Qualitative Efficiency Assessment of Markets: An Institutional Approach to Training

We investigate the effect of institutions on efficiency of training markets. After setting up a theoretical institutional framework that shows how institutions affect efficiency, we apply this framework to the real world. An empirical analysis of institutions affecting training markets will enable us to determine the institutional efficiency of these markets, under the assumption that a positive relationship exists between efficiency and productivity. Finally, we compare institutional efficiency scores of national training markets to other measures of productivity and ask whether a particular set of institutions maximises efficiency.institutions, vocational training, continuing education, labour markets, productivity, efficiency, production frontier

Comparative Efficiency Assessment of Primary Care Models Using Data Envelopment Analysis

This paper compares the productive efficiencies of four models of primary care service delivery in Ontario, Canada, using the data envelopment analysis (DEA) method. Particular care is taken to include quality of service as part of our output measure. The influence of the delivery model on productive efficiency is disentangled from patient characteristics using regression analysis. Significant differences are found in the efficiency scores across models and within each model. In general, the fee-for-service arrangement ranks the highest and the community-health-centre model the lowest in efficiency scoring. The reliance of our input measures on costs and number of patients, clearly favours the fee-for-service model. Patient characteristics contribute little to explaining differences in the efficiency ranking across the models.Productive Efficiency; DEA; Primary Health Care

Fuel Efficiency Assessment with DEA

In this study, Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) is used to calculate Air Mobility Command (AMC) airlift fuel efficiency for C-17 aircraft. Fuel is a strategic asset for the United States Air Force and suitable alternatives are not yet feasible or available in the quantity required. The Air Force is pursuing several initiatives to conserve energy and operate more efficiently while sustaining the same level of effectiveness and safety. In order to manage these initiatives, it must measure how well it is doing. To measure airlift efficiency, the AMC Fuel Efficiency Office established a 7 factor weighted Fuel Efficiency Index (FEI). To produce a monthly score, AMC assigned weights for each factor. DEA does not require such a priori assumptions and finds the best set of weights that will help each mission to represent itself in the best manner. The results showed that DEA and FEI agree in trends but a DEA Slack-Based Measure better differentiates inefficiencies than other methods used in the study. Also, the results showed that for current Air Mobility flights, at least 10% input excess or output shortfall occurs each month

Risk-Efficiency Assessment of Haying

Pastoral livestock farms are complex, dynamic systems subject to many forms of external disturbance. Farm Management strategies are therefore typically designed to minimize system variation. The objective of this study was to explore the impacts of different haying policies, in terms of expected profit and risk, for cow-calf farms in the Salado Region of Argentina

Efficiency Assessment of the Tanzanian Universities

The purpose of this study is to examine the efficiency and its determinants of the Universities in Tanzania by means of deterministic frontier non-parametric approach. The analysis is based on a sample of 16 colleges and Universities 8 public, and 8 private across time period of 2008 - 2012 panel data. The data obtained from sampled universities, Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU), Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (MoEVT) and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) are used. We include three inputs and three outputs in a two-stage data envelopment analysis (Wen-Bin-LIU et al (2013), first evaluating DEA scores and then regress them through Tobit regression model. The findings from the study suggest that there is variability of efficiency among Universities across years. It is revealed from the study that Universities are efficient in generating graduates through available human capital, whereas research publications and consultancy services are influential factors for University efficiency. Majority of University efficiency is observed to be above average. Thus, Universities are recommended to use their input resources for research and consultancy services to improve efficiencies. Other extraneous variables which might have contributed to these findings have not been considered in the study. Keywords: efficiency, Universities, Data envelopment analysis (DEA), Tobit regression Mode

An Efficiency Assessment of Refrigerated-Food-Products Trucking Carriers in the United States

