1,611 research outputs found
The Cost of Quality Out-of-School-Time Programs, Executive Summary
Funders and program planners need a clear understanding of the costs of quality afterschool or summer programs to make sound investments. With support from The Wallace Foundation, P/PV partnered with The Finance Project to embark on one of the largest and most rigorous out-of-school-time (OST) cost studies to date, collecting detailed data from 111 programs that varied dramatically in their focus, content, location, staffing, management and hours of operation.This executive summary highlights the full report's key findings, summarizes variations in program costs and provides recommendations for policymakers and funders who seek to build and sustain quality OST programs for children and youth in their communities.In addition, a companion online cost calculator that provides stakeholders with estimates for various program options is available atwww.wallacefoundation.org/cost-of-quality
The Cost of Quality Out-of-School-Time Programs
Funders and program planners want to know: What does it cost to operate a high-quality after-school or summer program? This study answers that question, discovering that there is no "right" number. Cost varies substantially, depending on the characteristics of the participants, the goals of the program, who operates it and where it is located. Based on detailed cost data collected from 111 out-of-school-time programs in six cities, this report, along with an online calculator (www.wallacefoundation.org/cost-of-quality), provides cost averages and ranges for many common types of programs
Computer aided estimating for civil engineering contractors
At the start of the research the impact of computers upon
the world of estimating for civil engineering works had been minimal
and barely touched the six thousand middle sized companies within the
construction industry, The challenge of the research was to:
-determine the requirements of a computer aided estimating
system for civil engineering estimators:
-to design a system to meet those requirements;
-to produce and field test the system:
-to explore the use of estimator's data within other
functions within the contractor's organization,
A study and critical appraisal of previous research and the six types of existing estimating systems was made to determine why
computers have failed to make an impact upon this area of the
construction industry, The estimating and tendering process was
examined by interviewing eight estimators from three different civil
engineering companies a minimum of four times over a period of one
year. Eleven existing methods of task analysis were examined, were
found satisfactory for the analysis of the estimator's tasks for the
purpose of the research, A hybrid method of analysis was developed
which was used to analyse the estimator's tasks for the purpose of
producing a Specification for a computer aided estimating system,
The system was produced by an iterative method of design,
development, testing and re-design until an acceptable solution was
reached,
The system was tested by:
-installing a minicomputer within the estimating department
of a civil engineering contractor's organization and
inviting six estimators to test and comment on the system;
-demonstrating the system to individuals and groups of
practising estimators from forty construction companies
where comments on all aspects were noted,
As a result of the research a computer aided estimating system
that was acceptable to civil engineering estimators was produced, To
date eight such systems have been installed within contractor's offices
and this fact gives some indication of the success in meeting this
main objective. The other outcome of this work is:
the determination of the implementation and user support
requirements for the introduction of computer aided estimating
systems into contractor's organizations;
the production of user support facilities for the system
including a comprehensive user manual and training programmes
for the system,
In addition the work has created a platform for the construction
of a completed linked suite of construction management programmes
unavailable before because of the paucity of existing computer aided
estimating systems
Who is the climate-induced trapped figure?
Many will remember the 1990s alarmist narratives of how a human tide of up to a billion climate refugees would flood âourâ borders by 2050. By 2011, a new character joined the discourse: the trapped figure. No longer would climatically vulnerable people be forced to move, they could also end up immobile. This review examines the narratives that surround the trapped figure. The article highlights the trapped figure's (i) characterisation, (ii) geography, and (iii) storytellers. The material includes the 2011 Foresight Report, 64 English peer-reviewed journal articles, and seven UNFCCC policy reports. The textual analysis furthers our understanding of the values that shape the meaning of the trapped figure within the wider discursive economy. Out of the 64 articles, 48 located the trapped figure in Asia, while 34 placed the figure in Africa. Meanwhile, the majority of articlesâ62 in totalâwere written by scholars based at European research institutes. The study shows that the trapped figure, much as the mythical climate refugee and migrant, is constructed as both a victim in need of rescuing and as an ambiguous security threat. It is ethically problematic that planned relocation was often put forward as an effective tool to âmoveâ the figure out of harm's way. The review also found a range of binary opposites in the discourse on trapped populations, including those of orderâdisorder, freedomâunfreedom, and victimâsavior. This suggests that however well-intentioned the liberal discourse on trapped populations appear, it remains embedded in power relations which demands for critical scrutiny
Designing to encourage waste minimisation in the construction industry
The process of waste minimisation through âdesigning out wasteâ is in its infancy. Many barriers and
opportunities exist in developing waste minimisation strategies in design. The paper will summarise the
initial findings of the authorsâ recent research. It is intended to stimulate thought into the concept of
designing out waste. By outlining the causative factors of waste through design and the principle strategies
for waste reduction, the paper highlights the present status of this important subject and question whether
adequate emphasis is being put on the initial stages of the waste hierarchy â reduce, reuse, recycle.
