“Filling out the forms was a nightmare” : project evaluation and the reflective practitioner in community theatre in contemporary Northern Ireland

Since the Good Friday Agreement of 1998, large sums have been invested in community theatre projects in Northern Ireland, in the interests of conflict transformation and peace building. While this injection of funds has resulted in an unprecedented level of applied theatre activity, opportunities to maximise learning from this activity are being missed. It is generally assumed that project evaluation is undertaken at least partly to assess the degree of success of projects against important social objectives, with a view to learning what works, what does not, and what might work in the future. However, three ethnographic case studies of organisations delivering applied theatre projects in Northern Ireland indicate that current processes used to evaluate such projects are both flawed and inadequate for this purpose. Practitioners report that the administrative work involved in applying for and justifying funding is onerous, burdensome, and occurs at the expense of artistic activity. This is a very real concern when the time and effort devoted to ‘filling out the forms’ does not ultimately result in useful evaluative information. There are strong disincentives for organisations to report honestly on their experiences of difficulties, or undesirable impacts of projects, and this problem is not transcended by the use of external evaluators. Current evaluation processes provide little opportunity to capture unexpected benefits of projects, and small but significant successes which occur in the context of over-ambitious objectives. Little or no attempt is made to assess long-term impacts of projects on communities. Finally, official evaluation mechanisms fail to capture the reflective practice and dialogic analysis of practitioners, which would richly inform future projects. The authors argue that there is a need for clearer lines of communication, and more opportunities for mutual learning, among stakeholders involved in community development. In particular, greater involvement of the higher education sector in partnership with government and non-government agencies could yield significant benefits in terms of optimizing learning from applied theatre project evaluations.

Developing a life-cycle costing analysis model for sustainability enhancement in road infrastructure project

With increasing pressure to provide environmentally responsible infrastructure products and services, stakeholders are putting significant foci on the early identification of financial viability and outcome of infrastructure projects. Traditionally, there has been an imbalance between sustainable measures and project budget. On one hand, the industry tends to employ the first-cost mentality and approach to developing infrastructure projects. On the other, environmental experts and technology innovators often push for the ultimately green products and systems without much of a concern for cost. This situation is being quickly changed as the industry is under pressure to continue to return profit, while better adapting to current and emerging global issues of sustainability. For the infrastructure sector to contribute to sustainable development, it will need to increase value and efficiency. Thus, there is a great need for tools that will enable decision makers evaluate competing initiatives and identify the most sustainable approaches to procuring infrastructure projects. In order to ensure that these objectives are achieved, the concept of life-cycle costing analysis (LCCA) will play significant roles in the economics of an infrastructure project. Recently, a few research initiatives have applied the LCCA models for road infrastructure that focused on the traditional economics of a project. There is little coverage of life-cycle costing as a method to evaluate the criteria and assess the economic implications of pursuing sustainability in road infrastructure projects. To rectify this problem, this paper reviews the theoretical basis of previous LCCA models before discussing their inability to determinate the sustainability indicators in road infrastructure project. It then introduces an on-going research aimed at developing a new model to integrate the various new cost elements based on the sustainability indicators with the traditional and proven LCCA approach. It is expected that the research will generate a working model for sustainability based life-cycle cost analysis.

Incorporating sustainability measures in life-cycle financial decision making for highway construction

Public awareness and the nature of highway construction works demand that sustainability measures are first on the development agenda. However, in the current economic climate, individual volition and enthusiasm for such high capital investments do not present as strong cases for decision making as the financial pictures of pursuing sustainability. Some stakeholders consider sustainability to be extra work that costs additional money. Though, stakeholders realised its importance in infrastructure development. They are keen to identify the available alternatives and financial implications on a lifecycle basis. Highway infrastructure development is a complex rocess which requires expertise and tools to evaluate investment options, such as environmentally sustainable features for road and highway development. Life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA) is a valuable approach for investment decision making for construction works. However, LCCA applications in highway development are still limited. Current models, for example focus on economic issues alone and do not deal with sustainability factors, which are more difficult to quantify and encapsulate in estimation modules. This paper reports the research which identifies sustainability related factors in highway construction projects, in quantitative and qualitative forms of a multi-criteria analysis. These factors are then incorporated into past and proven LCCA models to produce a new long term decision support model. The research via questionnaire, model building, analytical hierarchy processes (AHP) and case studies have identified, evaluated and then processed highway sustainability related cost elements. These cost elements need to be verified by industry before being integrated for further development of the model. Then the Australian construction industry will have a practical tool to evaluate investment decisions which provide an optimum balance between financial viability and sustainability deliverables.

