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Las actividades que se desarrollan en las organizaciones educativas tienen un determinado impacto ambiental. Analizar el efecto de las mismas sobre el medio ambiente permite determinar y priorizar acciones para minimizarlo. Una forma de cuantificarlo es mediante el indicador ambiental Huella Ecológica que tiene un alto potencial como herramienta de concientización.Este tipo de organizaciones presentan un alto consumo de papel. Además, la movilidad de la comunidad hacia las sedes en las cuales se realizan las actividades académicas involucra un uso intensivo de transporte (trenes, subte, colectivos, bicicletas y autos particulares). Con el objetivo de calcular el indicador Huella Ecológica se realizó una encuesta a estudiantes de la asignatura Análisis Matemático II de la Facultad de Ciencias Económicas de la Universidad de Buenos Aires para determinar el consumo de papel y el tipo de movilidad utilizada para asistir a clase. Con estos datos, se calculó el impacto ambiental de dicha actividad.En este trabajo se describe la metodología utilizada y se presentan los resultados obtenidos sobre estos dos aspectos ambientales: consumo de papel y transporte estudiantil. The activities undertaken in educational organizations have a certain environmental impact. Analyzing their effect on the environment makes it possible to determine and prioritize actions aimed at minimizing it. One way to quantify such effect is by means of the Ecological Footprint environmental indicator, which has a high potential when used as an awareness-raising tool. These types of organizations have a high level of paper consumption. In addition, students commute to their campuses, thus involving an intensive use of transport systems (trains, subway, buses, bicycles, and private cars). In order to calculate the Ecological Footprint indicator, a survey responded to by students of the ‘Mathematical Analysis II’ subject at the School of Economics of the Universidad de Buenos Aires was carried out, so as to determine their paper consumption and the mode of transportation used to attend their classes. Based on these data, the environmental impact of this activity was calculated. This paper describes the methodology used and presents the results obtained for these two environmental aspects: paper consumption and students’ transport. Fil: Fernandez, María José. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Saavedra 15. Instituto Interdisciplinario de Economía Política de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas. Instituto Interdisciplinario de Economía Política de Buenos Aires; Argentina Fil: García Fronti, Verónica. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Cs.económicas. Instituto de Invest.en Adm Contab y Met Cuant P/gestion; Argentina Fil: Parma, Andrea. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas. Instituto de Investigación en Administración, Contabilidad y Matemática. Centro de Investigación en Metodologías Básicas y Aplicadas a la Gestión y Economía; Argentina

Biofilm formation is a major cause of reduced paper quality and increased down time during paper manufacturing. This study uses Illumina next‐generation sequencing to identify the microbial populations causing quality issues due to their presence in biofilms and slimes. The paper defects investigated contained traces of the films and/or slime of mainly two genera, Tepidimonas and Chryseobacterium. The Tepidimonas spp. found contributed on average 68% to the total bacterial population. Both genera have been described previously to be associated with biofilms in paper mills. There was indication that Tepidimonas spp. were present as compact biofilm in the head box of one paper machine and was filtered out by the paper web during production. On the other hand Tepidimonas spp. were also present to a large extent in the press and white waters of two nonproblematic paper machines. Therefore, the mere presence of a known biofilm producer alone is not sufficient to cause slimes and therefore paper defects and other critical factors are additionally at play. For instance, we identified Acidovorax sp., which is an early colonizer of paper machines, exhibiting the ability to form extracellular DNA matrices for attachment and biofilm formation.

Background: The importance of a holistic approach with a comprehensive multidisciplinary team, including nutritional and psychosocial support, is becoming well recognised as a key contributor to optimal care in paediatric inflammatory bowel disease [IBD]. The Paediatric committee of ECCO [P-ECCO] aimed to determine important components that would contribute to quality of care in a paediatric IBD centre [henceforth 'quality items']. Methods: First, a list of items has been generated by a Delphi group of 111 international paediatric IBD experts. Through an iterative process, the group graded and ranked the items according to their perceived relative contribution to quality care. We then surveyed 101 paediatric IBD centres affiliated with the Porto and Interest groups of ESPGHAN in Europe and with the ImproveCareNow registry in North America, exploring the availability of the retained items in their centres. Results: A total of 68 items were generated and reduced to a list of 60 ranked order items, grouped in six domains: Facility, Personnel, Management, Supportive Services, Patient Support and Accessibility, and Academia and Communications. Of the retained items, 52 [88%] were present in most of the 101 high-performing paediatric IBD centres, and there was a trend for increased availability with increased patient volume at the centres. Conclusion: In this P-ECCO study, we attempted to tabulate, for the first time in paediatrics, 60 quality items that paediatric IBD referral centres may wish to include.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this article is to present the specific public health indicators recently developed by EUROCAT that aim to summarize important aspects of the public health impact of congenital anomalies in a few quantitative measures. METHODS The six indicators are: (1) congenital anomaly perinatal mortality, (2) congenital anomaly prenatal diagnosis prevalence, (3) congenital anomaly termination of pregnancy, (4) Down syndrome livebirth prevalence, (5) congenital anomaly pediatric surgery, and (6) neural tube defects (NTD) total prevalence. Data presented for this report pertained to all cases (livebirths, fetal deaths, or stillbirths after 20 weeks of gestation and terminations of pregnancy for fetal anomaly [TOPFA]) of congenital anomaly from 27 full member registries of EUROCAT that could provide data for at least 3 years during the period 2004 to 2008. Prevalence of anomalies, prenatal diagnosis, TOPFA, pediatric surgery, and perinatal mortality were calculated per 1000 births. RESULTS The overall perinatal mortality was approximately 1.0 per 1000 births for EUROCAT registries with almost half due to fetal and the other half due to first week deaths. There were wide variations in perinatal mortality across the registries with the highest rates observed in Dublin and Malta, registries in countries where TOPFA are illegal, and in Ukraine. The overall perinatal mortality across EUROCAT registries slightly decreased between 2004 and 2008 due to a decrease in first week deaths. The prevalence of TOPFA was fairly stable at about 4 per 1000 births. There were variations in livebirth prevalence of cases typically requiring surgery across the registries; however, for most registries this prevalence was between 3 and 5 per 1000 births. Prevalence of NTD decreased by about 10% from 1.05 in 2004 to 0.94 per 1000 in 2008. CONCLUSION It is hoped that by publishing the data on EUROCAT indicators, the public health importance of congenital anomalies can be clearly summarized to policy makers, the need for accurate data from registries emphasized, the need for primary prevention and treatment services highlighted, and the impact of current services measured. Birth Defects Research (Part A), 2011.© 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Background Existing measures to assess shared decision making (SDM) have often been developed based on an ill‐defined underlying construct, and many assess physician behaviours only or focus on a single patient‐physician encounter. Objective To (a) develop a patient and a physician questionnaire to measure SDM in oncology and (b) determine their content validity and comprehensibility. Methods A systematic review of SDM models and an oncology‐specific SDM model informed the domains of the SDM construct. We formulated items for each SDM domain. Cancer patients and physicians rated content validity in an online questionnaire. We assumed a formative measurement model and performed online field‐testing in cancer patients to inform further item reduction. We tested item comprehension in cognitive interviews with cancer patients and physicians. Results We identified 17 domains and formulated 132 items. Twelve cancer patients rated content validity at item level, and 11 physicians rated content validity at domain level. We field‐tested the items among 131 cancer patients and conducted cognitive interviews with eight patients and five physicians. These phases resulted in the 15‐item iSHAREpatient and 15‐item iSHAREphysician questionnaires, covering 13 domains. Conclusions We thoroughly developed the iSHARE questionnaires. They both assess patient and physician behaviours and cover the entire SDM process rather than a single consultation.

