Dissertations and Theses

Collaboratively Strengthening Water and Sanitation Systems in Low-Income and Weak-Governance Contexts

Anonymous — Tue, 30 Nov 2021 15:53:20 +0000

Collaboratively Strengthening Water and Sanitation Systems in Low-Income and Weak-Governance Contexts Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 11/30/2021 - 08:53 Kimberly Pugel

Water and sanitation services remain unequal, unreliable, and unsafe for too large a portion of our world's population. Challenges facing service delivery are multifaceted and intertwined, including high breakdown rates, weak or convoluted laws, insufficient financing mechanisms, and drought. Solving these challenges often falls on the shoulders of local governments, as many national governments decentralize service provision mandates. Especially in low-income and weak-governance contexts, overcoming service delivery challenges can exceed the scopes and skillsets of any single agency or department. Collaborative approaches are thus used by governments and international development actors as a way to bring all relevant, local stakeholders together to solve these problems through joint action and mutual responsibility. Understanding how collaborative approaches work in low-income and weak-governance contexts is therefore imperative to achieving universal, reliable access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services.

There is a wealth of literature on collaborative approaches; however, this literature is limited in scope as nearly all published knowledge has focused on high-income country contexts. Working closely with experts from eleven cases in Eastern Africa, this dissertation investigated how collaborative approaches work in WASH contexts. I first synthesized literature and convened an expert panel to rate and prioritize factors that enable success in collaborative approaches in low-income and weak-governance contexts. To comprehensively understand how these factors worked on the ground, I used fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) to investigate combinations of factors that drove progress. Results spurred a second fsQCA investigation into the sole factor that was necessary for progress in all cases: local government uptake. Finally, in response to methodological limitations that has prevented comprehensive investigations of alignment around a common objective, I developed a new method using network analysis and used it to map how alignment changed over time in two well-functioning collaborative approaches.

Together, this dissertation provides evidence-based guidance on factors and processes that enable collaborative efforts to succeed, laying the groundwork for implementing collaborative approaches in the challenging and unique environment of WASH. Through its unique contributions, this dissertation charts a new course for more robust international development programming and theory development.

Pugel, K. (2021). "Collaboratively Strengthening Water and Sanitation Systems in Low-Income and Weak-Governance Contexts". Dissertation, �鶹ӰԺ.

Pugel, K. (2021) Dissertation, �鶹ӰԺ.

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Post-Disaster Housing Safety: (Mis)Alignments Between Household Perceptions and Engineering Assessments

Anonymous — Wed, 09 Sep 2020 06:00:00 +0000

Post-Disaster Housing Safety: (Mis)Alignments Between Household Perceptions and Engineering Assessments Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 09/09/2020 - 00:00 Casie Venable

Houses are some of society’s most important structures, providing not only shelter from the elements, but also serving as places of business, worship, and social gathering. However, houses are often the structure most affected by disasters. The goal of many post-disaster reconstruction programs is to “build back better,” meaning safer housing and improved capacity to build and maintain safe housing. Long-term housing safety depends on both the initial design and construction and on how households maintain and modify their house. Despite their importance, there is a dearth of research on how post-disaster housing will perform in future hazard events and what households understand to be safe housing. To address this gap, I assessed and compared household perceptions and engineering assessments of post-disaster housing in the Philippines following 2013’s Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda). Organizations directly built the houses and provided households with other assistance, including training. I first assessed which housing components households expect to be damaged in future hazard events and determined which housing design and post-disaster program factors influenced these perceptions. In general, households were more concerned with their houses, especially the roof, in typhoons than in earthquakes, and these perceptions varied based on the house material and whether households participated in the reconstruction. Next, I assessed the wind performance of the houses using performance-based engineering methods. In future typhoons, most of the studied houses are expected to have roof cover loss, but wall failure, which could be catastrophic, is expected in houses with wooden frames and a permeable wall material. I also identified design decisions, such as component spacing and connection type, that could improve wind performance. Lastly, I compared households’ knowledge of safe housing with the engineering assessments. Household perceptions about individual components were well-aligned with engineering assessments but lacked a system understanding of how components work together to affect housing performance. These results contribute new knowledge about household perceptions of safe housing, the performance of organization-built post-disaster housing, and the alignments and misalignments between household perceptions and engineering assessments. Practically, findings can aid practitioners in building more hazard-resistant housing and encouraging safer construction practices through capacity building.

