Nantucket Sound Offshore Wind Stakeholder Process

In response to government efforts to promote renewable energy development, Cape Wind Associates proposed the first offshore wind farm in the United States. The plan has been met with both vehement opposition and ardent support. In response to an increasingly unproductive debate over the project, the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC), a quasi-state agency, held a series of stakeholder meetings to establish a shared framework for analyzing the proposed wind farm. Through a facilitated process, stakeholders established rules and agendas for the six resulting meetings, which included presentations, discussions, and questions and answer sessions. The MTC compiled a wealth of materials generated by these meetings and made the results widely available both online and on compact disc. Most participants in the stakeholder sessions found substantial value in the opportunity for information exchange in a neutral setting. The MTC concluded that unbiased, reliable information is a powerful tool in fostering acceptance of new renewable energy technologies; however, in the case of offshore wind development, aesthetic concerns and the absence of an established regulatory framework for ocean-based renewable energy projects remain significant obstacles

What Really Matters: An Empirical Study on the Relative Importance of the CIO and the Maturity of the IS Organization in Producing Effective IS Performance

How do IS leader effectiveness and IS organizational maturity impact IS unit effectiveness? Drawing on existing CIO capabilities literature, IS organizational maturity literature and IS effectiveness literature, this paper proposes to gather and analyze survey data to compare the capabilities of the CIO with the IS unit’s organizational maturity to empirically determine which more influences IS effectiveness. The role of CIO in creating IS unit organizational maturity will also be tested

Medi-Cal Expansion under the Affordable Care Act: Significant Increase in Coverage with Minimal Cost to the State

Since 2011, California has been taking steps towards expanding Medicaid under the Afordable Care Act (ACA) by implementing Low Income Health Programs (LIHPs) in most California counties. Under the "Bridge to Reform" Medicaid §1115 waiver, just over 500,000 California adults are currently enrolled in coverage in advance of ACA implementation using federal and county funds. he vast majority of these LIHP enrollees can become eligible for Medi-Cal coverage under the ACA beginning January 1, 2014, and the remainder will be eligible for subsidies through Covered California (the California Health Benefit Exchange).In early 2013, California legislators will consider bills to implement a key provision of the ACA that would expand Medi-Cal to low-income adults under age 65, including those without children living at home. Lawfully-present childless adults with income up to 138 percent of the Federal Poverty Level and parents with income between 106 percent and 138 percent of the Federal Poverty Level will be newly eligible. Some unenrolled children and parents who are already income-eligible for the program under existing eligibility rules could also enroll due to the minimum coverage requirement to obtain insurance created by the ACA, improved eligibility, enrollment and redetermination processes, and enhanced awareness of coverage options.In this report, we estimate the growth in Medi-Cal enrollment among both the newly and already eligible using the UC Berkeley-UCLA California Simulation of Insurance Markets (CalSIM) model. We discuss the broader impact of the Medi-Cal Expansion in terms of health outcomes, providers and the economy. We estimate the federal and state spending on increased Medi-Cal enrollment, along with the state tax revenues generated by new federal Medi-Cal spending and potential savings in other areas of the budget

NASAs Human Landing System: The Strategy for the 2024 Mission and Future Sustainability

In response to the 2018 White House Space Policy Directive- sustainable lunar exploration, and to the Vice Presidents March 2019 direction to do so by 2024, NASA is working to establish humanity's presence on and around the Moon by: 1) sending payloads to its surface, 2) assembling the Gateway outpost in orbit and 3) demonstrating the first human lunar landings since 1972. NASAs Artemis program is implementing a multi-faceted and coordinated agency-wide approach with a focus on the lunar South Pole. The Artemis missions will demonstrate new technologies, capabilities and business approaches needed for future exploration, including Mars. Assessing options to accelerate development of required systems, NASA is utilizing public-private engagements through the Human Exploration and Operations (HEO) Mission Directorates NextSTEP Broad Agency Announcements. The design, development and demonstration of the Human Landing System (HLS) is expected to be led by commercial partners. Utilizing efforts across mission directorates, the Artemis effort will benefit from programs from the Science Mission Directorate (SMD) and Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD). SMDs Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative will procure commercial robotic lunar delivery services and the development of science instruments and technology demonstration payloads. The Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) portfolio of technology advancements relative to HLS include lunar lander components and technologies for pointing, navigation and tracking, fuel storage and transfer, autonomy and mobility, communications, propulsion and power. In addition to describing the objectives and requirements of the 2024 Artemis mission, this paper will present NASAs approach to accessing the lunar surface with an affordable human-rated landing system, current status and the role o a sustainable lunar presence

