OM Forum-challenges and strategies in managing nonprofit operations: an operations management perspective

The operations management (OM) community is paying increasing attention to the analysis of nonprofit operations. However, what is it about this type of operation that makes it particularly interesting to OM scholars? We address this question by studying the objectives, actors, and main activities of nonprofit operations and the most common challenges they face. In addition, we suggest tactical and operational strategies to address these challenges by considering works in the for-profit sector and in different applied areas. The ultimate goal of this paper is to inspire and stimulate OM researchers to develop significant theoretical and empirical models in this novel stream of literature

Information Flow Impediments in Disaster Relief Supply Chains

Supply Chain Management (SCM) is seldom more difficult than during disaster relief efforts. As supply chains quickly form in response to a disaster, a slow information flow presents a major hindrance to coordinating the allocation of resources necessary for disaster relief efforts. This paper identifies impediments to the flow of information through supply chains following large scale and catastrophic disasters. Given the scarce body of literature on this subject, a grounded theory case study was conducted to examine an extreme case. The study concentrates on the efforts of multiple organizations and individuals that provided relief in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which battered the Gulf Coast of the southeastern United States in late 2005. Data was gathered from diverse sources, including government agencies, profit and non-profit organizations, and individuals, during and after the disaster. Based on our data analysis, we not only identify information flow impediments (i.e., inaccessibility, inconsistent data and information formats, inadequate stream of information, low information priority, source identification difficulty, storage media misalignment, unreliability, and unwillingness), but also identify likely sources of these impediments, and examine their consequences to organizations’ disaster recovery efforts. Our findings suggest some potential design principles for devising solutions capable of reducing or alleviating the impact of information flow impediments in future disasters

Information flow in humanitarian relief operations : interviews and a case study including process mapping and the development of practical recommendations in a booklet

Emergency relief is an industry focusing on rapid life-saving assistance. The environment is complex, the context fragile and rapidly changing circumstances cause operations to be unpredictable. 80 percent of all funds are spent on logistics, out of which 40 percent are wasted. Increasing efficiency of humanitarian operations makes more resources available to directly address humanitarian needs and strengthens accountability to donors. The hypothesis is that, detecting and addressing impediments in communication processes increases the efficiency of humanitarian operations as information flow (IF) determines material flow. Therefore, this thesis asks which impediments to IF exist, elaborates several ideas for improvement of these processes and seeks to make the findings available in a handy format for practitioners. The research is done based on the data collected of the exchanges with 13 relief experts working for five International Humanitarian Organisations (IHO) and the humanitarian department of a governmental organisation. Three research methods were applied: interviews, a questionnaire and a process mapping. The context of emergency relief was explored through four interviews. A clear definition of roles and responsibilities and clear lines of communication were identified as important factors influencing information flow. The impediments experienced in practice were gathered through a questionnaire filled in by ten relief experts. High staff turnover turns out to be the most frequently experienced obstacle. The process mapping analysed as a case study the humanitarian response of the IHO Medair to Hurricane Matthew in Haiti in October 2016. 13 impediments could be identified, whereas the majority experienced in practice is congruent with the ones identified by the literature. Discussions with the emergency response team during, and with process experts after the mapping served to formulate concrete recommendations to address these impediments. The recommendations were categorized with the help of Rosenstiel’s theoretical model conditions of behaviour and three recommendations were then elaborated in detail: Standardised forms, clear lines of communication and modification with explanatory statement. Recommendations and interview results are then translated into a booklet with practical tips to improve information flow in emergency relief operations. The thesis confirms the hypothesis: process improvement advances information flow and increases the efficiency of humanitarian operations. The recommendations to improve IF point at two approaches: technical and behavioural communication skills trainings for staff improve IF and management facilitates IF by inducing change through regulations. The findings are a considerable gain, pointing out specific areas of intervention to improve information flows and thereby efficiency in emergency relief operations. Future research may test the impact of IF on performance, develop the concept of good organisational performance in an IHO and test the influence of the strategic position of logistics within the IHO on performance

Automated Damage Index Estimation of Reinforced Concrete Columns for Post-Earthquake Evaluations