Venable, C. (2020). "Post-Disaster Housing Safety: (Mis)Alignments Between Household Perceptions and Engineering Assessments." Dissertation, �鶹ӰԺ.

Venable, C. (2020). Dissertation, �鶹ӰԺ.

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The Role of Social and Goverance Mechanism on the Process of Knowledge Seeking in Engineering Organizations

Anonymous — Fri, 01 Sep 2017 06:00:00 +0000

The Role of Social and Goverance Mechanism on the Process of Knowledge Seeking in Engineering Organizations Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 09/01/2017 - 00:00 Cristina Poleacovschi

Knowledge seeking represents the process of approaching a knowledge provider when a knowledge seeker does not have the knowledge they need. The process of knowledge seeking is important for engineering organizations as it allows people to obtain the knowledge they need to resolve everyday project problems. In the process of knowledge seeking, knowledge accessibility and provider’s expertise represents the two major factors determining knowledge seeker’s choice of knowledge providers. Because there are numerous barriers in the process of knowledge seeking, this dissertation seeks to identify the antecedents of knowledge accessibility and expertise assessment. The overall dissertation research questions is: What are the antecedents of knowledge seeking? The context of the study is one large engineering organization that focuses on providing water and wastewater services. First, the dissertation identifies the characteristics of experts based on the cues that knowledge seekers use to assess knowledge providers’ expertise. Second, the dissertation identifies the gender characteristics which affect knowledge accessibility between the knowledge seeker and knowledge provider. Lastly, the dissertation identifies the control systems which influence knowledge accessibility based on the knowledge type. A multi-method approach (qualitative and quantitative) is used in dissertation research using survey data distributed to 855 people in the organization and 35 interviews with knowledge seekers.

The results in this dissertation contribute to theory and practice by identifying the social and governance mechanisms that influence knowledge accessibility. These results contribute to a social view of knowledge seeking by showing the importance of gender for knowledge accessibility and forms of capital for expertise assessment. Identifying the governance mechanisms which contribute to knowledge accessibility contribute to theory of knowledge governance by connecting the macro level control systems with micro level knowledge accessibility. For practitioners, this dissertation emphasizes the barriers and enhancers to the process of knowledge seeking. First, the dissertation shows the importance of enhancing social capital among employees in order to cultivate expertise. Second, the dissertation identified gender groups which are disconnected. Finally, the dissertation shows which control systems need to be implemented by the management based on the knowledge type in order to increase knowledge accessibility.

Poleacovschi, C. (2017). "The Role of Social and Goverance Mechanism on the Process of Knowledge Seeking in Engineering Organizations." Dissertation, �鶹ӰԺ.

Poleacovschi, C. (2017). Dissertation, �鶹ӰԺ.

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Resilient and Sustainable Infrastructure Systems A Comparative Analysis of Post-Disaster Shelter Coordination, Stakeholder Participation, and Training

Anonymous — Fri, 01 Sep 2017 06:00:00 +0000

Resilient and Sustainable Infrastructure Systems A Comparative Analysis of Post-Disaster Shelter Coordination, Stakeholder Participation, and Training Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 09/01/2017 - 00:00 Aaron Opdyke

