Ghanaian construction projects encounter a number of challenges, including low health, safety, and environmental requirements, poor performance, and time and cost overruns. To provide value for money (VFM) on governme...Ghanaian construction projects encounter a number of challenges, including low health, safety, and environmental requirements, poor performance, and time and cost overruns. To provide value for money (VFM) on government infrastructure projects in Ghana, this research assesses the roles of project consultants, specifically architects and quantity surveyors, and highlights important obstacles. A cross-sectional survey design involving architects and quantity surveyors yielded a 96% response rate after 100 questionnaires were distributed. Consultants’ responsibilities also include monitoring standards compliance, providing advice on delays, controlling budgets, and advising on project completion dates. Difficulties encompass a lack of promptness in decision-making, unethical conduct, political pressure, and inadequate focus on contract administration and construction audits. Project urgency, longevity, political clout, timely decision-making, and team experience are important variables that impact VFM. Policy makers and construction management practitioners should take note of the implications for Ghana’s public infrastructure projects.展开更多
Pride and prejudice is a very popular novel written by Jane Austen and it is read widely all over the world. It was written in 1813. That specific history time decided that people at that time took money much more ser...Pride and prejudice is a very popular novel written by Jane Austen and it is read widely all over the world. It was written in 1813. That specific history time decided that people at that time took money much more seriously, even on their marriage. In this paper, the marriage cases of most characters in the book were taken as typical to analyze how money influenced their matrimonial value orientation.展开更多
The comparison of Plato's description of the dialectic in his Republic with Marx's analysis of the value form in The Capital reveals certain common features striking to the reader.How is this possible?The pape...The comparison of Plato's description of the dialectic in his Republic with Marx's analysis of the value form in The Capital reveals certain common features striking to the reader.How is this possible?The paper discusses the grounds of possibility of such a comparison focusing on two levels:firstly,a ground of historical comparability and,secondly,a ground of systematic comparability.Based on these two grounds,the argument highlights two of the common features that can be found in both thinkers,namely the dialectic as a process of complete separation of the intellect from sense perception and as a process that supersedes the form of hypothesis of scientific thinking.展开更多
Background:Delivering Reproductive Health Results(DRHR)programme used social franchising(SF)and social marketing(SM)approaches to increase the supply of high quality family planning services in underserved areas of Pa...Background:Delivering Reproductive Health Results(DRHR)programme used social franchising(SF)and social marketing(SM)approaches to increase the supply of high quality family planning services in underserved areas of Pakistan.We assessed the costs,cost-efficiency and cost-effectiveness of DRHR to understand the value for money of these approaches.Methods:Financial and economic programme costs were calculated.Costs to individual users were captured in a pre-post survey.The cost per couple years of protection(CYP)and cost per new user were estimated as indicators of cost efficiency.For the cost-effectiveness analysis we estimated the cost per clinical outcome averted and the cost per disability-adjusted life year(DALY)averted.Results:Approximately£20 million were spent through the DRHR programme between July 2012 and September 2015 on commodities and services representing nearly four million CYPs.Based on programme data,the cumulative cost-efficiency of the entire DRHR programme was£4.8 per CYP.DRHR activities would avert one DALY at the cost of£20.Financial access indicators generally improved in programme areas,but the magnitude of progress varies across indicators.Conclusions:The SF and SM approaches adopted in DRHR appear to be cost effective relative to comparable reproductive health programmes.This paper adds to the limited evidence on the cost-effectiveness of different models of reproductive health care provision in low-and middle-income settings.Further studies are needed to nuance the understanding of the determinants of impact and value for money of SF and SM.展开更多
In recent years, private sectors are encouraged to take an active part in franchising of urban infrastructure investments and operations, which promotes the rapid development of public-private partnership(PPP)in infra...In recent years, private sectors are encouraged to take an active part in franchising of urban infrastructure investments and operations, which promotes the rapid development of public-private partnership(PPP)in infrastructure and public service supply. Value for money(VFM) assessment has been officially proposed to provide a reference for selection of projects planning to adopt PPP. Based on the bottlenecks of VFM application in China and the uncertainties for urban infrastructure PPP projects, a discounted cash flow(DCF) model is established for VFM of infrastructure PPP projects. Then, a Monte Carlo simulation model is established on the basis of uncertainty factors for VFM. Through the analysis of Huai'an trams PPP project, coping strategies of uncertainties for VFM are put forward. Findings of the research may propel the establishment of a complete VFM evaluation system for PPP projects. Key instructional functions of VFM during the process of decision-making can be brought into full play and PPP may develop orderly.展开更多
