Performance measurement in public sector organisation : application of balanced scorecard (BSC) in a UK local government authority

This thesis explores the suitability of using 'Balanced Scorecard (BSC) -a performance measurement model developed by Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton of Harvard Business School, USA' as a performance measurement framework for public sector organisations like UK Local Government Authorities. The research study was carried out using 'Case Study' method and the performance measurement model used for this study was a modified BSC model for'Non profit and public sector organisations' The test of the modified model of BSC was done on the London Borough of Tower Hamlets Corporate, Social and Housing Service Directorates. The testing of the model involved developing prototype 'Strategy Maps' and 'Scorecards' for all three service directorates and validating these through interviewing relevant officials. As each of the directorates were different in terms of service delivery objectives, stakeholders and performance measures or indicators, three sets of proto type strategy maps and scorecards were developed. The Strategy map included the vision, mission and strategic objectives of the organisation and directorates while scorecard showed the strategic objectives and their performance measures grouped under four perspectives of BSCService Users, Community and Stakeholders, Resource Management, Internal Process and Learning & growth. For validation of the proto type strategy maps and scorecards, senior officials of Tower Hamlets Council were interviewed. The analysis of the interview responses confirmed that the modified BSC model is suitable as a performance measurement framework for a local government authority like London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Some of the officials interviewed believed that if implemented properly, the BSC model can help achieve organisational alignment and inform next cycle of decision making. This may be an interesting area for further research

ANALISIS STATUS DAN INDIKATOR KINERJA PEMBANGUNAN BERKELANJUTAN PERIKANAN MINI PURSE SEINE DI PANTAI UTARA JAWA

Hingga saat ini informasi dasar bagi formulasi kebijakan pembangunan berkelanjutan di subsektor perikanan tangkap di Indonesia masih banyak didasarkan pada hasil pengkajian stoksumberdaya (sfock assessment) species target. Pendekatan stock assessment ini sangat membutuhkan informasi yang substansial, survei independen dan model yang rumit serta banyak dinilai tidak cukup memadai untuk menilai kelestarian sumberdaya perikanan yang sangat bersifat multi-dimensi

ASSOCIATIVE EFFECT OF MOLASSES-UREA BLOCK AND FORAGE QUALITY ON NUTRIENT DIGESTION AND NITROGEN RETENTION IN SHEEP

A study was conducted in a 4x4 Latin square design involving four adult crossbred (Kaghani x Rambouillet) weather kept in individual metabolic crates and four experimental diets viz: maize stovers (Diet A), maize stovers with 150 g/d molasses-urea block (Diet B), lucerne hay (Diet C)and lucerne hay with 150 g/d molasses-urea block (Diet D). The forage intake was restricted to 2% of body weight. Each experimental period consisted 10 days of adaptation followed by five days of data collection. Total dry matter intake on molasses-urea block (MUB) supplemented diets was higher (p<0.05) than unsupplemented diets. The daily quantity of total dry matter and water consumed by weathers was higher (p < 0.001) on MUB supplemented diets. Water consumption was positively co-related to nitrogen intake (r2 0.66: p< 0.00 I) and varied due to diets (p < 0.00 I). in vivo dry matter digestibility (DMD) and organic matter digestibility (OMD) of lucerne hay-based diets were greater (P< 005) than those containing maize stovers. Supplementation of MUB did not affect the DMD or OMD of the diets. The interaction of MUB and forage (P = 0.06) revealed that MUB was effective in increasing (P< 0.05) the nitrogen digestibility of maize stovers from 30,59% on diet A to 51.33% on diet B but did not affect the nitrogen digestibility in animals fed lucerne hay. The wethers receiving lucerne hay-based diets retained more nitrogen (p< 0.001) than those given maize stovers (8.50 's 3,12 g/d). Molasses-urea block supplementation on both forages increased (p < 0.05) the nitrogen retention. Mean nitrogen retention was I 82. 4.41, 7 .19 and 9.82 gld in wethers receiving diets A. B. C and D. respectively. Mean rumen ammonia concentration (mg N/lOO ml) in wethers receiving maize stovers. was 10.52. which increased (p< 0,05) to 17.87 in response to MUB supplementation. On lucerne hay. the rumen ammonia concentrations did not change due to MUB and the mean values on diets C and D were 24,24 and 29.88 mg N/100 ml. rcspectively. It was concluded that MUB supplementation did not affect in vivo dry matter or organic matter digestibility of the experimental diets. but was effective in supporting higher nitrogen retention. Diets based on lucerne hay supported higher nitrogen retention in wethers than those fed maize stovers. Feeding of MUB increased the demand for drinking water

Modulation of biointeractions by electrically switchable oligopeptide surfaces: structural requirements and mechanism

Understanding the dynamic behavior of switchable surfaces is of paramount importance for the development of controllable and tailor-made surface materials. Herein, electrically switchable mixed self-assembled monolayers based on oligopeptides have been investigated in order to elucidate their conformational mechanism and structural requirements for the regulation of biomolecular interactions between proteins and ligands appended to the end of surface tethered oligopeptides. The interaction of the neutravidin protein to a surface appended biotin ligand was chosen as a model system. All the considerable experimental data, taken together with detailed computational work, support a switching mechanism in which biomolecular interactions are controlled by conformational changes between fully extended ( ON state) and collapsed ( OFF state) oligopeptide conformer structures. In the fully extended conformation, the biotin appended to the oligopeptide is largely free from steric factors allowing it to efficiently bind to the neutravidin from solution. While under a collapsed conformation, the ligand presented at the surface is partially embedded in the second component of the mixed SAM, and thus sterically shielded and inaccessible for neutravidin binding. Steric hindrances aroused from the neighboring surface-confined oligopeptide chains exert a great influence over the conformational behaviour of the oligopeptides, and as a consequence, over the switching efficiency. Our results also highlight the role of oligopeptide length in controlling binding switching efficiency. This study lays the foundation for designing and constructing dynamic surface materials with novel biological functions and capabilities, enabling their utilization in a wide variety of biological and medical applications