Sustainable infrastructure that is used and maintained by communities over time, and resilient to hazards, is sorely needed in developing countries where natural disasters cause disproportionate damages and mortality as well as impede development efforts. Shelter is universally recognized as a foundational element of disaster recovery; and while its ability to provide protection from the elements is a core function, it also affords broader social and economic benefits. Unfortunately, conventional approaches in post-disaster shelter reconstruction focus primarily on rapid and recognizable results over long-term outcomes, perpetuating pre-existing vulnerabilities and failing to provide acceptable standards of service. There exists a need to better understand how shelter recovery processes employed by stakeholders lead to eventual infrastructure system outcomes. This research longitudinally analyzed 19 humanitarian shelter projects following Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) in the Philippines over a three-year period, seeking to answer the overarching research question of what combinations of coordination, stakeholder participation and training across project delivery phases lead to resilient and sustainable community infrastructure systems? A multi-method approach consisting of case study methods and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) was employed to analyze the impact of combinations of project processes in leading to infrastructure outcomes. This research (1) identified key factors influencing inter-organizational coordination in post-disaster contexts; (2) identified types of household participation that arise in shelter projects and analyzed their impact on project outcomes; (3) identified methods of construction training used in shelter projects and their impact on household knowledge acquisition; and (4) analyzed combinations of coordination, participation, and training across the planning, design, and construction phases of shelter projects that led to infrastructure resilience and sustainability, in isolation and combination. The results contribute to understanding of shelter processes and organizing structures necessary for resilient and sustainable systems, building theory of reconstruction process pathways. Practically, findings can aid practitioners identify more effective modalities of delivering shelter assistance in post-disaster humanitarian response.

Opdyke, A. (2017). "Resilient and Sustainable Infrastructure Systems A Comparative Analysis of Post-Disaster Shelter Coordination, Stakeholder Participation, and Training." Dissertation, �鶹ӰԺ.

Opdyke, A. (2017). Dissertation, �鶹ӰԺ.

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Impact and Analysis of Training Programs Focused on Shelter Reconstruction for Post-Disaster Communities

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Jun 2017 08:01:00 +0000

Impact and Analysis of Training Programs Focused on Shelter Reconstruction for Post-Disaster Communities Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 06/01/2017 - 02:01 Alexander Zerio

Benjamin Franklin, in an essay titled The Way to Wealth, said, “An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.” This adage remains relevant when applied to addressing the impact and risks of natural disasters on the built environment, particularly in developing communities. However, we currently lack an understanding of the post-disaster training programs implemented within communities affected by disaster events. This research examines shelter reconstruction programs within nineteen communities that were struck by Typhoon Haiyan in 2013 in the Philippines. Specifically, I first characterized training programs and the learning styles of community members through the lens of Experiential Learning Theory. Then, I explored potential factors that influence the retention and reapplication of trained material. The results of this thesis can apply to future implementation of training programs, while also identifying avenues for expanded study into the impact of training on post-disaster communities.

Zerio, A. (2017). "Impact and Analysis of Training Programs Focused on Shelter Reconstruction for Post-Disaster Communities." Thesis, �鶹ӰԺ.

Zerio, A. (2017). Thesis, �鶹ӰԺ.

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Towards an Infrastructure Asset Management Organizational Model for Developing Countries

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 06:00:00 +0000

Towards an Infrastructure Asset Management Organizational Model for Developing Countries Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 09/01/2016 - 00:00 Wesam Beitelmal

This dissertation aims to help infrastructure organizations in developing countries better understand how they could improve their performance in managing infrastructure assets and services. Implementing formal asset management in these organizations is a promising solution, yet, there are currently no studies that incorporate developing countries’ perspectives to understand the potential barriers and important variables for asset management implementation. Additionally, there is no study that has explored the impacts of different asset management variables on organizational performance. To address these knowledge gaps, this dissertation addresses three primary research questions: 1) What are the potential barriers to establishing asset management organizations in developed and developing countries? What are the similarities and differences between these contexts? 2) What are the important variables of asset management that optimize an infrastructure organizations’ performance in developing countries? 3) How do the political/legal, economic, social, and technological environments of a country impact the sensitivity of strategy alternative options on organizational outcome measurements? In response to these questions, this research involves and depends on experienced professionals to provide the necessary knowledge to answer the research questions. In Chapter 2, through a survey of practitioners from both the USA and Libya, the research provides the potential barriers for asset management implementation process. These findings show the significant differences between the perspectives of developed and developing countries. With this basis of understanding, this research created an infrastructure asset management organizational model using Cross-Impact Analysis (CIA) and a General Performance Model (GPM) in particular. The model allows for qualitative data collection from practitioners. It also allows for running Monte Carlo simulations to analyze the interactions among different asset management variables and explore their impacts on the organizational performance. Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 focus on the model descriptions and results. The findings in Chapter 3 show that all nine variables have an impact on performance, but four variables have the highest impact on organizational performance. Chapter 4 focuses on exploring the impact of the external environment on both the effectiveness of managers’ decisions and the organizational performance. The findings showed that there is significant impact from the conditional variables (external environment) on the organizational performance. Taken together, these findings contributed to asset management knowledge by considering organizational theory and looking at the implementation process through the lens of organizational change.

