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This article analyzes the relationship between sport and territorial development. From a Data envelopment analysis (DEA), the Malmquist index and a Tobit regression model, with the use of investment, competitiveness and sports success variables, we want to delve into the knowledge of this binomial for the specific case of the Spanish Autonomous Communities for 2011, 2015 and 2018, first and last year for which data is available, and an intermediate year. The main results show important territorial differences and specificities in sport in Spain and reinforce the close relationship mentioned above. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since in Argentina the Primary Health Care Centers (CAPS) are financed by public funds, the analysis of their efficiency becomes relevant in order to propose improvements in their performance. In this work, DEA (Data Envelopment Analysis) is applied to evaluate the technical efficiency of CAPS operating in a city in the interior of Argentina. For this, the CAPS are grouped according to the available specialties (nursing, medical clinic and pediatrics) and the following are used: a DEA BCC (Banker, Charnes y Cooper) output oriented model and a Super-efficiency model to evaluate the technical efficiency in each group. The results differ between the groups. In the CAPS that offer the 3 specialties, most are efficient. On the contrary, in the CAPS that have an infirmary and a medical clinic, as well as those that only have an infirmary, most of the CAPS are considered inefficient. It is concluded that it is possible to improve the efficiency in the use of public resources assigned to the first level of care in the city, based on the increase in the number of consultations or the reduction in the number of working hours, which would allow improving the access to health care for the most vulnerable population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes a methodology to calculate the sustainable added value of the processes (SVA) that form a supply chain (CS), through a comprehensive indicator. The methodology consists of six steps and uses as methods the Life Cycle Analysis and the methods of Diakoulaki and Saaty, based on multiple criteria. When applied to a CS of electromechanical products, it was possible to obtain the SVA of each process and with it the value that each one contributes to the economic and environmental dimensions of sustainability. These results demonstrate the novelty and feasibility of applying the developed methodology and its differences with other existing ones in the specialized literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expenditure that countries make on health systems is related to public health indicators, which include child survival rates and life expectancy, so this relationship can be considered a measure of the efficiency of the health system for each country. This article develops a retrospective descriptive research on health systems. The sample is made up of 19 Latin American countries, and for each country the efficiency of health expenditure was evaluated by means of an enveloping analysis of data oriented towards outputs with delimited variables. The variables used are: public expenditure on health, private expenditure on health, life expectancy and survival rate (neonatal, under 5 years). This information was taken from the World Health Organization and World Bank data repositories. The results of the research indicate that total expenditure on health presents an average annual growth rate of 5.5% and mortality rates (at 5 years and neonatal) were reduced by 41% and 33% respectively. The efficiency of health spending ranged from 90% to 100%. The group formed by Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Jamaica and Nicaragua are the benchmarks in health spending, with respect to child survival rates and life expectancy according to the results of efficiency during the study period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Colombia, numerous methods have been implemented to measure the efficacy of secondary education institutions. The purpose of this study is to establish the efficiency of these institutions, using an innovative methodology known as Stochastic Non-Parametric Envelopment Analysis of Data (StoNED) with an output-oriented measurement. A visualization of the relationship between efficiency and the management of the education secretariats by department is proposed. Institutions are taken as decision units, based on the results of students' SABER 11 tests, considering two levels of aggregation, by institution and by department. A slight difference is found in the proportion of institutions that present technical efficiency with respect to those that do not. Moreover, it is identified that most of the institutions that do not present technical efficiency are those of an official nature, and those located in rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diversos estudios defienden la complejidad económica como modo alternativo de comprender el bienestar. Cada vez más trabajos parten del análisis envolvente de datos (DEA) estándar, pero no se encontraron estudios que los compararan con modelos más avanzados o que consideraran la sofisticación económica como insumo del desarrollo humano. El objetivo es cubrir esta laguna, comparando modelos DEA estándar y SBM como herramientas para medir la eficiencia de los países al convertir complejidad económica en desarrollo humano. Se elaboró el índice compuesto de desarrollo humano y complejidad económica (ICDH-CE), que se aplicó a 50 países con datos de 2013, y se concluyó que los modelos estándar sobrevaloran la eficiencia de los países, especialmente de los más desarrollados y prósperos. En cambio, los modelos SBM proporcionan una mejor clasificación. Finalmente, el ICDH-CE muestra que Singapur es la única economía que transforma de manera eficiente la complejidad económica en desarrollo humano. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The situation of violence in Mexico shows an alarming trend as the number of committed crimes increased by 10.9% in 2021 compared to 2020. In fact, 75.6% of the Mexican population perceives the insecurity. Due to the above, it is necessary to strengthen public security to combat this trend. However, the resources allocated to the public security in Mexico are limited. Although there are studies that investigate what causes the violence in Mexico, so far there is no study that measures the efficiency of combating the violence related to budgetary, human, and material resources of the public security. This article investigates the efficiency of combating the property violence in 206 municipalities in the Northwest region of Mexico through the Data Envelopment Analysis. The results show a low efficiency (56.67%) with significant differences between the states in the region. Baja California is the state with the lowest efficiency (17.61%), whereas the highest efficiency is found in Durango (67.25%). For the last, the need to carefully plan changes in the police force and the public security infrastructure was noted to improve the efficiency and the level of security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on a mixed methodology employing data envelopment analysis, this article evaluates the relative efficiency of 19 Colombian National Army research groups to create collaborative improvement plans that produce synergies and generate better future results based on the indicators and characteristics evaluated. The results show a wide margin for improvement for the groups evaluated. However, six of these groups have a relative efficiency of 100 %, indicating a higher level of maturation. Thus, we propose a sponsorship program by these six groups for the group-sets resulting from an allocation model with clear purposes. This design would allow significant advances in the Army's research system results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the study is to measure the technical efficiency in secondary education institutions (IEM), in Florencia, Colombia, and to identify actions to strengthen educational management from the perspective of the rectors. The research is of a mixed type and the technical efficiency indicator was determined in a sample of 18 IEM, based on the analysis of the data envelope. An interview was conducted with the Directors of the IEMs and a DOFA (Weaknesses, Opportunities, Strengths, Threats) matrix was constructed. The results indicate that 39% of the IEM are efficient and 61% have potential for improvement in the use of classroom capacity and teaching work. Awareness activities are proposed for the academic community and parents, on the importance of the educational process and results of the Saber tests and the fulfillment of the resources for the School Feeding Programs and transportation service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expenditure that countries make on health systems is related to public health indicators, which include child survival rates and life expectancy, so this relationship can be considered a measure of the efficiency of the health system for each country. This article develops a retrospective descriptive research on health systems. The sample is made up of 19 Latin American countries, and for each country the efficiency of health expenditure was evaluated by means of an enveloping analysis of data oriented towards outputs with delimited variables. The variables used are: public expenditure on health, private expenditure on health, life expectancy and survival rate (neonatal, under 5 years). This information was taken from the World Health Organization and World Bank data repositories. The results of the research indicate that total expenditure on health presents an average annual growth rate of 5.5% and mortality rates (at 5 years and neonatal) were reduced by 41% and 33% respectively. The efficiency of health spending ranged from 90% to 100%. The group formed by Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Jamaica and Nicaragua are the benchmarks in health spending, with respect to child survival rates and life expectancy according to the results of efficiency during the study period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this research was to propose variables to be used as a basis for analyzing efficiency in the nickel mining. Compared to the rest of the world, in Cuba the application of mathematical methods that do not require specification of a functional form has been limited, so this research proposes Data Envelopment Analysis as an effective benchmarking tool. This technique makes it possible to identify elements that determine the establishment of goals and contributes to the development of action plans that allow companies to be efficient in an environmentally responsible manne Based on the results, it is proposed to use the tons of nickel produced in Cuba as a product variable in the efficiency analysis. The technical indicators such as input or resource variables and the technical indicators (capital productivity), expressed through the Global Effectiveness of the Equipment (OEE), and labor productivity, as well as the economic and environmental indicators that are better weighted in the selected units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this research is to determine the efficiency of the international trade logistics network of nineteen of the APEC region by the year 2016. We work towards this goal using the methodology of the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) Network. In the instrumentation of the network, two nodes are considered; in the first one, the inputs are the infrastructure and the transport services, and the outputs are considered to be the logistics services, the costs and the execution time. The outputs of the first node constitute the inputs of the second, while the outputs of the second node are the volume and value of exports. The results show that none of the countries studied were efficient in their international trade logistics network. The six countries with the highest scores during the review period were China with 0.65, Vietnam with 0.56, Peru with 0.35, Russia with 0.35, Republic of Korea with 0.33 and Singapore with 0.32. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is expected that this research will contribute to the economic literature on the importance of evaluating the impact of public policies in order to improve the allocation of financial resources as well as contribute to the productivity and efficiency of companies. For this, the REINDUS program has been taken as a reference, one of the most representative instruments of industrial policy in Spain, which grants, among others, soft loans to companies with the purpose of promoting industrial development through business improvement and efficiency of the productive sectors. The period analyzed includes calls between 2009 and 2014, based on 689 SMEs with required information. Therefore, the objective of this research is focused on advancing in the specification about the usefulness of soft loans, as an instrument of industrial policy, from the perspective of productivity and efficiency, in this way, it will be possible to contribute to the development of indicators and policies for monitoring and adapting the aid programs to companies, in order to optimize the allocation of these resources and generate the desired effects in the various public policies to support the development of the business fabric in Spain. To study the improvement of