Can we improve indicator design for complex sustainable development goals? A Comparison of a Values-Based and Conventional Approach

A conceptual framework was constructed for United Nations’ complex Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Target 4.7 focusing on education for sustainable development (ESD), and used to analyse the usefulness and character of indicators produced from a values-based approach called ESDinds, compared to a UN process. The analysis shows that the latter generated very few indicators concerning the wider aspects of knowledge such as ‘critical thinking’ or ‘learning to learn’. The values-based approach, created for a different purpose, produced complementary if not better coverage of Target 4.7, including finely-developed concepts for competencies and less tangible aspects. It is suggested that the UN process would benefit from ESDinds design elements such as intersubjective and slightly disruptive elements, purposeful contextualisation at group level, and a holistic and inductive consideration of values. The use of a reference ‘fuzzy framework’ of slightly generalised proto-indicators suited for deep contextualisation locally is recommended, rather than any rigid global-level indicator with unclear local value. It is recommended that ESD practitioners immediately develop localised interpretations of valid measures for whatever final Target 4.7 indicator is selected by the UN, as this localisation process will itself cause important learning towards local ESD achievements

Identification of the Retrofit Actions to Achieve Cost-Optimal and NZEB Levels for Residential Buildings in Istanbul Considering the Remaining Building Lifetime

Cost-optimal and nearly-zero energy building (NZEB) levels are two interrelated concepts identified for upgrading energy performance of buildings in Europe. In parallel, many research activities on retrofitting existing buildings in Turkey follow the methodology framework introduced by the European Commission. However, in Turkey, there is a process called "urban transformation" due to the earthquake risk, but the practice is based on new construction after demolishment of existing buildings. Especially in Istanbul, this process has been conducted rapidly. This specific aspect requires assessment of cost-optimal retrofit analyses considering the remaining lifespan of analysed buildings. This study presents a cost-optimality assessment method for retrofitting towards NZEB in Turkey. The method integrates payback period and investment cost assessment to the methodology in order to obtain whole picture for retrofit alternatives. In the paper, suggested method is applied to a reference residential building in Istanbul. After the initial cost-optimal analyses, payback periods and initial investment costs for selected retrofit packages are assessed considering the future lifespan of the building. Together with these, possible subsidy opportunities are also investigated. Results show that, if the expected future lifespan is higher than 10 years, retrofit actions achieving 56.2kWh/m2y primary energy consumption level are considerable. Subsidies are beneficial to obtain reasonable initial investment costs

Identification of the Retrofit Actions to Achieve Cost-Optimal and NZEB Levels for Residential Buildings in Istanbul Considering the Remaining Building Lifetime

Cost-optimal and nearly-zero energy building (NZEB) levels are two interrelated concepts identified for upgrading energy performance of buildings in Europe. In parallel, many research activities on retrofitting existing buildings in Turkey follow the methodology framework introduced by the European Commission. However, in Turkey, there is a process called “urban transformation” due to the earthquake risk, but the practice is based on new construction after demolishment of existing buildings. Especially in Istanbul, this process has been conducted rapidly. This specific aspect requires assessment of cost-optimal retrofit analyses considering the remaining lifespan of analysed buildings. This study presents a cost-optimality assessment method for retrofitting towards NZEB in Turkey. The method integrates payback period and investment cost assessment to the methodology in order to obtain whole picture for retrofit alternatives. In the paper, suggested method is applied to a reference residential building in Istanbul. After the initial cost-optimal analyses, payback periods and initial investment costs for selected retrofit packages are assessed considering the future lifespan of the building. Together with these, possible subsidy opportunities are also investigated. Results show that, if the expected future lifespan is higher than 10 years, retrofit actions achieving 56.2kWh/m2y primary energy consumption level are considerable. Subsidies are beneficial to obtain reasonable initial investment costs

The IFMIF-DONES remote handling control system: Experimental setup for OPC UA integration