Facing challenges in water demands and population size, particularly in the water-scarce regions in the United States, the reuse of treated municipal wastewater has become a viable potential to relieve the ever-increasing demands of providing water for (non-)potable use. The objectives of this study were to assess microbial quality of reclaimed water and to investigate treatability of microorganisms during different treatment processes. Raw and final treated effluent samples from three participating utilities were collected monthly for 16 months and analyzed for various microbial pathogens and fecal indicator organisms. Results revealed that the detectable levels of microbial pathogens tested were observed in the treated effluent samples from all participating utilities. Log10 reduction values (LRVs) of Cryptosporidium oocysts and Giardia cysts were at least two orders of magnitude lower than those of human adenovirus and all fecal indicator organisms except for aerobic endospores, which showed the lowest LRVs. The relatively higher LRV of the indicator organisms such as bacteriophages suggested that these microorganisms are not good candidates of viral indicators of human adenovirus during wastewater treatment processes. Overall, this study will assist municipalities considering the use of wastewater effluent as another source of drinking water by providing important data on the prevalence, occurrence, and reduction of waterborne pathogens in wastewater. More importantly, the results from this study will aid in building a richer microbial occurrence database that can be used towards evaluating reuse guidelines and disinfection practices for water reuse practices.

The issue tending toward alternative water resources tremendously becomes important for supplying the increasing water demand all over the world. It may be a good option to evaluate industrial effluents for agricultural irrigation. However, industrial effluent must be cleansed from the factors such as salt, toxic compounds, and microbial load that possibly cause negative effects on soil during agricultural irrigation. In this study, microbiological qualities and toxicity conditions of water sources such as membrane bioreactor (MBR) influent, MBR effluent, and mixture of MBR effluent and reverse osmosis (RO) permeate (MBR:RO = 2:1) were analyzed and evaluated according to irrigation standards. Total aerobic heterotrophic bacteria (TAHB), total coliforms (TC), fecal coliforms (FC), fecal streptococci (FS), and Clostridium spp. were screened and enumerated as indicator microbial groups for the microbial quality of water samples. Analyses of indicator microorganisms showed that loads of different bacterial groups decreased by 5.2 and 6.66 log units at maximum levels in MBR and MBR + RO system at the end of treatment. Also, evaluation of the toxicity effects of MBR effluent and MBR + RO permeate waters on Vibrio fischeri and Daphnia magna was investigated. None of the samples showed any acute toxic effect on D. magna after 48 h and V. fischeri in 5 min and 15 min. From the outputs of this study, it can be said that industrial effluents treated by advanced filtration technologies may provide a significant source of water for agricultural irrigation. This option can have positive impacts on both environmental and economic factors., Turkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) [114Y500], This research was funded by Turkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK-Project No: 114Y500) in behalf of Prof. Kabay.

Background COVID-19 became a pandemic rapidly after its emergence in December 2019. It belongs to the coronavirus family of viruses, which have struck a few times before in history. Data based on previous research regarding etiology and epidemiology of other viruses from this family helped played a vital role in formulating prevention and precaution strategies during the initial stages of this pandemic. Data related to COVID-19 in Pakistan were not initially documented on a large scale. In addition, due to a weak health care system and low economic conditions, Pakistan’s population, in general, already suffers from many comorbidities, which can severely affect the outcome of patients infected with COVID-19. Objective COVID-19 infections are coupled with a manifestation of various notable outcomes that can be documented and characterized clinically. The aim of this study was to examine these clinical manifestations, which can serve as indicators for early detection as well as severity prognosis for COVID-19 infections, especially in high-risk groups. Methods A retrospective observational study involving abstraction of demographic features, presenting symptoms, and adverse clinical outcomes for 1812 patients with COVID-19 was conducted. Patients were admitted to the four major hospitals in the Rawalpindi-Islamabad region of Pakistan, and the study was conducted from February to August 2020. Multivariate regression analysis was carried out to identify significant indicators of COVID-19 severity, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, ventilator aid, and mortality. The study not only relates COVID-19 infection with comorbidities, but also examines other related factors, such as age and gender. Results This study identified fever (1592/1812, 87.9%), cough (1433/1812, 79.1%), and shortness of breath (998/1812, 55.1%) at the time of hospital admission as the most prevalent symptoms for patients with COVID-19. These symptoms were common but not conclusive of the outcome of infection. Out of 1812 patients, 24.4% (n=443) required ICU admission and 21.5% (n=390) required ventilator aid at some point of disease progression during their stay at the hospital; 25.9% (n=469) of the patients died. Further analysis revealed the relationship of the presented symptoms and comorbidities with the progression of disease severity in these patients. Older adult patients with comorbidities, such as hypertension, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and asthma, were significantly affected in higher proportions, resulting in requirement of ICU admission and ventilator aid in some cases and, in many cases, even mortality. Conclusions Older adult patients with comorbidities, such as hypertension, diabetes, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, and chronic kidney disease, are at increased risk of developing severe COVID-19 infections, with an increased likelihood of adverse clinical outcomes.

The author analyzes the international nature of study programme evaluation with regard to the assurance of study quality. The organisation of the evaluation process of the non-university study programmes which were developed and submitted for realisation in Lithuania and other countries is also presented and compared. It is being analysed whether it is possible to identify the quality of these programmes based on quantitative and qualitative indicators.

Evaluation by ranking/rating of data based on a multitude of indicators typically calls for multi-criteria decision analyses (MCDA) methods. MCDA methods often, in addition to indicator values, require further information, typically subjective. This paper presents a partial-order methodology as an alternative to analyze multi-indicator systems (MIS) based on indicator values that are simultaneously included in the analyses. A non-technical introduction of main concepts of partial order is given, along with a discussion of the location of partial order between statistics and MCDA. The paper visualizes examples of a ‘simple’ partial ordering of a series of chemicals to explain, in this case, unexpected behavior. Further, a generalized method to deal with qualitative inputs of stakeholders/decision makers is suggested, as well as how to disclose peculiar elements/outliers. The paper finishes by introducing formal concept analysis (FCA), which is a variety of partial ordering that allows exploration and thus the generation of implications between the indicators. In the conclusion and outlook section, take-home comments as well as pros and cons in relation to partial ordering are discussed.

The problem of choosing only one relevant safety performance indicator for the purpose of comparing and assessing road safety situations has been the subject of many recent research studies. This paper shows the concept of creating a composite exposure index based on available data. The procedure of creating a model for calculating this indicator is based on the analysis of quality of individual exposure indicators and the size of their impact on the direct safety performance indicators – number of road crashes and their consequences. The following four models (TOPSIS EQUAL, TOPSIS CRIT-IC, PROMETHEE EQUAL, PROMETHEE CRITIC) for determining weighted coefficients of the individual indi-cators that participate in the creation of the composite exposure index have been analysed in this paper. The method used for defining the composite exposure index is the “high-efficiency method” based on which the final shape of the model for defining the composite exposure index has been defined. The main aim of this paper is to create a model for defining the composite index of traffic exposure. The final outcome is to provide an opportuni-ty to evaluate and rank traffic safety levels based on the unique road traffic risk.

This paper explores robust unconditional and conditional nonparametric approaches to support performance evaluation in problematic samples. Real-world assessments often face critical problems regarding available data, as samples may be relatively small, with high variability in the magnitude of the observed indicators and contextual conditions. This paper explores the possibility of mitigating the impact of potential outlier observations and variability in small samples using a robust nonparametric approach. This approach has the advantage of avoiding unnecessary loss of relevant information, retaining all the decision-making units of the original sample. We devote particular attention to identifying peers and targets in the robust nonparametric approach to guide improvements for underperforming units. The results are compared with a traditional deterministic approach to highlight the proposed method's benefits for problematic samples. This framework's applicability in internal benchmarking studies is illustrated with a case study within the wastewater treatment industry in Portugal.

The issues of recognizing the rights of the LGBTQ+ community around the world and developing appropriate anti-discrimination policies and laws are one of the main topics for discussion in the global agenda. This is due to the commitment of the world community to protect human rights and meet the needs of society. The paper aims to assess the relationship between socio-economic development indicators of some European countries and the Rainbow Europe Index. To find out how discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community affects various social and economic development indicators of some European countries, a data matrix was developed and the Spearman rank correlation coefficient was calculated. The obtained results confirmed a positive relationship between the Rainbow Europe Index and GDP per capita, the Human Development Index, the Corruption Index, and the Index of Happiness. Calculations have shown that the Rainbow Europe Index had a significant impact on these indicators. The study proved the dependence of indicators and demonstrated the need to provide freedoms and rights for LGBTQ+ affiliated members in Ukraine and other European countries. AcknowledgmentThis paper is published as a part of research projects “Convergence of economic and educational transformations in the digital society: modeling the impact on regional and national security” (No. 0121U109553) and “Reforming the lifelong learning system in Ukraine for the prevention of the labor emigration: a coopetition model of institutional partnership” (No. 0120U102001).