The researcher’s perspective on procuring public works projects

Purpose: As part of a comprehensive research study looking at implementing PPPs, interviews with experienced researchers were conducted to realize their views on private sector involvement in public works projects. Design / methodology / approach: Amongst these interviews, five were launched with academics from Hong Kong and Australia, and two were conducted with Legislative Councillors of the Hong Kong Special Administration Region (HKSAR) government. Findings: The interview findings show that both Hong Kong and Australian interviewees had previously conducted some kind of research in the field of PPP. The interviewees highlighted that “Different risk profiles” and “Private sector more innovative / efficient” were the main differences between projects that were procured by PPP and traditionally. Other differences include risk transfer. In a PPP arrangement the public sector passes on a substantial amount of the project risks to the private sector, whereas in a traditional case the public sector would take the largest responsibility in bearing these risks. Another common feature of the private sector is that they tend to be more efficient and innovative when compared to the public sector hence their expertise is often reflected in PPP projects. The interviewees agreed that the key performance indicators for PPP projects were unique depending on the individual project. The critical success factors mentioned by both groups of interviewees included “Transparent process”, “Project dependent” and “Market need”. Due to the fact that PPP projects tend to be large scaled costly projects, adequate transparency in the process is necessary in order to demonstrate that a fair selection and tendering process is conducted. A market need for the project is also important to ensure that the project will be financially secure and that the private sector can make a reasonable profit to cover their project expenditure. Originality / value: The findings from this study have enabled a comparative analysis between the views of researchers in two completely different jurisdictions. With the growing popularity to implement PPP projects, it is believed that the results presented in this paper would be of interest to the industry at large.

In vitro cultivation of adult human chondrocytes : importance of culture system, oxygen and zonal differences

Articular cartilage exhibits limited intrinsic regenerative capacity and focal tissue defects can lead to the development of osteoarthritis (OA), a painful and debilitating loss of cartilage tissue. In Australia, 1.4 million people are affected by OA and its prevalence is increasing in line with current demographics. As treatment options are limited, new therapeutic approaches are being investigated including biological resurfacing of joints with tissue-engineered cartilage. Despite some progress in the field, major challenges remain to be addressed for large scale clinical success. For example, large numbers of chondrogenic cells are required for cartilage formation, but chondrocytes lose their chondrogenic phenotype (dedifferentiate) during in vitro propagation. Additionally, the zonal organization of articular cartilage is critical for normal cartilage function, but development of zonal structure has been largely neglected in cartilage repair strategies. Therefore, we hypothesised that culture conditions for freshly isolated human articular chondrocytes from non-OA and OA sources can be improved by employing microcarrier cultures and a reduced oxygen environment and that oxygen is a critical factor in the maintenance of the zonal chondrocyte phenotype. Microcarriers have successfully been used to cultivate bovine chondrocytes, and offer a potential alternative for clinical expansion of human chondrocytes. We hypothesised that improved yields can be achieved by propagating human chondrocytes on microcarriers. We found that cells on microcarriers acquired a flattened, polygonal morphology and initially proliferated faster than monolayercultivated cells. However, microcarrier cultivation over four weeks did not improve growth rates or the chondrogenic potential of non-OA and OA human articular chondrocytes over conventional monolayer cultivation. Based on these observations, we aimed to optimise culture conditions by modifying oxygen tension, to more closely reflect the in vivo environment. We found that propagation at 5% oxygen tension (moderate hypoxia) did not improve proliferation or redifferentiation capacity of human osteoarthritic chondrocytes. Moderate hypoxia increased the expression of chondrogenic markers during redifferentiation. However, osteoarthritic chondrocytes cultivated on microcarriers exhibited lower expression levels of chondrogenic surface marker proteins and had at best equivalent redifferentiation capacities compared to monolayer-cultured cells. This suggests that monolayer culture with multiple passaging potentially selects for a subpopulation of cells with higher differentiation capacity, which are otherwise rare in osteoarthritic, aged cartilage. However, fibroblastic proteins were found to be highly expressed in all cultures of human osteoarthritic chondrocytes indicating the presence of a high proportion of dedifferentiated, senescent cells with a chondrocytic phenotype that was not rescued by moderate hypoxia. The different zones of cartilage support chondrocyte subpopulations, which exhibit characteristic protein expression and experience varying oxygen tensions. We, therefore, hypothesised that oxygen tension affects the zonal marker expression of human articular chondrocytes isolated from the different cartilage layers. We found that zonal chondrocytes maintained these phenotypic differences during in vitro cultivation. Low oxygen environments favoured the expression of the zonal marker proteoglycan 4 in superficial cells, most likely through the promotion of chondrogenesis. The putative zonal markers clusterin and cartilage intermediate layer protein were found to be expressed by all subpopulations of human osteoarthritic chondrocytes ex vivo and, thus, may not be reliable predictors of in vitro stratification using these clinically relevant cells. The findings in this thesis underline the importance of considering low oxygen conditions and zonal stratification when creating native-like cartilaginous constructs. We have not yet found the right cues to successfully cultivate clinically-relevant human osteoarthritic chondrocytes in vitro. A more thorough understanding of chondrocyte biology and the processes of chondrogenesis are required to ensure the clinical success of cartilage tissue engineering.

