Advancing a Conceptual Model of Evidence-Based Practice Implementation in Public Service Sectors

Implementation science is a quickly growing discipline. Lessons learned from business and medical settings are being applied but it is unclear how well they translate to settings with different historical origins and customs (e.g., public mental health, social service, alcohol/drug sectors). The purpose of this paper is to propose a multi-level, four phase model of the implementation process (i.e., Exploration, Adoption/Preparation, Implementation, Sustainment), derived from extant literature, and apply it to public sector services. We highlight features of the model likely to be particularly important in each phase, while considering the outer and inner contexts (i.e., levels) of public sector service systems

Material requirements planning system infusion

There is increasing pressure upon manufacturing firms to make their processes more efficient and effective. An important factor for improving these manufacturing processes is production and inventory management, and a variety of production and inventory management information systems such as Material Requirements Planning (MRP) have thus been developed. However, MRP has a significant history of implementation problems. To help explain why these problems occur, this paper examines factors affecting MRP implementation from a innovation diffusion perspective. Within this perspective, the effect of manufacturing tasks and MRP technology on the infusion of MRP are examined. Data are gatherered via longitudinal telephone survey of US manufacturing firms to determine these effects. A logistical regression analysis of the data indicates that factors such as production complexity which affect MRP adoption can work in an opposite direction for MRP infusion (the use of MRP to its "fullest potential"). This implies that it may be advantageous for some firms to adopt and maintain MRP at low infusion levels rather than attempting to increase infusion over time. These results help explain some of the problems currently associated with MRP implementation and help point out potential problem areas for those contemplating MRP implementation.material requirements planning information system implementation diffusion of innovations

Zonación sismotectónica del NO de la Península Ibérica

The northwestern part of the Iberian Peninsula shows a permanent seismicity of low to moderate magnitude within the seismotectonic context of the Euro-Mediterranean region. However, a significant increase of seismic activity has taken place since 1995. Several crises have occurred in Lugo province, with a main earthquake of magnitude 5.3 in 1997. A detailed study of the local seismicity was undertaken between 1999 and 2002, based on the deployment of a temporary network. More than 500 local earthquakes were recorded, with epicentres scattered irregularly over the NW Iberian Peninsula, including the continental platform. The highest concentration of events is located onshore the Atlantic margin, in the southern and eastern part of Galicia, decreasing progressively eastwards. The characterization of this recent activity in relation with the different identified tectonic provinces has allowed to establish a new seismotectonic zonation of the northwestern region. Our results allow to differentiate five main seismotectonic domains with similar structural characteristics and a homogenous seismic behavior. This zonation supposes an advance in the regional seismotectonic knowledge and constitutes the basic document for future seismic hazard estimation in this area.Este trabajo ha sido financiado por los proyectos AMB98-1012-C02-02, REN2001-1734-CO3-02/MAR y CSD2006-0041 'Topo-Iberia’ (CONSOLIDER-2010).Peer Reviewe