The devices used to carry out Remote Handling (RH) manipulation tasks in radiation environments address requirements that are significantly different from common robotic and industrial systems due to the lack of repetitive operations and incompletely specified control actions. This imposes the need of control with human-in -the-loop operations. These RH systems are used on facilities such PRIDE, CERN, ESS, ITER or IFMIF-DONES, the reference used for this work. For the RH system is crucial to provide high availability, robustness against radiation, haptic devices for teleoperation and dexterous operation, and smooth coordination and integration with the centralized control room. To achieve this purpose is necessary to find the best approach towards a standard control framework capable of providing a standard set of functionalities, tools, interfaces, communications, and data formats to the different types of mechatronic devices that are usually considered for Remote Handling tasks. This previous phase of homogenization is not considered in most facilities, which leads towards a costly integration process during the commissioning phase of the facility.In this paper, an approach to the IFMIF-DONES RH Control framework with strong standard support based on protocols such as OPC UA has been described and validated through an experimental setup. This test bench includes a set of physical devices (PLC, conveyor belt and computers) and a set of OPC UA compatible software tools, configured and operable from any node of the University of Granada network. This proof-of-concept mockup provides flexibility to modify the dimension and complexity of the setup by using new virtual or physical devices connected to a unique backbone. Besides, it will be used to test different aspects such as control schemes, failure injection, network modeling, predictive maintenance studies, operator training on simulated/ real scenarios, usability or ergonomics of the user interfaces before the deployment. In this contribution, the results are described and illustrated using a conveyor belt set-up, a small but representative reference used to validate the RH control concepts here proposed.European Union via the Euratom Research and Training Programme 101052200 - EUROfusio

Framing purposeful evaluation through critical systems thinking

Two traditions of practice – evaluation and systems – share three significant concerns regarding development intervention: (i) making sense of complex interrelationships and the continual change brought about by such relationships; (ii) engaging with multiple (including exogenous and endogenous), often conflicting, perspectives on situations; and (iii) challenging vicious cycles of practice and understanding by cultivating a more radical learning culture. These challenges might be described successively in terms of cultivating a shift from (i) summative to formative evaluation (ii) positional bargaining to interest based negotiation, and (iii) purposive to purposeful action. Some ideas from traditions of social learning and critical systems thinking are presented to support a re-framing of intervention and evaluation from one serving the 'project state' towards one serving more radical transformative practice

Beyond OAIS : towards a reliable and consistent digital preservation implementation framework

Current work in digital preservation (DP) is dominated by the "Open Archival Information System" (OAIS) reference framework specified by the international standard ISO 14721:2003. This is a useful aid to understanding the concepts, main functional components and the basic data flows within a DP system, but does not give specific guidance on implementation-level issues. In this paper we suggest that there is a need for a reference architecture which goes beyond OAIS to address such implementationlevel issues - to specify minimum requirements in respect of the policies, processes, and metadata required to measure and validate repository trustworthiness in respect of the authenticity, integrity, renderability, meaning, and retrievability of the digital materials preserved. The suggestion is not that a particular way of implementing OAIS be specified, but, rather that general guidelines on implementation are required if the term 'OAIS-compliant' is to be meaningful in the sense of giving an assurance of attaining and maintaining an operationally adequate or better level of long-term reliability, consistency, and crosscompatibility in implemented DP systems that is measurable, verifiable, manageable, and (as far as possible) futureproofed

Developing Ontological Theories for Conceptual Models using Qualitative Research

Conceptual modelling is believed to be at the core of the IS discipline. There have been attempts to develop theoretical foundations for conceptual models, in particular ontological models as axiomatic reference systems. Although the notion of ontology has become popular in modelling theories, criticism has risen as to its philosophical presuppositions. Taking on this criticism, we discuss the task of developing socially constructed ontologies for modelling domains and outline how to enhance the expressiveness of ontological modelling theories by developing them via qualitative research methods such as Grounded Theory

A characteristics framework for Semantic Information Systems Standards

Semantic Information Systems (IS) Standards play a critical role in the development of the networked economy. While their importance is undoubted by all stakeholders—such as businesses, policy makers, researchers, developers—the current state of research leaves a number of questions unaddressed. Terminological confusion exists around the notions of “business semantics”, “business-to-business interoperability”, and “interoperability standards” amongst others. And, moreover, a comprehensive understanding about the characteristics of Semantic IS Standards is missing. The paper addresses this gap in literature by developing a characteristics framework for Semantic IS Standards. Two case studies are used to check the applicability of the framework in a “real-life” context. The framework lays the foundation for future research in an important field of the IS discipline and supports practitioners in their efforts to analyze, compare, and evaluate Semantic IS Standard