productivity through the total change of the Total Factor Productivity (TFP), the Malmquist Index, initially introduced in the context of the consumer theory by Malmquist (1953), and the decompositions of Färe, Grosskopf et al. (1989, 1994) that assumed constant returns to scale using data envelopment analysis techniques, DEA (Orea and Zofío, 2017). Following this decomposition, we can calculate: (i) the productivity behavior (malmquist), (ii) the change in efficiency (effch), (iii) the technological change (tech). Färe, Grosskopf et al. (1994), provided the decomposition of efficiency into scale efficiency (out / in-.scalech) and into pure efficiency change (pure.out / in.effch), finally, following Färe, Grifell-Tatjé et al. (1997), we can obtain the marginal rate of substitution (input-biased technical change -ibtech-) and the marginal rate of product transformation (output-biased technical change -obtech-) in presence of technological change and the magnitude of technical change -matech-. To perform the necessary matching for the proposed analysis and because we are facing a quasi-experimental design, a combination of techniques is proposed, such as the analysis of Differences in Differences and the Matching by Nearby Neighbors using Mahalanobis Distance, to try to reduce the risk of bias in the estimation, since simple matching cannot account for unobservable characteristics (Pérez and Moral, 2015). To match the control and treatment groups, a model is used in which the criteria of financial capacity prevail, widely recognized by the literature on credit risk as determining factors when establishing the financing capacity of companies. The analysis of the Total Factor Productivity (TFP) and its components in the study period, shows that the treated companies reduced their productivity on average, for example, the treated companies in the 2009 call shown a reduction in the TFP (malmquist) between 2012 and 2008 of 9%, while in the control companies the reduction was 7%. In the best case, call 2014, practically the same level of productivity was maintained among those treated (loss of 1% between 2013 and 2017). It was expected, therefore, that the investments made would have a positive effect on productivity, however, the results show the opposite, in fact, if technological change (tech) is observed, which implies a shift of the production frontier, presented a significant setback, it is striking, since it was the one that most contributed to the negative variation of the TFP in the analyzed period. The improvements came from positive changes in efficiency (effch), probably motivated by the reduction in wage costs after the crisis of 2007 and in line with the evolution of the labor market and the destruction of jobs in these years. Following the Färe decomposition, Grifell - Tatjé et al. (1997) we calculated the alternative directions of the bias of the inputs in the technological change. The STAF / FIAS input pair presented a bias towards the use fixed assets compared to savings in personnel expenses in the treated companies when technological change occurs, the same occurs with the treated companies in the FIAS / MATE relation, To the extent that this input is used, it generates savings in the production needed materials. In general, the impact of the program did not show a positive effect within the treated companies compared to the control companies, in fact, there were setbacks in productivity (malmquist), mainly due to the technological setback (tech-frontier shift), which was largely offset by change in efficiency (effch-catch up). This technological decrease supposes a deviation from the policy objectives on the results obtained, therefore, emphasis will have to be placed on carrying out an exhaustive analysis of possible agency conflicts within the companies, on adjustment costs not contemplated in the policy, the amount of the loans and the execution of the projects proposed in such a way that the disbursements are subject to milestones that guarantee their execution. It is proposed to design a monitoring strategy based on information technologies to facilitate and promote feedback on the objectives that allows managers to have up-to-date, quality, and robust information, recognizing that such responsibility also falls on the beneficiaries of the policy, since it is a public instrument on which companies must be accountable to society, making it a fundamental requirement to provide periodic information by the beneficiary to monitor the progress of the investments contemplated in the investment projects contributed in the time of application. Likewise, greater involvement is required from the managing entity in the realization of the business plans, mainly in the actions immediately after the disbursement, as carried out by private investment funds. This work contributes to the economic literature a detailed analysis about the impact of the soft loans of the REINDUS program on the productivity and efficiency of the companies in the period 2009 to 2014, identifying the sources of the observed change on which the policy objectives can be adjusted to maximize its effectiveness, there is no previous work in this regard. The main limitation of this work was presented in the information available for the realization of the paper. The aid Managing Administration (Dirección General de Industria y de la Pyme in 2017) refers to the Boletín Oficial del Estado where the results of the respective calls are published as the only source of information available to third parties, with the limitation that this implies. It was not until the results of the 2016 call that the rejected companies began to be published and in 2018 the scores obtained by the companies benefited exclusively, which indicates that there is a path to consolidate the institutionalization of the impact evaluation of public policies within of the Public Administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyse the technical efficiency in terms of innovation of the firms in the service sector in the Uruguayan economy. Therefore, we use data from the 2010-2012 Innovation Activities Survey of the National Agency for Research and Innovation (ANII). In a first stage, we estimate the level of efficiency of each company through a Data Envelopment Analysis model, incorporating the inputs and outputs related to the innovative activity of the firms. The results reveal that, despite the effort made in terms of investment in innovation, the results are still very poor. On average, the companies analysed could increase their innovation production by 44.5% given the resources invested. Subsequently, we explore the relationship between innovative efficiency and several characteristics of the firms. In this sense, we found that medium-sized firms have lower efficiency than