce medical and environmental risks, to reduce human systems resource requirements (mass, volume, power, data, etc.) and to ensure effective human-system integration across exploration systems. 4) Ensure maintenance of Agency core competencies necessary to enable risk reduction in the following areas: A. Space medicine B. Physiological and behavioral effects of long duration spaceflight on the human body C. Space environmental effects, including radiation, on human health and performance D. Space "human factors" [HRP-47051]. Service projects can form integral parts of research-based project-focused programs to provide specialized functions. Traditional/classic project management methodologies and agile approaches are not mutually exclusive paradigms. Agile strategies can be combined with traditional methods and applied in the management of service projects functioning in changing environments. Creative collaborations afford a mechanism for mitigation of constrained resource limitations.

Implementing an organization-wide quality improvement initiative: insights from project leads, managers, and frontline nurses.

PubMed

Jeffs, Lianne P; Lo, Joyce; Beswick, Susan; Campbell, Heather

2013-01-01

With the movement to advance quality care and improve health care outcomes, organizations have increasingly implemented quality improvement (QI) initiatives to meet these requirements. Key to implementation success is the multilevel involvement of frontline clinicians and leadership. To explore the perceptions and experiences of frontline nurses, project leads, and managers associated with an organization-wide initiative aimed at engaging nurses in quality improvement work. To address the aims of this study, a qualitative research approach was used. Two focus groups were conducted with a total of 13 nurse participants, and individual interviews were done with 10 managers and 6 project leads. Emergent themes from the interview data included the following: improving care in a networked approach; driving QI and having a sense of pride; and overcoming challenges. Specifically, our findings elucidate the value of communities of practice and ongoing mentorship for nurses as key strategies to acquire and apply QI knowledge to a QI project on their respective units. Key challenges emerged including workload and time constraints, as well as resistance to change from staff. Our study findings suggest that leaders need to provide learning opportunities and protected time for frontline nurses to participate in QI projects.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ruegg, Janine; Gries, Corinna; Bond-Lamberty, Benjamin

An important goal of macrosystems ecology research is to advance understanding of ecological systems at both fine and broad temporal and spatial scales. Our premise in this paper is that such projects require information management that is integrated into projects from their inception. Such efforts will lead to improved communication and sharing of knowledge among diverse project participants, better science outcomes, and more open science. We promote "closing the data life cycle" by publishing well-documented data sets, which allows for re-use of data to answer new and different questions from the ones conceived by the original projects. The practice ofmore » documenting and submitting data sets to publicly accessible data repositories ensures that research results and data are accessible to and useable by other researchers, thus fostering open science. Ecologists are often not familiar with the information management tools and requirements to effectively preserve data, however, and receive little institutional or professional incentive to do so. This paper describes recommended steps to these ends, and gives examples from current macrosystem ecology projects of why information management is so critical to ensuring that scientific results can be both reproduced and data shared for future use.« less

The Thai-Australian Health Alliance: developing health management capacity and sustainability for primary health care services.

PubMed

Briggs, D S; Tejativaddhana, P; Cruickshank, M; Fraser, J; Campbell, S

2010-11-01

There have been recent calls for a renewed worldwide focus on primary health care. The Thai-Australian Health Alliance addresses this call by developing health care management capability in primary health care professionals in rural Thailand. This paper describes the history and current activities of the Thai-Australian Health Alliance and its approaches to developing health care management capacity for primary care services through international collaborations in research, education and training over a sustained time period. The Alliance's approach is described herein as a distributed network of practices with access to shared knowledge through collaboration. Its research and education approaches involve action research, multi-methods projects, and evaluative studies in the context of workshops and field studies. WHO principles underpin this approach, with countries sharing practical experiences and outcomes, encouraging leadership and management resource networks, creating clearing houses/knowledge centres, and harmonising and aligning partners with their country's health systems. Various evaluations of the Alliance's activities have demonstrated that a capacity building approach that aligns researchers, educators and health practitioners in comparative and reflective activities can be effective in transferring knowledge and skills among a collaboration's partners. Project participants, including primary health care practitioners, health policy makers and academics embraced the need to acquire management skills to sustain primary care units. Participants believe that the approaches described herein were crucial to developing the management skills needed of health care professionals for rural and remote primary health care. The implementation of this initiative was challenged by pre-existing low opinions of the importance of the management role in health care, but with time the Alliance's activities highlighted for all the importance of health care management. Acceptance of its activities and goals are evidenced by the establishment of a Centre of Leadership Expertise in Health Management and the endorsement of the Phitsanulok Declaration by more than 470 primary health care practitioners, academics and policy makers. Problems with the primary health care delivery system in rural Thailand continue, but the Alliance has successfully implemented a cross cultural strategic collaboration through a continuity of activities to augment practice management capacities in primary care practices.

What is the reward? Medical students’ learning and personal development during a research project course

PubMed Central

Möller, Riitta; Shoshan, Maria; Heikkilä, Kristiina

2015-01-01

Background Until recently, the outcome of medical students’ research projects has mainly been assessed in terms of scientific publications, whereas other results important for students’ development have been less studied. The aim of this study was to investigate medical students’ experiences of learning as an outcome of the research project course. Method Written reflections of 50 students were analyzed by manifest inductive content analysis. Results Three categories emerged: ‘thinking as a scientist’, ‘working as a scientist’, and ‘personal development’. Students became more aware about the nature of knowledge, how to generate new knowledge, and developed skills in scientific thinking and critical appraisal. Unexpectedly, effects on personal characteristics, such as self-confidence, self-discipline, independence, and time management skills were also acknowledged. Conclusions We conclude that individual research projects enhance research-specific skills and competencies needed in evidence-based clinical work and are beneficial for personal and professional development. PMID:26344390

The Knowledge Stealing Initiative?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goshorn, Larry

2005-01-01

I have the honor of being on the Academy of Program and Project Leadership (APPL) Knowledge Sharing Feedback and Assessment Team (FAA), and as such, I am privileged to receive the feedback written by many of you as attendees of the Project Management (PM) Master s Forums. It is the intent of the FAA Team and APPL leadership to use this feedback as a tool for continuous program improvement. As a retired (sort of) PM in the payload contracting industry, I'm a big supporter of NASA s Knowledge Sharing Initiative (KSI), especially the Master's Forums. I really enjoy participating in them. Unfortunately I had to miss the 8th forum in Pasadena this past Spring, but I did get the feedback package for the Assessment Team work. So here I was, reviewing twelve pages of comments, reflections, learning notes and critiques from attendees of the 8th forum.

Lessons learned in managing crowdsourced data in the Alaskan Arctic.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mastracci, Diana

2017-04-01

There is perhaps no place in which the consequences of global climate change can be felt more acutely than the Arctic. However, due to lack of measurements at the high latitudes, validation processes are often problematic. Citizen science projects, co-designed together with Native communities at the interface of traditional knowledge and scientific research, could play a major role in climate change adaptation strategies by advancing knowledge of the Arctic system, strengthening inter-generational bonds and facilitating improved knowledge transfer. This presentation will present lessons learned from a pilot project in the Alaskan Arctic, in which innovative approaches were used to design climate change adaptation strategies to support young subsistence hunters in taking in-situ measurements whilst out on the sea-ice. Both the socio-cultural and hardware/software challenges presented in this presentation, could provide useful guidance for future programs that aim to integrate citizens' with scientific data in Arctic communities.

Environmental Management Science Program Workshop. Proceedings

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

1998-07-01

The Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (EM), in partnership with the Office of Energy Research (ER), designed, developed, and implemented the Environmental Management Science Program as a basic research effort to fund the scientific and engineering understanding required to solve the most challenging technical problems facing the government's largest, most complex environmental cleanup program. The intent of the Environmental Management Science Program is to: (1) Provide scientific knowledge that will revolutionize technologies and cleanup approaches to significantly reduce future costs, schedules, and risks. (2) Bridge the gap between broad fundamental research that has wide-ranging applications such as thatmore » performed in the Department's Office of Energy Research and needs-driven applied technology development that is conducted in Environmental Management's Office of Science and Technology. (3) Focus the nation's science infrastructure on critical Department of Energy environmental problems. In an effort to share information regarding basic research efforts being funded by the Environmental Management Science Program and the Environmental Management/Energy Research Pilot Collaborative Research Program (Wolf-Broido Program), this CD includes summaries for each project. These project summaries, available in portable document format (PDF), were prepared in the spring of 1998 by the principal investigators and provide information about their most recent project activities and accomplishments.« less

Experiential learning in control systems laboratories and engineering project management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reck, Rebecca Marie

Experiential learning is a process by which a student creates knowledge through the insights gained from an experience. Kolb's model of experiential learning is a cycle of four modes: (1) concrete experience, (2) reflective observation, (3) abstract conceptualization, and (4) active experimentation. His model is used in each of the three studies presented in this dissertation. Laboratories are a popular way to apply the experiential learning modes in STEM courses. Laboratory kits allow students to take home laboratory equipment to complete experiments on their own time. Although students like laboratory kits, no previous studies compared student learning outcomes on assignments using laboratory kits with existing laboratory equipment. In this study, we examined the similarities and differences between the experiences of students who used a portable laboratory kit and students who used the traditional equipment. During the 2014- 2015 academic year, we conducted a quasi-experiment to compare students' achievement of learning outcomes and their experiences in the instructional laboratory for an introductory control systems course. Half of the laboratory sections in each semester used the existing equipment, while the other sections used a new kit. We collected both quantitative data and qualitative data. We did not identify any major differences in the student experience based on the equipment they used. Course objectives, like research objectives and product requirements, help provide clarity and direction for faculty and students. Unfortunately, course and laboratory objectives are not always clearly stated. Without a clear set of objectives, it can be hard to design a learning experience and determine whether students are achieving the intended outcomes of the course or laboratory. In this study, I identified a common set of laboratory objectives, concepts, and components of a laboratory apparatus for undergraduate control systems laboratories. During the summer of 2015, a panel of 40 control systems faculty members, from a variety of institutions, completed a multi-round Delphi survey in order to bring them toward consensus on the common aspects of their laboratories. The following winter, 45 additional faculty members and practitioners from the control systems community completed a follow-up survey to gather feedback on the results of the Delphi survey. During the Delphi study, the panelists identified 15 laboratory objectives, 26 concepts, and 15 components that were common in their laboratories. Then in both the Delphi survey and follow-up survey each participant rated the importance of each of these items. While the average ratings differed slightly between the two groups, the order of each set of items was compared with two different tests and the order was found to be similar. Some of the common and important learning objectives include connecting theory to what is implemented and observed in the laboratory, designing controllers, and modeling and simulating systems. The most common component in both groups was Math-Works software. Some of the common concepts include block diagrams, stability, and PID control. Defining common aspects of undergraduate control systems laboratories enables common development, detailed comparisons, and simplified adaptation of equipment and experiments between campuses and programs. Throughout an undergraduate program in engineering, there are multiple opportunities for hands-on laboratory experiences that are related to course content. However, a similarly immersive experience for project management graduate students is harder to incorporate for all students in a course at once. This study explores an experiential learning opportunity for graduate students in engineering management or project management programs. The project management students enroll in a project management course. Undergraduate students interested in working on a project with a real customer enroll in a different projects course. Two students from the project management course function as project managers and lead a team of undergraduate students in the second course through a project. I studied how closely the project management experience in these courses aligns with engineering project management in industry. In the spring of 2015, I enrolled in the project management course at a large Midwestern university. I used analytic autoethnography to compare my experiences in the course with my experiences as a project engineer at a large aerospace company. I found that the experience in the course provided an authentic and comprehensive opportunity to practice most of the skills listed in the Project Management Book of Knowledge (an industry standard) as necessary for project managers. Some components of the course that made it successful: I was the project manager for the whole term, I worked with a real client, and the team defined and delivered the project before the end of the semester.

TB tracer teams in South Africa: knowledge, practices and challenges of tracing TB patients to improve adherence.

PubMed

Bristow, Claire C; Podewils, Laura Jean; Bronner, Liza Ellen; Bantubani, Nonkqubela; Walt, Martie van der; Peters, Annatjie; Mametja, David

2013-09-04

In 2008-2009 the South African National Tuberculosis (TB) Program (NTP) implemented a national pilot project, the TB Tracer Project, aiming to decrease default rates and improve patient outcomes. The current study aimed to inform the NTP by describing the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of TB program personnel involved with tracing activities. A self-administered written questionnaire was sent to TB staff, managers and tracer team leaders to assess basic TB knowledge, attitudes and practices. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize results and the chi-squared statistic was used to compare responses of staff at facilities that participated in the TB Tracer Project (tracer) and those that followed standard NTP care (non-tracer). Of 560 total questionnaires distributed, 270 were completed and returned (response rate 48%). Total TB knowledge ranged from 70.8-86.3% correct across all response groups. However, just over half (range 50-59.3%) of each respondent group was able to correctly identify the four components of a DOT encounter. A patient no longer feeling sick was cited by 72.1% of respondents as the reason patients fail to adhere to treatment. Tracer teams were viewed as an effective means to get patients to return to treatment by 96.3% of health facility level respondents. Tracer team leaders reported concerns including lack of logistical support (41.7%), insufficient physical safety precautions (41.7%), and inadequate protection from contracting TB (39.1%). Upon patients returning to treatment at the clinic, facilities included in the TB Tracer Project were significantly more likely to discuss alternate DOTS arrangements than non-tracer facilities (79.2 vs. 66.4%, p = 0.03). This study identified key components of knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding TB patient tracing activities in South Africa. Educating patients on the essential need to complete treatment irrespective of clinical symptoms may help improve treatment adherence. Future scale-up and integration of TB tracing activities as part of standard TB management should include provisions for standardized training of personnel on the critical elements of DOTS, and for ensuring appropriate supervision, logistical support, and physical safety and TB transmission protection of tracing teams.

Water level determination for transportation projects : mean high water manual, final report, November 2009.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-11-01

To ensure proficient network management and safe usage of navigable waterways especially in waters that are : subject to tides, it is essential that the height of the water at various tidal phases be known. This knowledge is also : essential for prop...

Empowering Young Adults to Control Their Financial Future

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowen, Cathy Faulcon; Jones, Heather M.

2006-01-01

Tomorrow's financial decision-makers need information and opportunities to build their personal financial management skills. Equipping individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to make rational financial decisions creates the opportunity to shape a more informed, confident citizenry. The Commonwealth Credit Project (CCP) was designed to…

UWR/MSAA demonstration of coordinated human-services transportation models - phase II : phased implementation.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-12-01

This report presents the results of a 16-month project for system development and design of a model for a Travel Management Coordination Center (TMCC) using ITS capabilities. The system was designed as a tool to facilitate the exchange of knowledge a...

ForistomApp a Web application for scientific and technological information management of Forsitom foundation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saavedra-Duarte, L. A.; Angarita-Jerardino, A.; Ruiz, P. A.; Dulce-Moreno, H. J.; Vera-Rivera, F. H.; V-Niño, E. D.

2017-12-01

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) are essential in the transfer of knowledge, and the Web tools, as part of ICT, are important for institutions seeking greater visibility of the products developed by their researchers. For this reason, we implemented an application that allows the information management of the FORISTOM Foundation (Foundation of Researchers in Science and Technology of Materials). The application shows a detailed description, not only of all its members also of all the scientific production that they carry out, such as technological developments, research projects, articles, presentations, among others. This application can be implemented by other entities committed to the scientific dissemination and transfer of technology and knowledge.

Risk Management Implementation Tool

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wright, Shayla L.

2004-01-01

Continuous Risk Management (CM) is a software engineering practice with processes, methods, and tools for managing risk in a project. It provides a controlled environment for practical decision making, in order to assess continually what could go wrong, determine which risk are important to deal with, implement strategies to deal with those risk and assure the measure effectiveness of the implemented strategies. Continuous Risk Management provides many training workshops and courses to teach the staff how to implement risk management to their various experiments and projects. The steps of the CRM process are identification, analysis, planning, tracking, and control. These steps and the various methods and tools that go along with them, identification, and dealing with risk is clear-cut. The office that I worked in was the Risk Management Office (RMO). The RMO at NASA works hard to uphold NASA s mission of exploration and advancement of scientific knowledge and technology by defining and reducing program risk. The RMO is one of the divisions that fall under the Safety and Assurance Directorate (SAAD). I worked under Cynthia Calhoun, Flight Software Systems Engineer. My task was to develop a help screen for the Continuous Risk Management Implementation Tool (RMIT). The Risk Management Implementation Tool will be used by many NASA managers to identify, analyze, track, control, and communicate risks in their programs and projects. The RMIT will provide a means for NASA to continuously assess risks. The goals and purposes for this tool is to provide a simple means to manage risks, be used by program and project managers throughout NASA for managing risk, and to take an aggressive approach to advertise and advocate the use of RMIT at each NASA center.

Performance measurement: A tool for program control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abell, Nancy

1994-01-01

Performance measurement is a management tool for planning, monitoring, and controlling as aspects of program and project management--cost, schedule, and technical requirements. It is a means (concept and approach) to a desired end (effective program planning and control). To reach the desired end, however, performance measurement must be applied and used appropriately, with full knowledge and recognition of its power and of its limitations--what it can and cannot do for the project manager. What is the potential of this management tool? What does performance measurement do that a traditional plan vs. actual technique cannot do? Performance measurement provides an improvement over the customary comparison of how much money was spent (actual cost) vs. how much was planned to be spent based on a schedule of activities (work planned). This commonly used plan vs. actual comparison does not allow one to know from the numerical data if the actual cost incurred was for work intended to be done.

The manager's guide to NASA graphics standards

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1980-01-01

NASA managers have the responsibility to initiate and carry out communication projects with a degree of sophistication that properly reflects the agency's substantial work. Over the course of the last decade, it has become more important to clearly communicate NASA's objectives in aeronautical research, space exploration, and related sciences. Many factors come into play when preparing communication materials for internal and external use. Three overriding factors are: producing the materials by the most cost-efficient method; ensuring that each item reflects the vitality, knowledge, and precision of NASA; and portraying all visual materials with a unified appearance. This guide will serve as the primary tool in meeting these criteria. This publication spells out the many benefits inherent in the Unified Visual Communication System and describes how the system was developed. The last section lists the graphic coordinators at headquarters and the centers who can assist with graphic projects. By understanding the Unified Visual Communication System, NASA managers will be able to manage a project from inception through production in the most cost-effective manner while maintaining the quality of NASA communications.