Strategy in a Digital World

Organizations are increasingly adopting digital strategies and investing heavily in digital technologies and initiatives. However, to date, there does not appear to be a clear understanding of digital strategies and their purpose, which forms the motivation for this research. This research-in-progress study aims to address this research gap by exploring 1) the various conceptions of digital strategy, and 2) the way in which digital strategies differ from conventional strategies. We interviewed three senior executives and employed thematic analysis to analyse the interview data, which resulted in the construction of ten themes that were grouped under three theoretical constructs. We then explored the applicability of the six dimensions of strategy proposed by Hax (1990) in the digital context and proposed two additional dimensions. The contribution of this study is to provide a deeper understanding of digital strategy to support further academic research and provide guidance to practitioners

Digital Government Strategy Derivation: A Matter of Design

The fast pace of technological development coupled with intensified competition and changing customers’ expectations are heavily affecting traditional industries such as banks. Once a stable industry, banks find themselves in need of developing agile operations that quickly detect and respond to volatile markets and changing customer needs and expectations. In this paper, we present an explorative case study on how a large European bank (EuroBank) creates this customer agility. The findings show that customer agility requires the formation of dynamic capabilities that combine ICT capabilities and organizational routines in harmonious and active ways. Based on the dynamic capabilities approach and the case data analysis, we develop a Customer Agility Capabilities (CAC) framework. It depicts the dynamic capabilities, with their alignment, that are necessary for achieving customer agility and the associated operational agility

A non-historical introduction for students to the periodic table

Background In many Universities there is a growing population of first year students who enter the system with very little prior knowledge of the subject. This, coupled with preconceived ideas of subject difficulty, necessitates that the introduction of key concepts is carried out in a non-threatening, engaging and simplistic manner. To this end, we have introduced a number of strategies to address this first contact situation with key concepts for first year chemistry students. One of the most important tools that a chemistry educator has at their disposal is the periodic table and this provides an important foundation for all aspects of chemistry. Indeed the periodic table is a fundamental classificatory system which underpins the whole realm of chemistry (Rouvray, 2004) and has even managed to transmute beyond the chemistry domain (e.g., Pugno, Marino and Carpinteri, 2005 & Brooks 2015). Traditionally this chemistry resource is introduced in a historical manner which identifies various aspects and builds up the table through time often highlighting key individuals. Numerous alternatives to this traditional approach also exist such as a context-based introductions (Demircioglu, 2009). We have adopted a novel non-historical approach for introducing the periodic table to our first year chemistry students beginning with the periodic table of super heroes (important historical components/aspects are introduced in other parts of the course and or in other chemistry courses). Aims Our aim was to develop, implement and refine a novel introduction to the periodic table for students which is based on key features of the periodic table including; Grouping using blocks and colour, Numbering, Use of Abbreviations, Combining individual objects/elements together, Transitioning across and down the Periodic table e.g., Size changes across and down the table. Design and methods We presented the key framework of the periodic table using a variety of illustrative ‘Tables’ with objects and components already familiar to the student. This included the periodic table of iPad apps, fruit and nuts, meat and super heroes. Each table is used to illustrate a key feature or features which is transferable to aspects relating to the periodic table of elements. Results Initial feedback from students was positive in relation to understanding the key aspects listed in the aims. Conclusions A contemporary and novel approach to introducing the periodic table, suitable for students of varying subject knowledge has been incorporated into the first year chemistry course (currently in its fourth iteration and delivery for first year students). References Brooks, C. (2015). The Periodic Table of the Electric Utiligy Landscape: A Series of Visual Tools for Enhanced Policy Analysis, The Electricity Journal, 28: 82-95. Demircioglu, H., Demircioglu, G., & Calik, M. (2009). Investigating the effectiveness of storylines embedded within a context-based approach: the case for the Periodic Table, Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 10: 241-249. Pugno, N., Marino, F., & Carpinteri, A. (2006). Towards a periodic table for the nanomechanical properties of the elements, International Journal of Solids and Structures, 43: 5647-5657. Rouvray, D. H. (2004). Elements in the history of the Periodic Table, Endeavour, 28: 69-74