Development of a Hybrid Agile Management Model in Local Self-Government Units

Local self-government units (LSGUs) often view project management as an accompanying activity not really giving it the appropriate level of importance. Challenges of traditional project management where the projects are segmented into discrete paths each dependent on the completion of the previous phase but without feedback or iteration can be overwhelming in a rigid governmental organizational structures. Such could be avoided by changing the way the projects are managed and/or changing the organizational structure. In both cases agile approach can be helpful. However, a priori implementation can cause more damage than good. It is the thinking behind the Agile principles that would adapt to the needs and particularities of the work environment it is implemented in, especially in light of the variety of activities of government bodies. The proposed model, Hybrid Agile Model, aims at defining a new, flexible, management structure for local self-government units, based on the development of human resources and constant change of culture, never neglecting the regular activities of such bodies, and all while making them more reliable and effective. The model has been described in detail along with the implementation process that has been tested on LSGU City of Poreč

AGILE ORGANIZATIONAL MODEL FOR MANAGING LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROJECTS

Local self-government units often consider project management as an accompanying activity and therefore do not accord it the appropriate level of importance. The term “agile” refers to a series of methods developed for more flexible project management. Thus, the background of an agile concept and its content are presented in this paper. Furthermore, the concept is compared with traditional project management methodologies. However, a priori implementation of agile-based model in an unrealistic solution can cause more damage than good. Hence, this paper proposes an agile-based matrix organizational model that adapts to the needs and particularities of the work environment in which it implemented, especially the various activities of government bodies. The model will define a new and flexible management structure for local self-government units based on the development of human resources, constant change of culture, and regular activities of government bodies, thereby improving their reliability and effectiveness

Working Group “Yellow”. Environmental pollution monitoring and adverse effects of chemicals used in food production (FoCUS – Food Chemicals Used Safely)

This project addresses the need to assess the environmental and health risks of chemicals used in food production, since their release into the environment may lead to different ecological effects. The occurrence and effects of selected chemicals on wildlife and humans will be addressed to provide data sets, which are necessary for scientifically-based risk assessment. Special emphasis will be put on the combined effects of environmentally relevant mixtures. A combination of state-of-the-art methods will be applied to predict synergistic and/or additive effects of combined exposure. Development and implementation of new technologies for waste treatment and re-use of food industry by-products by converting them into value-added items will also be a significant task

Analiza utjecaja agregacije uzoraka na prognozu potražnje

Supply chains are rarely in their basic, simple form – they involve different participants who respectively use demand forecasting methods related to their filed. Demand forecasting based on orders received instead on end user demand data will inherently become more and more inaccurate as it moves up the supply chain. Each participant in a supply chain receives different fluctuations data in the orders obtained, which is caused by the bullwhip effect. In order to mitigate these distortions, producers require the distributors to deliver the data on demand forecasting for a certain market. Thus the distributor tries to find the appropriate forecast method. This can be very difficult since the demand patterns of buyers differ. The paper analyses the pattern aggregation used for demand forecasting by applying different forecasting methods.Opskrbni lanci su vrlo rijetko u jednostavnom generičkom obliku, već uključuju različite sudionike, koji neovisno provode prognozu potražnje u svojem djelokrugu. Prognoziranje potražnje temeljem podataka o narudžbama umjesto podataka o potražnji krajnjeg kupca (korisnika) u lancu, na sljedećim višim razinama kumulativno generira sve veća odstupanja. Svaki od sudionika opskrbnog lanca tako dobiva drugačije podatke o potražnji što je uzrokovano tim kumulativnim djelovanjem, poznatim pod nazivom “efekt biča”. U cilju smanjivanja ovih nepravilnosti, proizvođači obvezuju distributere na dostavljanje podataka o prognozi potražnji na svojem tržištu. Distributeri su pritom suočeni s problemom prikupljanja i obrade heterogenih uzoraka potražnje od ostalih sudionika na nižim razinama. U radu je prikazana analiza agregacije uzoraka koji su korišteni za prognoziranje potražnje primjenom različitih metoda prognoziranja

The Effect of Semi-Natural Grassland Cutting Height on the Nutritive Value of Fermented Forage

