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Climate-related vulnerability indices are increasingly being utilized to enhance the creation of better disaster management strategies and to better understand and anticipate the effects of disasters related to climate change. This study evaluates the climate change vulnerability of the cities in Türkiye through focusing on their exposure, susceptibilities and adaptive capacities to climate change. Data from social, economic and environmental sub-indicators were assessed and most relevant indicators were aggregated with the goal of constructing a composite Climate Change Vulnerability Index (CCVI). The CCVI includes six forms of capital leading to socio-economic and environmental sustainability i.e. social, public utility and transport, economics, land cover, meteorology and atmospheric conditions, and natural disaster capitals, and will be assessed combining each of these forms of capitals and its three dimensions (exposure, susceptibility and adaptive capacity). Stakeholder-driven structured methodology that discovers and ranks context-relevant indicators and sets weights for aggregating indicator scores by using the Best-Worst method (BWM) and stepwise weight assessment ratio analysis (SWARA) method are utilised. The indicators are aggregated through application of the BWM and SWARA weights using a linear aggregation method. From BWM and SWARA, the highest weights were obtained for meteorological conditions and land cover which are more than 0.36 and 0.22, respectively. The lowest weights were assigned to social characteristics and economy both of which were smaller than 0.10. The findings indicated that the cities on the northern, western and southern coasts as well as the cities in south-east region are the most vulnerable to climate change. The construction of CCVI can be used as part of decision-making process to minimize hazards and exposure to risk of climate change for the cities of Türkiye.

Objective: To construct an indicator for assessing the complexity of UK veterans’ needs. Study design: Cross-sectional, secondary analysis. Methods: The study applied principal component (PCA) analysis as the method to determine the weights of different needs based on their interactions with each other, the effectiveness of the model was evaluated using bootstrapping. The dataset on UK veterans’ support provided by the “Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Associations” (SSAFA) (N = 35,208) was considered. The grant applications for different categories of support were used as indicators of different needs. The dimensions of breadth (number of different needs) and depth (number of grant applications to address the need) were incorporated in the assessment of complexity. Results: The complex needs indicator for the current sample was validated. The majority of cases had a complexity score of 1 or less. Conclusions: The research suggested and tested an assessment method for the complexity of veterans’ needs, that may be positively associated with higher risk of adverse health outcomes. This indicator can be used by decision-makers for risk stratification of the veteran population, thus supporting the allocation of resources in a more effective way.

Composite indicators are widely used to represent sustainability or its underlying dimensions. Nonetheless, an alignment between the multiple choices made during their construction and the underlying conceptual framework is often lacking. This reduces the relevance of the composite indicator. This paper provides an overview of the theoretical implications of the choices made during the construction of strong sustainability indices, particularly focusing on reflecting environmental sustainability and the limited substitution capacity between different types of capitals. The theoretical perspective is complemented through an uncertainty analysis of the Strong Environmental Sustainability Index and the Sustainable Human Development Index in which the quantitative implications of choices made in the indicator selection, normalisation, weighting and aggregation processes are assessed. The results show that different choices significantly affect country scores. Given the conceptual implications of these choices in relation to strong sustainability, we conclude that the choices made during the construction of a composite indicator need to be aligned with the underlying conceptual framework. In a context in which a growing number of composite indicators is produced every year, it becomes of utmost importance to make sure that those that percolate to the decision-making process monitor what they are intended to monitor. © 2023

This paper assesses the environmental sustainability of Japan by applying the environmental sustainability gap (ESGAP) framework, which builds on the concepts of strong sustainability, critical natural capital, environmental functions, and science-based reference values. The assessment is carried out using two indices of environmental sustainability (Strong Environmental Sustainability Index (SESI) and Strong Environmental Sustainability Progress Index (SESPI)) that provide a snapshot and a trend perspective on environmental sustainability performance and on progress toward it. The results reveal that Japan has not experienced significant changes in terms of aggregate environmental sustainability throughout the 2011–2017 period, but this is primarily a consequence of the mutually offsetting movements of different indicators. The country performs best for the human health and other welfare indicators, but worst for the sink function indicators such as the per-capita CO2 emissions and the eutrophication of fresh water. The indices also expose the main policy areas that Japan needs to strengthen to improve its environmental performance. They include issues such as tropospheric ozone pollution, which has long been discussed in scientific literature but never been a primal policy focus of the government until very recently. © 2024, The Author(s).