Exploiting system fluctuations. Differential training in physical prevention and rehabilitation programs for health and exercise

Background: Traditional causal modeling of health interventions tends to be linear in nature and lacks multidisciplinarity. Consequently, strategies for exercise prescription in health maintenance are typically group based and focused on the role of a common optimal health status template toward which all individuals should aspire. ----- ----- Materials and methods: In this paper, we discuss inherent weaknesses of traditional methods and introduce an approach exercise training based on neurobiological system variability. The significance of neurobiological system variability in differential learning and training was highlighted.----- ----- Results: Our theoretical analysis revealed differential training as a method by which neurobiological system variability could be harnessed to facilitate health benefits of exercise training. It was observed that this approach emphasizes the importance of using individualized programs in rehabilitation and exercise, rather than group-based strategies to exercise prescription.----- ----- Conclusion: Research is needed on potential benefits of differential training as an approach to physical rehabilitation and exercise prescription that could counteract psychological and physical effects of disease and illness in subelite populations. For example, enhancing the complexity and variability of movement patterns in exercise prescription programs might alleviate effects of depression in nonathletic populations and physical effects of repetitive strain injuries experienced by athletes in elite and developing sport programs.

Group maintenance scheduling : a case study for a pipeline network

This paper presents a group maintenance scheduling case study for a water distributed network. This water pipeline network presents the challenge of maintaining aging pipelines with the associated increases in annual maintenance costs. The case study focuses on developing an effective maintenance plan for the water utility. Current replacement planning is difficult as it needs to balance the replacement needs under limited budgets. A Maintenance Grouping Optimization (MGO) model based on a modified genetic algorithm was utilized to develop an optimum group maintenance schedule over a 20-year cycle. The adjacent geographical distribution of pipelines was used as a grouping criterion to control the searching space of the MGO model through a Judgment Matrix. Based on the optimum group maintenance schedule, the total cost was effectively reduced compared with the schedules without grouping maintenance jobs. This optimum result can be used as a guidance to optimize the current maintenance plan for the water utility.

