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This study develops a phase-oriented evaluation mechanism based on the public–private partnership (PPP) project process and provides a preliminary framework for the promotion of the phase-oriented evaluation of PPPs in China.

Through a literature review and survey interviews the success criteria for the implementation process of PPPs are documented. Process success criteria findings are used to populate the content of the phase-oriented evaluation. The result is then tested, revised and improved through follow-up expert interviews.

This paper identifies PPP project process success criteria. Using these criteria, a phase-oriented evaluation framework is developed. Moreover, in consultation with industry experts in the PPP field, eight evaluation aspects were determined: confirmation of project compliance and performance, confirmation of value for money, confirmation of financial affordability, trend analysis of annual performance appraisal, risk review and early warning, rebankability analysis, project externality analysis, benchmarking analysis of similar projects. These eight application aspects are analyzed in the light of the outcomes of the resulting phase-oriented evaluation framework.

The results of the research can only provide researchers and practitioners with generic insights regarding inputs into a phase-oriented evaluation of PPP projects. For any specific PPP project, the focus and priority of the evaluative content will vary.

A phase-oriented evaluation of PPP projects is put forward. This will allow project stakeholders to better track the progress of projects throughout what can be a lengthy implementation stage.

This study can provide governments and stakeholders with a new, theoretical understanding as to factors required of an effective phased evaluation of China's PPP projects. In that regard it will be significant value in PPP project policy and decision-making.

Drawing on institutional work (Lawrence and Suddaby, 2006; Lawrence et al., 2011), this study aims to explore how the concept of value for money (VFM) is understood in terms of the private finance initiative (PFI) implementation in Malaysia.

In-depth interviews with 25 actors involved in the implementation of PFI projects at two public universities in Malaysia were conducted. The interviews focused on the ways in which participants in the projects make sense of VFM in their ongoing involvement with the projects. In addition, a review of publicly available documents was conducted to understand the ways in which the notion of VFM is reflected in the policies and procedures of the government. Data from the interviews and documents were analysed using thematic analysis.

It is found that the advocacy work of macro-level actors, as well as micro-level actors, has promoted PFI implementation to achieve VFM. However, to the micro-level actors, VFM is just a concept that carries different interpretations, depending on how PFI fits their everyday functional discourses. In addition, direct negotiation and lack of commercial appreciation are disruptive not only to the achievement of VFM but also to the public sector reform agenda of the country.

The present study contributes to the discourses on the concept of VFM that is assumed to be inherent in PFI. The findings are based on micro- and macro-level actors and cover both advocacy and disruption of VFM achievement.

The paper aims to provide a structured framework for comparing different productivity estimation methodologies and evaluate their sensitivity to operational coefficients variation for excavation operations.

Two process‐oriented methodologies were analysed in a deterministic fashion in terms of their input requirements and their respective outputs. A phase‐oriented framework was presented to enable their comparison. The research methodology allows the estimation of excavation productivity in relation to the selected operational coefficients.

The system productivity is significantly influenced by operational conditions, such as the digging depth and the swing angle from the excavation front to the dumping position. Each methodology presents a differing sensitivity to every operational factor. Since the excavator is considered as the system's leading resource, the variation on productivity has direct implications for the truck fleet size and the unit cost of operations.

The proposed approach is useful in analyzing process‐oriented productivity estimation methodologies under a given set of operational coefficients when no historical data is available. Thus, it provides an alternative to intuitive estimates based solely on personal judgment. The concept of “baseline reference” conditions is introduced, so as to enable the transformation of any operational scenario into equivalent mathematical models that allow comparisons between different estimation methodologies and computational approaches.

This paper aims to provide architecture, engineering, construction and facilities management (AEC/FM) practitioners with a guiding tool for overcoming the challenges affecting their performance in adaptive reuse project.

Literature review was conducted to comprehend the challenges affecting the AEC/FM performance during the implementation of adaptive reuse projects. A case study was conducted on an adaptively reused building, located in Saudi Arabia. The case study building was converted from a bookstore into an amusement center. Document review of the as-built drawings, and a structured interview with the project manager were conducted. The study concluded with the development of AEC/FM practical guidelines, pertaining to the different involved domains.