Composite indicators are a remarkably useful tool in policy ana- lysis and public communication for assessing phenomena, such as Knowledge-Based Economy (KBE), that cannot be expressed by means of a simple indicator. The objective of this study is to pro- pose and compare three MCA-DEA models from a “Benefit of Doubt” (BoD) approach in order to build KBE Composite Indicators. To show the effectiveness of the models, this paper proposes a case study of 36 European countries to assess the degree of development of KBE. The results revealed differences with respect to the optimal weights assigned to the sub-indica- tors, the discriminating power, the operability, and the participa- tory nature of the models. Model 1 yielded high scores for every country and low discriminating power. Model 2 favored the most efficient countries in terms of KBE and allows for the incorpor- ation of expert knowledge, thereby giving flexibility to the pro- cess. Model 3 made it possible to construct composite indicators from an optimal balance approach and yielded low results overall. These results demonstrate the necessity to analyze the different choices for measuring KBE in order to determine which indicator is more suitable for each context., Depto. de Economía Financiera y Actuarial y Estadística, Fac. de Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales, TRUE, pub

Every cultural institution providing services to external users must be frequently evaluated to know user satisfaction and management optimally; multivariate methods are an alternative in constructing indexes due to the goodness of the techniques in interrelating a set of characteristicssimultaneously. To initiate the research, a bibliographic search was carried out using keywords such as "multivariate methods," "composite indicators," "public management," "quality service," and "user satisfaction." As a result, the most frequently found techniques are multiple linear and logistic regression, factorial, cluster analysis, canonical correlation, principal components and correspondence analysis, variable selection, and construction of composite indexes. It is concluded that multivariate methods are optimal methodologies for constructing composite indexes. However, a methodology based on multivariate techniques applied in cultural management measurements in a standard way still needs to be improved., Toda institución de carácter cultural en el que se presta servicio a usuarios externos debe ser evaluada frecuentemente, con el fin de conocer la satisfacción del usuario y la gestión de manera óptima; siendo los métodos multivariantes una alternativa en la construcción de índices por la bondad de las técnicas en interrelacionar un conjunto de características simultáneamente. Para iniciar la investigación se procedió a la búsqueda bibliográfica utilizándose palabras claves como “métodos multivariantes”, “indicadores compuestos”, “gestión pública”, “servicio de calidad” y “satisfacción de usuario”. Como resultado, las técnicas más encontradas son: regresión lineal múltiple y logística, factorial, análisis clúster, correlación canónica, componentes principales y análisis de correspondencias, la selección de variables y construcción de índices compuestos. Se concluye que los métodos multivariantes son metodologías óptimas para la construcción de índices compuestos, aunque falta una metodología basada en técnicas multivariantes que se aplique en mediciones de gestión cultural de manera estándar.

Measuring and monitoring countries that are fragile is a rapidly growing but complicated task. Quantifying state fragility or any concept that is highly complex is loaded with theoretical assumptions, principles and definitions that may differ substantially across indices. This paper explains why the fragility community remains invested in expanding the concept of fragility, presents an updated stocktaking of the existing fragility indices and evaluates them using the framework approach. Reviewing the selected indices reveals that they can be indeed a source of useful signal. However, there can also be worthless noise associated with these indices because of the identified cross-reference issue between the indices, problems of double-counting or time lag in data. The paper argues that it would rather complicate than aid to believe that there is a particular index that is better than another. Instead, it encourages a more nuanced understanding of different fragility indices and concludes with offering insights into how to make sense of them.

