Modelling the risks of extreme weather events for Australasian hospital infrastructure using rich picture diagrams

Anticipated increases in the frequency of extreme weather events in the future are likely to expose hospital infrastructure to new risks which are poorly understood. Traditional approaches to risk identification and analysis produce linear, narrow and static risk profiles which fail to consider complex sub-system interdependencies that may assist or hinder healthcare delivery during an extreme weather event. The ability to create resilient hospitals depends on new risk management methodologies which provide an understanding of these complex relationships. Focus groups with key stakeholders in three hospitals in Australia are used to construct rich picture diagrams (RPDs) of hospital infrastructure interdependencies under different extreme weather event scenarios. They show that the risks posed to hospitals by extreme weather events cannot be considered in isolation from the surrounding infrastructure, emergency management systems, health systems and communities in which they are imbedded. The new insights provided have major governance and policy implications for agencies responsible for ensuring that hospital infrastructure can continue to support the delivery of effective health services during extreme weather events.     

Effects of project governance structures on the management of risks in major infrastructure projects: A comparative analysis

Large infrastructure construction projects are prone to risks. Using desktop review and interviews with stakeholder organizations in two major infrastructure projects (the Yi-wan Railway Construction Project in China and the Northern Gateway Toll Road (NGTR) Project in New Zealand), this study investigated how different project governance structures affect the management of risks. Comparative analysis shows that project governance provides a structured mechanism to identify and address risks as they occur. Despite varied context, two projects relied upon flexible contractual arrangements to leverage risks among project participants. While a centralized, single-agent governance was adopted in the form of Project Management Headquarters (PMH) in Yi-wan Railway project, an alliance governance structure was used in the NGTR project. The former enabled top-down risk allocation whereas the latter encouraged proactive solutions to risk sharing. The research outcomes will inform the decision making among project stakeholders on establishing appropriate project governance arrangements in order to achieve target risk management outcome. By comparing real-time projects of varied scope, complexity and significance, the findings contribute to an improved understanding of the relationship between project organizations and project risk management.     

中国企业参与柬埔寨某铁路建设项目开发模式研究

近年来,中国与柬埔寨两国经贸关系发展较快,合作领域不断拓宽。柬埔寨属世界上最不发达国家之一,国内的基础设施不发达、不完善。在实施“走出去”战略下,研究中国对柬埔寨铁路建设项目的开发模式,有助于推动中国对东盟国家基础设施开发理论与实践相关研究的开展。在国内外铁路投资建设与经营管理实践概述的基础上,介绍了柬埔寨铁路投资建设与经营管理现状,并且列举了中国企业对柬埔寨其他基础设施开发的成功案例,分析了中国企业参与柬埔寨某铁路建设项目可能的投资建设与经营管理模式,对中国企业投资柬埔寨某铁路开发项目实施BLT模式进行了适应性分析,并提出了适合该铁路项目的BLT模式框架。     

Public Facilities in Public and Private Housing Projects in Dhaka,Bangladesh

Cities in developing countries are confronted with two conflicting problems. On the one hand, there is always an increasing demand for urban services and, on the other hand, the public sector responds poorly to the growing demand for such services. This articleexplores and compares the status of physical and environmental infrastructure and services provided in public and privately developed land and housing projects in Greater Dhaka, Bangladesh. The study made use of primary data gathered from April to June 2008. The findings indicate that although some households and developers are aware of the planning regulations which mandate infrastructure and services, this does not necessarily translate into compliance, particularly in privately developed housing projects. As a result, projects are usually developed with inadequate and unsatisfactory facilities. The analysis revealed that most physical and environmental infrastructure and services are either missing or unsatisfactory. These include narrow roads inconsistent with standard widths, little open space for social activities, few areas for childrens' playgrounds and poor waste management. The factors that explain the relatively low levels of physical environmental conditions in privately developed projects include an absence of inter-agency coordination, corruption, a lack of good governance, and political interference, along with disregard and apathy on the part of developers and buyers towards planning regulations. In the light of these findings, this article proposes stronger enforcement of planning regulations and more consistent monitoring by planning agencies to achieve better planned residential areas in Dhaka.     

A socio-ecological analysis of hospital resilience to extreme weather events

Hospitals play a critical role in helping communities respond effectively to extreme weather events (EWEs). Despite predictions of more EWEs, little is known about the process by which hospital infrastructure resilience to such events can be built. Using Gunderson and Holling’s Adaptive Cycle, a new theoretical perspective based on socio-ecological resilience theory is provided to understand this process. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews, observations of disaster drills and disaster planning meetings, as well as additional documentary analysis of past incident reports. The research findings were then refined and validated in a focus group meeting with respondents. The findings indicate that there are significant organizational barriers which prevent facilities managers improving the resilience of hospital facilities to future EWEs. It was found that the disaster planning process is ad hoc and non-inclusive, focused on man-made disasters and compliance driven, top-down approach, under-resourced and is driven by a general ignorance of the importance of resilient-built facilities to health care delivery during an EWE. It is concluded that to produce more resilient hospital infrastructure, there needs to be a more well-resourced, integrated and collaborative approach to disaster management planning which enables health facilities managers to play a more central role in disaster planning decisions. There also need to be better systems, technologies and training implemented to manage information about health infrastructure performance before, during and after EWEs.     

