Evaluation Policy and Evaluation Practice

Three issues for evaluation policy and practice are described: evaluation policy dimensions, evaluation policy instruments, and the political and economic environment for evaluation policy. Selected future directions are outlined, including the need to describe the evaluation policy landscape, further articulate an evaluation policy taxonomy, and develop and implement tactics for influencing evaluation policy, with particular attention to the role of professional associations

Bridging Arctic pathways: integrating hydrology, geomorphology and remote sensing in the North

Dissertation (Ph.D.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2015This work presents improved approaches for integrating patterns and processes within hydrology, geomorphology, ecology and permafrost on Arctic landscapes. Emphasis was placed on addressing fundamental interdisciplinary questions using robust, repeatable methods. Water tracks were examined in the foothills of the Brooks Range to ascertain their role within the range of features that transport water in Arctic regions. Classes of water tracks were developed using multiple factor analysis based on their geomorphic, soil and vegetation characteristics. These classes were validated to verify that they were repeatable. Water tracks represented a broad spectrum of patterns and processes primarily driven by surficial geology. This research demonstrated a new approach to better understanding regional hydrological patterns. The locations of the water track classes were mapped using a combination method where intermediate processing of spectral classifications, texture and topography were fed into random forests to identify the water track classes. Overall, the water track classes were best visualized where they were the most discrete from the background landscape in terms of both shape and content. Issues with overlapping and imbalances between water track classes were the biggest challenges. Resolving the spatial locations of different water tracks represents a significant step forward for understanding periglacial landscape dynamics. Leaf area index (LAI) calculations using the gap-method were optimized using normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) as input for both WorldView-2 and Landsat-7 imagery. The study design used groups to separate the effects of surficial drainage networks and the relative magnitude of change in NDVI over time. LAI values were higher for the WorldView-2 data and for each sensor and group combination the distribution of LAI values was unique. This study indicated that there are tradeoffs between increased spatial resolution and the ability to differentiate landscape features versus the increase in variability when using NDVI for LAI calculations. The application of geophysical methods for permafrost characterization in Arctic road design and engineering was explored for a range of conditions including gravel river bars, burned tussock tundra and ice-wedge polygons. Interpretations were based on a combination of Directcurrent resistivity - electrical resistivity tomography (DCR-ERT), cryostratigraphic information via boreholes and geospatial (aerial photographs & digital elevation models) data. The resistivity data indicated the presence/absence of permafrost; location and depth of massive ground ice; and in some conditions changes in ice content. The placement of the boreholes strongly influenced how geophysical data can be interpreted for permafrost conditions and should be carefully considered during data collection strategies

Geophysical Applications for Arctic/Subarctic Transportation Planning

This report describes a series of geophysical surveys conducted in conjunction with geotechnical investigations carried out by the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the value of and potential uses for data collected via geophysical techniques with respect to ongoing investigations related to linear infrastructure. One or more techniques, including direct-current resistivity, capacitive-coupled resistivity, and ground-penetrating radar, were evaluated at sites in continuous and discontinuous permafrost zones. Results revealed that resistivity techniques adequately differentiate between frozen and unfrozen ground, and in some instances, were able to identify individual ice wedges in a frozen heterogeneous matrix. Capacitive-coupled resistivity was found to be extremely promising due to its relative mobility as compared with direct-current resistivity. Ground-penetrating radar was shown to be useful for evaluating the factors leading to subsidence in an existing road. Taken as a whole, the study results indicate that supplemental geophysical surveys may add to the quality of a geotechnical investigation by helping to optimize the placement of boreholes. Moreover, such surveys may reduce the overall investigation costs by reducing the number of boreholes required to characterize the subsurface

A Protocol of Systems Evaluation

National Science Foundation Systems Evaluation Grant No. EREC-053549

A Theory of Systems Evaluation

National Science Foundation Systems Evaluation Grant No. EREC-053549

Application of a affinity diagram to improve the technological services of the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia

[EN] Affinity diagram techniques are used to discern the key points of an organization or key factors that will lead to an improvement in competitive advantages. In this paper we do a first approximation to identify which services offered by the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia could be improved with the use of new technologies[ES] El uso de las técnicas de affinity diagram está cada día más en alza como método para discernir los puntos clave de una organización o los resortes que darán lugar a una mejora competitiva. El caso que nos ocupa es una primera aproximación a la identificación de qué servicios de los que ofrece la Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, podrían ser mejorados con el uso de nuevas tecnologías.Pons Morera, C.; Canós Darós, L.; Gil Pechuán, I. (2012). Diagrama de afinidad aplicado a mejorar los servicios tecnológicos de la Universidad Politécnica de Valencia. Working Papers on Operations Management. 3(1):46-60. doi:10.4995/wpom.v3i1.969SWORD46603

The Development and Validation of a Generic Instrument, QoDoS, for Assessing the Quality of Decision Making.

Introduction: The impact of decision-making during the development and the regulatory review of medicines greatly influences the delivery of new medicinal products. Currently, there is no generic instrument that can be used to assess the quality of decision-making. This study describes the development of the Quality of Decision-Making Orientation Scheme QoDoS© instrument for appraising the quality of decision-making. Methods: Semi-structured interviews about decision-making were carried out with 29 senior decision makers from the pharmaceutical industry (10), regulatory authorities (9) and contract research organizations (10). The interviews offered a qualified understanding of the subjective decision-making approach, influences, behaviors and other factors that impact such processes for individuals and organizations involved in the delivery of new medicines. Thematic analysis of the transcribed interviews was carried out using NVivo8® software. Content validity was carried out using qualitative and quantitative data by an expert panel, which led to the developmental version of the QoDoS. Further psychometric evaluations were performed, including factor analysis, item reduction, reliability testing and construct validation. Results: The thematic analysis of the interviews yielded a 94-item initial version of the QoDoS© with a 5-point Likert scale. The instrument was tested for content validity using a panel of experts for language clarity, completeness, relevance and scaling, resulting in a favorable agreement by panel members with an intra-class correlation coefficient value of 0.89 (95% confidence interval = 0.56, 0.99). A 76-item QoDoS© (version 2) emerged from content validation. Factor analysis produced a 47-item measure with four domains. The 47-item QoDoS© (version 3) showed high internal consistency (n=120, Cronbach’s alpha = 0.89), high reproducibility (n=20, intra-class correlation =0.77) and a mean completion time of 10 min. Reliability testing and construct validation was successfully performed.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Modeling discharge using HBV in the Imnavait Basin, North Slope, Alaska

Thesis (M.S.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2009"The Arctic fresh water hydrological cycle is dominated by the melting of the seasonal snow cover and scattered precipitation events during the summer months. Predicting and characterizing potential hydrological response is an important component for engineering infrastructure for the appropriate climatic conditions. A semi-distributed Swedish conceptual model, HBV, has been applied to the Imnavait basin, located in the headwaters of the Kuparuk River on the North Slope of Alaska, to examine runoff during spring and summer months. The methodology began by analyzing the long-term climatic records of the Imnavait basin from 1986 to present. Initial calibration work was completed in both spring and summer periods using the Monte Carlo technique; one set from each period was selected and used in the complete version of HBV. The model was recalibrated from 1988 to 2002 and then validated against the 2003 to 2008 time frame. The overall model performance was adequate for engineering purposes, with the best results when the input precipitation was accurate in terms of timing and magnitude. Differences between observed and modeled results included the impact of snow-damming and evaporation during the spring, while convective storms and melting of basal ice in the active layer distorted the summer period"--Leaf iiiAlaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, Alaskan Department of Natural Resources, National Science Foundation, Office of Polar Programs (OPP-0335941