Quality of life indicators include measures of both objective and subjective well-being to broaden the traditional income-focused view towards a multidimensional view of welfare. In this paper, we develop a single reliable composite index that considers the effect of uncertainty and imprecision related to the specific nature of the phenomenon being measured. Additionally, we suggest a procedure for incorporating this new way of assigning priorities through multicriteria techniques. To this end, we propose a new multicriteria approach that introduces the recent notion of picture fuzzy sets to deal with uncertainty and imprecision in the assessment of objective and subjective dimensions of quality-of-life performance. To verify the effectiveness of the whole approach and the credibility of the results, we show its application for monitoring the quality of life in the European Union. Our results show that fuzzy numbers can be a useful tool when combined with multicriteria techniques in the prioritization phase of the criteria and that they increase the quality and reliability of the overall aggregate indicator. Moreover, we find that in a picture environment, the results are consistent regardless of the multicriteria approach used to provide a final ranking.

The assessment of flood vulnerability is a complex task that involves numerous uncertainties. Within this context, sensitivity analyses are crucial to better understand the variability of vulnerability index outcomes according to different input parameters. The present study sheds light on the importance of assessing the sensitivity of different criteria weights to construct flood vulnerability indexes using the Maquiné basin (Brazil) as a case study. Specifically, we compared vulnerability scores based on weights derived from a participatory survey with 44 stakeholders to those based on an equal weighting scheme. Results helped us identify areas with low and high uncertainty and the variables contributing to this. Overall, the preference for indicator weights did not vary significantly among stakeholders with distinct socioeconomic characteristics. Furthermore, the choice of weights only had an impact on the spatial distribution of flood vulnerability in certain regions. Compared to equal weights, the flood vulnerability outcomes obtained by averaging the stakeholder scenarios were similar, indicating that the results were robust and not highly sensitive to the choice of weights. By adopting a participatory approach, we were able to consider multiple stakeholders’ views, which helped to provide a more comprehensive perspective of flood vulnerability and potentially increased the acceptance of the results. Based on our findings, end-users can better understand the relative importance of each indicator and how they contribute to vulnerability. Furthermore, our results can help identify points where stakeholders disagree, which can be used to facilitate dialogue and consensus building. The methodology applied is straightforward and could be easily adapted to other multi-criteria decision-making problems.

The object of this research is the relationship between Transaction Costs and economic performance. Weak or unreliable institutions open space for corruption, generating a negative externality, increasing the economy's Transaction Costs, inhibiting doing business, and reducing economic growth. Although there is a broad debate about the negative relationship between Transaction Costs and economic performance, little is known about this relationship's strength and significance. This gap occurs because most Transaction Costs estimates are performed at the microeconomic level. Besides, the few estimates of countries' Transaction Costs at the national level are from different periods, which make any analysis unfeasible. The objective of this research is twofold. First, to introduce a comparative index of the Transaction Costs of the countries. Second, to analyze the relationship between the Transaction Costs Index and economic performance. The robustness analysis reveals that the Transaction Costs Index is reliable because the countries' average variation in the ranking is relatively low (1.5 positions), serving as an alternative to the Transaction Costs estimates. The research results show a significant (p-value=0.0054), strong, and negative (R=–0.746) correlation between the Transaction Costs Index and the Gross National Income per capita of G7+BRICS countries. BRICS countries and Italy have lower economic performance, and higher scores on the Transaction Costs Index, suggesting that these countries' institutions are more inefficient than other G7 countries. These results reinforce the current understanding of the negative relationship between Transaction Costs and countries' economic performance. Understanding the effects of Transaction Costs on business activity and, consequently, on economic performance is extremely important for governments to promote adjustments in the regulatory environment that encourage business activity.