small and large companies. The results can be useful for both those responsible for the area of innovation of the firms, as well as to the institutions that provide support in the field of innovation (such as the ANII), since they provide substantive evidence to improve the orientation of the innovative strategy to be followed by firms in the service sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of stochastic DEA models using Bayesian Statistics is a technique that has been emerging in recent years, to be used it, simulation of multivariate probability distributions is necessary. A bivariate generator for continuous variable will be presented. Additionally, a discretization has been created on it to achieve simulations of a posteriori distributions with easy way to apply it. Application of the generator to two functions of bivariate probability density will be presented, one of them normal, with their respective tests of goodness of fit. Data from the education sector was used in the database of the DANE (National Administrative Department of Statistics) Colombia to solve the problem of a Bayesian stochastic DEA model. The results show the utility, power and easy implementation of the generator proposed in this type of problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, predicting the behavior of the Benchmark Banking Indicator (ibr) has become relevant due to its importance in the Colombian money market. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the efficiency of lstm networks for generating predictions of time series --through their long and shortterm memory-- that are comparable with the arima predictive model for econometric studies. The incidence of the representative market rate (trm) and the rate of 10-year public debt bonds (tes) was analyzed and compared to the ibr, seeking to determine its correlation through the Pearson method. Finally, the model efficiency was evaluated with the mean square error (rmse), using a multivariable lstm network with three inputs (ibr, tes, and trm) and one output. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the study of welfare systems, the relation of the social expenditure and the indicators of vulnerability as poverty rates or income inequality indexes focus a great interest in the literature. In this way, we evaluate the productivity of social transfer policies of EU15 states, which are the countries with more consolidated Welfare States within EU28, during the period 2011-2015, with data envelopment analysis. Subsequently, with a fuzzy clustering method we identify the existing patterns of social expenditures and their efficiency. We identify three groups. The first of them embeds most of the Nordic and continental welfare states. The second group is only made up with Luxembourg and Ireland, that are the countries with the lowest social spending but at the same time, they are within the group of efficient countries. The third group is made up of Mediterranean welfare states and United Kingdom and they are the less efficient countries in reducing vulnerability indexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expenditure that countries make on health systems is related to public health indicators, which include child survival rates and life expectancy, so this relationship can be considered a measure of the efficiency of the health system for each country. This article develops a retrospective descriptive research on health systems. The sample is made up of 19 Latin American countries, and for each country the efficiency of health expenditure was evaluated by means of an enveloping analysis of data oriented towards outputs with delimited variables. The variables used are: public expenditure on health, private expenditure on health, life expectancy and survival rate (neonatal, under 5 years). This information was taken from the World Health Organization and World Bank data repositories. The results of the research indicate that total expenditure on health presents an average annual growth rate of 5.5% and mortality rates (at 5 years and neonatal) were reduced by 41% and 33% respectively. The efficiency of health spending ranged from 90% to 100%. The group formed by Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Jamaica and Nicaragua are the benchmarks in health spending, with respect to child survival rates and life expectancy according to the results of efficiency during the study period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lately, questionings have emerged on how public resources are managed. This work calculates the technical efficiency of municipalities in Chile, with special emphasis on the political factors that drive efficiency in the management of local resources. In particular, focus is placed on the relationship between political ideology of the local government and central government. To do this, we use a panel data of Chilean municipalities for the years 2010-2016. The methodology follows two stages. First, we estimate efficiency scores by the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) approach. Second, a Fractional Probit model is estimated to explain these scores. The main results show that, on average, municipalities produce 49% achieve 49% less of output than the optimal. Higher levels of efficiency are obtained in larger, urban communes and with greater participation in the Municipal Common Fund. Efficiency increases when the mayor presents himself for a re-election and is reduced in the periods in which a left coalition governs. The later effect is reduced to the extent that the majority of the municipal council share the same ideology of the national government, suggesting an effect of the relationship between the central and local government on efficiency levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method to establish assessment, classification and prediction criteria to evaluate the productive efficiency and innovation of the companies in the chemical sector of Barranquilla was developed. Concepts of data envelopment analysis, discriminant analysis and artificial neural networks were used. Information associated with variables of labor climate, information management, knowledge management, productivity management and innovation, were collected. The results were then validated with the discriminant analysis and forecasting processes and prediction of the efficiency of the companies in the sector with artificial neural networks were modeled. The results show that the average efficiency in the sector is 52.9%, with 6 companies classified as efficient ones. With the multivariate discriminant analysis techniques, the classification quality could be determined, achieving a 92.6% correct classification. Likewise, the selected neural network model generated a classification accuracy of 