Beitelmal, W. (2016). "Towards an Infrastructure Asset Management Organizational Model for Developing Countries." Dissertation, �鶹ӰԺ.

Beitelmal, W. (2016). Dissertation, �鶹ӰԺ.

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An Exploration of the Influence of Public-Private-Partnerships on the Life Cycle Design Decision-Making Process of Highway Projects

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 06:00:00 +0000

An Exploration of the Influence of Public-Private-Partnerships on the Life Cycle Design Decision-Making Process of Highway Projects Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 09/01/2016 - 00:00 Eric Antillon

In recent years, Public-Private Partnerships (P3s) have become a prevalent solution to deliver highway projects across the United States (US). Over the last two decades, 22 design-build-finance-operate-maintain (DBFOM) highway projects have been implemented, with half of these projects being awarded between 2011 and 2015 alone. The use of P3s for the delivery of highway projects is driven by many factors, including: the ability to help close the increasing gap between declining funds and infrastructure costs; the ability to reduce pressure on government budgets; the ability to expedite financing; and the opportunity to facilitate innovation. Of interest in this dissertation, however, is the ability of P3s to improve life cycle-oriented design strategies during design and construction. Previous studies have addressed certain advantages and disadvantages of P3s found within a particular life cycle phase in P3s. Other studies have explored how innovation is affected by the implementation of P3s. However, there are research gaps that include an exploration of: 1) advantages and disadvantages throughout a project’s overall P3 life cycle phase; 2) life cycle design innovations and contract timing; and 3) life cycle design decision-making processes as a function of P3 organizational structures.

This dissertation increases the understanding of these three gaps through case study analyses. The case study design includes both single and multiple-case study analyses. The overarching research question posed for this dissertation is: How do P3s influence the life cycle design decision-making process of highway projects? To further understand and explore this research question, three research sub-questions were further broken down as: 1) What are the relative advantages and disadvantages of P3s over conventional design-bid-build (DBB) delivery across a project’s P3 life cycle? 2) How does contract timing influence the ability to realize life cycle design innovations in P3 highway projects? 3) How do P3 organizational structures influence the life cycle design decision-making process of highway projects? In response to these questions, Chapter 2 provides a holistic comparison of advantages and disadvantages of P3s across a project’s P3 life cycle. Through a single case study, the perceived advantages and disadvantages found in the literature are verified and organized in a conceptual P3 life cycle framework. A ‘grounded theoretical model’ is produced to explain the relative advantages and disadvantages of P3s over conventional DBB delivery. Chapter 3 addresses the second question by employing a multiple-case study of three P3s and classifies life cycle design innovations through an ‘innovative lens.’ This approach provides a conceptual model that illustrates when more ‘radical’ life cycle design innovations can be realized, and how contract timing can influence the ability to realize life cycle design innovations in P3s. Chapter 4 addresses the third question, through a multiple-case study of the same three P3s. This chapter first identifies intended organizational approaches shown through mechanisms of coordination that increase P3 project integration. These intended approaches are then thoroughly analyzed against what was actually implemented to explore how the life cycle design decision-making processes were affected.