Agribusiness,

Efficiency assessment criteria of modern educational functioning

Секторальна децентралізація у сфері освіти має забезпечити доступність та належну якість освітніх послуг незалежно від місця проживання, створення прозорої системи фінансування освіти, забезпечення гарантованих джерел фінансування освітніх послуг. Основним пріоритетом децентралізації освітньої сфери повинна бути оптимізація мережі закладів освіти та зростання їх автономії. В процесі здійснення завдань децентралізації відповідальність за розвиток загальної середньої освіти повністю переходить до об’єднаних територіальних громад. Актуальною постає проблема ефективного формування освітньої мережі оскільки поступово усі заклади загальної середньої освіти будуть знаходитись у власності та повному управлінні громад. Вирішення її впливатиме на якість освіти та раціональне використання коштів місцевих бюджетів. Достатнє фінансування закладів загальної середньої освіти, їх повне матеріально технічне оснащення, яке відповідає вимогам нового освітнього простору повинно стати запорукою якісної освіти. Критерії оцінки діяльності освітніх мереж залежать від територіальних умов, адміністративно-територіальних особливостей, матеріально-технічної бази тощо, тому не можуть бути універсальними для всіх освітніх мереж. Проте доцільними критеріями для здійснення комплексної оцінки їх функціонування можуть бути: якість та доступність навчання; економічна ефективність; забезпеченість технологічними та безпечними умовами навчання, праці та перебування на території закладу освіти (відповідно до вимог та нормативів нового освітнього простору); сформованість інклюзивного освітнього простору; відкритість освітньої мережі; кадрова політика. Реальні завдання оптимізації освітньої мережі мають багато обмежень: грошові, матеріальні, кадрові, часові тощо. Ми вважаємо, що завдання формування освітньої мережі треба вирішувати переважно з наявними фахівцями, на тій матеріальній базі, яка є в межах наявних фінансових можливостей. Водночас можливо досягти певних результатів, що визначені освітніми стандартами. Якщо не враховувати обмеження, ми можемо отримати «оптимальні», але не виконувані вимоги, які будуть сприяти не стільки забезпеченню якості освіти, скільки поширенню корупціїSectoral decentralization in the field of education should ensure the availability and proper quality of educational services regardless of the residence place, the creation of a transparent system of financing education, the ensuring guaranteed sources of financing educational services. The main priorities of the educational sphere decentralization should be the optimization of the educational institutions network and their autonomy’s development. In the process of realization tasks of decentralization, the responsibility for the secondary general education development is transferred to the united territorial communities in total. The problem of efficiency buildup of educational network is actual because gradually all institutions of secondary general education will be in ownership and full management of communities. The solving of this problem will have an effect on the education quality and the rational usage of local public funds. Adequate funding of secondary general education institutions, their fully materiel and technical support in according to requirements of a modern educational environment should to become factor of quality school. The criteria of assessment of the educational networks activity depend on the territorial conditions, administrative and territorial features, material and technical support, etc., that’s why cannot be universal for all educational networks. However, the appropriate criteria for realization comprehensive assessment of their functioning would be the quality and availability of education; economic efficiency, provision of technological and safe educational conditions, work and stay on the territory of the educational institution (in accordance with the requirements and standards of the new educational space), the formation of an inclusive educational space; educational network openness, personnel policy. The real tasks of optimizing the educational network have many limitations such as monetary, material, personnel, time, etc. We believe that the task of forming an educational network should be solved mainly with existing specialists, on the material basis, which is within the existing financial capacity. It is possible to achieve certain results that are defined by educational standards. If we do not take into account the limitations, we can get "optimal" but not fulfilled requirements that will contribute not only to the quality of education but to the spread of corruptio

Partial least squares – path modelling for efficiency assessment in the colombian professional football league

This research develops a production function to evaluate the teams’ efficiency in the Colombian professional soccer league. The designed methodology uses the concepts of structural equations and Data Envelope Analysis. In the development of the research, primary information associated with the sports and financial performance of the 20 Colombian Professional soccer teams was collected, with which a structural equation model was established that was empirically validated to evaluate the efficiency of each football team finally holistically. As result of this research, it can be pointed out that the proposed PLS structural model validates the hypotheses about the relationships between the latent variables. Similarly, the results show that the best Colombian soccer teams for the analyzed period are Medellín, Tolima, Nacional, and Junior