The increasing logistics and transport activities in the city significantly impact on the environment we live in. Providing green and sustainable logistics services is at the top of the logistics service provider’s agenda. Both academics and industry have shown increasing attention to measuring sustainability in logistics operations in the recent decade, yet LSPs' sustainability performance measurement methods and relevant indicators need to be assessed and updated particularly in the context of city logistics. This paper identifies and evaluates the current frameworks and indicators that reflect the performance of LSPs’ environmental sustainability using a systematic literature review. A total of 61 papers dating from 2010 - 2018 were selected and analysed in detail. A conceptual framework was proposed to assess environmental sustainability in city logistics.

We are in an era of change, where climate, health, social and economic emergencies can no longer be ignored. Faced with the extent of these transitions, territories are in the front line. Through this paper, we will see what role territorial resilience plays in the regulation of territories in times of crisis and/or brutal shocks such as the Covid19 health crisis. As the main aim of this paper is to shed light on the factors of territorial resilience, we will then describe the different indicators that contribute to the approach to territorial resilience. Finally, we will establish the relevance of a systemic approach within this family of factors favoring territorial resilience. To do this, we will study the case of the Dunkirk territory and its systemic representation via the 'Toile' tool proposed by the Flanders-Dunkirk Region Urban Planning Agency (AGUR).

Forest certification is a private, voluntary and market-driven instrument designed to promote responsible forest management. This paper focused on the FSC and the NOM NMX-AA-143-SCFI-2008 schemes used in Mexico for the certification of sustainable forest management. In this paper we used the analytical hierarchical process (AHP) to study the factors that determine the main impacts of forest certification in México. A panel of 30 experts was selected as decision-makers to find which principles, criteria and indicators are considered as the most relevant while implementing forest certification. For decision-makers, the environmental principle occupied the first place with 40.26% of importance in the implementation of forest certification, followed by the social principle, and the economic principle with 32.15% and 27.59% of importance, respectively. Regarding the criteria, forest management and production, biodiversity, and forest protection were considered to be the most relevant. Regarding the indicators, the results indicated that forest certification in Mexico can have a positive impact on the existence of educational institutions, community services such as water, energy, medical services and drainage, the quality of the forest management plans, investment in forest management, machinery and equipment, environmental services, recreation, tourism, research, development and community education, planning for the conservation of biological diversity, and planning for biodiversity conservation.

This paper reviews the evolution of the concept of energy poverty over time. Furthermore, the paper analyzes the different indicators that are used to quantify it. In Spain, the definition and indicators are proposed in accordance with the most recent approaches to the issue. However, measures are proposed so that the managed indicators better reflect the depth of the conceptual definition. This requires enriching the framework using the different phases described in the capabilities and needs approach, with a multidimensional and multi-actor vision. Thus, the less frequent concepts of sufficiency and adequacy are introduced in the study into energy poverty along with the most frequent concepts of energy efficiency and affordability. Accessibility is also addressed, albeit more typical in developing countries. It is concluded that in order to qualify energy poverty it is necessary to carry out a specific survey that collects more data than are currently available., En este artículo se revisa la evolución que ha sufrido el concepto de pobreza energética a lo largo del tiempo y se analizan los distintos indicadores que se utilizan para cuantificarla. En España se plantean una definición y unos indicadores acordes con los planteamientos más recientes de la cuestión. No obstante, se proponen medidas para que los indicadores manejados recojan mejor la profundidad de la definición. Para ello es preciso enriquecer el marco de referencia, utilizando las distintas fases descritas en el enfoque de capacidades y necesidades, con un acercamiento multidimensional y de múltiples actores. Así se introducen los conceptos menos frecuentes de suficiencia y adecuación junto con los conceptos más frecuentes de eficiencia energética y asequibilidad. También se aborda la accesibilidad. Se concluye que para poder cualificar la pobreza energética es necesario realizar una encuesta específica que recoja más datos que los que actualmente están disponibles.

Governing by indicators has emerged as the predominant mode of global public policy. Consequently, global governance has become a field in which different indicators compete for policymakers’ and public attention. This begs a question—what makes some indicators successful when others become irrelevant? This paper explores this problem through the inquiry into the measurement of multidimensional poverty in Sustainable Development Goal 1 (“End poverty in all its forms everywhere”). In the field historically dominated by the World Bank’s dollar-per-day metric (currently 1.9$), multidimensional poverty measurement gained prominence, becoming one of the key measures of global poverty. By tracking the pathways to success of multidimensional poverty measurement—through qualitative interviews with actors in International Organisations this paper argues that the key quality of successful indicators is their ability to become parts of the broader epistemic infrastructure, linking political institutions, actors (including experts and policymakers), and data and statistics. The paper brings the focus on a specific set of actors—statistical entrepreneurs—who advocate for innovations in measurement and work toward creating such infrastructures, thus indirectly promoting new policy ideas reflected in the metrics.

Policy and industry decision makers place high priority on the contribution of biomass to the emerging low carbon, circular economy. Optimisation of performance, from the perspectives of environmental, social and economic sustainability and resource efficiency, is essential to successful development and operation of biomass value chains. The complexity of value chains, which comprise interrelated stages from land use to conversion and multiple end products, presents challenges.To date, decision makers have approached from the viewpoints of single market sectors or issues, such as market shares of bioeconomy and reduction of carbon emissions to mitigate climate change. This approach does not achieve a full understanding of value chains and their competitive priorities, limits consumer awareness, and poses risks of sub-optimal performance and under-development of potential local capacity.This paper presents a conceptual framework that combines value chain analysis and competitive priority theory with indicators suitable to measure, monitor and interpret sustainability and resource efficiency at value chain level. The case of biomass Combined Heat and Power (CHP) is used to illustrate how optimisation strategies can be focused to address challenges in value chain stages which will lead to better performance and uptake of sustainably sourced, widely accepted biomass options. Highlights •Biomass is a key component in policy for low carbon and circular economy.•Decision makers are increasingly exploring varied, innovative value chains with high complexity.•They face challenges with sustainability, fragmented metrics, and decisions often lack coherent systems thinking.•This prevents developing optimisation strategies to overcome challenges and create value at local level.•This paper combines value chain and competitive priority theory to assess performance and enable efficient decision making.

The increasing focus on circular economy at the level of governments and policy requires the development of appropriate indicators to effectively monitor the progress towards the circular economy. Currently two very different types of indicator areas are under development: (i) monitoring frameworks based on macro indicators that summarize the progress at (supra)national level, and (ii) micro indicators tailored towards assessing circularity at the level of products. It is not possible to obtain sufficiently direct feedback about the impact of policy interventions by either macro or micro indicators alone. In this paper, a conceptual approach is developed that aims to bridge the gap between the micro and macro level with meso level indicators, and thus ultimately deliver more direct feedback for policymakers, via the insertion of an extra level of meso indicators in between the macro and the micro level. These indicators have been extracted from a dedicated workshop that involved policy, sector and societal stakeholders. The aim of these indicators is to report on progress towards circular economy objectives based on the fulfillment of societal needs. In this way the consumption perspective is given a central position, and the role of circular business models is acknowledged. Following the development of the concept, the next steps towards tailored, flexible and agile monitoring frameworks for circular economy at (supra)national and regional level are outlined. The paper concludes with an illustrative example of the framework applied to the mobility system.