Communication challenges in system development: involvement of system developers in small-scale IT projects.

PubMed

Petersen, Lone Stub; Bjoernes, Charlotte D; Bertelsen, Pernille

2010-01-01

A well-known challenge in system development is the aspect of user participation. In this paper we shift perspective from how to involve users in system development to how project managers with a clinical background, but without technical system knowledge, can involve system developers in IT projects. Using data from the development of an online patient book (an ICT application for clinical practice), we analyze challenges using the concept of language-games. We conclude that further research and development of participatory and communicative methods to involve system developers in IT projects, based in a clinical context, is needed.

Practical Environmental Education and Local Contribution in the Environmental Science Laboratory Circle in the College of Science and Technology in Nihon University

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taniai, Tetsuyuki; Ito, Ken-Ichi; Sakamaki, Hiroshi

In this paper, we presented a method and knowledge about a practical and project management education and local contribution obtained through the student activities of “Environmental science laboratory circle in the College of Science and technology in Nihon University” from 1991 to 2001. In this circle, four major projects were acted such as research, protection, clean up and enlightenment projects. Due to some problems from inside or outside of this circle, this circle projects have been stopped. The diffusion and popularization of the internet technology will help to resolve some of these problems.

Can a theory-based educational intervention change nurses’ knowledge and attitudes concerning cancer pain management? A quasi-experimental design

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Registered Nurses (RNs) play an important role in caring for patients suffering from cancer pain. A lack of knowledge regarding pain management and the RNs’ own perception of cancer pain could act as barriers to effective pain management. Educational interventions that target RNs’ knowledge and attitudes have proved promising. However, an intervention consisting of evidence-based practice is a multifaceted process and demands behavioural and cognitive changes to sustain the effects of the intervention. Therefore, our study aimed to investigate if a theory-based educational intervention could change RNs’ knowledge and attitudes to cancer pain and pain management, both four and 12 weeks after the start of the intervention. Methods A quasi-experimental design with non-equivalent control groups was used. The primary outcome was measured using a modified version of the instrument Nurses’ Knowledge and Attitudes Survey Regarding Pain (NKAS) at baseline, four weeks and 12 weeks after the start of the intervention to evaluate its persistence. The intervention’s educational curriculum was based on the principles of Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behaviour and consisted of interactive learning activities conducted in workshops founded on evidence-based knowledge. The RN’s own experiences from cancer pain management were used in the learning process. Results The theory-based educational intervention aimed at changing RNs knowledge and attitudes regarding cancer pain management measured by primary outcome NKAS resulted in a statistical significant (p<0.05) improvement of total mean score from baseline to four weeks at the intervention ward. Conclusions The findings of this study, suggest that a theory-based educational intervention focused at RNs can be effective in changing RN’s knowledge and attitudes regarding cancer pain management. However, the high number of dropouts between baseline and four weeks needs to be taken into account when evaluating our findings. Finally, this kind of theory-based educational intervention with interactive learning activities has been sparsely researched and needs to be evaluated further in larger projects. Trial registration Clinical Trials. Gov: NCT01313234 PMID:23958335

Commitment of project participants to developing health care services based on the internet technology.

PubMed

Kouri, Pirkko; Karjalainen-Jurvelin, Ritva; Kinnunen, Juha

2005-12-01

When developing Information and Communication Technology (ICT), such as services for the decision-making process, skilled health care professionals with their comprehensive knowledge of patients/clients are essential contributors to the project. Careful evaluation is needed to assess the effectiveness of project management as well as to analyze the commitment of the personnel to goal attainment. In the course of the development of integrated maternity care services, the commitment of project participants (n=48) was evaluated. What factors enhanced or impaired their commitment to the project work? Questionnaire (n=80, response rate 60%) with quantitative analysis as well as open-ended questions with qualitative content analysis. Positive commitment was related to a confidential and open atmosphere during the project. The utilization of personal skills and experience was appreciated. Differences in the working principles and cultures between the participating organizations complicated fluent collaboration. To encourage commitment, a lot of attention should be paid to internal communication as well as the effective realization of project tasks. The strength of the project was the highly innovative and confidential atmosphere. The well-established project goals, the highly inspired project team, and the effective co-operation between the project manager and the core group helped to deepen overall commitment in the project.

An educational international partnership responding to local needs: process evaluation of the Brazil FAIMER Regional Institute.

PubMed

Amaral, E; Campos, H H; Friedman, S; Morahan, P S; Araujo, M N T; Carvalho, P M; Bollela, V; Ribeiro, M G F; Mennin, S; Haddad, A E; Campos, F

2012-11-01

The Brazilian public health system requires competent professionals sensitive to the needs of the population. The Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER) provides a two-year faculty development programme for health professions educators, aiming to build leadership in education to improve health. A partnership with governmental initiatives and FAIMER was established for meeting these needs. This paper describes the initial process evaluation results of the Brazilian FAIMER Institute Fellowship (FAIMER BR). Data were analysed for the classes 2007-2010 regarding: application processes; innovation project themes; retrospective post-pre self-ratings of knowledge acquisition; and professional development portfolios. Seventeen of 26 Brazilian states were represented among 98 Fellows, predominantly from public medical schools (75.5%) and schools awarded Ministry of Health grants to align education with public health services (89.8%). One-third (n = 32) of Fellows' innovation projects were related to these grants. Significant increases occurred in all topic subscales on self-report of knowledge acquisition (effect sizes, 1.21-2.77). In the follow up questionnaire, 63% of Fellows reported that their projects were incorporated into the curriculum or institutional policies. The majority reported that the programme deepened their knowledge (98%), provided new ideas about medical education (90%) and provided skills for conflict management (63%). One-half of the Fellows reported sustained benefits from the programme listserv and other communications, including breadth of expertise, establishment of research collaboration and receiving emotional support. Contributors to initial programme success included alignment of curriculum with governmental initiatives, curriculum design merging educational technology, leadership and management skills and central role of an innovation educational project responding to local needs.

Academic Health Center Management of Chronic Diseases through Knowledge Networks: Project ECHO

PubMed Central

Arora, Sanjeev; Geppert, Cynthia M. A.; Kalishman, Summers; Dion, Denise; Pullara, Frank; Bjeletich, Barbara; Simpson, Gary; Alverson, Dale C.; Moore, Lori B.; Kuhl, Dave; Scaletti, Joseph V.

2013-01-01

The authors describe an innovative academic health center (AHC)-led program of health care delivery and clinical education for the management of complex, common, and chronic diseases in underserved areas, using hepatitis C virus (HCV) as a model. The program, based at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine, represents a paradigm shift in thinking and funding for the threefold mission of AHCs, moving from traditional fee-for-service models to public health funding of knowledge networks. This program, Project Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO), involves a partnership of academic medicine, public health offices, corrections departments, and rural community clinics dedicated to providing best practices and protocol-driven health care in rural areas. Telemedicine and Internet connections enable specialists in the program to comanage patients with complex diseases, using case-based knowledge networks and learning loops. Project ECHO partners (nurse practitioners, primary care physicians, physician assistants, and pharmacists) present HCV-positive patients during weekly two-hour telemedicine clinics using a standardized, case-based format that includes discussion of history, physical examination, test results, treatment complications, and psychiatric, medical, and substance abuse issues. In these case-based learning clinics, partners rapidly gain deep domain expertise in HCV as they collaborate with university specialists in hepatology, infectious disease, psychiatry, and substance abuse in comanaging their patients. Systematic monitoring of treatment outcomes is an integral aspect of the project. The authors believe this methodology will be generalizable to other complex and chronic conditions in a wide variety of underserved areas to improve disease outcomes, and it offers an opportunity for AHCs to enhance and expand their traditional mission of teaching, patient care, and research. PMID:17264693

From Ice Sheets to Main Streets: Intermediaries Connect Climate Scientists to Coastal Adaptation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ultee, Lizz; Arnott, James C.; Bassis, Jeremy; Lemos, Maria Carmen

2018-03-01

Despite the societal relevance of sea-level research, a knowledge-to-action gap remains between researchers and coastal communities. In the agricultural and water-management sectors, intermediaries such as consultants and extension agencies have a long and well-documented history of helping to facilitate the application of scientific knowledge on the ground. However, the role of such intermediaries in adaptation to sea-level rise, though potentially of vital importance, has been less thoroughly explored. In this commentary, we describe three styles of science intermediation that can connect researchers working on sea-level projections with decision-makers relying on those projections. We illustrate these styles with examples of recent and ongoing contexts for the application of sea-level research, at different spatial scales and political levels ranging from urban development projects to international organizations. Our examples highlight opportunities and drawbacks for the researchers involved and communities adapting to rising seas.

A Knowledge-based System for Estimating Incident Clearance Duration for Maryland : I-95 a Case Study for the Project of MD-17-SHA/UM/4-19 : “Development of a Traffic Management Decision Support Tool for Freeway Incident Traffic Management (FITM) Plan Deployment”

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-12-01

For the incident response operations to be appreciated by the general public, it is essential that responsible highway agencies be capable of providing the estimated clearance duration of a detected incident at the level sufficiently reliable for mot...

Ask Magazine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prusak, Laurence (Editor); Cohen, Don (Editor); Ellis, Kerry (Editor); Kohut, Matt (Editor)

2008-01-01

The topics covered include: The Summer of Hydrogen; Leading Your Leaders; Dawn: Cooperation, not Control; Best Buy: Planning for Disaster The Astronaut Glove Challenge: Big Innovation from a (Very) Small Team; Using the Space Glove to Teach Spatial Thinking; The Power of Story; Interview with Jay O'Callahan; Learning from Space Entrepreneurs; Featured Invention: Laser Scaling Device; Reaching for the APEX at Ames; The Project Manager Who Saved His Country; Choosing and Developing the Right Leadership Styles for Projects; and The Costs of Knowledge.

[NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Report 3:] Technical communications in aeronautics: Results of an exploratory study. An analysis of profit managers' and nonprofit managers' responses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pinelli, Thomas E.; Glassman, Myron; Barclay, Rebecca O.; Oliu, Walter E.

1989-01-01

Data collected from an exploratory study concerned with the technical communications practices of aerospace engineers and scientists were analyzed to test the primary assumption that profit and nonprofit managers in the aerospace community have different technical communications practices. Five assumptions were established for the analysis. Profit and nonprofit managers in the aerospace community were found to have different technical communications practices for one of the five assumptions tested. It was, therefore, concluded that profit and nonprofit managers in the aerospace community do not have different technical communications practices.

Geodiversity and geohazards of the Susa Valley (W-Alps, Italy): combining scientific research and new technologies for enhanced knowledge and proactive management of geoheritage in mountain regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giardino, Marco; Bacenetti, Marco; Perotti, Luigi; Giordano, Enrico; Ghiraldi, Luca; Palomba, Mauro

2013-04-01

Mountain regions have a range of geological and geomorphological features that make them very attractive for tourism activities. As a consequence, increased human "pressure" causes impacts on geoheritage sites and higher geomorphological risks. These effects are magnified by active geomorphic processes characterizing mountains areas, highly sensitive to climate change. In term of "human sensitivity", several sociological surveys have shown that "perceived risk", not "real risk", influences people's behavior towards natural hazards. The same approach can be applied to geodiversity and geoheritage. Based on these assumptions, we considered the possible strategic roles played by diffusion of scientific research and application of new technologies: 1) to enhance awareness, either of geodiversity or environmental dynamics and 2) to improve knowledge, both on geoheritage management and natural risk reduction. Within the activities of the "ProGEO-Piemonte Project" (Progetti d'Ateneo 2011, cofunded by Universita? degli Studi di Torino and Compagnia di San Paolo Bank Foundation), we performed a systematic review of geodiversity and natural hazards information in the Piemonte Region (NW-Italy). Then we focused our attention on the Susa Valley, an area of the Western Alps where the geoheritage is affected by very active morphodynamics, as well as by a growing tourism, after the 2006 winter Olympics. The Susa Valley became one of the 9 strategic geothematic areas have been selected to represent the geodiversity of the Piemonte region, each characterized by high potential for enhancement of public understanding of science, and recreation activities supported by local communities. Then we contributed to the awareness-raising communication strategy of the "RiskNat project" (Interreg Alcotra 2007-2013, Action A.4.3) by synthesizing geoscience knowledge on the Susa Valley and information on slope instabilities and models/prevention measures/warning systems. Visual representations and digital evolutionary models have been prepared for didactic trails and virtual laboratory, for contributing to the popularization of geological history, climate and environmental changes, natural hazards and related risk management practices in the Susa Valley. By combining geodiversity and geohazards knowledge, a new conceptual and operational discipline has been achieved in the management of the geoheritage of the Susa Valley. New techniques for recognizing and managing its rich geodiversity have been developed and applied to the territory of the "Alpi Cozie Geopark" (Interreg Alcotra 2007-2013, Project 2) for geosites selection, geo-trails preparation and management and dissemination activities. As final results, better recognition of the economic value of geodiversity and stronger perception of natural risks have been achieved: both valuable contributions to reduce local vulnerability to disasters and to support a territorial integrated quality management system of geoheritage, suitable for tourism and sustainable development.

Teaching guatemala midwives about postpartum hemorrhage.

PubMed

Garcia, Kimberly; Morrison, Fellow Barbara; Savrin, Carol

2012-01-01

To evaluate the effect of a culturally sensitive teaching unit on traditional midwives' knowledge of nursing interventions to prevent and treat postpartum hemorrhage (PPH). Sixteen midwives participated in a 1-day training program at a Refuge International Health Clinic in the remote town of Sarstun, Guatemala. The quasi experimental study used a one-group, pretest-posttest design. Researchers used a PPH Behavioral Checklist from the American College of Nurse Midwives (ACNM) to assess and compare knowledge of PPH interventions before and after the PPH teaching. The final analysis included 13 traditional midwives as the subjects. The culturally sensitive teaching improved traditional midwives' knowledge and skills about nursing interventions to manage PPH (pretest M = 1.385/8, posttest M = 4.846/8). Results of this pilot project suggest a culturally sensitive oral teaching in the primary language of the participants positively affects traditional midwives' knowledge and skills to manage PPH. Future training should be presented in a similar format to meet the needs of illiterate audiences in resource-poor settings.

Informing child welfare policy and practice: using knowledge discovery and data mining technology via a dynamic Web site.

PubMed

Duncan, Dean F; Kum, Hye-Chung; Weigensberg, Elizabeth Caplick; Flair, Kimberly A; Stewart, C Joy

2008-11-01

Proper management and implementation of an effective child welfare agency requires the constant use of information about the experiences and outcomes of children involved in the system, emphasizing the need for comprehensive, timely, and accurate data. In the past 20 years, there have been many advances in technology that can maximize the potential of administrative data to promote better evaluation and management in the field of child welfare. Specifically, this article discusses the use of knowledge discovery and data mining (KDD), which makes it possible to create longitudinal data files from administrative data sources, extract valuable knowledge, and make the information available via a user-friendly public Web site. This article demonstrates a successful project in North Carolina where knowledge discovery and data mining technology was used to develop a comprehensive set of child welfare outcomes available through a public Web site to facilitate information sharing of child welfare data to improve policy and practice.

Preventing nipple trauma in lactating women in the University Hospital of the University of Sao Paulo: a best practice implementation project.

PubMed

Shimoda, Gilcéria Tochika; Soares, Alda Valeria Neves; Aragaki, Ilva Marico Mizumoto; McArthur, Alexa

2015-03-12

Nipple trauma in lactating women is an important issue in facilitating successful breastfeeding. Evidence suggests that early postnatal education on the positioning and attachment technique, early observation of mothers and correcting breastfeeding techniques at an early stage may reduce nipple trauma. The aim of this project was to improve breastfeeding practice and thereby reduce nipple trauma in lactating women in a public hospital in Sao Paulo. More specifically the objectives of this project were: firstly, to assess the current practice in nurses' assistance concerning the prevention of nipple trauma; secondly, to adapt and trial a Breastfeeding Assessment Form to observe and educate the lactating mother during the early post-natal period; and thirdly, to assess the impact of introducing the assessment strategy on breastfeeding and nipple trauma rates. The Joanna Briggs Institute Practical Application of Clinical Evidence System online tool was utilized for this project. A clinical audit was conducted to assess compliance with best practice in nursing assistance concerning the prevention of nipple trauma. The project concluded with a second audit, which assessed the change in practice following the implementation of strategies to improve practice. The project was successful in that there was an improvement across all of the audit criteria following the introduction of the strategy to promote best practice. Criterion 1, concerning nursing staff knowledge, improved in compliance by 73%. Criterion 2 and 4, concerning women's knowledge about prevention and management of nipple trauma, improved by 53% and 55% respectively. Breastfeeding assessment improved by 26% from baseline to follow-up audit. Moreover, an improvement in women's satisfaction and exclusive breastfeeding rates was observed; however, nipple trauma rates did not decrease. This implementation project had great impact on both nursing staff as well as lactating women's knowledge of preventing and managing nipple trauma. It also enhanced women's satisfaction with breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding rates. Further research is required into other aspects involved with the onset of nipple trauma. The Joanna Briggs Institute.

Preparing for Organisational Learning by HK Infrastructure Project Joint Ventures Organizations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, Derek H. T.; Johannes, Derick S.

2003-01-01

Interviews with nine Hong Kong managers involved in joint ventures with other organizations focused on the organizational learning aspects of collaboration: attitudes toward interorganizational learning, acquisition of knowledge assets, and learning motivation. An important motivation for developing alliances was to learn from each other, fill…

Assess, Map and Predict the Integrity, Resilience, and Recovery Potential of the Nation's Water Resources

EPA Science Inventory

This project will provide knowledge and adaptive management techniques to both maintain healthy waters and to improve degraded systems. It will provide scientific support for the National Aquatic Resource Surveys. Results will provide a basis for informed decision making and tool...

