Data requirements and use in nutrition planning in Costa Rica

In designing data systems for food and nutrition planning, little attention has been given to the type of data which may be needed at different stages of the planning process, ie political motivation and definition of policies, selection of programmes, geographical distribution of resources within a programme, delivery of services at the local level and monitoring of changes. The authors examine some experiences in terms of how decisions are made, available data and its use in national programmes, and the consequences relevant to the nutritional status of the Costa Rican population.     

Project 98在建筑施工计划管理中的应用

Ｐｒｏｊｅｃｔ９８是项目管理软件，在建筑施工生产过程中借助于它进行计划的安排、调整和控制，可以取得较好的经济和社会效益。章结合在南京太阳宫广场施工项目中运用Ｐｒｏｊｅｃｔ９８的体会，论述它的建筑施工过程计划前、计划中和计划后的应用。     

Toward a closer integration of population in development policies in Taiwan

The author examines the process whereby research on population topics has been evaluated and either included in or excluded from public policy formation and implementation in Taiwan. Sections are included on the relationship between agricultural development and family planning activities and on demographic concerns in economic planning.     

Agricultural policies and general economic policy : The Polish experience

Agricultural planning in Poland is an integral part of the central planning process of the socialist state. For agriculture, central planning is combined with the influence of a controlled market which makes use of various market mechanisms. The authors review agricultural planning in relation to general economic policy and show that with a largely peasant agriculture its productivity is intimately connected with the productivity of the whole economy. In planning income, the rule used is that the income of the agricultural population should increase proportionally with that of the nonagricultural population. The implications of this in the present five-year plan are discussed.     

R&D Project Selection Strategy: an empirical study in Spain

The author has investigated the role played by project selection methods in defining a firm's technology strategy, as exemplified by a sample of innovative companies in Spain. The information was collected by a combination of questionnaire and interview with key personnel.
The author was able to classify strategies into four groups: (1) a planning strategy, essentially a negotiation comprising top-down and bottom-up elements; (2) an economic strategy in which a large number of economic criteria set in advance by top management are used to evaluate projects; (3) a market strategy in which R&D is seen more or less as an adjunct to the Marketing function, which defines the products needed and negotiates the programme with top management; (4) a technical strategy, used in circumstances in which technological innovation is essential and in which, therefore, economic factors take a subsidiary place.
The author's data show that in companies operating a planning strategy project selection methods of various, perhaps ad hoc kinds play a key role in reaching a company consensus. For those using an economic strategy the selection criteria are predetermined and selection methods inflexible. In the case of the market strategy, evaluation methods are used solely to help to rank projects prior to selection. Firms employing the technical strategy clearly base their decisions purely on the technical merit of the various projects put up for implementation.
The paper includes information on the types of selection method used, broken down by company size and other similar criteria, and comparisons with practice in the USA, France and some other countries.     

The soft underbelly of applied knowledge: Conceptual and operational problems in nutrition planning

Nutrition planning features a ‘rational choice’ bias that often characterises applied knowledge. John O. Field questions this bias by exploring the softer side of success in nutrition planning efforts. He contrasts the scope of nutrition planning as understood by the international community of experts and by administrators in low income countries. He examines the politics of planning and programme implementation. Consideration of nutrition planning in an ideological and historical perspective reveals both the ambivalence of nutrition planners as agents of change and the tenuous, untested nature of nutrition planning as an approach to ameliorating malnutrition.     

电网企业编制公司发展规划的几个关键问题

讨论了公司发展规划的工作过程,提出了双闭环优化的思路,分析了规划工作内容间及其与相关工作的逻辑关系,并且就规划目标的编制方法和规划方案的经济评价方法进行了讨论。     

A review of: “ENGINEERING RELIABILITY: FUNDAMENTALS AND APPLICATIONS”by R. RAMKUMAR Prentice Hall,Englewood Cliffs,New Jersey 1993, xiii + 482 pp. ISBN: 0-13-1767597. List: $70.00.

