Promises, pitfalls and shortfalls of the guaranteed maximum price approach: A comparative case study

The relative merits of the guaranteed maximum price (GMP) mechanism as a contractual incentive in construction have been much contested. This question was investigated using a comparative case study of two building projects in Hong Kong. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, review of project documentation and communications, and passive observation of project meetings. The findings suggest that the GMP mechanism has low incentive intensity from an instrumental rationality perspective and high incentive intensity from a value-expressive perspective. Further analysis of the findings leads to two main conclusions about the potential value of the GMP mechanism to a client: (a) it can provide some flexibility in responding to short-term market changes and other idiosyncratic factors and (b) it can be a useful instrument for project work group integration. Based on current approaches to GMP projects in Hong Kong, the ultimate compensation for the additional risk transfer to the contractor should come from the applied mark up or fee rather than any expectation or possibility of financial reward for net cost savings

Impact of Building Information Modeling Implementation on the Acceptance of Integrated Delivery Systems: Structural Equation Modeling Analysis

In recent years, building information modeling (BIM) has been increasingly employed by the architecture, engineering and construction industry worldwide as a result of digital government initiatives. In spite of some promising early evidence on the benefits of BIM, the momentum of this top-down drive should build upon after-implementation empirical evidence. Through the structural equation modeling analysis of survey returns from 145 Chinese BIM-enabled projects, this research demonstrates that BIM’s degree of implementation can positively affect the acceptability of integrated project delivery (IPD) in the future via increased perception of the need for supply chain incentivization and improved communication quality enabled by BIM. Rolling out BIM on a wider scale may yield an additional benefit in lowering the barrier to the implementation of IPD systems. This finding can serve as evidential support for government mandates that require the compulsory adoption of BIM in public projects

Economic incentives for HIV testing by adolescents in Zimbabwe: a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: HIV testing is the important entry point for HIV care and prevention service, but uptake of HIV testing and thus coverage of antiretroviral therapy are much lower in older children and adolescents than in adults. We investigated the effect of economic incentives provided to caregivers of children aged 8-17 years on uptake of HIV testing and counselling in Harare, Zimbabwe. METHODS: This randomised controlled trial was nested within a household HIV prevalence survey of children aged 8-17 years in Harare. Households with one or more survey participants whose HIV status was unknown were eligible to participate in the trial. Eligible households were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to either receive no incentive, receive a fixed US$2 incentive, or participate in a lottery for$5 or $10 if the participant presented for HIV testing and counselling at a local primary health-care centre. The survey fieldworkers who enrolled participants were not blinded to trial arm allocation, but the statistician was blinded for analysis of outcome. The primary outcome was the proportion of households in which at least one child had an HIV test within 4 weeks of enrolment. HIV test uptake in the incentivised groups was compared with uptake in the non-incentivised group using logistic regression, adjusting for community and number of children as fixed effects and research assistant as a random effect. All analyses were by intention to treat. The trial is registered with the Pan African Clinical Trials Registry, number PACTR201605001615280. FINDINGS: Between Aug 4, and Dec 18, 2015, 2050 eligible households were enrolled in the prevalence survey. 649 (32$2 incentive, and 661 (32%) households were assigned to lottery participation. Children were unavailable in 148 households in the no-incentive group, 63 households in the $2 incentive group, and 81 households in the lottery group. 1688 households had at least one child with unknown HIV status and were enrolled into the trial. 22 households had no undiagnosed child, and one household refused consent. The primary outcome of HIV testing was assessed in 472 (28$2 incentive group, and 562 (33%) households in the lottery group. At least one child was HIV tested in 93 (20%) households in the no-incentive group, in 316 (48%) households in the $2 incentive group (adjusted odds ratio 3·67, 95% CI 2·77-4·85; p<0·0001), and in 223 (40%) of 562 households in the lottery group (2·66, 2·00-3·55; p<0·0001). No adverse events were reported. INTERPRETATION: Fixed incentives and lottery-based incentives increased the uptake of HIV testing by older children and adolescents, a key hard-to-reach population. This strategy would be sustainable in the context of vertical HIV infection as repeated testing would not be necessary until sexual debut. FUNDING: Wellcome Trust

Insights from psychology about the design and implementation of energy interventions using the behaviour change wheel

Improving the design and implementation of interventions to encourage end-use energy efficiency has the potential to contribute a substantive reduction in carbon emissions. A plethora of behaviour change frameworks is available to guide policymakers and designers but none have been found to be comprehensive or well-used. A new framework – the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) – purports to be a useful aid for developing all types of behaviour change interventions. This paper assesses whether the BCW comprehensively describes programmes attempting to reduce energy consumption. To do this, components of behaviour change programmes as identified in four EU guidance documents were mapped onto the BCW. Most of the components discussed in the guidance could be readily coded to the BCW framework. The main energy policy under-represented in the BCW was energy price. Based on our work in this paper, we believe that the BCW offers a useful aid for the systematic design and development of behaviour change around end-use energy efficiency. We also propose that it may support development of a common lexicon for activities that can be rather vaguely described currently in energy efficiency guidance