Geriatrics Educational Outreach: A Tale of Three GRECCs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Elizabeth; Fitzgerald, James T.; Griffith, Jennifer; Weir, Charlene

2011-01-01

Current geriatrics workforce projections indicate that clinicians who care for adults will need basic geriatrics knowledge and skills to address the geriatric syndromes and issues that limit functional independence and complicate medical management. This is most evident for the clinicians caring for veterans in the Department of Veterans Affairs…

Digital Libraries Are Much More than Digitized Collections.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peters, Peter Evan

1995-01-01

The digital library encompasses the application of high-performance computers and networks to the production, distribution, management, and use of knowledge in research and education. A joint project by three federal agencies, which is investing in digital library initiatives at six universities, is discussed. A sidebar provides issues to consider…

Taking Indigenous Knowledge Seriously in Rural Development Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Awa, Njoku E.

Arguing that consultative and authoritative frameworks for rural development programs allow those in a superior position to define development priorities and to determine when and to what extent those in subordinate positions can participate, this paper outlines the need for participative-group management of such projects. The paper notes that…

Engineering Communication Interface: An Engineering Multi-Disciplinary Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prescott, David; El-Sakran, Tharwat; Albasha, Lutfi; Aloul, Fadi; Al-Assaf, Yousef

2011-01-01

Well-developed professional communication skills, collaborative work practices, effective self-management and a clear understanding of social responsibility and ethical practices are essential for the new engineer who hopes to contribute to the profession and build a career. These attributes are in addition to the traditional sound knowledge of…

Tenure Troubles and Equity Matters in Canadian Academe

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Acker, Sandra; Webber, Michelle; Smyth, Elizabeth

2012-01-01

The focus of this article is the tenure review process in Canadian universities, a rigorous and high-stakes evaluation of junior academics that serves as a prime exemplar of "disciplining academics", our project's title. In-depth interviews in seven Ontario universities with 30 knowledgeable informants such as senior managers and faculty…

Urban forestry research needs: a participatory assessment process

Treesearch

Kathleen L. Wolf; Linda E. Kruger

2010-01-01

New research initiatives focusing on urban ecology and natural resources are underway. Such programs coincide with increased local government action in urban forest planning and management, activities that are enhanced by scientific knowledge. This project used a participatory stakeholder process to explore and understand urban forestry research and technology transfer...

Expert systems and simulation models; Proceedings of the Seminar, Tucson, AZ, November 18, 19, 1985

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1986-01-01

The seminar presents papers on modeling and simulation methodology, artificial intelligence and expert systems, environments for simulation/expert system development, and methodology for simulation/expert system development. Particular attention is given to simulation modeling concepts and their representation, modular hierarchical model specification, knowledge representation, and rule-based diagnostic expert system development. Other topics include the combination of symbolic and discrete event simulation, real time inferencing, and the management of large knowledge-based simulation projects.

Knowledge and opinion about smoke-free laws and second-hand smoke among hospitality venue managers in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh, India.

PubMed

Gupta, Vinay K; Arora, Monika; Sharma, Indrani; Nazar, Gaurang P; Modi, Bhavesh; Singh, Deepti; Millett, Christopher; Reddy, K Srinath

2013-01-01

India's Smoke-Free Law (SFL) was implemented in 2004 and reinforced on 2nd October 2008. This research attempts to understand the knowledge and opinion of hospitality venue (HV) managers about second-hand smoke (SHS) and SFL as well as self-reported compliance with SFL in two Indian states. A survey was conducted among 804 randomly sampled HVs from project STEPS (Strengthening of tobacco control efforts through innovative partnerships and strategies) in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh, India. Four hundred and three HVs from two districts in Gujarat and 401 HVs from six districts in Andhra Pradesh were selected. The owner, manager or supervisor of each HV was interviewed using a pre-tested structured interview schedule. Association of opinion scales with respondents' background characteristics was assessed through the analysis of variance (ANOVA) method. Out of the 403 respondents in Gujarat and 401 in Andhra Pradesh, 56.1% and 84.3% had knowledge about SFL respectively. Compliance of HVs with SFL was 21.8% in Gujarat and 31.2% in Andhra Pradesh as reported by the managers. Knowledge about SHS was noted among 39.7% of respondents in Gujarat and 25.4% in Andhra Pradesh. Bivariate results indicated that more educated HV managers showed higher support for smoke-free public places (P < 0.001) and were more concerned about the health effects of SHS exposure (P = 0.002). Complete self-reported compliance with, and knowledge of SFL as well as SHS was not found in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh. The education level of HV managers is an important determinant to ensure compliance with SFL in public places.

LBNL report of the vetting review of the GRETINA project

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Robinson, K.E.; Bercovitz, J.H.; Bieser, F.S.

GRETINA is a gamma-ray detector array capable of reconstructing the energy and spatial positions of gamma-ray interactions within the germanium crystals. It will be used to study the structure and stability of nuclei under various conditions. The new capabilities provided by gamma-ray tracking will give large gains in sensitivity for a large number of experiments, particularly those aimed at nuclei far from beta stability. A proposal for GRETINA was submitted to DOE in June 2003. It presented the scientific case, the readiness of technical development, the design, the suggested management organizations, and a proposed cost and schedule. The GRETINA proposalmore » received its CD0 approval in August 2003. The CD-1 review will be held on December 3 and 4, 2003, and will be handled by the DOE-N. This report presents the charge to the GRETINA vetting review committee, and the findings, comments and recommendations of this committee. The purpose of this project vetting review was to assure that the GRETINA project is on track to provide DOE and the nuclear physics community with the agreed upon deliverables within the agreed upon budget and schedule. The vetting review committee was asked to cover both technical and management aspects of the GRETINA Project. Reviewers offer expert knowledge in relevant areas and provide recommendations and findings to the project's management team. Upon successful completion, the Laboratory's Integrated Project Management Office (IPMO) will recommend signoff of the project to the Laboratory Directorate. The GRETINA vetting review committee was asked to consider all relevant aspects of the project's management, project execution plan (PEP), technical approach and status, cost estimate, resources, schedule and risk and, in doing so, to advise as to whether the GRETINA Project was likely to successfully provide the agreed upon deliverables within the agreed upon budget and schedule. The review committee was asked to identify any project areas that may be incomplete for the current phase in the project and any area of significant risk for the project reaching its objectives. The committee was also asked to review and evaluate the technical status of the project and advise on any concerns or significant technical risks.« less

The art of co-production of knowledge in environmental sciences and management: lessons from international practice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Djenontin, Ida Nadia S.; Meadow, Alison M.

2018-06-01

This review paper addresses the challenging question of "how to" design and implement co-production of knowledge in climate science and other environmental and agricultural sciences. Based on a grounded theory review of nine (9) published case studies of transdisciplinary and collaborative research projects, the paper offers a set of common themes regarding specific components and processes for the design, implementation, and achievement of co-production of knowledge work, which represent the "Modus Operandi" of knowledge co-production. The analysis focuses on practical methodological guidance based on lessons from how different research teams have approached the challenges of complex collaborative research. We begin by identifying broad factors or actions that inhibit or facilitate the process, then highlight specific practices associated with co-production of knowledge and necessary competencies for undertaking co-production. We provide insights on issues such as the integration of social and professional cultures, gender and social equity, and power dynamics, and illustrate the different ways in which researchers have addressed these issues. By exploring the specific practices involved in knowledge co-production, this paper provides guidance to researchers on how to navigate different possibilities of the process of conducting transdisciplinary and co-production of knowledge research projects that best fit their research context, stakeholder needs, and research team capacities.

The art of co-production of knowledge in environmental sciences and management: lessons from international practice.

PubMed

Djenontin, Ida Nadia S; Meadow, Alison M

2018-06-01

This review paper addresses the challenging question of "how to" design and implement co-production of knowledge in climate science and other environmental and agricultural sciences. Based on a grounded theory review of nine (9) published case studies of transdisciplinary and collaborative research projects, the paper offers a set of common themes regarding specific components and processes for the design, implementation, and achievement of co-production of knowledge work, which represent the "Modus Operandi" of knowledge co-production. The analysis focuses on practical methodological guidance based on lessons from how different research teams have approached the challenges of complex collaborative research. We begin by identifying broad factors or actions that inhibit or facilitate the process, then highlight specific practices associated with co-production of knowledge and necessary competencies for undertaking co-production. We provide insights on issues such as the integration of social and professional cultures, gender and social equity, and power dynamics, and illustrate the different ways in which researchers have addressed these issues. By exploring the specific practices involved in knowledge co-production, this paper provides guidance to researchers on how to navigate different possibilities of the process of conducting transdisciplinary and co-production of knowledge research projects that best fit their research context, stakeholder needs, and research team capacities.

Linking Effective Project Management to Business Strategy in Oil and Gas Industry through Decision-making Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adeleke, Adeyinka

The construction project in the oil and gas industry covers the entire spectrum of hydrocarbon production from the wellhead (upstream) to downstream facilities. In each of these establishments, the activities in a construction project include: consulting, studies, front-end engineering, detail engineering, procurement, program management, construction, installation, commissioning and start-up. Efficient management of each of the activities involved in construction projects is one of the driving forces for the successful completion of the project. Optimizing the crucial factors in project management during each phase of a project in an oil and gas industry can assist managers to maximize the use of available resources and drive the project to successful conclusions. One of these factors is the decision-making process in the construction project. Current research effort investigated the relationship between decision-making processes and business strategy in oil and gas industry using employee surveys. I recruited employees of different races, age group, genders, and years of experience in order understand their influence on the implementation of the decision-making process in oil and gas industry through a quantitative survey. Decision-making was assessed using five decision measures: (a) rational, (b) intuitive, (c) dependent, (d) avoidant, and (e) spontaneous. The findings indicated gender, age, years of work experience and job titles as primary variables with a negative relationship with decision-making approach for employees working in a major oil and gas industry. The study results revealed that the two most likely decision-making methods in oil and gas industry include: making a decision in a logical and systematic way and seek assistance from others when making a decision. Additionally, the two leading management approaches to decision-making in the oil and gas industry include: decision analysis is part of organization culture and management is committed to the decision-making process. Some recommendations for future studies were presented based on the need to intensify the importance of the current study and enlarge the body of knowledge regarding decision-making process in oil and gas industry.

Improving wound and pressure area care in a nursing home.

PubMed

Sprakes, Kate; Tyrer, Julie

Wound and pressure ulcer prevention are key quality indicators of nursing care. This article describes a collaborative project between a community skin care service and a nursing home. The aim of the project was to establish whether the implementation of a wound and pressure ulcer management competency framework within a nursing home would improve patient outcomes and reduce the severity and number of wounds and pressure ulcers. Following the project's implementation, there was a reduction in the number of wounds and pressure ulcers, hospital admissions and district nursing visits. Nursing home staff also reported an increase in their knowledge and skills.

Study protocol for the translating research in elder care (TREC): building context – an organizational monitoring program in long-term care project (project one)

PubMed Central

Estabrooks, Carole A; Squires, Janet E; Cummings, Greta G; Teare, Gary F; Norton, Peter G

2009-01-01

Background While there is a growing awareness of the importance of organizational context (or the work environment/setting) to successful knowledge translation, and successful knowledge translation to better patient, provider (staff), and system outcomes, little empirical evidence supports these assumptions. Further, little is known about the factors that enhance knowledge translation and better outcomes in residential long-term care facilities, where care has been shown to be suboptimal. The project described in this protocol is one of the two main projects of the larger five-year Translating Research in Elder Care (TREC) program. Aims The purpose of this project is to establish the magnitude of the effect of organizational context on knowledge translation, and subsequently on resident, staff (unregulated, regulated, and managerial) and system outcomes in long-term care facilities in the three Canadian Prairie Provinces (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba). Methods/Design This study protocol describes the details of a multi-level – including provinces, regions, facilities, units within facilities, and individuals who receive care (residents) or work (staff) in facilities – and longitudinal (five-year) research project. A stratified random sample of 36 residential long-term care facilities (30 urban and 6 rural) from the Canadian Prairie Provinces will comprise the sample. Caregivers and care managers within these facilities will be asked to complete the TREC survey – a suite of survey instruments designed to assess organizational context and related factors hypothesized to be important to successful knowledge translation and to achieving better resident, staff, and system outcomes. Facility and unit level data will be collected using standardized data collection forms, and resident outcomes using the Resident Assessment Instrument-Minimum Data Set version 2.0 instrument. A variety of analytic techniques will be employed including descriptive analyses, psychometric analyses, multi-level modeling, and mixed-method analyses. Discussion Three key challenging areas associated with conducting this project are discussed: sampling, participant recruitment, and sample retention; survey administration (with unregulated caregivers); and the provision of a stable set of study definitions to guide the project. PMID:19671166

Improving service user self-management: development and implementation of a strategy for the Richmond Response and Rehabilitation Team.

PubMed

Sanders, Julie; Fitzpatrick, Joanne M

2017-01-01

Community rapid response and rehabilitation teams are used to prevent avoidable hospital admissions for adults living with multiple long-term conditions and to support early hospital discharge by providing short-term intensive multidisciplinary support. Supporting self-management is an important service intervention if desired outcomes are to be achieved. A Care Quality Commission inspection of the Richmond Response and Rehabilitation Team in 2014 identified that self-management plans were not routinely developed with service users and reported this as requiring improvement. This quality improvement project aimed to develop and implement a self-management strategy for service users and for 90% of service users to have a personalised self-management plan within 3 months. The quality improvement intervention used the Plan-Do-Study-Act model comprising: (1) the development of a self-management plan, (2) staff education to support service users to self-manage using motivational interviewing techniques, (3) piloting the self-management plan with service users, (4) implementation of the self-management plan and (5) monthly audit and feedback. Evaluation involved an audit of the number and quality of self-management plans developed with service users and a survey of staff knowledge and confidence to support service users to self-manage. Following implementation of the intervention, the number of self-management plans developed in collaboration with service users increased from 0 to 187 over a 4-week period. Monthly audit data confirmed that this improvement has been sustained. Results indicated that staff knowledge and confidence improved after an education intervention. Quality improvement methods facilitated development and operationalisation of a self-management strategy by a community rapid response and rehabilitation team. The next phase of the project is to evaluate the impact of the self-management strategy on key service outcomes including self-efficacy, unplanned and emergency hospital admissions and early discharges.

How can we cope with the complexity of the environment? A "Learning by modelling" approach using qualitative reasoning for developing causal models and simulations with focus on Sustainable River Catchment Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poppe, Michaela; Zitek, Andreas; Salles, Paulo; Bredeweg, Bert; Muhar, Susanne

2010-05-01

The education system needs strategies to attract future scientists and practitioners. There is an alarming decline in the number of students choosing science subjects. Reasons for this include the perceived complexity and the lack of effective cognitive tools that enable learners to acquire the expertise in a way that fits its qualitative nature. The DynaLearn project utilises a "Learning by modelling" approach to deliver an individualised and engaging cognitive tool for acquiring conceptual knowledge. The modelling approach is based on qualitative reasoning, a research area within artificial intelligence, and allows for capturing and simulating qualitative systems knowledge. Educational activities within the DynaLearn software address topics at different levels of complexity, depending on the educational goals and settings. DynaLearn uses virtual characters in the learning environment as agents for engaging and motivating the students during their modelling exercise. The DynaLearn software represents an interactive learning environment in which learners are in control of their learning activities. The software is able to coach them individually based on their current progress, their knowledge needs and learning goals. Within the project 70 expert models on different environmental issues covering seven core topics (Earth Systems and Resources, The Living World, Human population, Land and Water Use, Energy Resources and Consumption, Pollution, and Global Changes) will be delivered. In the context of the core topic "Land and Water Use" the Institute of Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecosystem Management has developed a model on Sustainable River Catchment Management. River systems with their catchments have been tremendously altered due to human pressures with serious consequences for the ecological integrity of riverine landscapes. The operation of hydropower plants, the implementation of flood protection measures, the regulation of flow and sediment regime and intensive land use in the catchments have created ecological problems. A sustainable, catchment-wide management of riverine landscapes is needed and stated by water right acts, e.g. the European Water Framework and Floods Directive. This interdisciplinary approach needs the integration of natural riverine processes, flood protection, resource management, landscape planning, and social and political aspects to achieve a sustainable development. Therefore the model shows the effects of different management strategies concerning flood protection, restoration measures and land use. The model illustrates the wide range of ecosystem services of riverine landscapes that contribute to human well-being such as water supply, hydropower generation, flood regulation, and recreational opportunities. The effects of different land use strategies in the catchment are highlighted by means of the Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework. The model is used to support activities of students at the University as well as at High School within the DynaLearn Software to promote scientific culture in the secondary education system. Model fragments allow learners to re-use parts of the existing model at different levels of complexity. But learners can also construct their own conceptual system knowledge, either individually or in a collaborative setting, and using the model as a reference for comparisons of their own understanding. Of special interest for the DynaLearn project is the intended development of interdisciplinary and social skills like cooperative working, cross-linked thinking, problem solving, decision-making, and the identification of the conflicts between environment, economy, legislation, science, technology, and society. A comprehensive evaluation of the DynaLearn software is part of the project. To be effective, science education should focus on understanding scientific concepts and on application of scientific knowledge to everyday life. Conceptual knowledge of systems behaviour is crucial for society to understand and successfully interact with its environment. The transfer of environmental-scientific knowledge by means of the DynaLearn software to wide parts of the society can be regarded as an important contribution to that, and contributes to foster a life-long learning process.

A holistic strategy for adaptive land management

USGS Publications Warehouse

Herrick, Jeffrey E.; Duniway, Michael C.; Pyke, David A.; Bestelmeyer, Brandon T.; Wills, Skye A.; Brown, Joel R.; Karl, Jason W.; Havstad, Kris M.

2012-01-01

Adaptive management is widely applied to natural resources management (Holling 1973; Walters and Holling 1990). Adaptive management can be generally defined as an iterative decision-making process that incorporates formulation of management objectives, actions designed to address these objectives, monitoring of results, and repeated adaptation of management until desired results are achieved (Brown and MacLeod 1996; Savory and Butterfield 1999). However, adaptive management is often criticized because very few projects ever complete more than one cycle, resulting in little adaptation and little knowledge gain (Lee 1999; Walters 2007). One significant criticism is that adaptive management is often used as a justification for undertaking actions with uncertain outcomes or as a surrogate for the development of specific, measurable indicators and monitoring programs (Lee 1999; Ruhl 2007).