Living labs are complex multi-stakeholder collaborations that often employ a user centred and design-driven methodology to foster innovation. Conventional management tools fall short in evaluating them. However, some methods and tools dedicated to living labs' special characteristics and goals have already been developed. Most of them are still in their testing phase. Those tools are not easily accessible and can only be found in extensive research reports, which are difficult to dissect. Therefore, this paper reviews seven evaluation methods and tools specially developed for living labs. Each section of this paper is structured in the following manner: tool’s introduction (1), who uses the tool (2), and how it should be used (3). While the first set of tools, namely “ENoLL 20 Indicators”, “SISCODE Self-assessment”, and “SCIROCCO Exchange Tool” assess a living lab as an organisation and are diving deeper into the organisational activities and the complex context, the second set of methods and tools, “FormIT” and “Living Lab Markers”, evaluate living labs’ methodologies: the process they use to come to innovations. The paper's final section presents “CheRRIes Monitoring and Evaluation Tool” and “TALIA Indicator for Benchmarking Service for Regions”, which assess the regional impact made by living labs. As every living lab is different regarding its maturity (as an organisation and in its methodology) and the scope of impact it wants to make, the most crucial decision when evaluating is to determine the focus of the assessment. This overview allows for a first orientation on worked-out methods and on possible indicators to use. It also concludes that the existing tools are quite managerial in their method and aesthetics and calls for designers and social scientists to develop more playful, engaging and (possibly) learning-oriented tools to evaluate living labs in the future. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/overdiek12345/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mari-genova-17a727196/?originalSubdomain=nl

Living labs are complex multi-stakeholder collaborations that often employ a user centred and design-driven methodology to foster innovation. Conventional management tools fall short in evaluating them. However, some methods and tools dedicated to living labs' special characteristics and goals have already been developed. Most of them are still in their testing phase. Those tools are not easily accessible and can only be found in extensive research reports, which are difficult to dissect. Therefore, this paper reviews seven evaluation methods and tools specially developed for living labs. Each section of this paper is structured in the following manner: tool’s introduction (1), who uses the tool (2), and how it should be used (3). While the first set of tools, namely “ENoLL 20 Indicators”, “SISCODE Self-assessment”, and “SCIROCCO Exchange Tool” assess a living lab as an organisation and are diving deeper into the organisational activities and the complex context, the second set of methods and tools, “FormIT” and “Living Lab Markers”, evaluate living labs’ methodologies: the process they use to come to innovations. The paper's final section presents “CheRRIes Monitoring and Evaluation Tool” and “TALIA Indicator for Benchmarking Service for Regions”, which assess the regional impact made by living labs. As every living lab is different regarding its maturity (as an organisation and in its methodology) and the scope of impact it wants to make, the most crucial decision when evaluating is to determine the focus of the assessment. This overview allows for a first orientation on worked-out methods and on possible indicators to use. It also concludes that the existing tools are quite managerial in their method and aesthetics and calls for designers and social scientists to develop more playful, engaging and (possibly) learning-oriented tools to evaluate living labs in the future. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/overdiek12345/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mari-genova-17a727196/?originalSubdomain=nl

In this paper, we define indicators, with a focus on the electricity sector, that translate the results of energy systems modelling to quantitative entities that can facilitate assessments of the transitions required to meet stringent climate targets. Such indicators, which are often overlooked in model scenario presentations, can be applied to make the modelling results more accessible and are useful for managing the transition on the policy level, as well as for internal evaluations of modelling results. We propose a set of 13 indicators related to: 1) the resource and material usages in modelled energy system designs; 2) the rates of transition from current to future energy systems; and 3) the energy security in energy system modelling results. To illustrate its value, the proposed set of indicators is applied to energy system scenarios derived from an electricity system investment model for Northern Europe. We show that the proposed indicators are useful for facilitating discussions, raising new questions, and relating the modelling results to Sustainable Development Goals and thus facilitate better policy processes. The indicators presented here should not be seen as a complete set, but rather as examples. Therefore, this paper represents a starting point and a call to other modellers to expand and refine the list of indicators.

The theme of the circular city is currently much debated in the literature as a possible strategy for achieving sustainability in urban areas. However, as a recent development it still has many features in the making, one of the most important being the issue concerning monitoring and the tool through which to achieve it. In the paper, therefore, the “indicator” tool is explored in depth. Metrics represent a fundamental and complex aspect that is foundational to measuring and quantifying the progress of results achieved with respect to the goals set. Currently, most existing indicators are associated with specific aspects of the circular economy; there have been few examples of indicators designed to assess the circularity of an entire city. The paper aims to identify priority themes and describe a set of indicators to be used at the urban level. In the absence of an established reference frame, themes and indicators were identified through a methodology starting with an extensive literature search and careful analysis, including statistical analysis, of the scientific literature as well as international and European strategies on the subject. A particular result of this research is the definition ofa minimum set of indicators common to all cities, which can be applied for comparative purposes.

The aim of this paper is to present the concept of green accounting, its emergence at an international level, its entry in the Romanian economic environment and, especially, the way it is understood and applied in Romania. It seeks the awareness of managers and accounting professionals on this issue, especially in the context of growing pressure for environmental protection, from the general public, media and investors. An essential role is held by the accounting profession and its relevant legislation, through the elaboration of standards and guidelines in order to support the efforts of changing the mentality of business environment. The companies are also concerned for the future and not only for the present and they understand that environmental investments are not unnecessary expenses that burden the activities, but long-term profits prerequisites. Understanding the concept is difficult without an agreement on its definition. Specialized literature presents different definitions, each author with his own interpretation and vision. This is why professional accountants' reluctance to adopt new ideas and practices of green accounting, this being an unknown territory to them and difficult to entered.

Purpose This paper aims to present reflections and points of interest on the performance of Brazil and highlight the advances and challenges in relation to the intellectual property (IP) system; the authors highlight some scientific, economic and technological indicators on the main IP objects registered in the National Industrial Property of Brazil (INPI). Design/methodology/approach A structured literature reviews the main indicators of IP of Brazil (2013-2017), related to the scientific and economic factors more evidenced in the global scenario, with emphasis on the investment of national GDP in R&D activities, the allocation of resources from the government sector and private initiative, as in other emerging economies, such as the BRICS. Findings Despite Brazil’s progressive efforts to achieve greater efficiency in the public IP management system, GDP investment in R&D activities for 2019 is still below the OECD average of 2.3 per cent, and the IP indicators in the areas of patent registration, industrial designs and technology contracts have been declining. Research limitations/implications Because of the difference between the laws of the countries on IP rights, the more incisive comparison could not be established among the emerging economies, highlighting the need for a standardization between the different international legislations. Originality/value In the scientific field, this paper allows understanding the performance of the Brazilian IP system, and the categories that require greater investments, strengthen the IP culture and stimulate integration between the international IP systems, as it is a recurrent discussion in different research studies. Originally, the paper brought together economic and scientific indicators going beyond the traditional approach that deals with IP only restricting to the quantitative of patents.

This paper investigates the impact of the moderate growth of government borrowing on debt sustainability in 11 Russian regions over about 10 years, starting in 2010. The current study aims to assess the debt sustainability of the Russian region’s budget by determining Euclidean distance budget constraints and cluster analysis. This study is based on the methodology of hierarchical cluster analysis, which makes it possible to isolate regions of accumulation of objects from the aggregate data and combine them into homogeneous segments. The central hypothesis of this study is that by using this method, it is possible to increase the accuracy of the values that limit budget constraints in a region’s financial system. This study, using open data from the Federal State Statistics Service, is based on a database of statistical, financial, and economic indicators of the Russian economy. The calculations include about 45 macroeconomic indicators, which reflect the ratios of socio-economic development of the region’s financial system. The methodology described in the paper for assessing the debt sustainability of budget policy proves the need to calculate six indicators and determine the debt limits for the regions of each cluster. It finds a need to reduce the high debt burden of 46% of the regions belonging to the Northwestern Federal District. Confidence intervals for the debt limit suggest that the negative growth effect of high debt may start from levels of around 5% of the debt-to-GDP ratio and about 43% of the debt-to-revenue ratio. The results indicate that regions with a high level of debt sustainability include St. Petersburg city, the Leningrad region, and the Kaliningrad region. From a state debt policy perspective, the results provide additional arguments for debt reduction for the Republic of Komi, the Republic of Karelia, the Arkhangelsk region, and the Pskov region. The general conclusion of the study boils down to the need to reduce the debt burden of the budgets of some regions of the SFZO, as well as to the need to change the upper limits of debt, which are equally set for all regions by the Budget Code of the Russian Federation, to differentiated values of public domestic debt, taking into account the results obtained in the study.