[EN] The assessment of the teacher performance is a subject of criticism due to the lack of a well-establish methodology. This study develops an overall score to measure the dimensions that encompass the academic activities. To that end, a Benefit-of-the-doubt model is proposed. The advantage of this technique is the flexibility in the weights, so that the model selects for each teacher the most favourable set of weights. Furthermore, the paper proposes the barycentric coordinate system as a method to classify the teachers in clusters depending on their contribution to the dimensions. A specific pie chart has been proposed as an efficient way to report the contribution of the teachers to the dimensions and the overall teacher performance.

[ES] La Evaluación Ambiental Estratégica (EAE) proporciona el marco para la articulación de los proyectos de forma coherente y respetuosa con el medio ambiente, condiciones sociales, políticas y económicas (Arce y Gullón, 2000) y aunque comúnmente se le conoce a la EAE como una herramienta, esta representa un proceso que puede mejorar la toma de decisiones y propiciar el desarrollo sostenible (Bidstrup y Hansen, 2014). El análisis de alternativas es una de las áreas más débiles de la EAE, debido a que no se ha investigado suficientemente qué funciona y qué no en el desarrollo, evaluación y selección de alternativas. Estas investigaciones deben incluir enfoques sistemáticos para la identificación y el desarrollo de alternativas, para involucrar plenamente a las partes interesadas en su definición y evaluación, y proporcionar detalles suficientes al documentar el proceso de la selección (González et al., 2018). A estas debilidades se añade la dificultad de desarrollar una metodología que sea adaptable a diferentes con-textos. Estos condicionantes han encauzado la construcción de la metodología desarrollada en esta tesis y así, lograr minimizar estas brechas, planteando un método analítico, simple y flexible. La metodología denominada "Índice de Selección de Alternativas Estratégicas Ambientales (ISAEA) y sus incertidumbres", parte de la utilización de indicadores simples construidos en base a las metas que se plantean en el instrumento evaluado en la EAE. Al construir los indicadores partiendo de los criterios de los propios objetivos o metas del Plan, Proyecto o Programa (PPP), se disminuye la complejidad y ambigüedad que típicamente existe en la construcción y/o selección de indicadores ambientales, pues queda claro la dirección que debe seguirse en la construcción del indicador. Los criterios de construcción permiten optimizar la calidad del indicador, ya que el mismo describe el objetivo y, por ende, se manejan indicadores que son los adecuados para ese PPP en par, [CA] L'Avaluació Ambiental Estratègica (AAE) proporciona el marc per a l'articulació dels projectes de forma coherent i respectuosa amb el medi ambient, condicions socials, polítiques i econòmiques (Arce i Gullón, 2000) i encara que comunament se li coneix a la AAE com una eina, aquesta representa un procés que pot millorar la presa de decisions i propiciar el desenvolupament sostenible (Bidstrup i Hansen, 2014). L'anàlisi d'alternatives és una de les àrees més febles de la AAE, pel fet que no s'ha investigat prou què funciona i què no en el desenvolupament, avaluació i selecció d'alternatives. Aquestes investigacions han d'incloure enfocaments sistemàtics per a la identificació i el desenvolupament d'alternatives, per involucrar plenament a les parts interessades en la seva definició i avaluació, i proporcionar detalls suficients al documentar el procés de la selecció (González et al., 2018). A aquestes debilitats s'afegeix la dificultat de desenvolupar una metodologia que sigui adaptable a diferents contextos. Aquests condicionants han canalitzat la construcció de la metodologia desenvolupada en aquesta tesi i així, aconseguir minimitzar aquestes bretxes, plantejant un mètode analític, simple i flexible. La metodologia anomenada "Índex de Selecció d'Alternatives Estratègiques Ambientals (ISAEA) i les seves incerteses", part de la utilització de indicadors simples construïts en base a les metes que es plantegen en el instrument avaluat en l'AAE. Al construir els indicadors partint dels criteris dels propis objectius o metes de el Pla, Projecte o Programa (PPP), es disminueix la complexitat i ambigüitat que típicament existeix en la construcció i/o selecció d'indicadors ambientals, ja que queda clar la direcció que ha de seguirse en la construcció de l'indicador. Els criteris de construcció permeten optimitzar la qualitat de l'indicador, ja que el mateix descriu el objectiu i, per tant, es manegen indicadors que són els adequats per a aquest PPP en particular, és a, [EN] Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) provides the framework for the articulation of projects in a coherent and respectful way with the environment, social, political and economic conditions (Arce and Gullón, 2000). Although SEA is commonly known as a tool, it represents a process that can improve decision-making and promote sustainable development (Bidstrup and Hansen, 2014). The analysis of alternatives is one of the weakest areas of SEA, because what works and what does not in the development, evaluation and selection of alternatives has not been sufficiently investigated. These investigations should include systematic ap-proaches for the identification and development of alternatives, to fully involve stake-holders in their definition and evaluation, and provide sufficient detail when documenting the selection process (González et al., 2018). Besides these weaknesses, the difficulty of developing a methodology that is adaptable to different contexts appears. These conditioning factors have guided the construction of the methodology developed in this thesis and thus, manage to minimize these gaps, proposing an analytical, simple and flexible method. The methodology called "Selection Index for Strategic Environmental Alternatives (ISAEA) and its uncertainties", starts from the use of simple indicators built on the basis of the goals set out in the instrument evaluated by the SEA. By constructing the indicators based on the criteria of the objectives or goals of the Plan, Project or Program (PPP), the complexity and ambiguity that typically exists in the construction and/or selection of environmental indicators is reduced, since the direction to be followed in the construction of the indicator. The construction criteria allow optimizing the quality of the indicator, since it describes the objective and, therefore, indicators are used that are appropriate for that particular PPP, that is, adapted to the precise context of each PPP. The ISAEA is complemented