Data Mining and Knowledge Discover - IBM Cognitive Alternatives for NASA KSC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Velez, Victor Hugo

2016-01-01

Skillful tools in cognitive computing to transform industries have been found favorable and profitable for different Directorates at NASA KSC. In this study is shown how cognitive computing systems can be useful for NASA when computers are trained in the same way as humans are to gain knowledge over time. Increasing knowledge through senses, learning and a summation of events is how the applications created by the firm IBM empower the artificial intelligence in a cognitive computing system. NASA has explored and applied for the last decades the artificial intelligence approach specifically with cognitive computing in few projects adopting similar models proposed by IBM Watson. However, the usage of semantic technologies by the dedicated business unit developed by IBM leads these cognitive computing applications to outperform the functionality of the inner tools and present outstanding analysis to facilitate the decision making for managers and leads in a management information system.

GIS and local knowledge in disaster management: a case study of flood risk mapping in Viet Nam.

PubMed

Tran, Phong; Shaw, Rajib; Chantry, Guillaume; Norton, John

2009-03-01

Linking community knowledge with modern techniques to record and analyse risk related data is one way of engaging and mobilising community capacity. This paper discusses the use of the Geographic Information System (GIS) at the local level and the need for integrating modern technology and indigenous knowledge into disaster management. It suggests a way to mobilise available human and technical resources in order to strengthen a good partnership between local communities and local and national institutions. The paper also analyses the current vulnerability of two communes by correlating hazard risk and loss/damage caused by disasters and the contribution that domestic risk maps in the community can make to reduce this risk. The disadvantages, advantages and lessons learned from the GIS flood risk mapping project are presented through the case study of the Quang Tho Commune in Thua Thien Hue province, central Viet Nam.

FGMReview: design of a knowledge management tool on female genital mutilation.

PubMed

Martínez Pérez, Guillermo; Turetsky, Risa

2015-11-01

Web-based literature search engines may not be user-friendly for some readers searching for information on female genital mutilation. This is a traditional practice that has no health benefits, and about 140 million girls and women worldwide have undergone it. In 2012, the website FGMReview was created with the aim to offer a user-friendly, accessible, scalable, and innovative knowledge management tool specialized in female genital mutilation. The design of this website was guided by a conceptual model based on the use of benchmarking techniques and requirements engineering, an area of knowledge from the computer informatics field, influenced by the Transcultural Nursing model. The purpose of this article is to describe this conceptual model. Nurses and other health care providers can use this conceptual model to guide their methodological approach to design and launch other eHealth projects. © The Author(s) 2014.

Simulating the physician as healthcare manager: An innovative course to train for the manager role.

PubMed

Gradel, Maximilian; Moder, Stefan; Nicolai, Leo; Pander, Tanja; Hoppe, Boj; Pinilla, Severin; Von der Borch, Philip; Fischer, Martin R; Dimitriadis, Konstantinos

2016-01-01

During their formal studies medical students acquire extensive medical expertise. However, the medical profession demands additional competencies, such as those involved in efficient resource allocation, business administration, development, organization, and process management in the healthcare system. At present students are not sufficiently prepared for the physician's role as manager. In response, we designed the seminar course, MeCuM-SiGma, to impart basic knowledge about healthcare policy and management to students of medicine. This project report describes our teaching strategies and the initial evaluation of this educational project. In this semester-long, seminar course introduced in 2010, medical students gather experience with the competencies mentioned above as well as learn basic management skills. The course is offered each winter semester, and students sign up to attend voluntarily; course coordination and organization is done on a voluntary basis by physicians and employees of the Mentoring Office (MeCuM-Mentor) at the Medical School of the Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) in Munich, Germany. The course is open to all students enrolled at the two medical schools in Munich. During the first part of this elective, students learn about the basic principles of the German political and healthcare systems in case-based, problem-based tutorials led by trained tutors and in lectures held by experts. In the second part of the course students take on the roles of the University Hospital's executive board of directors and supervisory board to work on an existing hospital project as a group within the scope of a simulation. This phase of the course is accompanied by workshops conducted in cooperation with university-based and off-campus partners that address the procedural learning objectives (teamwork, project management, negotiation strategies, etc.). A suitable, authentic issue currently facing the hospital is selected in advance by the course organizers in coordination with the hospital's executive board. Students then work on this issue in the third and final phase of the course under the supervision of tutors and with assistance from hospital employees. At the end of the course the students formally present the results of their work to the hospital's executive and supervisory boards. The course undergoes written student evaluation, a round of oral feedback, evaluation of the final projects, and feedback from the hospital's executive and supervisory boards. All attendees to date have reported a substantial gain in general knowledge and increased knowledge about the healthcare system, and rate the relevance of the course as being high. The majority felt the content was important for their future practice of medicine. Overall, students evaluated the course very positively [overall rating on a six-point grading scale (1=excellent; 6=unsatisfactory): 1.28 (mean)±0.45 (standard deviation)]. The importance of the physician's role as manager in medical organizations and as a guiding force in the healthcare system is neglected in medical degree programs. Our seminar course attempts to address this shortcoming, is the object of great interest and receives positive evaluations from seminar participants, our cooperative partners and the executive and supervisory boards of the University Hospital in Munich.

The Association Between Residential Care Facility Manager's Educational Attainment and the Presence of Structural and Service Innovations.

PubMed

Davis, Jullet A

For many service-oriented firms, knowledge is a key commodity, and the process by which knowledge is codified is critical for firm survival. The administrator or top manager acts as the repository and disseminator of organizational knowledge. The purpose of this project is to examine the association between the administrator's educational attainment and innovation in residential care facilities. The study hypothesized that administrator academic education and certification or licensure would be positively associated with facility innovation. Data for this project comes from the 2010 National Survey of Residential Care Facilities. There were 2277 facilities included in the sample (weighted 30 811). Innovation, the dependent variable, was operationalized using 5 dichotomized measures: clinical information systems, pharmaceutical information systems, electronic health records, providing adult day care, and providing respite care. The data were analyzed using logistic regression. Overall, the results reveal that college education or certification/licensure increased the likelihood of technology use. In addition, those with a high school diploma and certification/licensure were more likely to use technology than were individuals who had, at a minimum, some college. The services models were not significant. It may be that the resources necessary to implement information systems vary substantially from the resources necessary to provide services.

Management of Globally Distributed Software Development Projects in Multiple-Vendor Constellations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schott, Katharina; Beck, Roman; Gregory, Robert Wayne

Global information systems development outsourcing is an apparent trend that is expected to continue in the foreseeable future. Thereby, IS-related services are not only increasingly provided from different geographical sites simultaneously but beyond that from multiple service providers based in different countries. The purpose of this paper is to understand how the involvement of multiple service providers affects the management of the globally distributed information systems development projects. As research on this topic is scarce, we applied an exploratory in-depth single-case study design as research approach. The case we analyzed comprises a global software development outsourcing project initiated by a German bank together with several globally distributed vendors. For data collection and data analysis we have adopted techniques suggested by the grounded theory method. Whereas the extant literature points out the increased management overhead associated with multi-sourcing, the analysis of our case suggests that the required effort for managing global outsourcing projects with multiple vendors depends among other things on the maturation level of the cooperation within the vendor portfolio. Furthermore, our data indicate that this interplay maturity is positively impacted through knowledge about the client that has been derived based on already existing client-vendor relationships. The paper concludes by offering theoretical and practical implications.

Participatory innovation process for testing new practices for soil fertility management in Chókwè Irrigation Scheme (Mozambique)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sánchez Reparaz, Maite; de Vente, Joris; Famba, Sebastiao; Rougier, Jean-Emmanuel; Ángel Sánchez-Monedero, Miguel; Barberá, Gonzalo G.

2015-04-01

Integrated water and nutrient management are key factors to increase productivity and to reduce the yield gap in irrigated systems in Sub-Saharan Africa. These two elements are affected by an ensemble of abiotic, biotic, management and socio-economic factors that need to be taken into account to reduce the yield gap, as well as farmers' perceptions and knowledge. In the framework of the project European Union and African Union cooperative research to increase Food production in irrigated farming systems in Africa (EAU4Food project) we are carrying out a participatory innovation process in Chókwè irrigation scheme (Mozambique) based on stakeholders engagement, to test new practices for soil fertility management that can increase yields reducing costs. Through a method combining interviews with three farmers' associations and other relevant stakeholders and soil sampling from the interviewed farmers' plots with the organization of Communities of Practices, we tried to capture how soil fertility is managed by farmers, the constraints they find as well as their perceptions about soil resources. This information was the basis to design and conduct a participatory innovation process where compost made with rice straw and manure is being tested by a farmers' association. Most important limitations of the method are also evaluated. Our results show that socio-economic characteristics of farmers condition how they manage soil fertility and their perceptions. The difficulties they face to adopt new practices for soil fertility management, mainly related to economic resources limitations, labour availability, knowledge time or farm structure, require a systemic understanding that takes into account abiotic, biotic, management and socio-economic factors and their implication as active stakeholders in all phases of the innovation process.

The S-curve for forecasting waste generation in construction projects.

PubMed

Lu, Weisheng; Peng, Yi; Chen, Xi; Skitmore, Martin; Zhang, Xiaoling

2016-10-01

Forecasting construction waste generation is the yardstick of any effort by policy-makers, researchers, practitioners and the like to manage construction and demolition (C&D) waste. This paper develops and tests an S-curve model to indicate accumulative waste generation as a project progresses. Using 37,148 disposal records generated from 138 building projects in Hong Kong in four consecutive years from January 2011 to June 2015, a wide range of potential S-curve models are examined, and as a result, the formula that best fits the historical data set is found. The S-curve model is then further linked to project characteristics using artificial neural networks (ANNs) so that it can be used to forecast waste generation in future construction projects. It was found that, among the S-curve models, cumulative logistic distribution is the best formula to fit the historical data. Meanwhile, contract sum, location, public-private nature, and duration can be used to forecast construction waste generation. The study provides contractors with not only an S-curve model to forecast overall waste generation before a project commences, but also with a detailed baseline to benchmark and manage waste during the course of construction. The major contribution of this paper is to the body of knowledge in the field of construction waste generation forecasting. By examining it with an S-curve model, the study elevates construction waste management to a level equivalent to project cost management where the model has already been readily accepted as a standard tool. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Climate Data Analytics Workflow Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, J.; Lee, S.; Pan, L.; Mattmann, C. A.; Lee, T. J.

2016-12-01

In this project we aim to pave a novel path to create a sustainable building block toward Earth science big data analytics and knowledge sharing. Closely studying how Earth scientists conduct data analytics research in their daily work, we have developed a provenance model to record their activities, and to develop a technology to automatically generate workflows for scientists from the provenance. On top of it, we have built the prototype of a data-centric provenance repository, and establish a PDSW (People, Data, Service, Workflow) knowledge network to support workflow recommendation. To ensure the scalability and performance of the expected recommendation system, we have leveraged the Apache OODT system technology. The community-approved, metrics-based performance evaluation web-service will allow a user to select a metric from the list of several community-approved metrics and to evaluate model performance using the metric as well as the reference dataset. This service will facilitate the use of reference datasets that are generated in support of the model-data intercomparison projects such as Obs4MIPs and Ana4MIPs. The data-centric repository infrastructure will allow us to catch richer provenance to further facilitate knowledge sharing and scientific collaboration in the Earth science community. This project is part of Apache incubator CMDA project.

Expert knowledge elicitation using computer simulation: the organization of frail elderly case management as an illustration.

PubMed

Chiêm, Jean-Christophe; Van Durme, Thérèse; Vandendorpe, Florence; Schmitz, Olivier; Speybroeck, Niko; Cès, Sophie; Macq, Jean

2014-08-01

Various elderly case management projects have been implemented in Belgium. This type of long-term health care intervention involves contextual factors and human interactions. These underlying complex mechanisms can be usefully informed with field experts' knowledge, which are hard to make explicit. However, computer simulation has been suggested as one possible method of overcoming the difficulty of articulating such elicited qualitative views. A simulation model of case management was designed using an agent-based methodology, based on the initial qualitative research material. Variables and rules of interaction were formulated into a simple conceptual framework. This model has been implemented and was used as a support for a structured discussion with experts in case management. The rigorous formulation provided by the agent-based methodology clarified the descriptions of the interventions and the problems encountered regarding: the diverse network topologies of health care actors in the project; the adaptation time required by the intervention; the communication between the health care actors; the institutional context; the organization of the care; and the role of the case manager and his or hers personal ability to interpret the informal demands of the frail older person. The simulation model should be seen primarily as a tool for thinking and learning. A number of insights were gained as part of a valuable cognitive process. Computer simulation supporting field experts' elicitation can lead to better-informed decisions in the organization of complex health care interventions. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The development of a strategy for the implementation of automation in a bioanalytical laboratory.

PubMed

Mole, D; Mason, R J; McDowall, R D

1993-03-01

Laboratory automation is equipment, instrumentation, software and techniques that are classified into four groups: instrument automation; communications; data to information conversion; and information management. This new definition is necessary to understand the role that automation can play in achieving the aims and objectives of a laboratory within its organization. To undertake automation projects effectively, a laboratory automation strategy is outlined which requires an intimate knowledge of an organization and the target environment to implement individual automation projects.

Investigation and design of a Project Management Decision Support System for the 4950th Test Wing.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-03-01

all decision makers is the need for memory aids (reports, hand written notes, mental memory joggers, etc.). 4. Even in similar decision making ... memories to synthesize a decision- making process based on their individual styles, skills, and knowledge (Sprague, 1982: 106). Control mechanisms...representations shown in Figures 4.9 and 4.10 provide a means to this objective. By enabling a manager to make and record reasonable changes to

Ares Knowledge Capture: Summary and Key Themes Presentation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coates, Ralph H.

2011-01-01

This report has been developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD) Risk Management team in close coordination with the MSFC Chief Engineers Office. This document provides a point-in-time, cumulative, summary of actionable key lessons learned derived from the design project. Lessons learned invariably address challenges and risks and the way in which these areas have been addressed. Accordingly the risk management thread is woven throughout the document.

Do environmental projects promote gender equity?

PubMed

Joekes, S

1995-02-01

In the 1980s, governments and development agencies began to recognize the need to consider gender issues in their environmental and natural resource management programs. First came the understanding that women play a vital role in the management of natural resources and often have a strong traditional and contemporary knowledge of their environment. To exclude them would damage the efficacy of any project. Next, donor agencies came to view women, in their roles as environmental managers, as vulnerable victims of and contributors to environmental degradation. When awareness grew of examples of women successfully fighting to conserve local resources, women were considered important local assets to be used in efforts toward better environmental management. New environmental projects began by asking whether the protected resource was used by men or women in order to target the crucial people. For example, when planning to preserve forests, it is useful to recognize that men typically use wood for construction and fencing, while women use it for cooking fires. It has become increasingly common for women to participate in water and sanitation committees. But good intentions have often been subverted. Community level management of environmental projects does not guarantee female participation. Sometimes involving women means that women do all the physical labor without receiving their fair share of the benefits. In areas where women's property rights are restricted, women will have little authority in resource management. Legal reforms are needed, but they must be complemented at the local level by collective action.

Autonomous, In-Flight Crew Health Risk Management for Exploration-Class Missions: Leveraging the Integrated Medical Model for the Exploration Medical System Demonstration Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Butler, D. J.; Kerstman, E.; Saile, L.; Myers, J.; Walton, M.; Lopez, V.; McGrath, T.

2011-01-01

The Integrated Medical Model (IMM) captures organizational knowledge across the space medicine, training, operations, engineering, and research domains. IMM uses this knowledge in the context of a mission and crew profile to forecast risks to crew health and mission success. The IMM establishes a quantified, statistical relationship among medical conditions, risk factors, available medical resources, and crew health and mission outcomes. These relationships may provide an appropriate foundation for developing an in-flight medical decision support tool that helps optimize the use of medical resources and assists in overall crew health management by an autonomous crew with extremely limited interactions with ground support personnel and no chance of resupply.

Research impact of systems-level long-term care research: a multiple case study.

PubMed

Kothari, Anita; Peter, Nedra; Donskov, Melissa; Luciani, Tracy

2017-03-21

Traditional reporting of research outcomes and impacts, which tends to focus on research product publications and grant success, does not capture the value, some contributions, or the complexity of research projects. The purpose of this study was to understand the contributions of five systems-level research projects as they were unfolding at the Bruyère Centre for Learning, Research and Innovation (CLRI) in long-term care (LTC) in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The research questions were, (1) How are partnerships with research end-users (policymakers, administrators and other public/private organisations) characterised? (2) How have interactions with the CLRI Management Committee and Steering Committee influenced the development of research products? (3) In what way have other activities, processes, unlinked actors or organisations been influenced by the research project activities? The study was guided by Kok and Schuit's concept of research impacts, using a multiple case study design. Data were collected through focus groups and interviews with research teams, a management and a steering committee, research user partners, and unlinked actors. Documents were collected and analysed for contextual background. Cross-case analysis revealed four major themes: (1) Benefits and Perceived Tensions: Working with Partners; (2) Speaking with the LTC Community: Interactions with the CLRI Steering Committee; (3) The Knowledge Broker: Interactions with the Management Committee; and (4) All Forms of Research Contributions. Most contributions were focused on interactions with networks and stimulating important conversations in the province about LTC issues. These contributions were well-supported by the Steering and Management Committees' research-to-action platform, which can be seen as a type of knowledge brokering model. It was also clear that researcher-user partnerships were beneficial and important.