This study indicated that the potential challenges are interrelated among the three domains. These challenges pertained to the spatial, legislative, technical, administrative and operational aspects. The findings emphasized the vital role of the integration among the AEC/FM domains, at the early project planning phases. Based on the findings, three sets of AEC/FM guidelines were developed.

Theoretically, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that provides a case-specific investigation of the challenges affecting the AEC/FM performance in adaptive reuse projects.

The developed practical guidelines could potentially enhance the AEC/FM performance in future adaptive reuse projects.

This study contributes to the practice of adaptive reuse projects through providing practical guidelines for mitigating the challenges that affect the AEC/FM performance in these projects.

This paper aims to explore service-user perspectives of sensory approaches introduced and promoted by the trauma and self-injury service within the National High Secure Healthcare Service for Women (NHSHSW) at Rampton Hospital.

This cross-sectional descriptive study used a semi-structured questionnaire, which was devised for this evaluation and included both open and closed questions. The data collected were then analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis.

The paper evaluates the current use of sensory approaches within the NHSHSW. Sensory approaches were widely used across the service, with essential oils being the most commonly used sensory approach. The use of sensory approaches can be understood according to the following three themes: independence, accessibility and self-regulation. The self-regulation theme contained three sub-themes as follows: safety-seeking, relaxation and reducing distress. The evaluation also highlighted barriers to using sensory approaches and sought service-user feedback as to how these may be overcome.

Participants’ feedback informed changes to practice, such as introducing sensory approaches to service-users earlier in their care pathway and increasing the accessibility of sensory items. These approaches may be of relevance to service provision in other forensic or inpatient settings.

This paper offers a unique contribution to the current literature with its focus on using sensory approaches to ameliorate trauma symptoms, in the context of a forensic setting.

It seems that sociology (the science of society) has not until now seriously undertaken the operational definition of the concept of “organizational efficiency” or “social performance”. The reason for this huge and inexplicable oversight might be that sociology does not use as a routine the systemic and sociocybernetic approaches. In fact, it does not seem possible to define operationally the concept of organizational efficiency since only a systemic and sociocybernetic conception of the organization could provide in principle the subconcepts of globality, inputs, outputs, transformation and feedback so absolutely indispensable for expressing this definition in terms of the relation between the means used (X) and the ends achieved (Y). Even the outputs “Y” and the inputs “X” have to be previously viewed from a globalizing systemic angle, which means grasping the needs and satisfaction of the system from its point of view.

Science parks are business clusters situated in a particular geographical location, originally conceptualized by local universities, local government and businesses. In recent times, science park stakeholders and tenants are starting to pursue social value and even how to manage. This study aims to clarify the understanding of social value in an innovation ecosystem.

This study combines existing literature studies and concepts, observations in a real-life innovation ecosystem – a Bioscience Park – and interviews of key personnel managing the science park.

Science Park Social Value (SPSV) is a value resulting from interaction among groups and not just the pursuit of a single firm-level goal. SPSV emanates from the firms within the science park in reaction to the demands of the actors or entities within and outside the innovation ecosystem of the science park: internal operations, external stakeholders and infexternal or broader societal impact. In addition to this, the author has conceptualized a framework for social value of an innovation ecosystem, which will require further research.

This paper creates a link between concepts about social value, innovation ecosystem (e.g. science park) and stakeholder theory.

SPSV will be useful for science park orchestrators or managers to manage expectations of social and non-social actors.

Social value of a science park will bring a new light on the stigma that science parks are only money-making ventures and are not in touch with social issues.

This study theorized and researched previously unrelated concepts.

An analysis of both form and content differences between the plans named “strategic” and those named “long‐range”. Planning theory is checked against the planning reports available on the Web pages of 65 public and university libraries. The goal is to see whether the differences that some theorists observe between strategic and long‐range planning actually exist on plans published with those names.