The paper introduces the various options for waste minimisation in design, including designing for
recycling, extended life, disassembly and designing out waste. It concludes by highlighting the links between
âdesigning out wasteâ and the future waste management and recycling industries, indicating where
opportunities may exist
Coulomb and Higgs Phases of -manifolds
Ricci flat manifolds of special holonomy are a rich framework as models of
the extra dimensions in string/-theory. At special points in vacuum moduli
space, special kinds of singularities occur and demand a physical
interpretation. In this paper we show that the topologically distinct
-holonomy manifolds arising from desingularisations of codimension four
orbifold singularities due to Joyce and Karigiannis correspond physically to
Coulomb and Higgs phases of four dimensional gauge theories. The results
suggest generalisations of the Joyce-Karigiannis construction to arbitrary
ADE-singularities and higher order twists which we explore in detail in
explicitly solvable local models. These models allow us to derive an
isomorphism between moduli spaces of Ricci flat metrics on these non-compact
-manifolds and flat ADE-connections on compact flat 3-manifolds which we
establish explicitly for .Comment: 22 page
Agricultural Practices for Growing Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) in Iowa: I. Morphology, Stem, and Fiber Yield
Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) is a promising biorenewable resource for producing natural fibers but few studies have investigated the crop when grown in cooler climates, such as the American Midwest. The objectives of this study were to: 1) determine the agricultural practices (row spacing, seed, and N rates) leading to optimal kenaf dry matter (DM) stem and fiber yield in âTainung 2â and âWhittenâ; 2) evaluate stem height, basal diameter, and leaf area index (LAI) over the growing season; and 3) assess the influence of management practices on fiber (bast and core lignocellulose) composition, and carbon (C), N, and total ash concentration. Kenaf cultivars Tainung 2 and Whitten were planted in Boone County, IA in 2014 and 2015 at 247,000 or 371,000 seed haâ1, in 38âcm or 76âcm rows that received 0, 56, 112, 168, or 224 kg N haâ1. Stand density, core:bast fiber ratio, and basal stem diameter were influenced by threeâway interactions. Stem height at harvest was influenced by the main effects of row spacing, seeding rate, and N fertilization rate. Nitrogen fertilization did not influence stem DM yield, regardless of application rate. Kenaf is a promising multiâpurpose crop that could contribute to the natural fiber marker, as well as diversifying the landscape. Kenaf is well adapted to Iowa and can be produced with a range of management practices
Performance indicators for 'micro-projects' in developing countries
The majority of public works contracts undertaken in developing countries have a total cost of less than US$15,000. They include the provision of enhanced water and sanitation, access ways and pavements, small community buildings and solid waste related construction. We term these projects, âmicro-projectsâ. There is a general lack of information for such projects. This paper describes the development and testing of sixty seven performance indicators for use on âmicro-projectsâ. They include not only general performance indicators but also indicators for inter-organisational and socio-economic issues. These indicators are based on data from a total of over 800 micro-projects undertaken in developing countries. For each indicator we provide a statement of why the indicator was selected, the key sources of information, and how to determine the indicator. Examples of the use of the indicators are also presented
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