Innovative approach for self-management and social welfare of children with cystic fibrosis in Europe: development, validation and implementation of an mHealth tool (MyCyFAPP)

PubMed Central

Calvo-Lerma, Joaquim; Martinez-Jimenez, Celia P; Lázaro-Ramos, Juan-Pablo; Andrés, Ana; Crespo-Escobar, Paula; Stav, Erlend; Schauber, Cornelia; Pannese, Lucia; Hulst, Jessie M; Suárez, Lucrecia; Colombo, Carla; Barreto, Celeste; de Boeck, Kris; Ribes-Koninckx, Carmen

2017-01-01

Introduction For the optimal management of children with cystic fibrosis, there are currently no efficient tools for the precise adjustment of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy, either for advice on appropriate dietary intake or for achieving an optimal nutrition status. Therefore, we aim to develop a mobile application that ensures a successful nutritional therapy in children with cystic fibrosis. Methods and analysis A multidisciplinary team of 12 partners coordinate their efforts in 9 work packages that cover the entire so-called ‘from laboratory to market’ approach by means of an original and innovative co-design process. A cohort of 200 patients with cystic fibrosis aged 1–17 years are enrolled. We will develop an innovative, clinically tested mobile health application for patients and health professionals involved in cystic fibrosis management. The mobile application integrates the research knowledge and innovative tools for maximising self-management with the aim of leading to a better nutritional status, quality of life and disease prognosis. Bringing together different and complementary areas of knowledge is fundamental for tackling complex challenges in disease treatment, such as optimal nutrition and pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy in cystic fibrosis. Patients are expected to benefit the most from the outcomes of this innovative project. Ethics and dissemination The project is approved by the Ethics Committee of the coordinating organisation, Hospital Universitari La Fe (Ref: 2014/0484). Scientific findings will be disseminated via journals and conferences addressed to clinicians, food scientists, information and communications technology experts and patients. The specific dissemination working group within the project will address the wide audience communication through the website (http://www.mycyfapp.eu), the social networks and the newsletter. PMID:28302638

Safety in construction--a comprehensive description of the characteristics of high safety standards in construction work, from the combined perspective of supervisors and experienced workers.

PubMed

Törner, Marianne; Pousette, Anders

2009-01-01

The often applied engineering approach to safety management in the construction industry needs to be supplemented by organizational measures and measures based on how people conceive and react to their social environment. This requires in-depth knowledge of the broad preconditions for high safety standards in construction. The aim of the study was to comprehensively describe the preconditions and components of high safety standards in the construction industry from the perspective of both experienced construction workers and first-line managers. Five worker safety representatives and 19 first-line managers were interviewed, all strategically selected from within a large Swedish construction project. Phenomenographic methodology was used for data acquisition and analysis and to categorize the information. Nine informants verified the results. The study identified four main categories of work safety preconditions and components: (1) Project characteristics and nature of the work, which set the limits of safety management; (2) Organization and structures, with the subcategories planning, work roles, procedures, and resources; (3) Collective values, norms, and behaviors, with the subcategories climate and culture, and interaction and cooperation; and (4) Individual competence and attitudes, with the subcategories knowledge, ability and experience, and individual attitudes. The results comprehensively describe high safety standards in construction, incorporating organizational, group, individual, and technical aspects. High-quality interaction between different organizational functions and hierarchical levels stood out as important aspects of safety. The results are discussed in relation to previous research into safety and into the social-psychological preconditions for other desired outcomes in occupational settings. The results can guide construction companies in planning and executing construction projects to a high safety standard.

Virtual management of radiology examinations in the virtual radiology environment using common object request broker architecture services.

PubMed

Martinez, R; Rozenblit, J; Cook, J F; Chacko, A K; Timboe, H L

1999-05-01

In the Department of Defense (DoD), US Army Medical Command is now embarking on an extremely exciting new project--creating a virtual radiology environment (VRE) for the management of radiology examinations. The business of radiology in the military is therefore being reengineered on several fronts by the VRE Project. In the VRE Project, a set of intelligent agent algorithms determine where examinations are to routed for reading bases on a knowledge base of the entire VRE. The set of algorithms, called the Meta-Manager, is hierarchical and uses object-based communications between medical treatment facilities (MTFs) and medical centers that have digital imaging network picture archiving and communications systems (DIN-PACS) networks. The communications is based on use of common object request broker architecture (CORBA) objects and services to send patient demographics and examination images from DIN-PACS networks in the MTFs to the DIN-PACS networks at the medical centers for diagnosis. The Meta-Manager is also responsible for updating the diagnosis at the originating MTF. CORBA services are used to perform secure message communications between DIN-PACS nodes in the VRE network. The Meta-Manager has a fail-safe architecture that allows the master Meta-Manager function to float to regional Meta-Manager sites in case of server failure. A prototype of the CORBA-based Meta-Manager is being developed by the University of Arizona's Computer Engineering Research Laboratory using the unified modeling language (UML) as a design tool. The prototype will implement the main functions described in the Meta-Manager design specification. The results of this project are expected to reengineer the process of radiology in the military and have extensions to commercial radiology environments.

Extravasation management in the pediatric oncology ward of Children's Hospital of Fudan University: a best practice implementation project.

PubMed

Wang, Yingwen; Kong, Meijing; Ge, Youhong

2016-12-01

Extravasation in a pediatric patient can cause a serious adverse event, but many nurses have insufficient experience to deal with it during intravenous administration. Our division implemented a best practice project, which included extravasation kit instruction preparation, staff education and an update of institutional policy and procedures. The project focused on auditing the extent to which the protocol was implemented and promoting its implementation. The objective of the project was to establish an evidence-based policy and procedure for extravasation management, improve knowledge regarding best practice of extravasation management among staff and formalize the documentation template for extravasation events. The Joanna Briggs Institute's Practical Application of Clinical Evidence System and Getting Research into Practice were used to examine compliance with criteria based on the best available evidence before and after the implementation of strategies to promote the use of the evidence-based practice protocol. Four criteria showed a noticeable improvement in compliance: increased use of extravasation kit (0-100%), updated policies and procedure (0-94%), staff education (19-94%) and documented outcomes (13-88%). The project successfully established effective strategies for establishing an extravasation kit instruction sheet, updating policies and procedures, continuous staff education and nursing documentation to ensure best practice and improve patient outcomes.

Information Resources Usage in Project Management Digital Learning System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davidovitch, Nitza; Belichenko, Margarita; Kravchenko, Yurii

2017-01-01

The article combines a theoretical approach to structuring knowledge that is based on the integrated use of fuzzy semantic network theory predicates, Boolean functions, theory of complexity of network structures and some practical aspects to be considered in the distance learning at the university. The paper proposes a methodological approach that…

Convergence of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Tools in Project Based Learning (PBL)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thamarasseri, Ismail

2014-01-01

Rapid technological advancement influences the communication and information management as well as knowledge construction. Within the context of new challenges, lifelong learning emerges a fundamental element for the constant development of professionals. So that it dynamically adapts to change and retain a state-of-the-art identity. At present,…

Performer: An Instrument for Multidisciplinary Courseware Teams to Share Knowledge and Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Aalst, Jan-Willem; van der Mast, Charles

2003-01-01

One of the traditional problems in courseware development that is recognized as hard to solve, is the communication and co-operation between various disciplines in project teams that are working on a courseware product [Alber (1996) "Multimedia: a management perspective." California: Wadsworth; Boyle (1997) "Design for multimedia learning." UK:…

Enterprise Social Networking: Technology Acceptance Related to Personality, Age, and Gender

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rochelle, Joseph

2017-01-01

In this dissertation, the researcher examined and added to the body of knowledge within the project change management field of technology implementation. The rationale behind the study was to evaluate technology acceptance of Enterprise Social Networking (ESN), which has been widely implemented across over 90% of the "Fortune" 500…

A Report on the Research and Development of Instructional Simulation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

West, Charles K.; And Others

The purpose of this report is to communicate findings on current knowledge of simulation design, development, and evaluation. Research on this project was guided by questions posed by the Defense Systems Management College in Fort Belvoir, Virginia. These questions fall into three categories: the constituents of good instructional simulations, the…

AppBuilder for DSSTools; an application development environment for developing decision support systems in Prolog

Treesearch

Geneho Kim; Donald Nute; H. Michael Rauscher; David L. Loftis

2000-01-01

A programming environment for developing complex decision support systems (DSSs) should support rapid prototyping and modular design, feature a flexible knowledge representation scheme and sound inference mechanisms, provide project management, and be domain independent. We have previously developed DSSTools (Decision Support System Tools), a reusable, domain-...

External Degree Project. Summaries of Areas of Competency in Business Administration.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Syracuse Univ., NY. School of Management.

The School of Management at Syracuse University recently undertook the task of classifying the kinds of competency one should demonstrate in order to function effectively in positions within the field of Business Administration. The study is aimed at identifying the mix of technical skills, general ability, and background knowledge that fits…

Helping Undergraduates Discover the Value of a Dollar through Self-Monitoring

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Palmer, Lance; Bliss, Donna L.; Goetz, Joseph W.; Moorman, Diann

2010-01-01

Many college undergraduates lack basic financial management knowledge and skills while bearing ever increasing debt burdens upon graduation. In order to encourage students to become aware of their spending patterns and weigh those patterns against personal values, a self-monitoring project was implemented as a class activity. The resulting effect…

Options of system integrated environment modelling in the predicated dynamic cyberspace

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Janková, Martina; Dvořák, Jiří

In this article there are briefly mentioned some selected options of contemporary conception of cybernetic system models in the corresponding and possible integratable environment with modern system dynamics thinking and all this in the cyberspace of possible projecting of predicted system characteristics. The key to new capabilities of system integration modelling in the considered cyberspace is mainly the ability to improve the environment and the system integration options, all this with the aim of modern control in the hierarchically arranged dynamic cyberspace, e.g. in the currently desired electronic business with information. The aim of this article is to assess generallymore » the trends in the use of modern modelling methods considering the cybernetics applications verified in practice, modern concept of project management and also the potential integration of artificial intelligence in the new projecting and project management of integratable and intelligent models, e.g. with the optimal structures and adaptable behaviour.The article results from the solution of a specific research partial task at the faculty; especially the moments proving that the new economics will be based more and more on information, knowledge system defined cyberspace of modern management, are stressed in the text.« less

Satellite based Ocean Forecasting, the SOFT project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stemmann, L.; Tintoré, J.; Moneris, S.

2003-04-01

The knowledge of future oceanic conditions would have enormous impact on human marine related areas. For such reasons, a number of international efforts are being carried out to obtain reliable and manageable ocean forecasting systems. Among the possible techniques that can be used to estimate the near future states of the ocean, an ocean forecasting system based on satellite imagery is developped through the Satelitte based Ocean ForecasTing project (SOFT). SOFT, established by the European Commission, considers the development of a forecasting system of the ocean space-time variability based on satellite data by using Artificial Intelligence techniques. This system will be merged with numerical simulation approaches, via assimilation techniques, to get a hybrid SOFT-numerical forecasting system of improved performance. The results of the project will provide efficient forecasting of sea-surface temperature structures, currents, dynamic height, and biological activity associated to chlorophyll fields. All these quantities could give valuable information on the planning and management of human activities in marine environments such as navigation, fisheries, pollution control, or coastal management. A detailed identification of present or new needs and potential end-users concerned by such an operational tool is being performed. The project would study solutions adapted to these specific needs.

Vista goes online: Decision-analytic systems for real-time decision-making in mission control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barry, Matthew; Horvitz, Eric; Ruokangas, Corinne; Srinivas, Sampath

1994-01-01

The Vista project has centered on the use of decision-theoretic approaches for managing the display of critical information relevant to real-time operations decisions. The Vista-I project originally developed a prototype of these approaches for managing flight control displays in the Space Shuttle Mission Control Center (MCC). The follow-on Vista-II project integrated these approaches in a workstation program which currently is being certified for use in the MCC. To our knowledge, this will be the first application of automated decision-theoretic reasoning techniques for real-time spacecraft operations. We shall describe the development and capabilities of the Vista-II system, and provide an overview of the use of decision-theoretic reasoning techniques to the problems of managing the complexity of flight controller displays. We discuss the relevance of the Vista techniques within the MCC decision-making environment, focusing on the problems of detecting and diagnosing spacecraft electromechanical subsystems component failures with limited information, and the problem of determining what control actions should be taken in high-stakes, time-critical situations in response to a diagnosis performed under uncertainty. Finally, we shall outline our current research directions for follow-on projects.

Identifying the Educational Needs of Menopausal Women: A Feasibility Study

PubMed Central

Trudeau, Kimberlee J.; Ainscough, Jessica L.; Trant, Meredith; Starker, Joan; Cousineau, Tara

2013-01-01

Background The goal of this project was to identify the educational needs of menopausal women and test the feasibility of an online self management program based on social learning theory. Methods The four stages included: (1) a needs assessment using a) focus groups with 24 women ages 40 – 55 and b) phone interviews with eight health experts, (2) the use of concept mapping methodology for quantifying qualitative data from Stage 1 to identify the core programmatic concepts, (3) development of a demonstration program, and (4) a pilot study with 35 women and nine health experts to assess knowledge gained and program satisfaction. Results Results show that women desire more information about normalcy of menopause and symptom management, found the program to meet a need for menopausal education otherwise perceived as unavailable, and they significantly increased their menopausal knowledge after brief exposure (t34= 3.64, p = .001). Conclusions This project provides support for an online health education program for menopausal women and content ideas for inclusion in women’s health education curriculum. PMID:21185735

Identifying the educational needs of menopausal women: a feasibility study.

PubMed

Trudeau, Kimberlee J; Ainscough, Jessica L; Trant, Meredith; Starker, Joan; Cousineau, Tara M

2011-01-01

The goal of this project was to identify the educational needs of menopausal women and test the feasibility of an online self management program based on social learning theory. The four stages included 1) a needs assessment using a) focus groups with 24 women ages 40 to 55 and b) phone interviews with eight health experts; 2) the use of concept mapping methodology for quantifying qualitative data from stage 1 to identify the core programmatic concepts; 3) development of a demonstration program; and 4) a pilot study with 35 women and 9 health experts to assess knowledge gained and program satisfaction. Results show that women desire more information about normalcy of menopause and symptom management and found the program to meet a need for menopausal education otherwise perceived as unavailable. The women significantly increased their menopausal knowledge after brief exposure (t(34) = 3.64; p = .001). This project provides support for an online health education program for menopausal women and content ideas for inclusion in women's health education curriculum. Copyright © 2011 Jacobs Institute of Women's Health. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cryogenic Fluid Management Technologies for Advanced Green Propulsion Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Motil, Susan M.; Meyer, Michael L.; Tucker, Stephen P.

2007-01-01

In support of the Exploration Vision for returning to the Moon and beyond, NASA and its partners are developing and testing critical cryogenic fluid propellant technologies that will meet the need for high performance propellants on long-term missions. Reliable knowledge of low-gravity cryogenic fluid management behavior is lacking and yet is critical in the areas of tank thermal and pressure control, fluid acquisition, mass gauging, and fluid transfer. Such knowledge can significantly reduce or even eliminate tank fluid boil-off losses for long term missions, reduce propellant launch mass and required on-orbit margins, and simplify vehicle operations. The Propulsion and Cryogenic Advanced Development (PCAD) Project is performing experimental and analytical evaluation of several areas within Cryogenic Fluid Management (CFM) to enable NASA's Exploration Vision. This paper discusses the status of the PCAD CFM technology focus areas relative to the anticipated CFM requirements to enable execution of the Vision for Space Exploration.

Knowledge structure representation and automated updates in intelligent information management systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Corey, Stephen; Carnahan, Richard S., Jr.

1990-01-01

A continuing effort to apply rapid prototyping and Artificial Intelligence techniques to problems associated with projected Space Station-era information management systems is examined. In particular, timely updating of the various databases and knowledge structures within the proposed intelligent information management system (IIMS) is critical to support decision making processes. Because of the significantly large amounts of data entering the IIMS on a daily basis, information updates will need to be automatically performed with some systems requiring that data be incorporated and made available to users within a few hours. Meeting these demands depends first, on the design and implementation of information structures that are easily modified and expanded, and second, on the incorporation of intelligent automated update techniques that will allow meaningful information relationships to be established. Potential techniques are studied for developing such an automated update capability and IIMS update requirements are examined in light of results obtained from the IIMS prototyping effort.

Need of risk management practice amongst bumiputera contractors in Malaysia construction industries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Syuhada Fadzil, Nur; Noor, Nurazuwa Md; Rahman, Ismail Abdul

2017-11-01

Malaysia construction industry has been growing continuously with double-digit growth for the past two decades. There are many issues surrounded the industry such as delay in delivery, cost overrun, quality and safety. In bumiputera contractor’s context, the literature review found that 32 issues were encountered in the construction project. These issues can be handled properly with the application of risk management. According to previous researchers, application of risk management in Malaysia construction industry is at the low level where it is implemented in traditional ways that are brainstorming and checklist. These were due to lack of knowledge, the high cost of hiring experts and avoiding extra cost. Besides that, this study also intentions to analyse the risk categories in the construction industry as well as identify risk management process to resolve the construction issues. Hence, this paper presents issues engulfed by Bumiputera contractors which can partly be resolved by applying risk management practice in carrying out the construction activity. This may inspire the contractors to apply the risk management practice in ensuring the success of their construction project.

Overcoming limited information through participatory watershed management: Case study in Amhara, Ethiopia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Benjamin M.; Abebe, Yitayew; McHugh, Oloro V.; Collick, Amy S.; Gebrekidan, Brhane; Steenhuis, Tammo S.

This study highlights two highly degraded watersheds in the semi-arid Amhara region of Ethiopia where integrated water resource management activities were carried out to decrease dependence on food aid through improved management of ‘green’ water. While top-down approaches require precise and centrally available knowledge to deal with the uncertainty in engineering design of watershed management projects, bottom-up approaches can succeed without such information by making extensive use of stakeholder knowledge. This approach works best in conjunction with the development of leadership confidence within local communities. These communities typically face a number of problems, most notably poverty, that prevent them from fully investing in the protection of their natural resources, so an integrated management system is needed to suitably address the interrelated problems. Many different implementing agencies were brought together in the two study watersheds to address water scarcity, crop production, and soil erosion, but the cornerstone was enabling local potential through the creation and strengthening of community watershed management organizations. Leadership training and the reinforcement of stakeholder feedback as a fundamental activity led to increased ownership and willingness to take on new responsibilities. A series of small short term successes ranging from micro-enterprise cooperatives to gully rehabilitation have resulted in the pilot communities becoming confident of their own capabilities and proud to share their successes and knowledge with other communities struggling with natural resource degradation.

Integrated management of pearl culture in French Polynesia in the context of global change: Synopsis of existing results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gueguen, Yannick; Gaertner-Mazouni, Nabila; Lo, Cedrik; Le Moullac, Gilles

2016-12-01

The paper presents a state of the art on knowledge of the black pearl oyster aquaculture at the scale of French Polynesia. It also introduces the main results obtained throughout the multi-partners POLYPERL project. The goal of this project was to develop an integrated and participative action-research of the pearl oyster culture system, focusing on the environmental, technological, economical and societal dimensions impacting the industry. The research proposed ranges from the understanding of biological phenomena of the production system to socio-economic aspects and governance of the industry, taking into account the management of anthropogenic, climate and health risks. We introduce here the different papers from the POLYPERL project that are compiled in this volume of ECSS dealing with recent scientific work that can contribute to sustainability of the pearl industry in French Polynesia.