As more higher education institutions strive to embed sustainable development principles in their teaching, it becomes increasingly important to identify indicators that can measure institutional contribution in a meaningful and internationally comparable manner. This paper shows that existing sustainability rankings, such as the UI Green Metric and THE Impact ranking, have paid relatively little attention to indicators on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). In a quest to develop such indicators for U-Multirank—the multi-dimensional transparency and ranking tool—we reviewed the literature, consulted experts, and ran a survey amongst practitioners. This article summarises opportunities and challenges for developing internationally comparable ESD indicators in the higher education sector, discussing indicator relevance, validity, and feasibility. The results suggest that (i) ESD indicators are considered highly relevant by diverse stakeholders; (ii) the majority of HEIs surveyed are planning to collect ESD data within 3 years, signalling good prospects for data feasibility; (iii) the ESD indicators proposed so far still lack criteria that would allow one to sufficiently identify and compare these indicators across countries, inhibiting indicator validity. At least three potential definitions are used by HEIs. The results of this paper can contribute to the discussion on identifying appropriate criteria for the development of ESD indicators and their use in international rankings.

espanolIntroduccion. Las ultimas decadas han puesto de manifiesto la importancia de la medicion de las desigualdades entre mujeres y hombres, no unicamente desde la desagregacion de datos por sexo, sino con la plena inclusion de indicadores de genero que permitan medir y evaluar efectivamente los exitos logrados a partir de las politicas y los planes implementados. Objetivos y metodologia. A este respecto, en este texto se aborda, desde una perspectiva teorica y metodologica, la importancia de construir un sistema de seguimiento e indicadores que facilite la evaluacion de estos planes, especificamente, la evaluacion de resultados e impacto. Fundamentalmente, estos indicadores permitirian conocer de forma objetiva los resultados e impactos de los planes de igualdad, con la finalidad de identificar si estos resultados e impactos contribuyen o no a la consecucion de la igualdad entre mujeres y hombres. Resultados. En esta linea, el presente trabajo se centra en realizar un primer acercamiento del sistema de indicadores que ha sido disenado para la evaluacion del primer plan de igualdad que se ha desarrollado e implementado en la Universidad de las Illes Balears (2014-2017). Conclusiones y discusion. Sobre la base del analisis de esta evaluacion, se realiza una propuesta de un sistema de indicadores - sensibles al genero - de realizacion e impacto para la evaluacion de este plan de igualdad. Finalmente, se extraen y debaten las principales conclusiones que se han extraido de este trabajo. Englisha proposal for a gender-sensitive indicator system Abstract: Introduction. The last decades have shown the importance of measuring inequalities between women and men, not only from the disaggregation of data by sex, but also with the full inclusion of gender indicators. This fact would allow the effective measurement and evaluation of the successes achieved from the policies and plans implemented. Objectives and methodology. In this regard, this paper addresses, from a theoretical and methodological perspective, the relevance of building a monitoring system and indicators that facilitate the evaluation, specifically, the evaluation of results and impact. Basically, these indicators would allow us to objectively know the results and impacts of the equality plans, in order to identify whether or not these results and impacts contribute to the achievement of equality between women and men. Results. Along this line, the paper presented here focuses on analyzing the system of indicators used in the evaluation of the first equality plan that has been developed and implemented at the University of the Balearic Islands (2014-2017). Conclusions and discussion. Based on the analysis of this evaluation, a proposal is made for a system of indicators - gender sensitive - of accomplishment and impact for the evaluation of this equality plan. Finally, the main conclusions that have been drawn from this work are extracted and discussed.

La comunicación periodística refleja una transformación digital en los últimos años, donde el consumo de noticias se realiza primordialmente a través de redes sociales; lo cual, conlleva a un cambio en el comportamiento de la audiencia y sus hábitos de consumo. En ese sentido, el objetivo principal de esta investigación es analizar los contenidos en redes sociales para la prensa digital de la zona 5-Ecuador. Para ello, apoyándose en métodos teóricos y empíricos se realizó un seguimiento y monitoreo de las redes sociales de 14 diarios de la zona 5-Ecuador, exclusivamente con edición en papel; a través de un análisis cuantitativo y cualitativo sobre indicadores como: tono, orientación, temáticas, interacción, popularidad y viralidad. A partir de este diagnóstico, se definió el perfil objetivo para la prensa digital de acuerdo a las características sociodemográficas, psicográficas, de preferencia en redes sociales, de gestión interna, así como, afectivas y emocionales; a su vez, el contenido óptimo para alcanzar a esta audiencia. El corpus de esta investigación se desglosa en ocho apartados que evidencian cada uno de los indicadores relacionados a los objetivos establecidos. Concluyéndose, que la audiencia ecuatoriana tiene características propias que requieren especial atención, a través de contenidos atractivos y en tendencia; donde, la prensa digital juega un papel primordial en la difusión de información. Journalistic communication reflects a digital transformation in recent years, where news consumption is carried out primarily through social networks; which leads to a change in the audience's behavior and their consumption habits. In this sense, the main objective of this research is to analyze the content on social networks for the digital press in zone 5-Ecuador. For this, based on theoretical and empirical methods, a follow-up and monitoring of the social networks of 14 newspapers in zone 5-Ecuador was carried out, exclusively with paper edition; through a quantitative and qualitative analysis on indicators such as: tone, orientation, themes, interaction, popularity and virality. From this diagnosis, the objective profile for the digital press was defined according to the sociodemographic and psychographic characteristics, preferably in social networks, internal management, as well as affective and emotional; as well as the optimal content to reach this audience. The corpus of this research is divided into eight sections that show each of the indicators related to the established objectives. Concluding, that the Ecuadorian audience has its own characteristics that require special attention, through attractive and trendy content; where, the digital press plays an essential role in the dissemination of information. La comunicació periodística reflecteix una transformació digital en els últims anys, on el consum de notícies es realitza primordialment a través de xarxes socials; la qual cosa, comporta a un canvi en el comportament de l'audiència i els seus hàbits de consum. En aquest sentit, l'objectiu principal d'aquesta investigació és analitzar els continguts en xarxes socials per a la premsa digital de la zona 5-Equador. Per a això, recolzant-se en mètodes teòrics i empírics es va realitzar un seguiment i monitoratge de les xarxes socials de 14 diaris de la zona 5-Equador, exclusivament amb edició en paper; a través d'una anàlisi quantitativa i qualitativa sobre indicadors com: to, orientació, temàtiques, interacció, popularitat i viralitat. A partir d'aquest diagnòstic, es va definir el perfil objectiu per a la premsa digital d'acord a les característiques sociodemogràfiques, psicogràfiques, de preferència en xarxes socials, de gestió interna, així com, afectives i emocionals; al seu torn, el contingut òptim per a aconseguir a aquesta audiència. El corpus d'aquesta investigació es desglossa en vuit apartats que evidencien cadascun dels indicadors relacionats amb els objectius establerts. Concloent-, que l'audiència equatoriana té característiques pròpies que requereixen especial atenció, a través de continguts atractius i en tendència; on, la premsa digital juga un paper primordial en la difusió d'informació.