物有所值(Value for Money,VFM)评价,可为PPP项目前期立项决策提供有力支持。首先分析各国VFM定性评价相关政策,对比英国、美国、加拿大、澳大利亚的VFM定性评价,然后总结我国VFM定性评价现状及问题,最后阐述各国VFM定性评价对我国的启...物有所值(Value for Money,VFM)评价,可为PPP项目前期立项决策提供有力支持。首先分析各国VFM定性评价相关政策,对比英国、美国、加拿大、澳大利亚的VFM定性评价,然后总结我国VFM定性评价现状及问题,最后阐述各国VFM定性评价对我国的启示,为我国完善VFM定性评价提供参考。展开更多
文摘Ghanaian construction projects encounter a number of challenges, including low health, safety, and environmental requirements, poor performance, and time and cost overruns. To provide value for money (VFM) on government infrastructure projects in Ghana, this research assesses the roles of project consultants, specifically architects and quantity surveyors, and highlights important obstacles. A cross-sectional survey design involving architects and quantity surveyors yielded a 96% response rate after 100 questionnaires were distributed. Consultants’ responsibilities also include monitoring standards compliance, providing advice on delays, controlling budgets, and advising on project completion dates. Difficulties encompass a lack of promptness in decision-making, unethical conduct, political pressure, and inadequate focus on contract administration and construction audits. Project urgency, longevity, political clout, timely decision-making, and team experience are important variables that impact VFM. Policy makers and construction management practitioners should take note of the implications for Ghana’s public infrastructure projects.
文摘Pride and prejudice is a very popular novel written by Jane Austen and it is read widely all over the world. It was written in 1813. That specific history time decided that people at that time took money much more seriously, even on their marriage. In this paper, the marriage cases of most characters in the book were taken as typical to analyze how money influenced their matrimonial value orientation.
文摘The comparison of Plato's description of the dialectic in his Republic with Marx's analysis of the value form in The Capital reveals certain common features striking to the reader.How is this possible?The paper discusses the grounds of possibility of such a comparison focusing on two levels:firstly,a ground of historical comparability and,secondly,a ground of systematic comparability.Based on these two grounds,the argument highlights two of the common features that can be found in both thinkers,namely the dialectic as a process of complete separation of the intellect from sense perception and as a process that supersedes the form of hypothesis of scientific thinking.
文摘Background:Delivering Reproductive Health Results(DRHR)programme used social franchising(SF)and social marketing(SM)approaches to increase the supply of high quality family planning services in underserved areas of Pakistan.We assessed the costs,cost-efficiency and cost-effectiveness of DRHR to understand the value for money of these approaches.Methods:Financial and economic programme costs were calculated.Costs to individual users were captured in a pre-post survey.The cost per couple years of protection(CYP)and cost per new user were estimated as indicators of cost efficiency.For the cost-effectiveness analysis we estimated the cost per clinical outcome averted and the cost per disability-adjusted life year(DALY)averted.Results:Approximately£20 million were spent through the DRHR programme between July 2012 and September 2015 on commodities and services representing nearly four million CYPs.Based on programme data,the cumulative cost-efficiency of the entire DRHR programme was£4.8 per CYP.DRHR activities would avert one DALY at the cost of£20.Financial access indicators generally improved in programme areas,but the magnitude of progress varies across indicators.Conclusions:The SF and SM approaches adopted in DRHR appear to be cost effective relative to comparable reproductive health programmes.This paper adds to the limited evidence on the cost-effectiveness of different models of reproductive health care provision in low-and middle-income settings.Further studies are needed to nuance the understanding of the determinants of impact and value for money of SF and SM.
基金the Research Project of China Institute of Urban Governance of SJTU(No.16JCCS09)
文摘In recent years, private sectors are encouraged to take an active part in franchising of urban infrastructure investments and operations, which promotes the rapid development of public-private partnership(PPP)in infrastructure and public service supply. Value for money(VFM) assessment has been officially proposed to provide a reference for selection of projects planning to adopt PPP. Based on the bottlenecks of VFM application in China and the uncertainties for urban infrastructure PPP projects, a discounted cash flow(DCF) model is established for VFM of infrastructure PPP projects. Then, a Monte Carlo simulation model is established on the basis of uncertainty factors for VFM. Through the analysis of Huai'an trams PPP project, coping strategies of uncertainties for VFM are put forward. Findings of the research may propel the establishment of a complete VFM evaluation system for PPP projects. Key instructional functions of VFM during the process of decision-making can be brought into full play and PPP may develop orderly.