Medical Writing Competency Model - Section 1: Functions, Tasks, and Activities.

PubMed

Clemow, David B; Wagner, Bertil; Marshallsay, Christopher; Benau, Dan; L'Heureux, Darryl; Brown, David H; Dasgupta, Devjani Ghosh; Girten, Eileen; Hubbard, Frank; Gawrylewski, Helle-Mai; Ebina, Hiroko; Stoltenborg, Janet; York, J P; Green, Kim; Wood, Linda Fossati; Toth, Lisa; Mihm, Michael; Katz, Nancy R; Vasconcelos, Nina-Maria; Sakiyama, Norihisa; Whitsell, Robin; Gopalakrishnan, Shobha; Bairnsfather, Susan; Wanderer, Tatyana; Schindler, Thomas M; Mikyas, Yeshi; Aoyama, Yumiko

2018-01-01

This article provides Section 1 of the 2017 Edition 2 Medical Writing Competency Model that describes the core work functions and associated tasks and activities related to professional medical writing within the life sciences industry. The functions in the Model are scientific communication strategy; document preparation, development, and finalization; document project management; document template, standard, format, and style development and maintenance; outsourcing, alliance partner, and client management; knowledge, skill, ability, and behavior development and sharing; and process improvement. The full Model also includes Section 2, which covers the knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors needed for medical writers to be effective in their roles; Section 2 is presented in a companion article. Regulatory, publication, and other scientific writing as well as management of writing activities are covered. The Model was developed to aid medical writers and managers within the life sciences industry regarding medical writing hiring, training, expectation and goal setting, performance evaluation, career development, retention, and role value sharing to cross-functional partners.

Detailed clinical models: representing knowledge, data and semantics in healthcare information technology.

PubMed

Goossen, William T F

2014-07-01

This paper will present an overview of the developmental effort in harmonizing clinical knowledge modeling using the Detailed Clinical Models (DCMs), and will explain how it can contribute to the preservation of Electronic Health Records (EHR) data. Clinical knowledge modeling is vital for the management and preservation of EHR and data. Such modeling provides common data elements and terminology binding with the intention of capturing and managing clinical information over time and location independent from technology. Any EHR data exchange without an agreed clinical knowledge modeling will potentially result in loss of information. Many attempts exist from the past to model clinical knowledge for the benefits of semantic interoperability using standardized data representation and common terminologies. The objective of each project is similar with respect to consistent representation of clinical data, using standardized terminologies, and an overall logical approach. However, the conceptual, logical, and the technical expressions are quite different in one clinical knowledge modeling approach versus another. There currently are synergies under the Clinical Information Modeling Initiative (CIMI) in order to create a harmonized reference model for clinical knowledge models. The goal for the CIMI is to create a reference model and formalisms based on for instance the DCM (ISO/TS 13972), among other work. A global repository of DCMs may potentially be established in the future.

STS Case Study Development Support

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rosa de Jesus, Dan A.; Johnson, Grace K.

2013-01-01

The Shuttle Case Study Collection (SCSC) has been developed using lessons learned documented by NASA engineers, analysts, and contractors. The SCSC provides educators with a new tool to teach real-world engineering processes with the goal of providing unique educational materials that enhance critical thinking, decision-making and problem-solving skills. During this third phase of the project, responsibilities included: the revision of the Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) source code to ensure all pages follow World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) standards, and the addition and edition of website content, including text, documents, and images. Basic HTML knowledge was required, as was basic knowledge of photo editing software, and training to learn how to use NASA's Content Management System for website design. The outcome of this project was its release to the public.

Survey of Failure in Engineering Education and Industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arimitsu, Yutaka; Yagi, Hidetsugu

Students have failure experiences in the project-based learning but they do not profess their experiences. On the other hand, failures and accidents, in the industrial world, are analyzed frequently, and a knowledge data base on failure and QC activities have been introduced. To turn failure experience in education to advantage, the authors survey the properties of failures in project based learning and views of students, teachers and managers of design divisions in companies. Teachers and students regard failure experiences as instructive and acceptable. The typical causes of failure in educational institutions are luck of skill in manufacturing and inadequate planning, which are minor causes of failure in the industry. To establish a knowledge data base on failure in educational institutions, properties of failure in education should be taken into account.

[NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Report 2:] Technical communications in aeronautics: Results of an exploratory study. An analysis of managers' and nonmanagers' responses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pinelli, Thomas E.; Glassman, Myron; Barclay, Rebecca O.; Oliu, Walter E.

1989-01-01

Data collected from an exploratory study concerned with the technical communications practices of aerospace engineers and scientists were analyzed to test the primary assumption that aerospace managers and nonmanagers have different technical communications practices. Five assumptions were established for the analysis. Aerospace managers and nonmanagers were found to have different technical communications practices for three of the five assumptions tested. Although aerospace managers and nonmanagers were found to have different technical communications practices, the evidence was neither conclusive nor compelling that the presumption of difference in practices could be attributed to the duties performed by aerospace managers and nonmanagers.

Comparison of the availability of groundwater information sources in Poland with other European countries. Knowledge inventory for hydrogeology research - project KINDRA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tomaszewska, Barbara; Dendys, Marta; Tyszer, Magdalena

2017-11-01

Regulations of the Water Framework Directive 200/60/EC (WFD) had been applied by European Union countries into their legislation system. However, it does not guarantee that the groundwater research has the same standard and quality in EU countries. KINDRA international research project was launched to assessment of existing groundwater-related practical and scientific knowledge based on a new Hydrogeological Research Classification System (HRC-SYS). This classification is supported by a web-service - the European Inventory of Groundwater Research (EIGR). The main goal of the project is implementation policy of optimization in groundwater research in EU. The preliminary result of survey about groundwater management shows that in Poland is a good state of implementation WFD. Good level of implementation is especially related with groundwater monitoring. It is because a lot of institutions and municipal entities carry out their tasks referring to quality or quantity assessment. Results of their works are published as reports, newsletters, maps, bulletins etc. These materials are potential source of information which can be a valuable contribution to EIGR. However, a lot of information are published only in polish language, so it is impossible to spread this knowledge in Europe.

Curriculum Providing Cognitive Knowledge and Problem-Solving Skills for Anesthesia Systems-Based Practice

PubMed Central

Wachtel, Ruth E.; Dexter, Franklin

2010-01-01

Background Residency programs accredited by the ACGME are required to teach core competencies, including systems-based practice (SBP). Projects are important for satisfying this competency, but the level of knowledge and problem-solving skills required presupposes a basic understanding of the field. The responsibilities of anesthesiologists include the coordination of patient flow in the surgical suite. Familiarity with this topic is crucial for many improvement projects. Intervention A course in operations research for surgical services was originally developed for hospital administration students. It satisfies 2 of the Institute of Medicine's core competencies for health professionals: evidence-based practice and work in interdisciplinary teams. The course lasts 3.5 days (eg, 2 weekends) and consists of 45 cognitive objectives taught using 7 published articles, 10 lectures, and 156 computer-assisted problem-solving exercises based on 17 case studies. We tested the hypothesis that the cognitive objectives of the curriculum provide the knowledge and problem-solving skills necessary to perform projects that satisfy the SBP competency. Standardized terminology was used to define each component of the SBP competency for the minimum level of knowledge needed. The 8 components of the competency were examined independently. Findings Most cognitive objectives contributed to at least 4 of the 8 core components of the SBP competency. Each component of SBP is addressed at the minimum requirement level of exemplify by at least 6 objectives. There is at least 1 cognitive objective at the level of summarize for each SBP component. Conclusions A curriculum in operating room management can provide the knowledge and problem-solving skills anesthesiologists need for participation in projects that satisfy the SBP competency. PMID:22132289

User Participation in Coproduction of Health Innovation: Proposal for a Synergy Project

PubMed Central

Zukauskaite, Elena; Westberg, Niklas

2018-01-01

Background This project concerns advancing knowledge, methods, and logic for user participation in coproduction of health innovations. Such advancement is vital for several reasons. From a user perspective, participation in coproduction provides an opportunity to gain real influence over goal definition, design, and implementation of health innovations, ensuring that the solution developed solves real problems in right ways. From a societal perspective, it’s a mean to improve the efficiency of health care and the implementation of the Patient Act. As for industry, frameworks and knowledge of coproduction offer tools to operate in a complex sector, with great potential for innovation of services and products. Objective The fundamental objective of this project is to advance knowledge and methods of how user participation in the coproduction of health innovations can be applied in order to benefit users, industry, and public sector. Methods This project is a synergy project, which means that the objective will be accomplished through collaboration and meta-analysis between three subprojects that address different user groups, apply different strategies to promote human health, and relate to different parts of the health sector. Furthermore, subprojects focus on distinctive stages in the spectrum of innovation, with the objective to generate knowledge of the innovation process as a whole. The project is organized around three work packages related to three challenges—coproduction, positioning, and realization. Each subproject is designed such that it has its own field of study with clearly identified objectives but also targets work packages to contribute to the project as a whole. The work on the work packages will use case methodology for data collection and analysis based on the subprojects as data sources. More concretely, logic of multiple case studies will be applied with each subproject representing a separate case which is similar to each other in its attention to user participation in coproduction, but different regarding, for example, context and target groups. At the synergy level, the framework methodology will be used to handle and analyze the vast amount of information generated within the subprojects. Results The project period is from July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2022. Conclusions By addressing the objective of this project, we will create new knowledge on how to manage challenges to health innovation associated with the coproduction process, the positioning of solutions, and realization. PMID:29743159

Cross-sectional survey of knowledge of obstetric danger signs among women in rural Madagascar.

PubMed

Salem, Ania; Lacour, Oriane; Scaringella, Stefano; Herinianasolo, Josea; Benski, Anne Caroline; Stancanelli, Giovanna; Vassilakos, Pierre; Petignat, Patrick; Schmidt, Nicole Christine

2018-02-05

Antenatal care (ANC) has the potential to identify and manage obstetric complications, educate women about risks during pregnancy and promote skilled birth attendance during childbirth. The aim of this study was to assess women's knowledge of obstetric danger signs and factors associated with this knowledge in Ambanja, Madagascar. It also sought to evaluate whether the participation in a mobile health (mHealth) project that aimed to provide comprehensive ANC to pregnant women in remote areas influenced women's knowledge of obstetric danger signs. From April to October 2015, a non-random, convenience sample of 372 women in their first year postpartum were recruited, including 161 who had participated in the mHealth project. Data were analyzed using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression. Knowledge of at least one danger sign varied from 80.9% of women knowing danger sign(s) in pregnancy, to 51.9%, 50.8% and 53.2% at delivery, postpartum and in the newborn, respectively. Participation in the mHealth intervention, higher household income, and receipt of information about danger signs during pregnancy were associated with knowledge of danger signs during delivery, in bivariate analysis; only higher household income and mHealth project participation were independently associated. Higher educational attainment and receipt of information about danger signs in antenatal care were associated with significantly higher odds of knowing danger sign(s) for the newborn in both bivariate and multivariate analysis. Knowledge of obstetric danger signs is low. Information provision during pregnancy and with mHealth is promising. This trial was retrospectively registered at the International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Register (identifier ISRCTN15798183 ; August 22, 2015).

LAND-MAN: a new curriculum based on open distance learning for Asian

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guadagno, F. M.; Dhital, M. R.; Petley, D.

2003-04-01

Land-Man is a one-year Asian-European partnership project (Asia-Link EU programme), aiming to implement both a new curriculum and a new distance learning model in the field of landslides management which deals with situations that occur prior to, during, and after the landslide. The emphasis in Land-Man is placed on establishing methodologies, guidelines, and tools to develop Open and Distance Learning (ODL) for the future improvement and harmonisation of education in Landslides Management. Decision-makers, postgraduate students in environmental, earth and engineering disciplines, as well as professionals may benefit from the project. During the implementation of activities, the clear intention is to use internet-based tools in order to strengthen the co-operation between partners and thus lay a stable, cross-cultural, internet-oriented foundation for the future ODL-based educational model. At the end of the project, an ODL-based model for Asian-European Landslides Management Education will be designed and based on specially assembled, multimedia products. In particular, the project aims to provide tutors/professors with training by supplying them with appropriate materials and support to enable them to change to the new teaching model and by focusing on assessment of training, self-esteem, comfort level, commitment, and enthusiasm for tutors. The project also aims to nurture positive attitudes towards distance learning by changing the techniques whereby students learn landslides management, using the latest educational strategies and technology. Although the management of territory is the responsibility of national and local authorities, personnel in these departments can have limited training and experience in natural hazard and, particularly, in landslides management plans. This project will not only hypothesise, through a new curriculum, how management planning can be undertaken, but will also consider how to bring together practitioners and decision makers from different disciplines to work together and benefit from each other's skill and experience to achieve a truly integrated plan. An integrated landslides management plan, once operational has numerous benefits for a wide number of professionals working on areas at risk. It establishes how to reduce or avoid the human, physical, and economic losses suffered by individuals, by society, and by the country. Through an established web site (www.land-man.net) the project aims to create a self-sustaining virtual community open to academics, professionals and decision makers, thus reaching and benefiting a wide multidisciplinary user group. Firstly, academics attending the curricula and the training courses will be in a position to pass on the knowledge and experience gained to their students. The training course is specifically designed for this purpose and part of the output for the activity will be documentation that can be used by participants for future teaching purposes. Professors will benefit from the material produced (CD-ROM, web pages, etc.) in their teaching activity. Through exchanges they will have an opportunity to meet other teachers and to develop their knowledge base of landslides management and teaching methods. Students will benefit directly from educational material produced and directed specifically to their learning levels. The local and national media will also be benefiting as project outcomes such as animation and clips are made available to them. This will also be a valuable means of drawing the attention of a wide audience to natural hazards.

Design-for-Six-Sigma To Develop a Bioprocess Knowledge Management Framework.

PubMed

Junker, Beth; Maheshwari, Gargi; Ranheim, Todd; Altaras, Nedim; Stankevicz, Michael; Harmon, Lori; Rios, Sandra; D'anjou, Marc

2011-01-01

Owing to the high costs associated with biopharmaceutical development, considerable pressure has developed for the biopharmaceutical industry to increase productivity by becoming more lean and flexible. The ability to reuse knowledge was identified as one key advantage to streamline productivity, efficiently use resources, and ultimately perform better than the competition. A knowledge management (KM) strategy was assembled for bioprocess-related information using the technique of Design-for-Six-Sigma (DFSS). This strategy supported quality-by-design and process validation efforts for pipeline as well as licensed products. The DFSS technique was selected because it was both streamlined and efficient. These characteristics permitted development of a KM strategy with minimized team leader and team member resources. DFSS also placed a high emphasis on the voice of the customer, information considered crucial to the selection of solutions most appropriate for the current knowledge-based challenges of the organization. The KM strategy developed was comprised of nine workstreams, constructed from related solution buckets which in turn were assembled from the individual solution tasks that were identified. Each workstream's detailed design was evaluated against published and established best practices, as well as the KM strategy project charter and design inputs. Gaps and risks were identified and mitigated as necessary to improve the robustness of the proposed strategy. Aggregated resources (specifically expense/capital funds and staff) and timing were estimated to obtain vital management sponsorship for implementation. Where possible, existing governance and divisional/corporate information technology efforts were leveraged to minimize the additional bioprocess resources required for implementation. Finally, leading and lagging indicator metrics were selected to track the success of pilots and eventual implementation. A knowledge management framework was assembled for bioprocess-related information using a streamlined and efficient technique that minimized team leader and member resources. The technique also highly emphasized input from the staff, who generated and used the knowledge, information considered crucial to selection of solutions most appropriate for the current knowledge-based challenges in the organization. The framework developed was comprised of nine workstreams, constructed from related solution buckets which were assembled from individual solution tasks that were identified. Each workstream's detailed design was evaluated against published and established best practices, as well as the project charter and design inputs. Gaps and risks were identified and mitigated to improve robustness of the proposed framework. Aggregated resources (specifically expense/capital funds and staff) and timing were estimated to obtain vital management sponsorship for implementation. Where possible, existing governance and information technology efforts were leveraged to minimize additional bioprocess resources required for implementation. Finally, metrics were selected to track the success of pilots and eventual implementation.

An operational data access infrastructure for accessing integrated environmental and socio-economic data from the Dutch Wadden Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Bruin, T.

2012-12-01

The Wadden Sea, an UNESCO World Heritage Site along the Northern coasts of The Netherlands, Germany and Denmark, is a very valuable, yet also highly vulnerable tidal flats area. Knowledge is key to the sustainable management of the Wadden Sea. This knowledge should be reliable, founded on promptly accessible information and sufficiently broad to integrate both ecological and economic analyses. The knowledge is gained from extensive monotoring of both ecological and socio-economic parameters. Even though many organisations, research institutes, government agencies and NGOs carry out monitoring, there is no central overview of monitoring activities, nor easy access to the resulting data. The 'Wadden Sea Long-Term Ecosystem Research' (WaLTER) project (2011-2015) aims to set-up an integrated monitoring plan for the main environmental and management issues relevant to the Wadden Sea, such as sea-level rise, fisheries management, recreation and industry activities. The WaLTER data access infrastructure will be a distributed system of data providers, with a centralized data access portal. It is based on and makes use of the existing data access infrastructure of the Netherlands National Oceanographic Data Committee (NL-NODC), which has been operational since early 2009. The NL-NODC system is identical to and in fact developed by the European SeaDataNet project, furthering standardisation on a pan-European scale. The presentation will focus on the use of a distributed data access infrastructure to address the needs of different user groups such as policy makers, scientists and the general public.