a proposal for a gender-sensitive indicator system Abstract: Introduction. The last decades have shown the importance of measuring inequalities between women and men, not only from the disaggregation of data by sex, but also with the full inclusion of gender indicators. This fact would allow the effective measurement and evaluation of the successes achieved from the policies and plans implemented. Objectives and methodology. In this regard, this paper addresses, from a theoretical and methodological perspective, the relevance of building a monitoring system and indicators that facilitate the evaluation, specifically, the evaluation of results and impact. Basically, these indicators would allow us to objectively know the results and impacts of the equality plans, in order to identify whether or not these results and impacts contribute to the achievement of equality between women and men. Results. Along this line, the paper presented here focuses on analyzing the system of indicators used in the evaluation of the first equality plan that has been developed and implemented at the University of the Balearic Islands (2014-2017). Conclusions and discussion. Based on the analysis of this evaluation, a proposal is made for a system of indicators - gender sensitive - of accomplishment and impact for the evaluation of this equality plan. Finally, the main conclusions that have been drawn from this work are extracted and discussed. Introducción. Las últimas décadas han puesto de manifiesto la importancia de la medición de las desigualdades entre mujeres y hombres, no únicamente desde la desagregación de datos por sexo, sino con la plena inclusión de indicadores de género que permitan medir y evaluar efectivamente los éxitos logrados a partir de las políticas y los planes implementados. Objetivos y metodología. A este respecto, en este texto se aborda, desde una perspectiva teórica y metodológica, la importancia de construir un sistema de seguimiento e indicadores que facilite la evaluación de estos planes, específicamente, la evaluación de resultados e impacto. Fundamentalmente, estos indicadores permitirían conocer de forma objetiva los resultados e impactos de los planes de igualdad, con la finalidad de identificar si estos resultados e impactos contribuyen o no a la consecución de la igualdad entre mujeres y hombres. Resultados. En esta línea, el presente trabajo se centra en realizar un primer acercamiento del sistema de indicadores que ha sido diseñado para la evaluación del primer plan de igualdad que se ha desarrollado e implementado en la Universidad de las Illes Balears (2014-2017). Conclusiones y discusión. Sobre la base del análisis de esta evaluación, se realiza una propuesta de un sistema de indicadores - sensibles al género - de realización e impacto para la evaluación de este plan de igualdad. Finalmente, se extraen y debaten las principales conclusiones que se han extraído de este trabajo.

Unidad de excelencia María de Maeztu CEX2019-000940-M Coastal zone management is a pressing matter, especially in developing countries, which are highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Human systems are underrepresented in the vast array of indicators aimed at assisting coastal zone management decisions. Clearly, there is room to better capture natural and human system relationships and interactions in coastal area assessments. A case in point is the well-known Coastal Hazard Wheel (CHW). Hence three main objectives guide this paper: (i) Analysing the existing set of indicator themes and categories in coastal areas; (ii) Contrasting this set of indicators with the perceived needs of local coastal stakeholders from a developing country; and (iii) Proposing indicator categories to be included as part of a systemic coastal zone management framework. To this end, we undertook an automated content analysis of 1116 peer-reviewed articles on the subject matter. The analysis and a stringent set of criteria led to 40 articles that were reviewed to identify suitable indicators. In parallel, field research in Ghana allowed for a set of indicators from the quadruple helix stakeholders operating in coastal zones to be elicited. Contrasting the two sets of indicators resulted in three situations. The first involves 14 indicator categories that co-occur in the literature and the detected needs from local coastal stakeholders. In the second situation, the categories mentioned in the literature were those not mentioned at local level. A third situation appeared when the local coastal stakeholders mentioned categories of indicators that were not identified in the reviewed literature. After examining each case, we advocate for the indicators in the first situation to be incorporated into the current coastal indicator monitoring frameworks (for example by upgrading the CHW). The unique contribution of this paper is the combination of literature and stakeholder-based indicator sub-categories that should be added to the current set of coastal monitoring frameworks.

The challenges posed by climate change and biodiversity loss are deeply interconnected. Successful co-managing of these tangled drivers requires innovative methods that can prioritize and target management actions against multiple criteria, while also enabling cost-effective land use planning and impact scenario assessment. This paper synthesises the development and application of an integrated multidisciplinary modelling and evaluation framework for carbon and biodiversity in forest systems. By analysing and spatio-temporally modelling carbon processes and biodiversity elements, we determine an optimal solution for their co-management in the study landscape. We also describe how advanced Earth Observation measurements can be used to enhance mapping and monitoring of biodiversity and ecosystem processes. The scenarios used for the dynamic models were based on official Finnish policy goals for forest management and climate change mitigation. The development and testing of the system were executed in a large region in southern Finland (Kokemäenjoki basin, 27 024 km2) containing highly instrumented LTER (Long-Term Ecosystem Research) stations; these LTER data sources were complemented by fieldwork, remote sensing and national data bases. In the study area, estimated total net emissions were currently 4.2 TgCO2eq a-1, but modelling of forestry measures and anthropogenic emission reductions demonstrated that it would be possible to achieve the stated policy goal of carbon neutrality by low forest harvest intensity. We show how this policy-relevant information can be further utilised for optimal allocation of set-aside forest areas for nature conservation, which would significantly contribute to preserving both biodiversity and carbon values in the region. Biodiversity gain in the area could be increased without a loss of carbon-related benefits. The challenges posed by climate change and biodiversity loss are deeply interconnected. Successful co-managing of these tangled drivers requires innovative methods that can prioritize and target management actions against multiple criteria, while also enabling cost-effective land use planning and impact scenario assessment. This paper synthesises the development and application of an integrated multidisciplinary modelling and evaluation framework for carbon and biodiversity in forest systems. By analysing and spatio-temporally modelling carbon processes and biodiversity elements, we determine an optimal solution for their co-management in the study landscape. We also describe how advanced Earth Observation measurements can be used to enhance mapping and monitoring of biodiversity and ecosystem processes. The scenarios used for the dynamic models were based on official Finnish policy goals for forest management and climate change mitigation. The development and testing of the system were executed in a large region in southern Finland (Kokemäenjoki basin, 27,024 km2) containing highly instrumented LTER (Long-Term Ecosystem Research) stations; these LTER data sources were complemented by fieldwork, remote sensing and national data bases. In the study area, estimated total net emissions were currently 4.2 TgCO2eq a−1, but modelling of forestry measures and anthropogenic emission reductions demonstrated that it would be possible to achieve the stated policy goal of carbon neutrality by low forest harvest intensity. We show how this policy-relevant information can be further utilized for optimal allocation of set-aside forest areas for nature conservation, which would significantly contribute to preserving both biodiversity and carbon values in the region. Biodiversity gain in the area could be increased without a loss of carbon-related benefits.

This paper aims at developing and applying an indicators system for smart tourism destinations in order to better understand the current situation of a set of destinations which are developing smart tourism policies. The indicators were developed by adapting existing indicators in tourism destination management and smart cities literature, creating a new system based on a smart destination theoretical model that establishes three interrelated levels in which smart destinations are grounded: strategic-relational, instrumental and applied levels. Within these levels, nine different dimensions to be measured were identified. The indicators were constructed in collaboration with a public organisation (INVAT.TUR) devoted to providing technical assistance to smart destinations and were pre-tested, readjusted and then applied to a set of destinations of the Region of Valencia (Spain). Obtained findings reveal an uneven performance of destinations in the different dimensions of the three levels. A notable performance is observed in indicators for connectivity and online marketing, while more efforts need to be done in accessibility and sustainability initiatives. However, disparities are evident between different indicators and destinations. These results are discussed and framed within the relevant literature on smart destinations while providing information for destination managers and policy makers to adapt and replicate these indicators in their own territories. This paper is a first attempt to develop and apply indicators to measure smart destinations progress in literature and therefore constitutes an important precedent for future studies. Work supported by the Spanish National R&D&I Plan financed by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness under grant CSO2017-82592-R (“Analysis of planning processes applied to smart cities and tourist destinations. Balance and proposal of a new methodology: Smart Tourism Planning”).