This dissertation contributes to a better understanding of how P3s influence the life cycle design decision-making process in highway projects. P3 project delivery has been purported to improve life-cycle design decision-making, but this research found that this advantage is not always realized. This dissertation presents frameworks and models that researchers and practitioners can use as a reference to successfully execute future P3s. It will help to insure that the intended P3 advantages are realized, while disadvantages are mitigated or improved at best.

Antillon, E. (2016). "An Exploration of the Influence of Public-Private-Partnerships on the Life Cycle Design Decision-Making Process of Highway Projects." Dissertation, �鶹ӰԺ.

Antillon, E. (2016). Dissertation, �鶹ӰԺ.

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A Systems Approach to Sustainable Rural Water Infrastructure in Developing Countries

Anonymous — Tue, 01 Sep 2015 06:00:00 +0000

A Systems Approach to Sustainable Rural Water Infrastructure in Developing Countries Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 09/01/2015 - 00:00 Jeffrey Walters

Failure of rural water infrastructure in developing countries is often caused by the systemic interaction of technical, social, financial, institutional, and environmental factors. Unfortunately, current approaches for the planning and evaluation of sustainable rural water services in developing countries are unable to adequately interpret and adapt to the complex interactions of these factors. Thus, the aim of this research was to investigate a systems approach to better consider these inherent complexities through modeling the systemic interaction of influential factors. The overarching research question asks how do factors interact as a system to influence rural water system sustainability in developing countries? To answer this question, this research began with a systematic review of water sector literature to identify factors that influence the long-term functionality of rural water infrastructure in developing countries. Through this systematic literature review, it was possible to identify a list of important factors the author called “sustainability factors”. Using a panel of water sector experts involved in Delphi survey and cross impact questionnaire study, it was then possible to model the interaction of these sustainability factors as a system. The culmination of this work (Chapter 2) presented a causal loop diagram that described the critical areas of factor interaction by identifying dominant feedback mechanisms. The dominant feedback mechanism was found to influence water system functionality through the community involvement with system maintenance, proper finances for operation and maintenance, and effective water system management. However, the study also found a multitude of feedback mechanisms that could be equally influential within a particular regional context. Thus, the next step of this research entailed the use of focus groups to gather opinion-based data on factor interaction from water project stakeholders in Terrabona, Nicaragua. This work (Chapter 3) allowed for context-based evaluation of factor influences in the form of stakeholder value networks. Specifically, this study presented a compelling use of systems diagramming to gain insight into stakeholder alignment. This study ended with a petition for future research that would verify whether these stakeholder value networks truly provide accurate representations of stakeholder alignment compared with the true interaction of factors that influence rural water system functionality in the field. As such, the last step of this research was to identify field-based factor interaction using field-based evidence from water systems in Darío and Terrabona, Nicaracua (Chapter 4). Using graphical modeling, this last study used interview data gathered from water committee members to build factor networks based on conditional dependence between factors. The study showed a dramatic difference in factor interaction between Darío and Terrabona, and demonstrated the impact of regional context on factor influence. In summary, this doctoral research presents both practical and theoretical contributions to the field of rural water development by demonstrating the usefulness of systems-based methods to understand project complexity. Future research, which further tests the ability of these tools to predict project success and foster holistic learning, will certainly prove a worthy endeavor for future researchers and practitioners.

Walters, J. (2015). "A Systems Approach to Sustainable Rural Water Infrastructure in Developing Countries." Dissertation, �鶹ӰԺ.

Walters, J. (2015). Dissertation, �鶹ӰԺ.

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How do Organizations Structure and Coordinate Post-Disaster Infrastructure Reconstruction over Time?

Anonymous — Sat, 01 Aug 2015 06:00:00 +0000

How do Organizations Structure and Coordinate Post-Disaster Infrastructure Reconstruction over Time? Anonymous (not verified) Sat, 08/01/2015 - 00:00 Florence Lepropre

Coordination is important in engineering and construction projects; but it becomes critical in crisis situations such as recovery and reconstruction after a natural disaster. Due to its criticality and influence on post-disaster outcomes, this Master Thesis aims to understand how organizations structure and coordinate post-disaster infrastructure reconstruction by analyzing post-disaster project coordination networks over time.