Looking Across and Looking Beyond the Knowledge Frontier: Intellectual Distance, Novelty, and Resource Allocation in Science

PubMed Central

Boudreau, Kevin J.; Guinan, Eva C.; Lakhani, Karim R.; Riedl, Christoph

2016-01-01

Selecting among alternative projects is a core management task in all innovating organizations. In this paper, we focus on the evaluation of frontier scientific research projects. We argue that the “intellectual distance” between the knowledge embodied in research proposals and an evaluator’s own expertise systematically relates to the evaluations given. To estimate relationships, we designed and executed a grant proposal process at a leading research university in which we randomized the assignment of evaluators and proposals to generate 2,130 evaluator–proposal pairs. We find that evaluators systematically give lower scores to research proposals that are closer to their own areas of expertise and to those that are highly novel. The patterns are consistent with biases associated with boundedly rational evaluation of new ideas. The patterns are inconsistent with intellectual distance simply contributing “noise” or being associated with private interests of evaluators. We discuss implications for policy, managerial intervention, and allocation of resources in the ongoing accumulation of scientific knowledge. PMID:27746512

Looking Across and Looking Beyond the Knowledge Frontier: Intellectual Distance, Novelty, and Resource Allocation in Science.

PubMed

Boudreau, Kevin J; Guinan, Eva C; Lakhani, Karim R; Riedl, Christoph

2016-10-01

Selecting among alternative projects is a core management task in all innovating organizations. In this paper, we focus on the evaluation of frontier scientific research projects. We argue that the "intellectual distance" between the knowledge embodied in research proposals and an evaluator's own expertise systematically relates to the evaluations given. To estimate relationships, we designed and executed a grant proposal process at a leading research university in which we randomized the assignment of evaluators and proposals to generate 2,130 evaluator-proposal pairs. We find that evaluators systematically give lower scores to research proposals that are closer to their own areas of expertise and to those that are highly novel. The patterns are consistent with biases associated with boundedly rational evaluation of new ideas. The patterns are inconsistent with intellectual distance simply contributing "noise" or being associated with private interests of evaluators. We discuss implications for policy, managerial intervention, and allocation of resources in the ongoing accumulation of scientific knowledge.

Low-Cost Air Quality Monitoring Tools: From Research to Practice (A Workshop Summary)

PubMed Central

Griswold, William G.; RS, Abhijit; Johnston, Jill E.; Herting, Megan M.; Thorson, Jacob; Collier-Oxandale, Ashley; Hannigan, Michael

2017-01-01

In May 2017, a two-day workshop was held in Los Angeles (California, U.S.A.) to gather practitioners who work with low-cost sensors used to make air quality measurements. The community of practice included individuals from academia, industry, non-profit groups, community-based organizations, and regulatory agencies. The group gathered to share knowledge developed from a variety of pilot projects in hopes of advancing the collective knowledge about how best to use low-cost air quality sensors. Panel discussion topics included: (1) best practices for deployment and calibration of low-cost sensor systems, (2) data standardization efforts and database design, (3) advances in sensor calibration, data management, and data analysis and visualization, and (4) lessons learned from research/community partnerships to encourage purposeful use of sensors and create change/action. Panel discussions summarized knowledge advances and project successes while also highlighting the questions, unresolved issues, and technological limitations that still remain within the low-cost air quality sensor arena. PMID:29143775

Global bioanalytical support.

PubMed

John Lin, Zhongping; Zhang, Tianyi; Pasas-Farmer, Stephanie; Brooks, Stephen D; Moyer, Michael; Connolly, Ron

2014-05-01

With the globalization of drug development, there is an increasing need for global bioanalytical support. Bioanalysis provides pivotal data for toxicokinetic, pharmacokinetic, bioavailability and bioequivalence studies used for regional or global regulatory submission. There are many known complications in building a truly global bioanalytical operation, ranging from lack of global regulatory guidelines and global standard operating procedures to barriers in regional requirements on sample shipping, importation and exportation. The primary objective of this article is to discuss common experiences and challenges facing the biopharmaceutical industry when providing bioanalytical support in a global setting. The key components of global bioanalytical services include the supporting infrastructure, spanning project management, IT support of data management, best practices in bioanalytical method transfer and sample analysis, and comprehensive knowledge of the requirements of bioanalysis guidelines and differences in these guidelines. A case study will highlight best practices for successful management of a global project.

Analysis of influencing factors on public perception in contaminated site management: Simulation by structural equation modeling at four sites in China.

PubMed

Li, Xiaonuo; Chen, Weiping; Cundy, Andrew B; Chang, Andrew C; Jiao, Wentao

2018-03-15

Public perception towards contaminated site management, a not readily quantifiable latent parameter, was linked through structural equation modeling in this paper to 22 measurable/observable manifest variables associated with the extent of information dissemination and public knowledge of soil pollution, attitude towards remediation policies, and participation in risk mitigation processes. Data obtained through a survey of 412 community residents at four remediation sites in China were employed in the model validation. The outcomes showed that public perception towards contaminated site management might be explained through selected measurable parameters in five categories, namely information disclosure, knowledge of soil pollution, expectations of remediation and redevelopment outcomes, public participation, and site policy, along with their interactions. Among these, information dissemination and attitude towards management policies exhibited significant influence in promoting positive public perception. Based on these examples, responsible agencies therefore should focus on public accessibility to reliable information, and encourage public inputs into policies for contaminated site management, in order to gain public confidence during remediation and regeneration projects. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Managing integrated oncology treatment in virtual networks.

PubMed

Stanicki, Verena; Becker, Matthias; Böckmann, Britta

2015-01-01

Interdisciplinary and intersectoral coordinated healthcare management based on Clinical Practice Guidelines is essential to achieve high quality in oncological networks. The objective of our research project is to create a cookbook, which can be used by oncological networks as a template. The cookbook is based on guideline-compliant care processes. To develop these care processes, the three S3-guidelines breast, colon and prostate carcinoma have been formalized. The thus-obtained platform-independent process fragments were transformed into an underlying metamodel, which is based on HL7 and can be used for modeling clinical pathways. Additional, qualitative guided interviews were chosen to capitalize on the experts' (e.g. chief residents, resident specialists) wide knowledge and experience in oncological health care management. One of these use cases (tumor board scheduling) is developed for a healthcare management platform which is linked to a national electronic case record. The projected result of our approach is a cookbook which shows, how the treatment can be controlled by interdisciplinary and intersectoral care processes in an oncological network.

Inside the volcanic boiler room: knowledge exchange among stakeholders of volcanic unrest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gottsmann, Joachim; Christie, Ryerson; Bretton, Richard

2014-05-01

The knowledge of the causative links between subsurface processes, resulting monitoring signals and imminent eruption is incomplete. As a consequence, hazard assessment and risk mitigation strategies are subject to uncertainty. Discussion of unrest and pre-eruptive scenarios with uncertain outcomes are central during the discourse between a variety of stakeholders in volcanic unrest including scientists, emergency managers, policy makers and the public. Drawing from research within the EC FP7 VUELCO project, we argue that knowledge exchange amongst the different stakeholders of volcanic unrest evolves along three dimensions: 1) the identification of knowledge holders (including local communities) and their needs and expectations, 2) vehicles of communication and 3) trust. In preparing products that feed into risk assessment and management, scientists need to ensure that their deliverables are timely, accurate, clear, understandable and cater to the expectations of emergency managers. The means and content of communication amongst stakeholders need to be defined and adhered to. Finally, efficient and effective interaction between stakeholders is ideally based on mutual trust between those that generate knowledge and those that receive knowledge. For scientists, this entails contextualising volcanic hazard and risk in the framework of environmental and social values. Periods of volcanic quiescence are ideally suited to test established protocols of engagement between stakeholders in preparation for crises situations. The different roles of stakeholders and associated rules of engagement can be scrutinised and reviewed in antecessum rather than ad-hoc during a crisis situation to avoid issues related to distrust, loss of credibility and overall poor risk management. We will discuss these themes drawing from exploitation of research results from Mexico and Ecuador.

Implementing a pain management nursing protocol for orthopaedic surgical patients: Results from a PAIN OUT project.

PubMed

Cui, Cui; Wang, Ling-Xiao; Li, Qi; Zaslansky, Ruth; Li, Li

2018-04-01

To investigate the effect of introducing a standardised pain management nursing protocol in orthopaedic patients undergoing surgery. Postoperative pain is a common phenomenon but is still undertreated in hospitalised patients. Nurses' lack of sufficient knowledge and skills about pain management may be a contributing factor to poor outcomes. An interventional, separate sample pre- and post-test. A pain management nursing protocol was introduced and a handbook and training sessions regarding management of postsurgical pain were provided to the nurses on a Joint Orthopaedic ward at a university-affiliated general hospital in Guangzhou, China. Before and after the intervention, nurses' knowledge about pain management and attitudes were assessed, and perioperative management practices and pain-related patient-reported outcomes were evaluated. Sixteen and 15 registered nurses, and 77 and 71 patients participated in the study before and after the intervention, respectively. Nurses' scores related to knowledge and skills increased significantly after the protocol was introduced but were still insufficient with regard to pharmacological-related items. The proportion of patients receiving a combined opioid and nonopioid increased after the intervention. Clinically significant changes were observed in some patient-reported outcomes, such as worst pain since surgery, percentage of time experiencing severe pain, and pain interference with activities out of bed. There were significant changes in nonpharmacological methods administered by nurses to patients or used by patients to relieve pain. Implementation of a pain management nursing protocol combined with education in one surgical ward was associated with nurses' increased knowledge and attitudes regarding pain, a change in some management practices, and improvement in a number of pain-related patient-reported outcomes. It was feasible to develop and implement a standardised pain management nursing protocol and use it in the clinical routine. The intervention had an effect on changing some features of care, with an improvement in patient-reported outcomes. Support by leaders and medical team facilitated the process of the implementation. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Implementing stakeholder-informed research in the substance abuse treatment sector: strategies used by Connections, a Canadian knowledge translation and exchange project.

PubMed

Henderson, Joanna; Sword, Wendy; Niccols, Alison; Dobbins, Maureen

2014-05-29

Researcher-stakeholder collaboration has been identified as critical to bridging research and health system change. While collaboration models vary, meaningful stakeholder involvement over time ("integrated knowledge translation") is advocated to improve the relevance of research to knowledge users. This short report describes the integrated knowledge translation efforts of Connections, a knowledge translation and exchange project to improve services for women with substance abuse problems and their children, and implementation barriers and facilitators. Strategies of varying intensities were used to engage diverse stakeholders, including policy makers and people with lived experience, and executive directors, program managers, and service providers from Canadian addiction agencies serving women. Barriers to participation included individual (e.g., interest), organizational (e.g., funding), and system level (e.g., lack of centralized stakeholder database) barriers. Similarly, facilitators included individual (e.g., perceived relevance) and organizational (e.g., support) facilitators, as well as initiative characteristics (e.g., multiple involvement opportunities). Despite barriers, Connections' stakeholder-informed research efforts proved essential for developing clinically relevant and feasible processes, measures, and implementation strategies. Stakeholder-researcher collaboration is possible and robust integrated knowledge translation efforts can be productive. Future work should emphasize developing and evaluating a range of strategies to address stakeholders' knowledge translation needs and to facilitate sustained and meaningful involvement in research.

Introducing quality improvement methods into local public health departments: structured evaluation of a statewide pilot project.

PubMed

Riley, William; Parsons, Helen; McCoy, Kim; Burns, Debra; Anderson, Donna; Lee, Suhna; Sainfort, François

2009-10-01

To test the feasibility and assess the preliminary impact of a unique statewide quality improvement (QI) training program designed for public health departments. One hundred and ninety-five public health employees/managers from 38 local health departments throughout Minnesota were selected to participate in a newly developed QI training program and 65 of those engaged in and completed eight expert-supported QI projects over a period of 10 months from June 2007 through March 2008. As part of the Minnesota Quality Improvement Initiative, a structured distance education QI training program was designed and deployed in a first large-scale pilot. To evaluate the preliminary impact of the program, a mixed-method evaluation design was used based on four dimensions: learner reaction, knowledge, intention to apply, and preliminary outcomes. Subjective ratings of three dimensions of training quality were collected from participants after each of the scheduled learning sessions. Pre- and post-QI project surveys were administered to collect participant reactions, knowledge, future intention to apply learning, and perceived outcomes. Monthly and final QI project reports were collected to further inform success and preliminary outcomes of the projects. The participants reported (1) high levels of satisfaction with the training sessions, (2) increased perception of the relevance of the QI techniques, (3) increased perceived knowledge of all specific QI methods and techniques, (4) increased confidence in applying QI techniques on future projects, (5) increased intention to apply techniques on future QI projects, and (6) high perceived success of, and satisfaction with, the projects. Finally, preliminary outcomes data show moderate to large improvements in quality and/or efficiency for six out of eight projects. QI methods and techniques can be successfully implemented in local public health agencies on a statewide basis using the collaborative model through distance training and expert facilitation. This unique training can improve both core and support processes and lead to favorable staff reactions, increased knowledge, and improved health outcomes. The program can be further improved and deployed and holds great promise to facilitate the successful dissemination of proven QI methods throughout local public health departments.

E-learning for textile enterprises innovation improvement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blaga, M.; Harpa, R.; Radulescu, I. R.; Stepjanovic, Z.

2017-10-01

The Erasmus Plus project- TEXMatrix: “Matrix of knowledge for innovation and competitiveness in textile enterprises”, financed through the Erasmus+ Programme, Strategic partnerships- KA2 for Vocational Education and Training, aims at spreading the creative and innovative organizational culture inside textile enterprises by transferring and implementing methodologies, tools and concepts for improved training. Five European partners form the project consortium: INCDTP - Bucharest, Romania (coordinator), TecMinho - Portugal, Centrocot - Italy, University Maribor, Slovenia, and “Gheorghe Asachi” Technical University of Iasi, Romania. These will help the textile enterprises involved in the project, to learn how to apply creative thinking in their organizations and how to develop the capacity for innovation and change. The project aims to bridge the gap between textile enterprises need for qualified personnel and the young workforce. It develops an innovative knowledge matrix for the tangible and intangible assets of an enterprise and a benchmarking study, based on which a dedicated software tool will be created. This software tool will aid the decision-making enterprise staff (managers, HR specialists, professionals) as well as the trainees (young employees, students, and scholars) to cope with the new challenges of innovation and competitiveness for the textile field. The purpose of this paper is to present the main objectives and achievements of the project, according to its declared goals, with the focus on the presentation of the knowledge matrix of innovation, which is a powerful instrument for the quantification of the intangible assets of textile enterprises.

TB tracer teams in South Africa: knowledge, practices and challenges of tracing TB patients to improve adherence

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background In 2008–2009 the South African National Tuberculosis (TB) Program (NTP) implemented a national pilot project, the TB Tracer Project, aiming to decrease default rates and improve patient outcomes. The current study aimed to inform the NTP by describing the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of TB program personnel involved with tracing activities. Methods A self-administered written questionnaire was sent to TB staff, managers and tracer team leaders to assess basic TB knowledge, attitudes and practices. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize results and the chi-squared statistic was used to compare responses of staff at facilities that participated in the TB Tracer Project (tracer) and those that followed standard NTP care (non-tracer). Results Of 560 total questionnaires distributed, 270 were completed and returned (response rate 48%). Total TB knowledge ranged from 70.8-86.3% correct across all response groups. However, just over half (range 50–59.3%) of each respondent group was able to correctly identify the four components of a DOT encounter. A patient no longer feeling sick was cited by 72.1% of respondents as the reason patients fail to adhere to treatment. Tracer teams were viewed as an effective means to get patients to return to treatment by 96.3% of health facility level respondents. Tracer team leaders reported concerns including lack of logistical support (41.7%), insufficient physical safety precautions (41.7%), and inadequate protection from contracting TB (39.1%). Upon patients returning to treatment at the clinic, facilities included in the TB Tracer Project were significantly more likely to discuss alternate DOTS arrangements than non-tracer facilities (79.2 vs. 66.4%, p = 0.03). Conclusions This study identified key components of knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding TB patient tracing activities in South Africa. Educating patients on the essential need to complete treatment irrespective of clinical symptoms may help improve treatment adherence. Future scale-up and integration of TB tracing activities as part of standard TB management should include provisions for standardized training of personnel on the critical elements of DOTS, and for ensuring appropriate supervision, logistical support, and physical safety and TB transmission protection of tracing teams. PMID:24007294

Self-efficacy: empowering parents of children with cystic fibrosis.

PubMed

McDonald, Catherine M; Haberman, Diane; Brown, Natalie

2013-09-01

Can parent engagement in the development and delivery of educational materials for cystic fibrosis (CF) promote increased self-efficacy and confidence in self-management skills? Standard therapies for a child with CF frequently involve pulmonary treatment, medications, and behavioral and nutritional interventions. Parents report that the prescribed CF care can be overwhelming. Previous research at this pediatric CF Center indicated the parental perception of the difficulty in managing CF-related nutrition therapy. Parents' nutrition knowledge was an initial target of this continuous quality improvement (CQI) project with a long-range aim of increasing children's median body mass index (BMI) percentiles for patients at this pediatric CF center. The local CF Parent Advisory Council, CF parents and staff collaborated on this family-centered CQI project. A CF parent website with weekly email newsletters and a facebook page were developed and evolved with input from parents. Parental feedback was gathered through electronic surveys, written questionnaires, focus groups and informal interviews. A convenience sample of parents participated in pre- and post-intervention surveys to determine change in self-confidence in effectively managing their children's CF treatment regimens. Results were also compared with responses from a larger previous survey. Parental knowledge of nutrition facts and medical nutrition therapy for CF did not increase significantly over the course of the CQI project. Surveyed parents reported increased confidence in their self-management skills. Although mean BMI percentiles have increased at this center, they remain below the national average. Parent-driven educational strategies provide an opportunity to promote reliable CF-related information in parent-preferred formats that enhance self-management skills in caring for children with CF. Parental confidence to follow CF center recommendations increased between 2004 and 2011. Although many factors may impact confidence, parent satisfaction with the creation of electronic resources and engagement in the CQI process were intangible, but important outcomes. Copyright © 2012 European Cystic Fibrosis Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Causal Factors of Corruption in Construction Project Management: An Overview.