While the performance evaluation of reverse logistics (RL) practices in the construction sector is crucial, it is seemingly limited compared to that in the manufacturing sector. As the project life cycle in the construction sector is typically long, effective coordination among the stakeholders is needed to integrate RL into each phase of the project life cycle. This paper proposes a new model of RL for the construction industry, incorporating the dimensions, elements, and, most importantly, indicators needed for the evaluation of RL performance. The model was initially derived from the extant literature. It was then refined through (1) focus group discussion, by which suggestions pertinent to the proposed model were collated from academics and practitioners, and (2) judgments by academics and practitioners to validate the model. The validated model includes 21 indicators to measure RL performance, spanned throughout the green initiation, green design, green material management, green construction, and green operation and maintenance phases. The paper offers a new method for how RL can be adopted in the construction industry by proposing an innovative model that will benefit stakeholders in the construction industry.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the indicators of service quality from the perspective of graduating students in a public university in Ghana. The identified indicators of service quality were rated and the extent of satisfaction among the students was determined. Another issue explored was whether the satisfaction among the respondents inures to their loyalty to the university. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire was designed, pre-tested and administered to 500 graduating students, and 482 of them were returned for analyses. Principal component analysis was used to determine the indicators of service quality. Independent sample t-test and z-test for proportions were used to compare mean scores and proportions of respondents on various variables, respectively. Findings The results revealed three indicators of service quality which include quality of academic services and facilities, quality of lecturers and quality of academic programs. Graduands were satisfied with academic services, lecturers and programs. They were, however, not satisfied with the quality of facilities. Majority of the respondents will remain associated with the university as a result of their satisfaction with the services, lecturers as well as programs of the university. It is recommended that the university works assiduously on improving infrastructural facilities to help boost the confidence of the students in the university. Originality/value This paper argues that what constitutes quality service vary from one academic institution to the other. It is, therefore, needful for institutions to determine from the perspective of their students what may indicate quality service.

Multidimensional crisis phenomena (financial–economic, environmental and social), plaguing the international community, especially in the last 30 years, have intensified resentment towards traditional models of growth and socio-economic development. The European Commission has placed the idea of a green economy (GE) at the heart of the Europe 2020 strategy. This paper presents an assessment of the implementation of the green economy assumptions in EU countries in 2018, taking 2010 as the base year. Using taxonomic methods, a synthetic evaluation index (GEI—Green Economy Index) was constructed based on a multi-criterion set of 27 indicators. This paper attempts to answer the following questions: How green are the European economies? What are the main challenges in this context? The average value of the index for the EU countries decreased in the studied years from 0.3423 to 0.3294, which can be interpreted as a slowdown in the greening processes. The key recommendations for the upcoming years include the improvement of energy efficiency indicators, the further increase in the share of renewable energy sources in the energy balance. Moreover, a significant problem continues to be the high percentage of the population at risk of poverty or social exclusion, as well as low CO2 and resource productivity rates.

Tackling the many negative health effects of social isolation has been identified as a policy priority in the UK and consequently many local authorities are developing strategies to ascertain its prevalence through the development of social indices. This paper provides a novel assessment of the emerging approach of developing indices to identify social isolation. It provides an overview of a selection of indices being developed by local authorities across England; considers the validity of such quantitative indices; and explores the extent to which more in-depth qualitative data collected at a neighbourhood level is additionally required. It draws on evidence of a social isolation index for older people created by a northern English local authority, assessing its validity through a qualitative sense check; an innovative approach which has not been attempted elsewhere. The paper contributes important knowledge to the growing literature in this field by further developing understanding around the most effective ways of identifying, measuring, and understanding social isolation at a local level. Our findings indicate that an index, alone, is insufficient to fully capture the multifaceted nature of social isolation as relevant indicators, unique to local spaces, which cannot easily be measured quantitatively, are often excluded. The paper offers a significant and original contribution to the debate for both academics who wish to gain a greater understanding of the role indices can play in identifying those most at risk of social isolation, as well as for policy makers and practitioners who are currently grappling with this challenging concept.

E-government should enable a simple approach to online services, simple communication with public authorities and a reduction of time and costs of different transactions. Implementation and further development of e-government are trends in providing public services in many countries, but there is a big difference in the usage of such services among developed and underdeveloped countries. With the aim of bringing rational decisions about the development of e-government, maturity models are used as a tool for assessing, comparing and benchmarking development and success in the implementation of e government. When it comes to e-government maturity models, special attention should be given to the complexity of e-government in sociological, technological and organizational issues. This complexity has led to the development of many e-government maturity models with different indicators and metrics. Literature review gives answers to the following research questions: Which indicators and metrics are used in some of the more commonly used and/or discussed e-government maturity models? Are those indicators and metrics applicable for Croatian e-government or is there a need for a special model? The aim of this paper is to highlight those indicators and metrics which are able to objectively measure certain values of e-government and to highlight those that are for now without an absolute measure. The result of this paper is a presentation and analysis of indicators and metrics in some of the most commonly used and/or discussed e-government maturity models. By synthesizing conclusions, this paper gives guidelines for the development of an e-government maturity model in Croatia., E-uprava trebala bi omogućiti jednostavan pristup online servisima javne uprave, jednostavnu komunikaciju s javnim vlastima te smanjiti vrijeme i troškove raznih transakcija s javnom upravom. Trendovi pri pružanju javnih usluga u brojnim državama su implementacija i daljnji razvoj e-uprave no postoji i velika razlika u upotrebi takvih usluga između razvijenih i nerazvijenih država. Kao alat za procjenu, usporedbu i benchmarking razvoja i uspjeha pri implementaciji e-uprave, a s ciljem donošenja racionalnih odluka o razvoju e-uprave, koriste se modeli zrelosti. U modelima zrelosti e-uprave posebna pažnja treba biti usmjerena na kompleksnost e-uprave u sociološkom, tehnološkom i organizacijskom smislu. Ta kompleksnost utjecala je na razvoj brojnih modela zrelosti e-uprave s raznim indikatorima i metrikama. Pregled literature daje odgovore na sljedeća istraživačka pitanja: Koji se indikatori i metrike koriste u najčešće korištenim i/ili diskutiranim modelima zrelosti e-uprave? Jesu li ti indikatori i metrike primjenjivi za e-upravu u Republici Hrvatskoj ili postoji potreba za posebnim modelom? Cilj ovog rada je istaknuti one indikatore i metrike kojima se mogu objektivno mjeriti određene vrijednosti e-uprave te istaknuti one koje zasad nemaju apsolutnu mjeru. Rezultat ovog rada su opisani i analizirani indikatori i metrike korišteni u nekim od najčešće korištenih i/ili diskutiranih modela zrelosti e-uprave. Sintetiziranjem zaključaka ovaj rad daje smjernice za razvoj modela zrelosti e-uprave u Republici Hrvatskoj.

In recent years the development and use of university rankings, comparisons, and/or league tables has become popular and several methodologies are now frequently used to provide a comparative ranking of universities. These rankings are often based on research and publication activity and also not uncommonly focus on indicators that can be measured rather than those that should be measured. Further, the indicators are generally examined for the university as a whole rather than for university divisions, departments or programs. Implicit also is that placement in the rankings is indicative of quality. This paper provides an overview of the methodologies used for the more popular rankings and summarizes their strengths and weaknesses. It examines the critiques of rankings and league tables to provide appropriate context. The paper then examines the issue of how a university (or a college or program) could be assessed in terms of the quality of its engineering and technology programs. It proposes a set of indicators that could be used to provide relative measures of quality, not so much for individual engineering or technology programs, but rather of the university.

The paper introduces an initial system of indicators for measuring statistical methods use efficiency in enterprises. The indicators are formed based on the questionnaire, which is used to inspect the attitude of employees towards statistical methods use in Croatian enterprises. With the purpose of understanding statistical methods use effectiveness better, indicators are classified into two groups: comparative and individual indicators. These indicators were used in the construction of the E-score indicator, which can be used to predict if an enterprise will achieve a positive net income due to an effective use of statistical methods or not. The system of indicators of statistical methods use efficiency developed within this research can be easily used by any enterprise. Using these indicators an enterprise can estimate its competitive position compared to other enterprises and it can predict if the difference will increase or decrease. Despite the existence of many business systems of indicators, the impact of statistical methods use used to be neglected. This paper corrects this and introduces statistical methods as a very important part of business decision making and continuous monitoring of business processes. However, this initial system of indicators has to be improved further to reach more precise conclusions.