Objective: In the design of a robotic hand prosthesis, a variety of problems arise for which there are multiple solutions proposed in the literature. One of them is the selection of a strategy for the automatic control of the movement of the hand. Within the functionalities of a prosthesis, the power grip functionality is one of the most important. Given the wide variety of proposals in terms of control techniques for power grip, the designer is faced with the dilemma of which of them is the most suitable for his particular design. Although there are metrics to quantify the quality of the grip, those that have been proposed address various aspects independently, which does not allow making a decision about the best option for the particular case. In this work, a method is proposed to calculate a composite indicator that allows the evaluation of the performance of control techniques in the power grip based on the following individual metrics that evaluate different aspects in the execution of the power grip: finger strength, grip strength, grip efficiency, grip cycle time, slip resistance, following error, and transient response overshoot. Thanks to the method proposed in this work, the question is answered: of several control options to be tested, which one offers better functional performance? Methodology: A set of metrics are adopted with which to obtain quantitative data related to the quality of the power grip and to the performance of the control target to govern the prosthesis; subsequently, selected individual metrics are calculated for each of the grip control techniques to be evaluated on a virtual environment, consisting of a robotic hand and an object to be grasped; then two composite indicators are constructed to obtain a quantitative assessment of the quality of the grip based on a statistical analysis, and the results are contrasted against the individual metrics used. Results: A method is proposed for the construction of a composite indicator, which a, Objetivo: En el diseño de una prótesis de mano robótica surgen variedad de problemáticas para las cuales existen múltiples soluciones propuestas en la literatura. Una de las problemáticas es la selección de una estrategia para el control automático del movimiento de la mano. Entre las funcionalidades de una prótesis, la de agarre de poder es una de las más importantes. Dada la gran cantidad de propuestas en cuanto técnicas de control para el agarre de poder, el diseñador se enfrenta al dilema de cuál de ellas es la más adecuada para su diseño particular. Aunque hay métricas para cuantificar la calidad del agarre, las que se han propuesto abordan diversos aspectos de manera independiente, lo cual no permite tomar una decisión acerca de la mejor opción para el caso particular. En este trabajo se propone un método para calcular un indicador compuesto que permite la evaluación del desempeño de técnicas de control en el agarre de poder, con base en las siguientes métricas individuales que evalúan diferentes aspectos en la ejecución del agarre de poder: la fuerza del dedo, la fuerza del agarre, la eficiencia del agarre, el tiempo de ciclo de agarre, la resistencia al deslizamiento, el error de seguimiento y el sobreimpulso de la respuesta transitoria. Gracias al método propuesto en este trabajo, se da respuesta a la pregunta: “De varias opciones de control a probar, ¿cuál ofrece un mejor desempeño funcional?”. Metodología: Se adoptó un conjunto de métricas con las cuales obtener datos cuantitativos relacionadas con la calidad del agarre de poder y con el desempeño del objetivo de control para gobernar la prótesis. Posteriormente, se calcularon métricas individuales seleccionadas para cada una de las técnicas de control de agarre a evaluar, sobre un entorno virtual, constituido por una mano robótica y un objeto a agarrar. Luego se construyeron dos indicadores compuestos para obtener una valoración cuantitativa de la calidad del agarre a partir de un análisis estadístico, y