In emergency scenarios, immediate reconnaissance efforts are necessary. These efforts often take months to complete in full. While underway, building occupants are unable to return to their homes/businesses, and thus, the impact on the society of the disaster-stricken region is increased. In order to mitigate the impact, researchers have focused on creating a more efficient means of assessing the condition of buildings in the post-disaster state. In this paper, a machine vision-based methodology for real-time post-earthquake safety assessment is presented. A novel method of retrieving spalled properties on reinforced concrete (RC) columns in RC frame buildings using image data is presented. In this method, the spalled region is detected using a local entropy-based approach. Following this, the depth properties are retrieved using contextual information pertaining to the amount and type of reinforcement which is exposed. The method is validated using a dataset of damaged RC column images.This material is based in part upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Numbers CMMI-1034845 and CMMI-0738417.This is the accepted manuscript. The final version is available from ASCE at http://dx.doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)ST.1943-541X.000120

Renewable Energy Access and Resilience in Urban Developing Areas: Distributed Solar Networks and Peer-to-Peer Energy Trading in Puerto Rico

This senior essay under the Environmental Studies major at Yale University explores the environmental and social benefits of applying innovative technology to the energy sector. Three types of energy networks are analyzed, focusing on the use of distributed energy and peer to peer energy trading on a blockchain platform. The benefits of distributed renewable energy networks can most strongly be applied to locations in need of more reliable, resilient, and cost-effective electricity. Puerto Rico is a case study. Methods include analysis of U.S. Energy Information Administration and Census Bureau data as well as personal interviews with Puerto Rican energy developers. A financial model was created to tailor a power-purchase-agreement format to residential solar in order to develop an alternative funding method to the current grid price of electricity of 22.77 cents per kWh in Puerto Rico. The hurricanes of 2017 damaged the entire island, and every problem was exacerbated by the prolonged and total lack of power. Building a network of distributed solar energy through residential and school rooftops in Puerto Rico is argued in this thesis to be the best post-hurricane action to take in order to improve energy reliability, affordability, access, and resilience to future disasters and risks

Port of Gloucester, MA: Groundfish Port Recovery and Revitalization Plan by the City of Gloucester

This plan represents another step forward by the City of Gloucester to confront the challenge of declining groundfish stocks and subsequent management measures which have had a profound effect on the fishing industry, the community, and its economy. The plan’s strategies include both short-term recommendations to address the immediate direct impacts on harvesters, fresh fish processors, and associated support businesses, as well as longer-term proposals to bolster and support the industry as it recovers, and proposals to create new economic opportunities built upon Gloucester’s maritime assets, skills, and intellectual capital, and old and new partnerships. The Plan lays out the investments, collaborations, and required resources that will lead the port into a modern, diverse, and profitable future. Although the number of recommendations varies across topics, this does not reflect the relative importance of any particular topic area over another

Country Case Study – Nepal

human development, climate change

Self-Regulation for Safety and Security: Final Minutes or Finest Hour?

The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the accounting and auditing crisis later caused by the Enron and Worldcom scandals of that same year, created a great sense of insecurity in many Americans. In this Article, I analyze the federal government\u27s response to crisis. I first define what a crisis is: a sudden, existential threat to which the entity has insufficient resources to respond. I then explain how regulation for safety and security is unique in two aspects: perceptions matter, and the assistance of the regulated entities is essential. I proceed by describing and analyzing the regulatory history and crisis responses to these two instances from 2001, then compare them to two notable instances from the early twentieth century: the crises in banking and in meatpacking. From these four examples, I extract a paradigm of crisis response. The government\u27s initial response to a crisis is to provide a massive new federal presence, which is expected and accepted if for nothing more than its calming effect. Shortly thereafter, however, the government is expected to deliver results that both work and appear to work. In most instances where safety and security is the goal of the regulation, the public relies on the regulated entities to provide much of the guidance. I seek to apply this paradigm to our newest policy arena: homeland security. I conclude that the government has followed the paradigm I have identified and that, although there are significant differences in homeland security from other regulation, these four lessons from the past have a lot to teach us about the future

Tropical cyclone preparedness and response : opportunities for operations research

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, Operations Research Center, 2008.Includes bibliographical references (p. 79-87).This thesis explores how operations research methods can be applied in the emergency response community by looking at two recent tropical storm disasters; tropical cyclone Yemyin in Pakistan, June 2007 and super typhoon Durian in the Philippines, Nov 2006. The case studies are used to highlight three common problem areas; determining the scope of the disaster, agency coordination, and relief logistics. The thesis identifies some operational models and applicable research and suggests that these ideas should be formulated as emergency management decision making tools particularly for use in the developing world.by Maurice D. Murphy.S.M