While immediate coordination among organizations involved in the post-disaster response stage is already well theorized by literature, there is a dearth of information about the evolution of coordination response in the later recovery stages. This research aims to address this gap by combining theories of coordination and Social Network Analysis (SNA) in order to visualize and analyze coordination between organizations.

Data will be collected through online survey questionnaires administered to organizations providing infrastructure projects within 20 local communities (barangays) in the Philippines, and coordination networks will be built and analyzed using SNA for two specific time periods after the disaster (6 months and 1 year). SNA models relationships between actors and depicts the structure of a group through mathematical methods. Moreover, the collection of network data across two time frames will allow for analysis of networks over time. This data will be validated with responses from field interviews and notes.

This Master Thesis is integrated into a broader study conducted by the University of Colorado at �鶹ӰԺ (USA). The ultimate goal of studying coordination amongst stakeholder participation and training in post-disaster reconstruction is to highlight pathways leading to resilient and sustainable infrastructure systems. Findings will be disseminated to participating organizations and submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals.

Lepropre, F. (2015). "How do Organizations Structure and Coordinate Post-Disaster Infrastructure Reconstruction over Time?" Thesis, Haute Ecole Leonard de Vinci.

Lepropre, F. (2015). Thesis, Haute Ecole Leonard de Vinci.

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Characterizing and Understanding the Growing Population of Socially Engaged Engineers through Engineers Without Borders-USA

Anonymous — Mon, 01 Dec 2014 07:00:00 +0000

Characterizing and Understanding the Growing Population of Socially Engaged Engineers through Engineers Without Borders-USA Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 12/01/2014 - 00:00 Kaitlin Litchfield

This dissertation studies a group of engineers, who, by intentionally engaging with the social dimensions of engineering, contrasts the engineering stereotype of an antisocial male technocrat. Although US engineering leaders and scholars have advocated for a more broadly skilled, passionate, and diverse population of engineers to help solve pressing global engineering challenges, the field still struggles to recruit, train, and maintain this type of workforce. Therefore, it is important to better understand a rapidly growing group of engineers who appear to contrast the norm because these individuals hold promise for diversifying the engineering population and providing better solutions to global engineering challenges. By characterizing this relatively unstudied population—which this dissertation calls socially engaged engineers—this research can support efforts for curricular and programmatic change in engineering education and employee fit and satisfaction in engineering workplaces. The context for this study was Engineers Without Borders (EWB-USA), which is one of the largest and most prominent humanitarian engineering organizations in the US. The main research question that informed this study asked, how are engineers involved and uninvolved with EWB-USA different and similar? The research used a sequential, exploratory mixed-methods approach that began with interviews and focus groups with 165 engineering students and practicing engineers across the US and continued with a nation-wide survey to four prominent US professional engineering organizations. To address the research question, similarities and differences between those involved and uninvolved with EWB-USA were analyzed across three main dimensions: personal values (including motivations, interests, and personality traits), learning experiences (including professional and technical skill sets), and career intentions (including students' expectations and practitioners' experiences). The three dimensions correspond to the three main body chapters of this dissertation.

The results showed that EWB-USA members had personal values, technical skills, and both interests and experiences in engineering design and research careers in line with non-members and previous studies of engineers; however EWB-USA members also exhibited altruistic values, professional skills, and broader career interests and experiences that contrasted non-members. Although these results appear in support of socially engaged engineering activities, they also highlight warnings to the engineering field about the misalignment between this growing population of engineers and its historically technocratic and masculine culture. Without cultural changes, the engineering workforce may continue to miss out on engineers who offer diversity, passion, and experience interfacing between the social and technical dimensions of engineering which are needed to better address critical engineering challenges facing society.

Litchfield, K. (2014). "Characterizing and Understanding the Growing Population of Socially Engaged Engineers through Engineers Without Borders-USA." Dissertation, �鶹ӰԺ.

Litchfield, K. (2014). Dissertation, �鶹ӰԺ.

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