Developing sustainable housing through building utilities and transport innovation

Sustainability concerns every citizen. Housing affordability and sustainable solutions are being highlighted in research and practice in many parts of the world. This paper discusses the development of a Commuter Energy and Building Utilities System (CEBUS) in sustainable housing projects as a means of bridging the gap between current median house pricing and target affordable house pricing for low income earners. Similar scales of sustainable housing development cannot be achieved through independent application of current best practice methods in ecologically sustainable development strategies or transit oriented development master plans. This paper presents the initial stage of research on first capital and ongoing utilities and transport cost savings available from these sustainable design methods. It also outlines further research and development of a CEBUS Dynamic Simulation Model and Conceptual Framework for the Australian property development and construction industry.

The Long-Term Irrelevance of Trust in Outsourcing Decisions for New Technologies: Insights from an Agent-Based Model

Significant empirical data from the fields of management and business strategy suggest that it is a good idea for a company to make in-house the components and processes underpinning a new technology. Other evidence suggests exactly the opposite, saying that firms would be better off buying components and processes from outside suppliers. One possible explanation for this lack of convergence is that earlier research in this area has overlooked two important aspects of the problem: reputation and trust. To gain insight into how these variables may impact make-buy decisions throughout the innovation process, the Sporas algorithm for measuring reputation was added to an existing agent-based model of how firms interact with each other throughout the development of new technologies. The model�s results suggest that reputation and trust do not play a significant role in the long-term fortunes of an individual firm as it contends with technological change in the marketplace. Accordingly, this model serves as a cue for management researchers to investigate more thoroughly the temporal limitations and contingencies that determine how the trust between firms may affect the R&D process.

Infrastructure asset : developing maintenance management capability

Purpose Maintenance management is a core process in infrastructure asset management. Infrastructure organisations must constantly strive to ensure the effectiveness of this process in order to obtain the greatest lifetime value from their infrastructure assets. This paper aims to investigate how infrastructure organisations can enhance the effectiveness of their maintenance management process. Approach This study utilised multiple case studies as the research approach. The case organisations were asked to identify the challenges faced in the maintenance process and the approaches they have adopted to overcome these challenges. Analysis of these findings, together with deductive reasoning, leads to the development of the proposed capability needed for effective maintenance management process. Findings The case studies reveal that maintenance management process is a core process in ensuring that infrastructure assets are optimally and functionally available to support business operations. However, the main challenge is the lack of skilled and experienced personnel to understand and anticipate maintenance requirement. A second challenge is the reduced window of time available to carry out inspection and maintenance works. To overcome these challenges, the case organisations have invested in technologies. However, technologies available to facilitate this process are complex and constantly changing. Consequently, there is a need for infrastructure organizations to develop their technological absorptive capability, i.e. the ability to embrace and capitalize on new technologies to enhance their maintenance management process. Originality/Value This paper is original in that it provides empirical evidence to identify technological absorptive capability as core to improving the maintenance management process. The findings are valuable because it sheds light on where infrastructure organisation, regardless of whether they are privately or publicly owned, should channel their scarce resources. The development of the core capability will ensure that the maintenance process can contribute value to their organisation.

A Delphi study on the critical sustainability criteria and indicators for Australian road infrastructure projects

With increasing media exposure and evidence of environmental impacts, it is increasingly recognized that incorporating sustainability principles in construction works is both crucial and beneficial. However a recent survey reveals that among stakeholders of infrastructure projects such as roads, there is no common understanding on what constitutes sustainability in real-life projects. Sustainability has been interpreted widely and differently and as a result, sustainability outcomes are not tangible at the project level or often neglected. Under such conditions, policies and strategies on sustainability remain largely ideological and cannot be sufficiently reflected in the actual project delivery. The major difficulty of this sustainability pursuit lies in the lack of consensus among the experts on sustainability criteria and indicators. To move ahead, these criteria and indicators are to be agreed upon. This paper reviews the sustainable infrastructure development, its criteria and indicators, focusing on road infrastructure context. It goes on to introduce a Delphi study, an integral part of a QUT research, aimed at identifying critical sustainability criteria and indicators for Australian road infrastructure projects. It paves the way for further identification of solutions for each critical indicator at a subsequent stage. The criteria, indicators and solutions will be encapsulated into a decision making framework for the enhancement of sustainability deliverables. By doing so, the research will promote more integrated thinking of and consistent approaches to the sustainability agenda in road and highway infrastructure projects in Australia.