The objective of this study was to determine the nutritive value of fermented forage from semi-natural grassland harvested at 3 cutting heights: (i) cutting height 2 cm, (ii) cutting height 6 cm and (iii) cutting height 13 cm. Fresh forage was wilted separately according to investigated treatments for 24 hours before ensiling into experimental silos. After 35-day fermentation, the ensiled forage dry matter (DM) was determined while the chemical composition, fermentation quality and biological quality parameters were predicted by NIR spectroscopy. The following parameters were predicted: corrected DM (CDM), crude protein (CP), organic matter (OM), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acidic detergent fiber (ADF), metabolic energy (ME), fermentable ME in ME (FME/ME), NH3-N, sugar residues, the digestibility of the OM in the DM (D-value) and CP degradability. Ensiled forage cut at 13 cm above the ground level had significantly lower OM content (P < 0.05) but higher ME, and D-value (P < 0.05) in comparison with forage cut at 2 or 6 cm above the ground level. The CP content was significantly affected by the cutting height (P < 0.001). The CP content was the highest at forage cut at the highest residual stubble height and was getting lower as the cutting height decreased (P < 0.001). Cutting at 2 cm above the ground level resulted in forage lower in sugar residues (P < 0.05) in comparison with cutting at higher residual stubble height (6 cm and 13 cm). It was concluded that the higher cutting height promotes higher nutritive value of fermented forage from semi-natural grassland compared to the quality of fermented forage defoliated at the lower cutting height

The Use of Ultrasound in Determining the Length of the Provox II Voice Prosthesis

The use of speech prosthesis after total laryngectomy has become an international standard for voice restoration today. Provox II voice prosthesis is not permanently inserted, and as such, it must meet the criterion of achieving prolonged retention time within the walls of tracheo-esophageal fistula (TEF). Complications after the insertion of speech prosthesis are familiar and anticipated but efforts are being made in order to reduce them. Part of the complications is caused by inadequate choice of the length of the prosthesis. The Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery in Rijeka conducted a study which included 91 patients in the period from 01.01.2004. to 31.12.2010. We used ultrasound and computerized neck tomography on 58 (63.7%) patients in preoperative procedure through which we determined the length of the subsequent TE fistula. At the same time we used this opportunity to specify the length of the speech prosthesis we have inserted primarily or secondary. The number of respondents who had complications, and with whom we used neck ultrasound during preoperative procedure in order to determine the length of the prosthesis, was significantly smaller than the number of respondents who had complications but with whom we did not use the above mentioned procedure (5.6% vs. 15.5%, p=0.042). Comparing our results to other studies, we believe that we managed to reduce the number of complications caused by inadequate length of the prosthesis, by routine preoperative use of neck ultrasound. This procedure has extended the median retention time of the prosthesis within the TE fistula, thus improving the results of speech restoration using voice prosthesis on laryngectomized patients

NOVOSTI S 2. HRVATSKOG GERONTOLOŠKOG KONGRESA S MEĐUNARODNIM SUDJELOVANJEM

U Opatiji od 8. do 12. ožujka 2006. g. odražan je 2. hrvatski gerontološki kongres s međunarodnim sudjelovanjem u organizaciji Centra za gerontologiju Zavoda za javno zdravstvo Grada Zagreba, Hrvatskog društva za gerontologiju i gerijatriju HLZ-a i Gradskog ureda za zdravstvo, rad, socijalnu zaštitu i branitelje Grada Zagreba.Na Kongresu je sudjelovalo oko 600 stručnjaka različitih profila koji se bave zaštitom zdravlja starijih osoba iz Hrvatske i Europe, a 222 sažetka tiskana su u posebnom izdanju suplementa Liječničkog vjesnika, kao knjiga sažetaka.Na Kongresu su prikazana iskustva i rezultati gerontoloških istraživanja koji se odnose na četiri glavne teme kongresa: Gerontologija i prevencija za starije osobe u svijetu i u Hrvatskoj; Gerijatrija s konkretnim primjerima iz prakse i projekcija gerijatrijske i gerontološke djelatnosti;  Razvoj  ekonomije  igospodarstva  tijekom  starenja  pučanstva  i  mirovinski  fondovi; Znanstvene spoznaje o teorijama starenja