98.82%, 95.78% and 94.28% for the training, test and reserve samples, which shows the relevance of the classification model. It is concluded that the analyzed variables are significant to discriminate productive efficiency and innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mexicans habitually consume citrus fruits such as orange, lemon, tangerine and grapefruit, all with nutritional properties. Citriculture is a source of income for approximately 67,000 families. The objective of the study was to analyze the technical efficiency of the four main citrus fruits grown in Mexico and how their functional characteristics affect the national and international demand; with the hypothesis that they are products with minimal variations (less than one), taking the perspective that the consumer acquires them for the benefits to their health. The Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) made it possible to measure competitiveness and efficiency. Tangerine and grapefruit showed the possibility of growth due to their efficiency of 0.88 and 0.76, with respect to lemon and orange, which show total national efficiency (DEA = 1). In the productive processes and commercialization of tangerine and grapefruit there are areas of opportunity, since the world market imports on average 40% of these citrus fruits. In Mexico, lemon and grapefruit cover 100% of the national demand, so strategies for the external market could be created. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this research is to determine the efficiency of the international trade logistics network of nineteen of the APEC region by the year 2016. We work towards this goal using the methodology of the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) Network. In the instrumentation of the network, two nodes are considered; in the first one, the inputs are the infrastructure and the transport services, and the outputs are considered to be the logistics services, the costs and the execution time. The outputs of the first node constitute the inputs of the second, while the outputs of the second node are the volume and value of exports. The results show that none of the countries studied were efficient in their international trade logistics network. The six countries with the highest scores during the review period were China with 0.65, Vietnam with 0.56, Peru with 0.35, Russia with 0.35, Republic of Korea with 0.33 and Singapore with 0.32. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to determine the technical efficiency of Mexico's electricity sector in period 2008-2015, using Data Envelopment Analysis methodology with bootstrap in order to give more validity to observations obtained. With the study it was possible to determine that none of the thirteen divisions analyzed obtained the optimum level of efficiency, however, Baja California and North divisions obtained the highest efficiency indexes in the sector in the study period. Otherwise, the Southeast division was the least efficient. It is concluded that although it has been able to supply the demand for electric energy that the country requires, it is important to continue with studies of this nature, which allow the formulation of policies aimed at improving efficiency of the sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, a method was developed to evaluate and predict the efficiency of small exporting companies taking as input or asset variables the total assets, equity, total liabilities, operating expenses, sales costs and as output or result variables. net sales, net income and operating income. For this, the envelopment data analysis was used in the evaluation of the efficiency, the discriminant analysis in the evaluation of the classification of efficient and inefficient companies and the artificial neural networks to evaluate its capacity of classification prediction in 90 companies of the sector of the city of Barranquilla-Colombia. The results allowed to classify the companies according to level of efficiency showing an average technical efficiency of 41.38% of the sector with 11 representative companies of efficiency. The results show the relevance of the proposed methodology to correctly classify and forecast technical efficiency in small exporting companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method to define and evaluate financial efficiency profiles is presented. The multivariate calculus and its tools of Conglomerate Analysis and Multivariate Discriminant Analysis ADM were used as a theoretical basis. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) with output optimization was also used. For this, a rational and empirical approach research was done, considering 58 medium-sized companies of the export sector of the city of Barranquilla in Colombia. As a result, a method was provided to establish and evaluate financial efficiency profiles in medium-sized export companies of the area. The financial efficiency profiles of the export sector are also determined. The efficiency levels of the financial profiles of the clusters were 41.17%, 53.82% and 54.01% respectively. It is concluded that the cluster analysis showed favorable conditions to classify business groups with profiles of differentiated financial efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biotechnology has been for some years one of the fundamental sectors for Cuban economic development. Its important role is given, among other elements, by the growing nature of its exports of high value-added products. However, this being a highly competitive international sector, many marketing decisions present a high component of uncertainty. At the same time, some mathematical tools have been developed in order to reduce the subjective nature of business decision making and with it, uncertainty. This paper proposes a procedure for the estimation of prices in the export of biotechnological products, based on fuzzy subset theory and data envelopment analysis. The proposal is applied to the biosimilar product Hebervital and it is concluded that the procedure reduces uncertainty in decision-making. In particular because of the use of triangular fuzzy numbers, which greatly support the negotiation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research examines the technical, purely technical, global, scale and mix efficiencies of the EPSs that are part of the Contributory scheme in Colombia during 2011. Nonparametric Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method was used, specifically the models CCR-O, BCC-O, SBM, -O-C which are focused on outputs to assess the efficiency of the sector, as a source of information the Superintendency of Health was used. From the 17 companies studied, 12 of these proved to be globally efficient, these were: Alianza salud, Comfenalco Valle, Compensar, S.O.S, E.P.M, Comfenalco