Infrastructure charges and increases to new house prices : a preliminary analysis of the US empirical models

Sourcing appropriate funding for the provision of new urban infrastructure has been a policy dilemma for governments around the world for decades. This is particularly relevant in high growth areas where new services are required to support swelling populations. The Australian infrastructure funding policy dilemmas are reflective of similar matters in many countries, particularly the United States of America, where infrastructure cost recovery policies have been in place since the 1970’s. There is an extensive body of both theoretical and empirical literature from these countries that discusses the passing on (to home buyers) of these infrastructure charges, and the corresponding impact on housing prices. The theoretical evidence is consistent in its findings that infrastructure charges are passed on to home buyers by way of higher house prices. The empirical evidence is also consistent in its findings, with “overshifting” of these charges evident in all models since the 1980’s, i.e. $1 infrastructure charge results in greater than $1 increase in house prices. However, despite over a dozen separate studies over two decades in the US on this topic, no empirical works have been carried out in Australia to test if similar shifting or overshifting occurs here. The purpose of this research is to conduct a preliminary analysis of the more recent models used in these US empirical studies in order to identify the key study area selection criteria and success factors. The paper concludes that many of the study area selection criteria are implicit rather than explicit. By collecting data across the models, some implicit criteria become apparent, whilst others remain elusive. This data will inform future research on whether an existing model can be adopted or adapted for use in Australia.

Review of the design-build market in the People’s Republic of China

Design-build (DB) system has been demonstrated as an effective delivery method and been widely used overseas. However it does not receive the same popularity in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). This paper first conducts a literature review on advantages and disadvantages of DB in general; then it gives an overview of the PRC construction industry. There are ample evidences that the DB system will theoretically bring benefits to the PRC construction industry. After a thorough investigation of the current DB market, it can be concluded that the development of the DB system is still at its infancy stage. The barriers to entry have been finally identified, which relate to the legal restraints, negative owner attitude, and high requirement of DB projects. These barriers constitute obstacles to the development of DB system in the PRC. However, with rapid growth of construction industry, new requirements in modern construction projects, and strong promotion from governments, it is believed that the domestic DB market will have great potential in the near future.

The investigation of design-build variants in the construction market of the People’s Republic of China

Design-Build (DB) system has been widely adopted overseas but it has not received the same popularity yet in the People’s Republic of China. The selection of design-build variant is regarded as one of the critical obstacles to the application of this alternative. This paper investigates categories of design-build variants in the construction market of China. The develop-and-construction, enhanced design-build, traditional-design-build and engineering procurement-construction (EPC) are the four current designbuild variants adopted by clients. Each of them is developed to meet a varying set of circumstances and has its own advantages and disadvantages. The develop-and-construction is mostly used in large, complex projects in housing industry and it will guarantee client’s great control over the project while still leave some design room for the contractor. The traditional-design-build and enhanced-design-build systems are mostly applied in projects that are comparatively simple, small-scale, and the DB contractors will have greater control of the projects. The EPC is the extension of pure design-build method and is widely adopted in the petrochemical, metallurgical and electronic fields because of the high-technique requirements and the necessity for one entity to control the design, construction, procurement and commissioning etc. Four corresponding design-build projects are also presented in this paper in order to better illustrate the operational process and provide the insight for understanding the design-build variants in Mainland China.

Project-based organization as adaptation to risk and opportunity in small firms

Recent years have seen a rapid increase in SMEs working collaboratively in inter-organizational projects. But what drives the emergence of such projects, and what types of industries breed them the most? To address these questions, this paper extends the long running literature on the firm and industry antecedents of new venturing and alliance formation to the domain of project-based organization by SMEs. Based on survey data collected among 1,725 small and medium sized organizations and longitudinal industry data, we find an overall pattern that indicates that IOPV participation is primarily determined by a focal SME’s scope of innovative activities, and the munificence, dynamism and complexity of its environment. Unexpectedly, these variables have different effects on whether SMEs are likely to engage in IOPVs, compared to with how many there are in their portfolio at a time. Implications for theory development are discussed.