The paper is concerned about parameter adaptation of a novel, simplified and nonlinear switched reluctance motor (SRM) model. The purpose of the presented on-line procedure is to give an opportunity to set the model parameters’ values to obtain a relatively good convergence with the real control object. This is important when a reference model is used for control (e.g. optimal) or object state classification (e.g. fault detection) purposes. The more convergent the real object model is, the better operation quality may be expected.

In the paper, a 12/8 pole’s SRM as a control object is analyzed. The model equations were verified experimentally by comparing phase current model estimations with reference (measured) ones at different operational points. Differential equations of motor winding currents were chosen as an approximation function in the fitting (parameter adaptation) process using the Newton and Gauss–Newton methods. The structure of the adaptation system is presented along with the implementation in simulation environment.

It was confirmed in the simulation tests that Newton and Gauss–Newton methods of nonlinear model parameters’ adaptation may be used for the SRM. The introduced fitting structure is well suited for implementation in real-time, embedded systems. The proposed approximation function could be used in process as an expansion to Jacobian and Hessian matrices. The χ² (chi²) coefficient (commonly used to measure the quality of the signal fitting) reduced to a low value during the adaptation process. Another introduced quality coefficient shows that the Newton method is slightly better in scope of the entire adaptation process time; however, it needs more computational power.

The proposed structure and approximation function formula in the parameters’ adaptation system is appropriate for sinusoidal distribution of the motor phase inductance value along the rotor angle position. The inductance angular shape is an implication of the mechanical construction – with appropriate dimensions and materials used. In the presented case, the referenced model is a three-phase SRM in 12/8 poles configuration used as a main drive part of Maytag Neptune washing machine produced by Emerson Motors.

The presented method of parameter adaptation for novel, simplified and nonlinear SRM model provides an opportunity for its use in embedded, real-time control systems. The convergent motor model, after the fitting procedure (when the estimations are close to the measurements from real object), may be used for solving many well-known control challenges such as detection of initial rotor position, sensorless control, optimal control, fault-tolerant control end in fault detection (FD) systems. The reference model may be used in FD in the way of deducing signals from the difference between the estimated and measured ones.

The paper proposed a new system of parameter adaptation for the evaluated nonlinear, simplified 12/8 poles SRM model. The relative simplicity of the proposed model equations provides the possibility of implementing an adaptation system in an embedded system that works in a real-time regime. A Two adaptation methods – Newton and Gauss–Newton – have been compared. The obtained results shown that the Newton fitting method is better in the way of the used quality indicator, but it consumes more computational power.

Laser additive manufacturing is widely utilized to fabricate the Ti6Al4V alloy, but it requires post-processing to improve its performance. This paper aims to propose laser peening (LP) as an effective way to improve the surface characteristics of the Ti6Al4V alloy fabricated by direct laser deposition (DLD).

Surface integrity including surface roughness, porosity, residual stress and microhardness are investigated in detail before and after LP treatment. Microstructure evolution is characterized by the electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) to analyze crystal phase, grain boundary misorientation and texture.

Multiple overlapping layers of LP treatment result in slight influence on the polished surface of DLD-built samples. Porosity measured by the Archimedes test is found to be greatly decreased after LP treatment. Compressive residual stresses are significantly induced, the magnitude of which is greatly increased by increasing layers of LP treatment. And, local weakening or enhancement of residual stress in depth is observed because of pore and inclusion defects in the DLD-built Ti6Al4V alloy. Favorable hardness property can be obtained after multiple overlapping layers of LP treatment. EBSD analysis shows that LP treatment with multiple layers can introduce a large amount of lower-angle boundaries, indicating that dislocations beneath the top surface could induce a strain-hardened layer. The microtexture of the DLD-built Ti6Al4V alloy cannot be eliminated to decrease the anisotropy of the mechanical property.

The variation of porosity observed after LP inside the DLD-built Ti-Al-4V is attractive but requires more detailed work to analyze the evolution of pore geometry.

Surface treatment of an additive manufactured titanium alloy was carried out to improve its fatigue resistance.

This work is original in proposing LP as an effective post process for the surface treatment of an additive manufactured titanium alloy through analyzing the surface integrity and microstructure evolution.