Major Barriers in Adoption of Electric Trucks in Logistics System

The article analyses the issues concerning the reluctance of logistics professionals to adopt medium-sized electric trucks (ET) in the logistics system. Logistics trucks are oversized polluters, considered to be one of the hardest to be addressed for the reduction of CO2 emissions. It aims to identify the major barriers hindering the spread of ETs in logistics. The total cost of ownership (TCO) comparison between a traditional and electric truck has revealed the price gap at the end of a useful lifecycle is marginal. Incentivisation can bridge the gap. This research was based on a survey conducted among professionals from the logistics field in Budapest. Responses recorded were analysed by descriptive statistics to identify highly-rated barriers and their priorities. Based on the results, recommendations were suggested to facilitate the adoption of ETs

Collaboration in English higher education estates

Globalisation and changes in public policy act as a catalyst for change in the English Higher Education Sector. Consequently, Institutions place a greater focus on their supply chain to offer services that best fit their requirements, during the construction and refurbishment of physical assets. The construction industry will need to offer innovation, value for money and other benefits that associate with the collaborative procurement movement, which has been gathering pace since the 1990s. The aim of the research is to develop a framework to evaluate collaborative practice in Higher Education Property and Estates’ departments in England. The work is practitioner research that relates to a real world problem. The objectives include: construct a suitable framework; develop the framework using a particular institution; and assess the framework in the wider context of England. The research philosophy has foundations in both constructionism and pragmatism. The work develops the initial framework using literature. A Primary Case Study tests, relates and develops the framework in practice. To an extent, the literature review is able to provide transferability of the maturity model, particularly in relation to the implementation and motivation themes. Where the literature review could not provide transferability, a pragmatic approach is undertaken to improve the transferability of the research findings, which uses data from 44 estate strategies, 6 auxiliary case studies, 11 tender notices and industry sources. Data is generally qualitative and from such sources as interviews and documentation. The work uses thematic content analysis to explore organisations and summative content analysis to improve transferability. The work embraces Robson’s strategy for validity including that, which associates with prolonged involvement, triangulation, peer debriefing, member checking and audit trail. The research deliverable includes a clearly defined framework. The Framework includes three maturity models, namely implementation, motivation and risk. Each model has a particular purpose in relation to clients overall deliverables. The implementation theme relates to working efficiently. The motivation theme relates to exceeding performance requirements. The risk theme relates to achieving performance requirements. The Framework is for use by Directors of Estates and other policy makers that make decisions concerning collaboration in property and estates departments. The particular emphasis is collaboration with supply chains. The purpose of the study is to create the framework. The study does not make generalisations concerning the use of collaborative features. The framework has been created using cross sectional data form across the English higher education sector. The framework will be of use in other sectors and geographical locations following further research

The Design of a Gamification Algorithm in a Music Practice Application

Keeping track of pupils' progress across different instruments and lessons, and what they are meant to be practicing, can be challenging. The typical solution is to use a book in which teachers write notes and pupils record practice. This can, however, easily be lost or become illegible. Furthermore, music education and self-directed practice is one area of education which is not widely gamified, with gamification describing a technique that drives specific human behaviors, motivates users, and has proven success in influencing learning. An application could therefore be created to respond to these needs by recording and tracking music practice whilst also gamifying student learning. An algorithm which accommodates these requirements is presented in this paper

Incentive Regulation of Electricity Distribution Networks: Lessons of Experience from Britain

This paper reviews the recent experience of the UK electricity distribution sector under incentive regulation. The UK has a significant and transparent history in implementing incentive regulation in the period since 1990. We demonstrate the successes of this period in reducing costs, prices and energy losses while maintaining quality of service. We also draw out the lessons for other countries in implementing distribution sector reform. We conclude by discussing the place of incentive regulation of networks within the wider reform context, the required legislative framework, the need for appropriate unbundling, the importance of quality of service incentives, the regulatory information requirements and the role of sector rationalisation

The DAFNEplus programme for sustained type 1 diabetes self management: Intervention development using the Behaviour Change Wheel

AIMS: Self-management programmes for type 1 diabetes, such as the UK's Dose Adjustment for Normal Eating (DAFNE), improve short-term clinical outcomes but difficulties maintaining behavioural changes attenuate long-term impact. This study used the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) framework to revise the DAFNE intervention to support sustained behaviour change. METHODS: A four-step method was based on the BCW intervention development approach: 1) Identifying self-management behaviours and barriers/enablers to maintaining them via stakeholder consultation and evidence synthesis, and mapping barriers/enablers to the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation-Behaviour (COM-B) model. 2) Specifying behaviour change techniques (BCTs) in the existing DAFNE intervention using the Behaviour Change Techniques Taxonomy (BCTTv1). 3) Identifying additional BCTs to target the barriers/enablers using the BCW and BCTTv1. 4) Parallel stakeholder consultation to generate recommendations for intervention revision. Revised materials were co-designed by stakeholders (diabetologists, psychologists, specialist nurses and dietitians). RESULTS: Thirty-four barriers and five enablers to sustaining self-management post-DAFNE, were identified. The existing DAFNE intervention contained 24 BCTs, which partially addressed the enablers. Twenty-seven BCTs were added, including 'Habit formation', 'Credible source' and 'Conserving mental resources'. Fifteen stakeholder-agreed recommendations for content and delivery were incorporated into the final DAFNEplus intervention, comprising three co-designed components: (1) face-to-face group learning course, (2) individual structured follow-up sessions, (3) technological support, including blood glucose data management. CONCLUSIONS: This method provided a systematic approach to specifying and revising a behaviour change intervention incorporating stakeholder input. The revised DAFNEplus intervention aims to support the maintenance of behavioural changes by targeting barriers and enablers to sustaining self-management behaviours