Balanced scorecard to improve strategic management control at School of Mines and Energy, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid

We studied the situation in Spanish public universities regarding the use of the Balanced Scorecard (BSC), as an instrument of control and strategic management. Also, we studied its application to the School of Mines and Energy at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. The main advantage of the BSC is that improves the organizational structure of the workplace and the achievement of the objectives that ensure long-term success. First we review the strategy for success used in the Spanish educational system and specifically in the Spanish public universities. Then using the BSC and applying the main strategic lines for the successful management of the School of Mines and Energy at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. The strategic lines affect all the college groups and the success of the BSC tool is to increase communication between the faculties, personal auxiliary, students and society in general that make up the university. First we performed a SWOT analysis (DAFO in Spanish) there are proposed different perspectives that focus the long-term strategic objectives. The BSC is designed based on the strategic objectives that set the direction through using indicators and initiatives, the goals are achieved up to the programmed schedule. In the perspective of teaching, objectives are set to update facilities and increase partnerships with other universities and businesses, encouraging ongoing training of staff and improved coordination and internal communication. The internal process perspective aims at improving the marketing, the promotion of the international dimension of the school through strategic alliances, better mobility for students and professors and improved teaching and research quality results. It continues with improving the image of the school between customer?s perspective, the quality perceived by students and the loyalty of the teaching staff by retaining talent. Finally, the financial perspective which should contain costs without harming the quality, improving the employability of students and achieve relevant jobs at teaching and research through international measurement standards.

La Planificación de Áreas Mineras en Declive : Una respuesta multidimensional = Planning Declining Mining Areas. A multidimensional response

La actividad minera tiene un gran impacto sobre el territorio, probablemente más que ninguna otra de las actividades humanas, ya que transforma el espacio en todas sus dimensiones: ecológica, ambiental, social y económica. Cuando la reducción de la rentabilidad de la explotación conduce al cierre de ésta, la repercusión sobre su entorno puede llegar a ser brutal. Pero las explotaciones mineras son muy distintas entre ellas y los efectos que su abandono producen sobre el espacio en la que se enclavan pueden ser diversos, por lo que la decisión sobre el futuro de estas áreas no es simple y evidente. Aquí se propone desarrollar una propuesta de clasificación tipológica de las minas y sus regiones con el objetivo de determinar las estrategias de intervención más adecuadas para el futuro de estos espacios y sus habitantes. En concreto se busca diferenciar los conceptos de Mina, Parque Minero, Espacio Minero y Región Minera, todos ellos fruto de la interacción de la huella de la actividad minera con el medio físico, los enclaves urbanizados, y la estructura socioeconómica de la región en la que se enclavan. Mining activity is having a great impact on the territory, probably more than any other human activity, which transforms the space in all of its dimensions, ecological, environmental, social and economic. When reducing the profitability of the operation leads to the conclusion thereof, the impact on the environment can be brutal. But mining are very different between them and the effects they produce on their abandonment in space that interlock can be diverse, so the decision on the future of these areas is not simple and obvious. This proposal aims to develop a typological classification of mines and their regions in order to determine the most appropriate intervention strategies for the future of these spaces and their inhabitants. Specifically, it seeks to differentiate the concepts of Mine, Mining Park, Space Miner and Mining Region, all the result of the interaction of the mining footprint with the physical environment, the urbanized enclaves, and the socio-economic structure of the region which interlock. El presente libro reúne las ponencias presentadas por los investigadores de la red REUSE dentro del 1er Simposio de Reutilización del Espacio Minero; evento organizado por la Universidad Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG) en Belo Horizonte, entre el 1 y el 3 de octubre de 2012, en el marco del 1er Seminario Internacional de Reconversión de Territorios. La red REUSE es una red realizada gracias a la financiación del programa CYTED

Probabilistic assessment of risk from the exposure to mercury in artisanal gold mining communities in Colombia

Colombia is one the largest per capita mercury polluters as a consequence of its artisanal gold mining operations, which are steadily increasing following the rising price of this metal. Compared to gravimetric separation methods and cyanidation, the concentration of gold using Hg amalgams presents several advantages: the process is less time-consuming and minimizes gold losses, and Hg is easily transported and inexpensive relative to the selling price of gold. Very often, mercury amalgamation is carried out on site by unprotected workers. During this operation large amounts of mercury are discharged to the environment and eventually reach the fresh water bodies in the vicinity where it is subjected to methylation. Additionally, as gold is released from the amalgam by heating on open charcoal furnaces in small workshops, mercury vapors are emitted and inhaled by the artisanal smelters and the general population