转型期中国城市多元参与式社区治理模式研究

随着中国社会经济发展进入转型期,城市居民的客观诉求开始逐渐多元化、复杂化和碎片化,我国城市社区在提升环境空间、改善基础设施建设及健全社区服务体系过程中,社区治理需要进行创新调整来应对转型期的挑战。本文通过治理的视角,构建了社区治理参与机制的4个重要维度,即参与主体、社区管理和组织方式、相关政策法规及资源分配和管理作为理论框架来分析城市社区治理的参与机制。通过研究发现我国城市社区治理中,存在主要参与主体未明确、过度行政化、相关法律法规未健全和资金管理机制未完善等问题。针对上述问题,本文构建了多元参与式社区治理的机制决策和行为框架,即通过参与主体的多元化,组织方式的多元化和参与途径的多元化提高社区公共事务解决的针对性和效率,为我国社区治理的发展提供理论支撑和行动框架指引。     

Reducing risks to electric power infrastructure due to extreme weather events by means of spatial planning: Case studies from Slovenia

The paper concerns the potential for spatial planning to improve the reliability of electric power infrastructure. The aim is to reduce risks of electric power outages due to extreme weather events (EWE) by proper siting of installations. A method of evaluating risks due to EWE is applied in two case studies. The first considers ice storms and the damage they cause to power grids; the second considers the damage of heavy rainstorms to hydroelectric power plants (HPPs). The results are presented in the form of a risk assessment method that can be incorporated into spatial planning.     

Managing risks in public-private partnership formation projects

While sourcing by means of Public-Private Partnerships has been lauded over recent years, increasingly risks appear to jeopardise public organisations' unique societal tasks. Integrated Risk Management has not yet been applied to public organisations getting involved in PPP in the sense of understanding risk management capabilities. This article explores risk awareness and risk management practices underpinning maintenance partnership formation by means of a dual case study of two PPP projects and a short industry survey. The results suggest that organisations face several “intolerable risks” linked to project governance and project management responsibilities: insufficient representation of qualified employees, absence of a shared performance system, assignment of responsibilities and decision-making authority, impractical or inappropriate partnership agreement, and timing of the partnership initiative. Cross-case analysis revealed the role of different levels of risk awareness and senior management involvement. Drawing on these findings, a framework for risk management for PPP formation projects is developed.     

Putting context to numbers: a geotechnical risk trajectory to cost overrun extremism

The study investigates the cause of the unusually high cost overruns experienced in highway project delivery in the tropical wetland setting of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. An empirical profiling of cost overrun research reveals the predominance of mono-method studies, all of which are underlain by positivism. The study argues that such positivist philosophies, although methodologically valid, cannot adequately provide in-depth understanding of the contextual cost overrun drivers in highway organisations. Using a mix of methods, the paper examines the contribution of geotechnical risks to the extreme cost overruns experienced on Niger Delta’s highway projects, and demonstrates the relevance of context in cost overrun research. Adopting a geotechnical narrative, data sourced from 61 highway projects along with 16 interviews conducted with highway agencies in the region is analysed. The results of the analysis identified that poor project governance and procurement practices, have inhibited the competent management of geotechnical risk, creating a propensity for extreme cost overruns on highway projects. The study submits the phenomenon of cost overruns in public infrastructure projects is underlain by a complexity of contextual social constructs, which would have been overlooked in positivists studies. Cost overrun research, therefore, needs to be contextually and numerically anchored.     

Scaling-down and scaling-up processes of territorial governance: cities and regions facing institutional reform and planning challenges

The process of territorial governance rescaling now ongoing in European countries concerns not only the devolution of competencies from central states to regional politico-administrative levels (towards federalism) but also a new role of institutions, agencies and companies operating in well-defined sectors. A complex – downward and upward – transfer of competencies, powers and resources is taking place. In particular, cities belong to specific territories, but are increasingly involved in large-scale processes as far as services and infrastructure construction and management are concerned, as well as economic and cooperation initiatives. This often requires the creation of regional or upper-scale agencies and companies.