Antioquia, Sura, Famisanar, Fondo Pasivo Ferrocarriles, Golden Group, Nueva EPS y Colpatria. The SBM-O-C, CCR-O, BCC-O averages efficiencies of the industry were 88.98%, 90.91%, 93.07%, respectively. Thus, it can be concluded that the sector presents a good performance on its efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 041 irrigation district, Yaqui River, in Northwestern Mexico, was affected by a severe drought in the 2002-2003 irrigation season and only 29% of the total area was irrigated due to the limited water resources available. In this work, the water management in the irrigation district was evaluated taking into account the efficiency in the irrigation water use of all the irrigation modules using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) techniques. The aim of the research was to identify the efficient management of irrigation and to know where to channel appropriate adjustments in the next agricultural years in the studied region, through its deviations regarding with the most efficient irrigation modules. Agronomic and hydraulic comparisons were included in the Frontier Analyst Professional Software; in order to define the border of possibilities that allow to increase or even the most efficient (100%). The results determined that the most homogeneous in efficiency was the 2012-2013 agricultural cycle, ranging its rank from 86.72% to 100%, indicating that the border of possibilities is immediate for the most irrigation modules. The agricultural cycle 2010-2011 was more heterogeneous in efficiency since the ranges fluctuate from 62.21% to 100%, which makes it more complex to reach the border of possibilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper shows the results of a research study whose purpose is to evaluate the technical efficiency of institutions of higher education in Colombia during the years 2011-2013 by applying the data envelopment analysis and data mining techniques. With data envelopment analysis, it is determined the technical efficiency and data mining allows to discover hidden information. The result of the combination of these techniques allows to establish prediction rules based on a group of management indicators that can be used by the designers of educational policies to determine the reasons for inefficiency of institutions of higher education. The information provided by the Ministry of National Education was used as a source for the data. It was observed that seven of the 32 institutions considered had an efficiency of 100% during the period of study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessing the efficiency of commercial negotiators from the determination of the elements that characterize their profiles is a useful tool for elaborating actions plans that contribute to the improvement of the Cuban enterprises' negotiating activity. A procedure for determining technical efficiency of commercial negotiators in Cuban enterprises is presented in this paper, by the use of a nonparametric technique of data enveloping analysis (DEA). The use of this procedure in Cuban enterprises linked to foreign commerce activity allowed determining technical efficiency indexes of commercial negotiators from these entities as well as identifying elements that determine this efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research analyzes the Total Factor Productivity (tfp) change in the Chilean manufacturing sector through the calculation of the Malmquist index for the period 1998 - 2010. The Data Envelopment Analysis (dea), which allows the calculation of the Malmquist index as an estimator of the ptf change and the decomposition of productivity change into technological change and technical efficiency. The main results indicate that during the period, the ptf has diminished mainly because of the technological change while the technical efficiency remains constant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes the incorporation of data envelopment analysis (DEA) to the methodology for the construction of a sustainable adjustable inmotic storage hall (MEINASA in spanish), in order to make it more robust for application in the design of production systems for warehousing of non-perishable products, given the interests of the client and the buyer-supplier echelon in the supply networks. MEINASA is used in a real design case of a distribution center for a manufacturer of faucets and DEA is applied to calculate the efficiency index of the 16 generated proposals, obtaining five efficient designs which can be assigned as peers for improvement of the remaining ones. The results suggest possible modifications that can be made on the designs identified as inefficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current economic climate, with high unemployment and dwindling public resources to fund active employment policies (ALP' s) require more thoroughly justified in terms of fulfillment of objectives, investment in each their programs. In this context, through this work has defined a methodology for evaluating employment programs has subsequently been applied to projects "Escuelas Taller, Talleres de Empleo y Casas de Oficios" (ET / TE / CO) managed in Andalusia during the years 2004-2010. This methodological proposal was developed in two stages: first, using data envelopment analysis to calculate efficiency; and secondly, applying the Malmquist index calculation for determining changes in productivity related to two consecutive time periods. To do this, eight defined Decision Making Unit (DMU's) corresponding to each of the Andalusian provinces from the thus determined position in which is located each relative to a border of efficiency and, Thus, we have determined what have managed more efficiently public resources for the financing of public employment policies ET / TE / CO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a new temporal data envelopment analysis model that overcomes some weaknesses of the window analysis and Malmquist Index models reported in the literature. Time series are constructed with manufacturing data from the National Administrative Department of Statistics. For each series the best of a set of ARIMA models is selected, and a forecast for two periods is established. Changes in efficiency of the five largest industrial centers of Colombia are analyzed. For that, variables are located at different time positions including forecasts. The implementation of the new model shows the benefits of considering more than two periods. It also shows how classical Malmquist method is improved by changing deterministic univariate variables by time-series. Based on the results it is concluded that the method is close of being a data envelopment analysis in real time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of