This paper presents a Real Tune Computer Aided Process Planning (RTCAPP) system which can serve as a support tool for economic decision making during design activities. The system is capable of providing the information about manufacturing implication of each added design feature to the designer during the design process of prismatic parts. A knowledge-based system using a bierarchical planning scheme and a multi-bank rule base is developed to generate near-optimal process plans in real time. The planning process is supported by an optimization module which uses dynamic programming to minimize manufacturing costs. The incremental planning mechanism utilizes as much of the existing plan information as is necessary to generate a new process plan, whenever the design is updated. The system serves as an effective concurrent engineering tool that can be used to provide real time feedback on the manufacturing cost consequences to the designer     

Economic theory in corporate planning

The microeconomic theory of the firm encompasses classical marginal analysis and modern operations research techniques. Yet, one finds a paucity of explicit application of microeconomics to corporate planning. In this paper we explore the reasons for the seeming void and develop an economic theory of corporate planning. Our main thesis is that received microeconomic theory focuses on answers, and answers stated in non-operational terms. Nonetheless, economic theory asks questions of central importance to the strategic choices of the firm. These questions arise from economic theory and the fundamental notion of trade-offs. We develop a microeconomic theory of strategic search for corporate planning. The theory is used to develop important questions and efficient search in lieu of chaotic and random search.     

NPD Planning Activities and Innovation Performance: The Mediating Role of Process Management and the Moderating Effect of Product Innovativeness

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of planning and control on the performance of new product development (NPD) projects. It is hypothesized that (1) thorough business planning at the beginning of a project creates a basis for proficient project and risk planning; (2) the proficiency of project planning, risk planning, and process management activities each improves innovation performance directly; (3) the relationship of planning and success is mediated by process management; and (4) the strength of these relationships is moderated by uncertainty, as determined by the degree of innovativeness. To test the hypotheses, data from 132 NPD projects were collected and analyzed. A measurement model was used to establish valid and reliable constructs, a path model to test the main effects, and a multiple-moderated regression analysis for the moderator hypotheses. The results suggest that the proficiency of project planning and process management is important predictors of NPD performance. Specifically, project risk planning and goal stability throughout the development process are found to enhance performance significantly. Business planning proves to be an important antecedent of the more development-related planning activities such as project planning and risk planning. Additionally, the results lend support to the hypotheses regarding the mediating role of process management in the planning–performance relationship. Project planning and risk planning support the quality of process management and thus impact NPD performance indirectly. Only to a limited extent are the strengths of these relationships moderated by the degree of innovativeness of the NPD project.     

O.R. in Research and Development—a critical review

In this paper we consider why formalized project selection systems are inappropriate to the difficulties of deciding what should constitute the R & D programme for the National Coal Board. We suggest that mostof these objections would apply to programme planning in any of the major industries generally referred to as ‘the public utilities'. We propose that the area of greatest need for O.R. work in this field is in providing a scenario of the physical characteristics of the industry in the period 10–15 years ahead and to use this scenario to indicate the relative acuteness of the technological problems the industry will face.     

Research notes and communications strategic planning as competitive advantage

Since 1970, over forty empirical studies have examined the performance consequences of formal strategic planning. This line of research has drawn heavy criticism from reviewers on methodological grounds, and has produced confusing, apparently contradictory results. This article reevaluates the planning-performance relationship from a resource perspective, arguing that strategic planning does not satisfy the criteria for sustainable competitive advantage– although it may produce economic value, it is easily imitated and may be substitutable. The article suggests that previous studies produced inconsistent results because they did not account for the dissemination of strategic planning over time, or for industry differences in strategic planning factor markets. An empirical test in two industries finds that formal strategic planning and financial performance are unrelated in a ‘planning equilibrium’ industry, but positively related in an industry with strategic planning factor market imperfections.     

The value of formal planning for strategic decisions: Review of empirical research

A review of research from organizational behaviour supported the guidelines by corporate planners: that is, use an explicit approach for setting objectives, generating strategies, evaluating strategies, monitoring results, and obtaining commitment. To determine whether these findings could be applied to strategic decision making in organizations, a review was made of all published field research on the evaluation of formal planning. Formal planning was superior in 10 of the 15 comparisons drawn from 12 studies, while informal planning was superior in only two comparisons. Although this research did not provide sufficient information on the use of various aspects of the planning process, mild support was provided for having participation by stakeholders. Formal planning tended to be more useful where large changes were involved, but, beyond that, little information was available to suggest when formal planning is most valuable. Future research should assess the formal planning process, the situation in which it is used, and its effects on the total system.     