The article focuses – within an analytical framework concerning the dynamics of regions and cities in the European space – on three cities in Northern Italy (Bolzano-Bozen, Trento and Verona) undergoing contradictory trends towards federalism, on the one hand, and policy integration at variable scales on specific issues – in a multi-level governance perspective – on the other hand. Finally, the role of strategic, spatial and urban planning processes and tools are analysed, drawing some conclusions of general interest.     

Quantitative analysis of policies for governance of emergent dynamics in complex construction projects

The complexity trend of construction projects is increasing, not only technologically but on several other fronts, such as the institutional diversity of the actors and the coupling of their interactions. As a result of this increase in complexity, projects frequently face the dynamics attributed to emerging actors, coalitions, contextual properties, or synergies. Reflecting this trend within the project governance framework provides a better understanding of the emergent risks that arise in the form of conflicts, project renegotiations, extreme modifications, or write-offs from projects. The aim of this study is to propose interactional analysis (IA) as a quantitative risk assessment (QRA) methodology to analyse and govern the emergent risks associated with the interactions in a system of systems (SoS), such as complex construction projects. Therefore, interactions are framed as the coupling of actors, and their associated emergent dynamics are quantified based on the equilibria of the interaction. Risk mitigation policies are then developed and analysed based on the associated interactional elements and mathematical functions. Policymakers can apply the methodology to develop policies and gauge their effectiveness in governance of the emergent dynamics within interactional contexts to overcome the challenges associated with infrastructure development.     

A Bayesian network model to assess the public health risk associated with wet weather sewer overflows discharging into waterways

Overflows from sanitary sewers during wet weather, which occur when the hydraulic capacity of the sewer system is exceeded, are considered a potential threat to the ecological and public health of the waterways which receive these overflows. As a result, water retailers in Australia and internationally commit significant resources to manage and abate sewer overflows. However, whilst some studies have contributed to an increased understanding of the impacts and risks associated with these events, they are relatively few in number and there still is a general lack of knowledge in this area. A Bayesian network model to assess the public health risk associated with wet weather sewer overflows is presented in this paper. The Bayesian network approach is shown to provide significant benefits in the assessment of public health risks associated with wet weather sewer overflows. In particular, the ability for the model to account for the uncertainty inherent in sewer overflow events and subsequent impacts through the use of probabilities is a valuable function. In addition, the paper highlights the benefits of the probabilistic inference function of the Bayesian network in prioritising management options to minimise public health risks associated with sewer overflows.     

Sewer asset management – state of the art and research needs

ABSTRACT

Sewer asset management gained momentum and importance in recent years due to economic considerations, since infrastructure maintenance and rehabilitation directly represent major investments. Because physical urban water infrastructure has life expectancies of up to 100 years or more, contemporary urban drainage systems are strongly influenced by historical decisions and implementations. The current decisions taken in sewer asset management will, therefore, have a long-lasting impact on the functionality and quality of future services provided by these networks. These decisions can be supported by different approaches ranging from various inspection techniques, deterioration models to assess the probability of failure or the technical service life, to sophisticated decision support systems crossing boundaries to other urban infrastructure. This paper presents the state of the art in sewer asset management in its manifold facets spanning a wide field of research and highlights existing research gaps while giving an outlook on future developments and research areas.     

大连保税区填海区综合管沟设计

综合管沟（共同沟）是近年来国内逐步推广的市政基础设施形式,结合大连保税区填海区综合管沟的设计,介绍了综合管沟断面、附属设施及运行管理系统的设计方案,并探讨了设计中应注意的关键问题。     

Possibilities for a Hybrid Approach to Planning and Governance at the Interface of the Administrative and Traditional Authority Systems in Durban

This paper focuses on the planning implications of a dual governance system in Durban, where just over a third of municipal land is under the governance of both the traditional authority and the eThekwini Municipality. These challenges are common in many African cities where western administrative governance and planning systems overlay traditional systems. Under traditional governance, access to land, economic opportunities and “rural lifestyles” have resulted in the rapid densification of large areas of the periphery of Durban. Here, local traditional leaders allocate land based on the traditional land tenure system. eThekwini Municipality is mandated to provide services and facilities to all its residents, to develop spatial development plans and land use schemes, and to protect its ecological infrastructure. However, in traditional authority areas, the municipality struggles to fulfil these mandates, as it does not have control over land allocation and management. This paper reflects on the learning process that is taking place as the municipality begins to shift its approach to planning to address the complexities of planning in dual governance areas. The paper argues that new hybrid forms of governance and planning can help to address these challenges and ensure sustainable development in areas under dual governance.     