PubMed

Owusu, Emmanuel Kingsford; Chan, Albert P C; Shan, Ming

2017-11-11

The development of efficient and strategic anti-corruption measures can be better achieved if a deeper understanding and identification of the causes of corruption are established. Over the past years, many studies have been devoted to the research of corruption in construction management (CM). This has resulted in a significant increase in the body of knowledge on the subject matter, including the causative factors triggering these corrupt practices. However, an apropos systematic assessment of both past and current studies on the subject matter which is needful for the future endeavor is lacking. Moreover, there is an absence of unified view of the causative factors of corruption identified in construction project management (CPM). This paper, therefore, presents a comprehensive review of the causes of corruption from selected articles in recognized construction management journals to address the mentioned gaps. A total number of 44 causes of corruption were identified from 37 publications and analyzed in terms of existing causal factors of corruption, annual trend of publications and the thematic categorization of the identified variables. The most identifiable causes were over close relationships, poor professional ethical standards, negative industrial and working conditions, negative role models and inadequate sanctions. A conceptual framework of causes of corruption was established, after categorizing the 44 variables into five unique categories. In descending order, the five constructs are Psychosocial-Specific Causes, Organizational-Specific Causes, Regulatory-Specific Causes, Project-Specific Causes and Statutory-Specific Causes. This study extends the current literature of corruption research in construction management and contributes to a deepened understanding of the causal instigators of corruption identified in CPM. The findings from this study provide valuable information and extended knowledge to industry practitioners and policymakers as well as anti-corruption agencies in the formulation and direction of anti-corruption measures. To corruption researchers in CM, this study is vital for further research.

Towards answering the "so what" question in marine renewables environmental impact assessment.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Degraer, Steven; Birchenough, Silvana N. R.; Braeckman, Ulrike; Coolen, Joop W. P.; Dannheim, Jennifer; De Mesel, Ilse; Grégoire, Marilaure; Kerckhof, Francis; Lacroix, Geneviève; Lindeboom, Han; Moens, Tom; Soetaert, Karline; Vanaverbeke, Jan; Van Hoey, Gert

2016-04-01

Marine renewable energy (MRE) projects are increasingly occupying the European North-Atlantic coasts and this is clearly observed in the North Sea. Given the expected impacts on the marine environment, each individual project is accompanied by a legally mandatory, environmental monitoring programme. These programmes are focused on the resultant effects on ecosystem component structure (e.g. species composition, numbers and densities) of single industrial projects. To date, there is a tendency to further narrow down to only a selection of ecosystem components (e.g. marine mammals and birds). While a wide knowledge-based understanding of structural impacts on (a selection of) ecosystem components exists, this evidence is largely lacking when undertaking impact assessments at the ecosystem functioning level (e.g. trophic interactions, dispersal and nutrient cycling). This critical knowledge gap compromises a scientifically-underpinned answer to the "so what" question of environmental impacts, i.e. whether the observed impacts are considered to be good or bad, or acceptable or unacceptable. The importance of ecosystem functioning is further acknowledged in the descriptors 4 and 6 of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (EU MSFD) and is at the heart of a sustainable use and management of our marine resources. There hence is a fundamental need to focus on ecosystem functioning at the spatial scales at which marine ecosystems function when assessing MRE impacts. Here, we make a plea for an increased investment in a large (spatial) scale impact assessment of MRE projects focused on ecosystem functioning. This presentation will cover a selection of examples from North Sea MRE monitoring programmes, where the current knowledge has limited conclusions on the "so what" question. We will demonstrate how an ecosystem functioning-focused approach at an appropriate spatial scale could advance our current understanding, whilst assessing these issues. These examples will cover biogeochemical cycling, food webs and connectivity in a cumulative MRE impact assessment context. This presentation will highlight both the available knowledge base and further elaborate on the knowledge gaps. We will offer guidance on how these knowledge gaps could be further investigated, based on examples taken from the recently started projects FaCE-It, Functional biodiversity in a changing sedimentary environment: implications for biogeochemistry and food webs in a managerial setting (financed by the Belgian Science Policy) and UNDINE, Understanding the influence of man-made structures on the ecosystem functions of the North Sea (financed by INSITE). This presentation will set the scene and offer further thinking on the current issues associated to MRE monitoring, particularly beyond the level of ecological structure and individual industrial projects. The overall message will aid advancing and strengthening a collaborative MRE monitoring, helping scientists, managers and regulators to answer the much needed "so what" question to support environmental assessments. Keywords: offshore wind farms, cumulative effects, spatial upscaling, ecosystem functioning, biogeochemical cycling, food webs Contact author: Steven Degraer, steven.degraer@naturalsciences.be

The spatial data and knowledge gateways at the International Water Management Institute (IWMI)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thenkabail, P. S.; Biradar, C. M.; Noojipady, P.; Islam, A.; Velpuri, M.; Vithanage, J.; Kulawardhana, W.; Li, Yuan Jie; Dheeravath, V.; Gunasinghe, S.; Alankara, R.

2006-10-01

In this paper we discuss spatial data and knowledge base (SDKB) gateway portals developed by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI). Our vision is to generate and/or facilitate easy and free access to state-of-art SDKB of excellence globally. Our mission is to make SDKB accessible online, globally, for free. The IWMI data storehouse pathway (IWMIDSP; http://www.iwmidsp.org) is a pathfinder global public good (GPG) portal on remote sensing and GIS (RS/GIS) data and products with specific emphasis on river basin data, but also storing valuable data on Nations, Regions, and the World. A number of other specialty GPG portals have also been released. These include Global map of irrigated area (http://www.iwmigiam.org), Drought monitoring system for southwest Asia (http://dms.iwmi.org), Tsunami satellite sensor data catalogue (http://tsdc.iwmi.org), and Knowledge base system (KBS) for Sri Lanka (http://www.iwmikbs.org). The IWMIDSP has been the backbone of several other projects such as global irrigated area mapping, drought monitoring system, wetlands, and knowledge base systems. A discussion on these pathfinder web portals follow.

Designing the RiverCare knowledge base and web-collaborative platform to exchange knowledge in river management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cortes Arevalo, Juliette; den Haan, Robert-Jan; van der Voort, Mascha; Hulscher, Suzanne

2016-04-01

Effective communication strategies are necessary between different scientific disciplines, practitioners and non-experts for a shared understanding and better implementation of river management measures. In that context, the RiverCare program aims to get a better understanding of riverine measures that are being implemented towards self-sustaining multifunctional rivers in the Netherlands. During the RiverCare program, user committees are organized between the researchers and practitioners to discuss the aim and value of RiverCare outputs, related assumptions and uncertainties behind scientific results. Beyond the RiverCare program end, knowledge about river interventions, integrated effects, management and self-sustaining applications will be available to experts and non-experts by means of River Care communication tools: A web-collaborative platform and a serious gaming environment. As part of the communication project of RiverCare, we are designing the RiverCare web-collaborative platform and the knowledge-base behind that platform. We aim at promoting collaborative efforts and knowledge exchange in river management. However, knowledge exchange does not magically happen. Consultation and discussion of RiverCare outputs as well as elicitation of perspectives and preferences from different actors about the effects of riverine measures has to be facilitated. During the RiverCare research activities, the platform will support the user committees or collaborative sessions that are regularly held with the organizations directly benefiting from our research, at project level or in study areas. The design process of the collaborative platform follows an user centred approach to identify user requirements, co-create a conceptual design and iterative develop and evaluate prototypes of the platform. The envisioned web-collaborative platform opens with an explanation and visualisation of the RiverCare outputs that are available in the knowledge base. Collaborative sessions are initiated by one facilitator that invites other users to contribute by agreeing on an objective for the session and ways and period of collaboration. Upon login, users can join the different sessions that they are invited or will be willing to participate. Within these sessions, users collaboratively engage on the topic at hand, acquiring knowledge about the ongoing results of RiverCare, sharing knowledge between actors and co-constructing new knowledge in the process as input for RiverCare research activities. An overview of each session will be presented to registered and non-registered users to document collaboration efforts and promote interaction with actors outside RiverCare. At the user requirements analysis stage of the collaborative platform, a questionnaire and workshop session was launched to uncover the end user's preferences and expectations about the tool to be designed. Results comprised insights about design criteria of the collaborative platform. The user requirements will be followed by interview sessions with RiverCare researchers and user committee members to identify considerations for data management, objectives of collaboration, expected outputs and indicators to evaluate the collaborative platform. On one side, considerations of intended users are important for co-designing tools that effectively communicate and promote a shared understanding of scientific outputs. On the other one, active involvement of end-users is important for the establishment of measurable indicators to evaluate the tool and the collaborative process.

Woman-to-woman approach wins plaudits in USAID-funded program.

PubMed

1992-01-01

The Center for Development and Population Activities (CEDPA) is a private voluntary organization (PVO) that has started a project using a woman to woman approach, along with the help of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), to deliver family planning services in developing nations. The project is called Access to Family Planning through Women Managers and has had its budget doubled to US $15 million through a 5 year cooperative agreement. The project takes women leaders from 10 different countries and trains them in effective ways to implement family planning services. The women bring with them the knowledge of local traditions and cultural knowledge that is essential for these types of programs to work. They also have the respect of the communities from which they came as well as access to networks of women that can be used to help further the cause. A very successful example of this project is in the Indian city of Ahmedabad. In 3 years the project has increased the number of female contraceptive users by 9000 with a 92.5% continuation rate. This figure is only 2% of the total population of 2 million; however, the project is still having a significant effect and has a very high success rate. The contraceptive prevalence rate in the slums has been raised from 12% to 61%.

Impact of clinical and health services research projects on decision-making: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Solans-Domènech, Maite; Adam, Paula; Guillamón, Imma; Permanyer-Miralda, Gaietà; Pons, Joan M V; Escarrabill, Joan

2013-05-10

This article reports on the impact assessment experience of a funding program of non-commercial clinical and health services research. The aim was to assess the level of implementation of results from a subgroup of research projects (on respiratory diseases), and to detect barriers (or facilitators) in the translation of new knowledge to informed decision-making. A qualitative study was performed. The sample consisted of six projects on respiratory diseases funded by the Agency for Health Quality and Assessment of Catalonia between 1996 and 2004. Semi-structured interviews to key informants including researchers and healthcare decision-makers were carried out. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed on an individual (key informant) and group (project) basis. In addition, the differences between achieved and expected impacts were described. Twenty-three semi-structured interviews were conducted. Most participants indicated changes in health services or clinical practice had resulted from research. The channels used to transfer new knowledge were mainly conventional ones, but also in less explicit ways, such as with the involvement of local scientific societies, or via debates and discussions with colleagues and local leaders. The barriers and facilitators identified were mostly organizational (in research management, and clinical and healthcare practice), although there were also some related to the nature of the research as well as personal factors. Both the expected and achieved impacts enabled the identification of the gaps between what is expected and what is truly achieved. In this study and according to key informants, the impact of these research projects on decision-making can be direct (the application of a finding or innovation) or indirect, contributing to a more complex change in clinical practice and healthcare organization, both having other contextual factors. The channels used to transfer this new knowledge to clinical practice are complex. Local scientific societies and the relationships between researchers and decision-makers can play a very important role. Specifically, the relationships between managers and research teams and the mutual knowledge of their activity have shown to be effective in applying research funding to practice and decision-making. Finally the facilitating factors and barriers identified by the respondents are closely related to the idiosyncrasy of the human relations between the different stakeholders involved.

Impact of clinical and health services research projects on decision-making: a qualitative study

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background This article reports on the impact assessment experience of a funding program of non-commercial clinical and health services research. The aim was to assess the level of implementation of results from a subgroup of research projects (on respiratory diseases), and to detect barriers (or facilitators) in the translation of new knowledge to informed decision-making. Methods A qualitative study was performed. The sample consisted of six projects on respiratory diseases funded by the Agency for Health Quality and Assessment of Catalonia between 1996 and 2004. Semi-structured interviews to key informants including researchers and healthcare decision-makers were carried out. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed on an individual (key informant) and group (project) basis. In addition, the differences between achieved and expected impacts were described. Results Twenty-three semi-structured interviews were conducted. Most participants indicated changes in health services or clinical practice had resulted from research. The channels used to transfer new knowledge were mainly conventional ones, but also in less explicit ways, such as with the involvement of local scientific societies, or via debates and discussions with colleagues and local leaders. The barriers and facilitators identified were mostly organizational (in research management, and clinical and healthcare practice), although there were also some related to the nature of the research as well as personal factors. Both the expected and achieved impacts enabled the identification of the gaps between what is expected and what is truly achieved. Conclusions In this study and according to key informants, the impact of these research projects on decision-making can be direct (the application of a finding or innovation) or indirect, contributing to a more complex change in clinical practice and healthcare organization, both having other contextual factors. The channels used to transfer this new knowledge to clinical practice are complex. Local scientific societies and the relationships between researchers and decision-makers can play a very important role. Specifically, the relationships between managers and research teams and the mutual knowledge of their activity have shown to be effective in applying research funding to practice and decision-making. Finally the facilitating factors and barriers identified by the respondents are closely related to the idiosyncrasy of the human relations between the different stakeholders involved. PMID:23663364

Instituting systems-based practice and practice-based learning and improvement: a curriculum of inquiry.

PubMed

Wilper, Andrew P; Smith, Curtis Scott; Weppner, William

2013-09-16

The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) requires that training programs integrate system-based practice (SBP) and practice-based learning and improvement (PBLI) into internal medicine residency curricula. CONTEXT AND SETTING: We instituted a seminar series and year-long-mentored curriculum designed to engage internal medicine residents in these competencies. Residents participate in a seminar series that includes assigned reading and structured discussion with faculty who assist in the development of quality improvement or research projects. Residents pursue projects over the remainder of the year. Monthly works in progress meetings, protected time for inquiry, and continued faculty mentorship guide the residents in their project development. Trainees present their work at hospital-wide grand rounds at the end of the academic year. We performed a survey of residents to assess their self-reported knowledge, attitudes and skills in SBP and PBLI. In addition, blinded faculty scored projects for appropriateness, impact, and feasibility. We measured resident self-reported knowledge, attitudes, and skills at the end of the academic year. We found evidence that participants improved their understanding of the context in which they were practicing, and that their ability to engage in quality improvement projects increased. Blinded faculty reviewers favorably ranked the projects' feasibility, impact, and appropriateness. The 'Curriculum of Inquiry' generated 11 quality improvement and research projects during the study period. Barriers to the ongoing work include a limited supply of mentors and delays due to Institutional Review Board approval. Hospital leadership recognizes the importance of the curriculum, and our accreditation manager now cites our ongoing work. A structured residency-based curriculum facilitates resident demonstration of SBP and practice-based learning and improvement. Residents gain knowledge and skills though this enterprise and hospitals gain access to trainees who help to solve ongoing problems and meet accreditation requirements.

Development of theory-based knowledge translation interventions to facilitate the implementation of evidence-based guidelines on the early management of adults with traumatic spinal cord injury.

PubMed

Bérubé, Mélanie; Albert, Martin; Chauny, Jean-Marc; Contandriopoulos, Damien; DuSablon, Anne; Lacroix, Sébastien; Gagné, Annick; Laflamme, Élise; Boutin, Nathalie; Delisle, Stéphane; Pauzé, Anne-Marie; MacThiong, Jean-Marc

2015-12-01

Optimal, early management following a spinal cord injury (SCI) can limit individuals' disabilities and costs related to their care. Several knowledge syntheses were recently published to guide health care professionals with regard to early interventions in SCI patients. However, no knowledge translation (KT) intervention, selected according to a behaviour change theory, has been proposed to facilitate the use of SCI guidelines in an acute care setting. To develop theory-informed KT interventions to promote the application of evidence-based recommendations on the acute care management of SCI patients. The first four phases of the knowledge-to-action model were used to establish the study design. Knowledge selection was based on the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation system. Knowledge adaptation to the local context was sourced from the ADAPTE process. The theoretical domains framework oriented the selection and development of the interventions based on an assessment of barriers and enablers to knowledge application. Twenty-nine recommendations were chosen and operationalized in measurable clinical indicators. Barriers related to knowledge, skills, perceived capacities, beliefs about consequences, social influences, and the environmental context and resources theoretical domains were identified. The mapping of behaviour change techniques associated with those barriers led to the development of an online educational curriculum, interdisciplinary clinical pathways as well as policies and procedures. This research project allowed us developing KT interventions according to a thorough behavioural change methodology. Exposure to the generated interventions will support health care professionals in providing the best care to SCI patients. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The Design and Evaluation of a Simulation-Based Behavior Change Intervention for Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gibson, Bryan Smith

2012-01-01

This dissertation describes a line of research that addresses translational research questions related to the use of computerized simulation to affect the knowledge, beliefs, motivation and self-management behaviors of individuals with chronic disease. The specific research projects focus on type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and physical activity as…

Posting Traditional Ecological Knowledge on Open Access Biodiversity Platforms: Implications for Learning Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Funk, Johanna; Guthadjaka, Kathy; Kong, Gary

2015-01-01

BowerBird is an open platform biodiversity website (http://www.BowerBird.org.au) and a nationally funded project under management of the Atlas of Living Australia (ALA) and Museum Victoria. Members post sightings and information about local species of plants and animals, and record other features of ecosystems. Charles Darwin University's Northern…

The Land-Potential Knowledge System (LandPKS): mobile apps and collaboration for optimizing climate change investments

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Massive investments in climate change mitigation and adaptation are projected during coming decades. Many of these investments will seek to modify how land is managed. The return on both types of investments can be increased through an understanding of land potential: the potential of the land to s...

Project-Based Learning: Application to a Research Master Subject of Thermal Engineering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arce, María Elena; Míguez-Tabarés, José Luis; Granada, Enrique; Míguez, Carla; Cacabelos, Antón

2013-01-01

The European Higher Education Area (EHEA) requires students to engage in more autonomous work. This autonomy is an outcome of the self-regulated learning process. Self-regulation involves a self-management skill set that can cope with any adverse contingency and requires both knowledge of the available abilities and personal control to put these…

The Ned IIS project - forest ecosystem management

Treesearch

W. Potter; D. Nute; J. Wang; F. Maier; Michael Twery; H. Michael Rauscher; P. Knopp; S. Thomasma; M. Dass; H. Uchiyama

2002-01-01

For many years we have held to the notion that an Intelligent Information System (IIS) is composed of a unified knowledge base, database, and model base. The main idea behind this notion is the transparent processing of user queries. The system is responsible for "deciding" which information sources to access in order to fulfil a query regardless of whether...