an empirical study whose main purpose is to determine the scores of technical efficiency (ET), pure technical efficiency (EPT) and scale efficiency (EE) in the district educational institutions (IED) of Santa Marta through the data envelopment analysis, and, at the same time, to establish protocols of improved for inefficients institutions. Using CCR-O (Charnes, Cooper y Rhodes) and BCC-O (Banker, Charnes y Cooper) models, the study evaluates the relative efficiency of 44 public institutions, which are analyzed in two categories: Group 1 (IE with less than or equal to 2000 students) and Group 2 (IE with more than 2000 students). In general terms, the empirical findings reveal that 20% of the evaluated institutions are CCR-O efficients and 43% are BBC-O efficients. On the other hand, 80% of inefficient educational institutions have operational scale (EE) issues and 57% also have administrative difficulties (EPT). The results also show that the worst extent of performance is IE John F. Kennedy (ET=0.304), (EPT=0.886) and (EE=0.343). Moreover, the IE Normal Superior para Señoritas (efficient IE), which is evaluator of 17 inefficients institutions, and San Francisco Javier College, which evaluates 15 inefficients institutions, are configured as the institutions that present the best practices and in role models. Finally, IED Nueva Colombia, IED Normal Superior San Pedro Alejandrino and IED Liceo del Sur Víctor de Lima are efficients institutions, however, they are not evaluators of none inefficient institution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Colombian State University System (SUE) has used a mathematical model for evaluating public universities, sorting them according to their performance. However, it is necessary to propose a different approach for various disagreements with the results. To respond to these complaints, the DEA research group at the Technological University of Pereira proposed an alternative model (Soto & Arenas, 2005) based on Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), which provides a method for calculating the performance of the Colombian SUE. Conventional DEA does not directly include the ability to assess the sensitivity of efficiency to changes in information. Having a measure of how far a set of Decision Making Units, (DMUs), retains its level of efficiency due to variations in the information is fundamental for the evaluation of the robustness of the results. This article proposes to use the approach of Sensitivity Analysis for DEA models with simultaneous changes in all the information, developed by (Seiford & Zhu, 1998), to measure the sensitivity of the model results for the SUE. Initially, some of the reasons to analyze the sensitivity of the model will be discussed. Then, the chosen methodology and the model are described. Finally the results and conclusions will be presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research paper the financial efficiency of enterprises is evaluated using the nonparametric technique Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) for which a sample of 32 member companies of the Business Alliance for Secure Commerce (BASC) that is located in Barranquilla and presenting its financial statements in the Superintendence of Corporations in 2010. Was used the model DEA CCR-O, output oriented, taking input variables Subtotal Inventory, Total Current Assets, Property, Plant and Equipment and Providers, the output variable is Operating Utility. The results show that the average efficiency of the study group was 56.62% and that of the 32 companies only 9 showed 100% efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research first examines the feasibility of applying a methodology to link the projects and strategic objectives that a company needs to accomplish to achieve the optimum selection of their projects. Subsequently, an analytical model for the evaluation and selection of projects based on the Balance Score Card (BSC) and Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) as primary focus is developed. The model includes the identification of key stakeholders, creating competitive strategies, projects proposals through value analysis and finally, the evaluation and selection of projects according to their efficiency rate using a mathematical algorithm. The application of the analytical model was made in the Hudson RCI company, 26 projects were selected out of 82 project proposals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research evaluates the performance of Colombia's Higher Education Institutions (HEI), by estimating a Production Possibility Frontier (PPF) which allows the evaluation of the relative efficiency and its determinants, external factors that can influence the quality of the education in Colombia are also measured. For this purpose, the methodology employed is the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and the Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA). Results suggest that variables such as the socio-economic status of students determines the quality of education. Additionally, it is found that the efficiency of HEI through DEA is, in average, 0.72, while done through SFA is 0.87. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research first examines the feasibility of applying a methodology to link the projects and strategic objectives that a company needs to accomplish to achieve the optimum selection of their projects. Subsequently, an analytical model for the evaluation and selection of projects based on the Balance Score Card (BSC) and Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) as primary focus is developed. The model includes the identification of key stakeholders, creating competitive strategies, projects proposals through value analysis and finally, the evaluation and selection of projects according to their efficiency rate using a mathematical algorithm. The application of the analytical model was made in the Hudson RCI company, 26 projects were selected out of 82 project proposals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The overall objective of the research was to analyze the efficiency and productivity in the industry Venezuelan Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) in the Guayana region during 2005 to 2009. The methodology used was Data Envelopment Analysis DEA-Malmquist Index and Russell Hicks-Moorsteen. The results indicate an efficiency of 98% input and a waste of the installed capacity in the industry of 48%. It also reduces the overall productivity of 80.8% on average, and 2009-2011, there is a tendency to lower it, reaching a value of 60%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Businesses use their resources and abilities to maximise their efficiency, and the implementation of innovative tactics