Alternatives to anarchy: Africa's transition from agricultural to industrial societies

Policy makers, development assistance agencies, and the media paint a grim picture for Africa's twenty-first century. Famine, chaos, overpopulation, resource degradation, and anarchy are oft-cited buzzwords that have, in recent years, encouraged donors to abandon the continent. Africa is in trouble. But the buzzwords that precipitate donor withdrawal are symptoms, not causes. Africa is in trouble because the institutions of governance and management that external agencies have prescribed and national politicians embraced do not match the need. Colonial regimes in the early 20th century and development agencies in the later decades have imposed institutions of centralized decision-making at a time when most African states are navigating the treacherous shoals of transitions from agricultural to industrial societies. Central rule has enabled small and powerful elites to gain control of political and economic institutions and impose arbitrary and self-serving policies. Fragmented agricultural societies lack national institutions of accountability; many of Africa's people have therefore endured capricious rule with little opportunity for recourse.Alternatives exist to African anarchy. Poverty can be reduced, livelihoods improved, and resource degradation reversed. Eight brief case examples suggest how local planning and action, rooted in community based-institutions compatible with Africa's transition, have enabled village organizations to mobilize internal resources, link with external agencies, and implement action plans of their own design. Lessons learned suggest that structured and systematic tools that engage local people in decision-making can ease the agricultural-to-industrial transition, build local institutional capabilities, and strengthen the accountability that many Africa countries currently lack.     

南京城市行政区重构与城市管治研究

城市管治实质上是在复杂的环境中 ,政府与其他组织和市民社会共同参与管理城市的方式 ,在此过程中 ,城市政府通过协调其内部、政府与市场间、政府间、政府与跨国公司间、政府与市民社会及其他组织间的关系 ,以合力提升城市的综合竞争力。选择城市管治中的空间城市行政体系和政府组成及其角色为切入点 ,结合南京市最近的行政区划调整 ,通过城市政府机构安排和效率分析 ,对南京城市行政区重构与城市管治进行研究     

不同类型农村基础设施建设的PPP模式选择研究

农村基础设施是农业生产、农村环境和农民生活的重要支撑载体。为解决我国农村基础设施单一供给模式难以满足当前农村发展现实需要的问题,PPP模式作为农村基础设施建设创新管理模式逐渐备受关注。然而不同类型的农村基础设施分别适合何种具体的PPP模式是其实施前必须认真回答的问题。为此在农村基础设施的传统功能分类基础上,分析不同农村基础设施的经济特性,阐述其引入PPP管理模式的前提条件,结合PPP管理模式主要类型及特征,提出经营性、准经营性和非经营性为分类的农村基础设施PPP模式管理框架,为不同类型的农村基础设施建设匹配合适的PPP管理模式。     

Thinking about governance in global and local perspective

Conclusion  This paper has tracked the parallel evolution of two discourses on governance over the past decade, one which has evolved largely in the work of the World Bank and in a global context shared with other international donor agencies, and the other by development scholars external to the international agencies, and in particular at a local level in the context of cities in the developing world. Key points of dissonance and resonance between the two discourses have been examined with a view to understanding the debate on governance, particularly in terms of whether the notion is, and can remain, a potent idea in development thinking. While the two discourses demonstrate dissonance in that they have evolved from very different starting points, and have a tendency to be differentially weighted in terms of analytical concentrations in their state-market-society relationships, the points of resonance which have been identified here, and demonstrated through the issue of improved capacity in local government, tend to suggest that there are potent ways of employing governance to frame development work in the future. The paper has also demonstrated that the highly varied meaning associated with the term governance is understandable from the distinct definitional paths of evolution of the term, globally and locally. While more work is demanded, the at least tentative conclusion here is that the discourse on governance is not so divergent as to render the notion weak. Indeed, in certain important circumstances, the two discourses can be mutually enhancing, and this tends to empower the notion of governance itself. However, this is only possible when the notion is considered less in economistic, neo-liberal terms associated with the Bank’s discourse, and re-cast in a more local context concerned with the political-economy of cities, and which situates local government in a pivotal position in the governing relationship. Governance in this respect can not only help to fill an important gap in development discourse, but as an ideational framework can help to overcome the singularity of approach to current and key development efforts as decentralisation, local government strengthening, public sector reform, democratisation and empowerment of civil society in the governing relationship.     

Robust Maintenance Policies for Markovian Systems under Model Uncertainty

Abstract:  Asset management systems help public works agencies decide when and how to maintain and rehabilitate infrastructure facilities in a cost-effective manner. Many sources of error, some difficult to quantify, can limit the ability of asset management systems to accurately predict how built systems will deteriorate. This article introduces the use of robust optimization to deal with epistemic uncertainty. The Hurwicz criterion is employed to ensure management policies are never "too conservative." An efficient solution algorithm is developed to solve robust counterparts of the asset management problem. A case study demonstrates how the consideration of uncertainty alters optimal management policies and shows how the proposed approach may reduce maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) expenditures.