Las mineralizaciones auríferas de Galicia Occidental en la Zona de Cizalla Busto-Limideiro (A Coruña)

Las mineralizaciones de oro de Galicia Occidental ligadas a grandes estructuras comienzan a ser interpretadas de manera más rigurosa, al mismo tiempo que la continuada elevación de las cotizaciones del oro han hecho más atractiva la reactivación de áreas hasta ahora casi olvidadas. El propósito de esta investigación participa de las razones anteriores. La zona de cizalla Busto Limideiro se inscribe en una de estas estructuras, la cizalla Santa Comba-Punta Langosteira, con la que se relacionan un importante número de yacimientos auríferos entre los que destacan Corcoesto y Monte Piñor. Por su situación geológica, estos indicios se enmarcan en el Macizo Ibérico, en la Zona de Galicia Tras-os-Montes. Este trabajo aporta más conocimiento sobre un modelo general del oro de los yacimientos del noroeste español, integrándolo en los yacimientos de oro orogénico del Varisco europeo. Este estudio ha supuesto un importante esfuerzo investigador centrado sobre de los procesos genéticos que han dado lugar a las mineralizaciones auríferas. Los estudios petrográficos, metalogénicos, geoquímicos, microtemométricos y el análisis de isótopos han permitido establecer un modelo general y otros más específicos sobre la existencia y condiciones de formación en la concentración del oro mineralógico. De esta forma se ha caracterizado su mineralogía, quimismo, edad, y naturaleza de los paleofluidos que han intervinieron en su formación. De los resultados obtenidos se destaca que estas mineralizaciones se encuentran fuertemente ligadas a las estructuras y transformaciones físicas y químicas de las rocas afectadas por la banda de cizalla. Derivada de esta situación, se comprende la disposición espacial, a diversas escalas, con estructuras claramente en la transición del dominio dúctil a frágil. Además, resulta evidente, a escala macro y microscópica, el emplazamiento preferente del oro en estructuras de deformación miloníticas. Los estudios anteriores posibilitan formalizar un modelo de génesis para el yacimiento de Monte Piñor que resulta compatible con el establecido por Groves (1998), e incluirlas en un mismo contexto, como yacimientos de oro orogénico mesotermales, válido para el conjunto de todos los de la zona de cizalla Busto Limideiro. El estudio no omite la consideración geoestadística de este yacimiento, justificando la elección de direcciones de anisotropía explicadas por consideraciones de carácter estructural. Con ello, buscando el lado práctico desde el punto de vista minero, esta investigación propone líneas generales de aplicación de actuación con sentido de exploración, contribuyendo a la puesta en valor del conocimiento de las mineralizaciones de oro del noroeste español. ABSTRACT Old and nearly forgotten gold mines from Western Galicia are currently attractive to be recovered due to both, the new strict interpretation of gold mineralization linked to Variscan large structures and the increasing gold prices. The shear zone Busto Limiderio is relevant as a part of a Variscan large structure, Santa Comba-Punta Langosteira, which is related with a high number of gold deposits as Corcoesto and Monte Piñor. For its geological situation, these signs are part of the Iberian Massif in the area of Galicia Tras-os-Montes. Hence, the main aim of this study is to provide additional and important knowledge of Busto Limiderio about the general model of gold deposits in the Spanish northwest, integrating them in the orogenic gold deposits of European Variscan, enabling to analyze the economic recovery possibility of this area. This thesis has been focused on the genetic processes that have led to the gold mineralization. Petrographic studies, metalogenic, geochemical, microthermometric and isotope analysis have allowed to establish a general and specific models about the existence and training conditions in the concentration of mineralogical gold. Consequently, the mineralogy, chemical characteristics, age, and nature of paleofluids that have participated in its formation have been characterized. The results showed that Busto Limiderio gold mineralization are strongly linked to the structures and physical and chemical transformations of affected rocks by the shear band. The mineralization spatial distribution at various scales is due to the link with the large structures in the ductile-to-brittle transition domain. Furthermore, this factor determine at macro and microscopic scale, the preferred location of the gold structures mylonitic deformation. Previous studies have permitted to establish a model of genesis for the site of Monte Piñor which is compatible with the established by Groves (1998), and also to include them in the same context as mesothermal orogenic gold deposits, valid throughout all of Busto Limideiro shear zone. This study does not omit consideration of the geostatistical deposit, justifying the choice of directions of anisotropy explained by structural considerations. This thesis concludes with general action guidelines for mining exploration, contributing to the enhancement of knowledge of Spanish gold mineralization northwest.