The paper presents a possible approach for creating business decisions based on multi-criteria analysis. Seven options for a possible revitalization of the thermal power plant Kolubara-A Unit No. 2 with energy indicators of sustainable development (EISD) are presented in this paper. The chosen EISD numerically express the essential features of the analyzed options, while the sustainability criteria indicate the option quality within the limits of these indicators. In this paper, the criteria for assessing the sustainability options are defined based on several aspects: economic, social, environmental and technological. In the process of assessing the sustainability of the considered options the Analysis and Synthesis of Parameters under Information Deficiency (ASPID) method was used. In this paper, the EISD show that production and energy consumption are closely linked to economic, environmental and other indicators, such as economic and technological development of local communities with employment being one of the most important social parameter. Multi-criteria analysis for the case study of the TPP Kolubara-A clearly indicated recommendations to decision makers on the choice of the best available options in dependence on the energy policy. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Healthcare systems play a very important role in society and their role is becoming increasingly important in regard to the phenomenon of population ageing. The issue of the performance of healthcare systems should be at the forefront in terms of the interest of academic research studies and discussions among the scientifi c community. The proper functioning of the healthcare system should also be a priority in regard to public policy. These facts should encourage governments to regularly evaluate the performance of their healthcare systems and create international comparisons. Many indicators are used to measure and evaluate performance of healthcare systems – e.g. those created by the WHO, Eurostat, or OECD Health Statistics and OECD Health Policy Studies. For our paper, data from the OECD Health Policy Studies was used as a primary source. V4 states were chosen for the evaluation of the performance of healthcare systems. The reasons for this are as follows: V4 countries are transitive economies of the CEE with a poorer state of health of their populations than in more developed countries of the OECD or EU; the given systems have long been underfi nanced; and reforms are focused exclusively on economic goals and lack a broader concept in terms of long-term sustainability. For the purposes of this paper, a composite indicator of the performance of healthcare systems was designed and includes ten variables for the studied ten-year period. In order to establish a comparison of the performance of healthcare systems, three methods were used to model them: (i) using the area of a radar chart, (ii) determining performance based on order, and (iii) determining performance based on distance from the reference unit. These three methods for determining the performance of healthcare systems allow us to compare the performance of healthcare systems in V4 countries specifi cally. The goals of this paper are as follows: compare and evaluate the performance of healthcare systems among V4 countries using selected indicators from the fi eld of healthcare and establish what position the Czech Republic’s healthcare system holds in comparison with other V4 countries.

This opinion paper introduces a special series of articles dedicated to freshwater benthic algae and their use in assessment and monitoring. This special series was inspired by talks presented at the 9th International Congress on the Use of Algae for Monitoring Rivers and Comparable Habitats (Trento, Italy, 2015), the latest of a series of meetings started in 1991.In this paper, we will first provide a brief overview of phytobenthos methods in Europe. Then, we will turn towards the ‘dark side’ of phytobenthos and describe four particular problems for phytobenthos assessment in the European Union: (1) over-reliance on a single group of algae (mostly diatoms) to the exclusion of other groups; (2) relatively low adoption of benthic algae for ecological assessments in lakes; (3) absence of measures of phytobenthos abundance; (4) approaches used to define boundaries between ecological classes.Following this, we evaluate the strengths and limitations of current phytobenthos assessment methods against 12 criteria for method evaluation addressing four areas: ecological rationale, performance, feasibility of implementation, and use in communication and management. Using these criteria, we identify and discuss three general challenges for those developing new methods for phytobenthos-based assessment: a weak ecological rationale and insufficient consideration of the role of phytobenthos as a diagnostic tool and for communicating ecosystem health beyond a narrow group of specialists.The papers in the special series allow a comparison with the situation and approaches in the USA, present new methods for the assessment of ecological status and acidification, provide tools for an improved management of headwaters and petrifying springs, discuss the utility of phytobenthos for lake assessments, and test the utility of functional measures (such as biofilm phosphorus uptake capacity, PUC).

The concept of resilience is increasingly used in academic and policy circles. To operationalize this concept and reduce the ambiguities surrounding it, since the turn of the century, various resilience assessment methodologies have been introduced. This paper provides a critical review of 36 selected community resilience assessment tools. These tools have been developed by a variety of entities, including national and local organizations, international donor organizations, and academic researchers. First, an overview of the selected tools is presented. This overview analysis shows that while some commonalities exist, there are also considerable differences between the tools. Next, based on literature review, an analytical framework is developed that identifies six criteria for evaluating performance of resilience assessment tools. These are, namely, addressing multiple dimensions of resilience, accounting for cross-scale relationships, capturing temporal dynamism, addressing uncertainties, employing participatory approaches, and developing action plans. Results show that limited success has been achieved in addressing these criteria. In terms of comprehensiveness, the environmental dimension has received relatively less attention in spite of its significance for building community resilience. Further improvements are needed to account for dynamics over time and across space. More attention to employing iterative processes that involve scenario-based planning is needed to better address challenges associated with uncertainties. Results also show that more attention needs to be paid to stakeholder participation in developing assessment tools. The paper concludes by highlighting several other areas of weakness that need to be addressed and discussing major challenges that still remain.

For the evaluation of performance at the national level are used the different indicators in comparison with business level. The paper is focused on evaluation of indicators of national health systems’ performance at the level WHO “better health”. The aim of paper is to define the specifics of selected health systems in European Union, analyze and evaluate the selected indicators of performance of these systems which are used by WHO, compare the results of the analysis in these health systems and determine the position of the Czech health system in the set of indicators “better health” in comparison with other countries. The indicators are evaluated in the time series.

Indicators are widely used tools for evidence-based decision-making today. Yet, even very sophisticated users of indicators often forget or deliberately disregard their limits. Stretching good indicators beyond their inherent limitations may lead to inadequate policy-making. This paper examines how several well-known indicators in the field of governance, justice and the rule of law are used for policy-making in different contexts. It builds from years of field observation, debate participation and meetings with politicians and experts from around the world. Drawing from time-tested social science research principles and methods, the paper concludes with suggestions on the adequate use of indicators for public policy decision making in the broad policy area covered by the newly adopted United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 16. © 2015, T.M.C. Asser Press.

This theoretical paper identifies the main corporate innovative activities and public innovation support systems characterizing factors and their assessment rates by providing factor groups and measured indicators. Presented complex of various innovation measurement indexes can help corporative decision makers to focus on the areas to be developed as wee as for the trends to be fostered during the estimated strategical corporative decisions making period. Paper presents vertical and horizontal decision making features focused on innovation as most competitive factor as well as the main features and criteria of innovation measurement in corporative decisions, accepted and well-used by main innovations measurement institutions.

This paper aims to investigate what human rights indicators are, and what role they play within international organizations. In particular, this paper argues that human rights indicators, far from having similar structures and posing similar problems, are created and live within frameworks, through processes, and for purposes that might significantly diverge from indicator to indicator. The central claim is that the pluralism underlying the world of human rights indicators reflects, among other things, the variable structures, objectives and modes of operation of the international organizations inhabiting that world. This paper thus explores how the massive production and extensive use of human rights indicators in recent years has not only been influenced by, but has also shaped, the missions, internal structures and operational practices of the international organizations that produce and use them.

In the UK, as elsewhere, the use of ‘contextual’ data has been strongly advocated in order to inform undergraduate admissions decision-making. More than a third of UK universities currently take the socioeconomic or other background context of undergraduate applicants’ attainment into account when deciding whom to shortlist, interview, make standard or reduced offers to, or accept at confirmation or clearing. Even more universities plan to do so in the future. Contextualised admissions policies are considered by many commentators to be intrinsically fairer, and to represent a potentially powerful means of addressing the persistent under-representation of HE students from less advantaged backgrounds, but their impact has not yet been rigorously evaluated. In order to be effective, the indicators must be accurate, appropriate, and complete, and policies for their use must demonstrably widen participation, presumably without compromising student achievement. This paper reviews the indicators available for judging context, and the existing evidence base on how contextually-identified students perform in higher education. It illustrates the considerable difficulties of using any available indicators, alone or in combination, in terms of trustworthiness. And it explains how their use could introduce new injustices while tackling merely the symptoms of stratified participation in HE. This is far from a counsel of despair. We need to widen participation and the use of context stills shows considerable promise. The paper therefore presents the case for a new study by the authors, looking at which of the available contextual indicators are best in practice, and what difference their use would really make to widening participation at HE.