has become common in recent years. Based on the evaluation of a performance model based on the variables of the Cobb-Douglas production function, the present paper intends to empirically confront the ways in which Spanish agribusinesses and farming companies, particularly the ones located in the Murcia region, can improve their management through their efficiency and their relation to innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper evaluates the relative efficiency of the Colombian Regional Autonomous Corporations (CAR) using the directional distance function within the structure of data envelopment analysis, which allows for the incorporation of desirable and undesirable outputs. The input and output information was gathered from the institutional sites of each CAR and from the reports of the National System for the Prevention and Attention of Disasters in Colombia. It was determined that only 18.75% of the 32 evaluated CARs are completely efficient and that the inefficiency average is close to 60%. We hope that the obtained results will be of use in guiding the increase in efficiency in the utilization of resources and for the identification of those CARs that could set an example for the rest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increase of the air transportation sector competition in recent years has changed this market dynamics, leading airlines to seek new strategies to ensure their position. This article aims to analyze the performance of Brazilian air carriers regarding their operational management, after the consolidation of the changes arising from the deregulation of the sector, in the year 2005. The analysis of the companies' efficiency in the year 2005 is done by comparing the results obtained with Data Envelopment Analysis model and with efficiency index based on the multiobjective model MCDEA-BCC, developed in this study from the Li and Reeves' MCDEA model. This project included a segmentation of the companies in clusters and benchmark, indicating the best managerial practices in the air sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of the efficiency of health units contributes to design strategies for attaining better results with the available resources. The objective was to develop an algorithm for measuring the efficiency at a health care institution, in order to identify the units with better productive practice; and to impel the productive efficiency by means of the incorporation of management processes of benchmarking. The algorithm developed was made on the basis of bibliographic revision and the knowledge of experts. Qualitative and quantitative techniques were combined in the algorithm. It was applied to measure the efficiency of centers of health of Tabasco, Mexico and the efficiency of polyclinics of the provinces of Cienfuegos and Matanzas, Cuba. 15 operations were defined. Data Envelopment Analysis was the technique used to measure the efficiency. More 50% of the studied units were inefficient. In all the inefficient units, potential areas for improving the efficiency and references units were found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To determine the relative technical efficiency using the data envelopment analysis DEA of farms associated to the Coounion. Materials and methods. A total of 12 farms associated to the Coounion Cooperative, municipality of Guasca (Cundinamarca) were studied. Data were obtained during a period of one year (June/01/2008 to May/31/ 2009) and structured in six variables, of which two models both appear with four variables that are oriented to the inputs with constant scale returns (CRS). The First Model consists of three entries: Nutrition, Maintenance, Milking, and one output: Milk. the Second Model has two entrances: Nutrition, Maintenance, and two outputs: Meat and Mreeding. Results. From the twelve farms studied only one presented the best efficiency, for both models (Model 1 and 2). Therefore, the best practices of this farm were considered to be applied on the others farms Conclusions. To apply the methodology DEA in cattle farms is viable because it allows to focus mainly in those variables that are controllable by the rancher like the consumables. Therefore, the evaluation of the relative technical efficiency was developed oriented to the consumables. It was demonstrated that the farms can maintain their present levels of production making significant reductions in their costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maritime Ports have become important centers of regional development. The efficient operation of port activities is crucial for access to foreign markets. There are several methodologies aimed at achieving greater efficiencies in the ports, but DEA has enormous potential as a management methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been argued that, in order to deal with the various forms of fiscal mismanagement which are very often found in the Public Sector of Developing and Developed countries alike, Fiscal Decentralisation (DF) may help to get things better. By grouping a number of performance indicators in the areas of health and education for a sample of countries, this research uses Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to cope with the multi-target nature of government. In a second stage, DEA technical efficiency scores are taken as explained variables in the estimation of a TOBIT model in order to control for some "environmental variables", of which one of them is the degree of DF. Even if we control such variables, DF appears to have a positive and significant effect in favour of government's technical efficiency [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) is a linear programming technique that allows determining the relative efficiency of a set of decision making units (DMUs), which consume multiple inputs to produce multiple outputs. For this reason, the selection of inputs and outputs used in DEA models is an important stage in the efficiency analysis. The selection of these variables has a direct impact in the DMUs' efficiency scores. The main criteria considered for selecting inputs and outputs are to obtain a good discrimination among the efficient and inefficient DMUs and to obtain an efficient frontier adjusted the best way as possible to observed data. In this work, we propose a sequential method for selecting inputs and outputs variables that considers the mentioned criteria and it is suitable for cases when the number of observations is much larger than the number of potential inputs and outputs available for carrying out the efficiency analysis. This method is applied to a study case where its effectiveness for detecting variables with high impact in the efficiency scores is demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]