Concept Mapping as a Means of Evaluating Primary School Technology Programmes

Concept mapping provides a means for teachers and pupils to represent their understanding of an area of knowledge. It has been used as a planning tool by teachers to identify a framework of specific concepts and their propositions within a topic, as an assessment tool and as a means of collaborative sharing of knowledge. Information from two primary schools would also suggest that it can be used as a means of evaluating a school programme of primary technology. Research into people's perceptions and attitudes to technology indicated that there were a number of concepts and propositions associated with this field of study. A variety of groups of people including primary children were asked to describe what they understood to be technology and this information was constructed into a concept map format. The two schools described in the study had different programmes to deliver technology within the curriculum area of environmental studies. The first school had a planned programme of technology which was taught by the head teacher of the school. The second school had technology taught by class teachers, running as a thread throughout the environmental studies programme. In the first case the children knew when they were engaged in a technological task whereas in the second case the technology was implicit and the children were not necessarily aware of any specific subject area. The children's perceptions of technology and their attitudes towards it were analysed with reference to the constructed concept map. In the school where there were specifically programmed technological tasks, the children indicated that their understandings of technology were focused towards the design process; they identified technology as designing, making, problem solving and generating ideas. In relation to the Scottish curriculum their knowledge was concentrated in the area of the outcome entitled 'Understanding and Using the Design Process'. Children in the second school indicated that their understanding of technology was related to objects including computers and new inventions. This demonstrated that their ideas were mostly linked to the outcome entitled 'Understanding and Using Technology in Society'. It can be argued that in order to have a comprehensive understanding of technology the children should have knowledge and understanding of both outcomes. In the light of the results the head teachers of the respective schools decided to look more closely at their programmes in order to find out what modifications might be made. The head teacher of the first school decided to question the children more closely because he was aware of some attitudinal difference between the boys and the girls. He has now decided to do some further research in his school to see what changes need to be made. The head teacher of the second school is about to embark on a complete review of her school technology programme. The results of the research would suggest that concept mapping in the suggested form is a possible tool for evaluation of primary school technology prorammes. However this was only a small case study and further research would have to be done to provide more substantial evidence.     

The impact of formalized strategic planning on financial performance in small organizations

The relationship between formality of planning procedures and financial performance was examined for a sample of small U.S. banks. Small banks without formal planning systems performed equally with small, formal planners. Regardless of formality, each set of banks placed equal emphasis on all aspects of strategic decision-making except formalized goals and objectives. Results suggest that managers responsible for strategic planning activity in smaller organizations do not appear to benefit from a highly formalized planning process, extensive written documentation, or the use of mission and goal identification as the beginning of a strategic planning process.     

石油企业如何在经济、环境、社会多重期望下满足能源需求——五大国际石油公司的战略应对

如何在经济、环境、社会多重期望下满足能源需求,是石油企业可持续发展面临的巨大挑战.壳牌、BP、埃克森美孚、道达尔和雪佛龙五大国际石油公司将可持续发展纳入公司战略层面加以统筹考虑,在管理决策和运营过程中融入可持续发展要素,从被动应对转向主动规划,成为推进油气行业可持续发展的倡导者和探索者.国际大石油公司的探索和已经取得的经验值得中国石油企业学习和借鉴.     

Operationalizing strategic planning

This article reports on a study which had the purpose of probing the reality of strategic planning, of highlighting some of its shortcomings then contrasting that reality with the literature-based constructs which are taught in business schools worldwide. In this way it is shown that the benefits of strategic planning are not realized unless the process is totally integrated with current operations. This study shows that only rarely is strategic planning a live process within companies. However, to make an improvement is extremely difficult because frequently the commitment and energy does not exist in companies. As a result, many companies are failing to benefit from their strategic planning efforts and are thus failing to establish appropriate long-term corporate positionings.     

COMMENTS On: “PROBABILISTIC CONSIDERATIONS IN EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENT STUDIES” *

This is a classic study, by the “Old Masters”, of the method-centered approach to management problems. It demonstrates once again the extraordinary power of the linear-programming framework, in dealing with complex business-decision problems. Students of the capital-budgeting process will find it filled with insights, and highly suggestive. It may eventually become the established basis for a revised conception of the interaction between financial planning and the economic analysis of engineering projects.