Introduction: The veteran population in the UK has been decreasing, however, there remains a proportion of veterans and their families who continue to experience multiple and complex health, financial, and social needs. The complex problems tend to exacerbate each other and deepen over time if appropriate support is not provided. Identifying the veterans with complex needs is crucial for effective support by military charities and health and social care services. The present research aims to develop a complex needs indicator for the veteran population (CNIV) that will quantify complexity and help to identify the risk of having or developing complex needs. Methods: The development of the CNIV will be informed by the guidance for constructing composite indicators. The data on grant support received by veterans’ beneficiaries from the UK Royal Marine and SSFA charities will be used for designing the indicator and evaluating its robustness. The crucial step in constructing the indicator is assigning weights to different needs and risk factors associated with complex cases. Factor analysis (FA) and analytical network process (ANP) will be used as weighting methods for the analysed variables. Conclusion: The development of CNIV has important implications for research and practice, such as the potential to be used as a screening tool for identifying complex cases, improved provision of the targeted support to veterans, assessing the scope of complex problems among veterans within the country and informing policy makers and a more general audience of the complexity of need within the sector.

This paper studies deprivation dynamics at the subnational level, introducing a Local Multidimensional Poverty Index (“LMPI”), and focusing on multidimensional poverty in Ecuador and Uruguay between the last two available censuses, 1990–2010 and 1996–2011, respectively. As a first step, we construct the “LMPI” at the municipal level using microdata from both counties. Subsequently, we explore spatial and temporal dynamics through a set of tools such as thesalter graph, Moran’s I, Moran scatterplot, and spatial transition matrix. The results indicate that compared to Ecuador, Uruguay was initially in a better position in terms of the “LMPI”. However, Ecuador achieved a generalized reduction of the “LMPI” during the period of analysis, reaching levels close to that of Uruguay. Nevertheless, spatial persistence in the “LMPI” is observed., Este trabajo estudia la dinámica de la “deprivation” a nivel subnacional por medio de un indicador llamado Índice de Pobreza Multidimensional (“LMPI”), que cubre la pobreza multidimensional en Ecuador y Uruguay entre los dos censos 1990-2010 y 1996-2011. Primero, construimos el “LMP” a nivel municipal para-ambos países usando microdatos. Después, exploramos la dinámica espacial y temporal usando “salter graph”, test de Moran y “scatter plot” de Moran y la matriz de transición espacial. Resultados muestran que Uruguay está en mejor posición que Ecuador inicialmente, sin embargo, Ecuador mejoro significativamente durante el periodo de estudio. Ambos países presentan persistencias espaciales en el “LMPI”.

We employ the ‘benefit of the doubt’ approach rooted in non-parametric techniques to evaluate the entrepreneurial ecosystem of 71 countries for the period 2016. By scrutinizing the relative efficiency of countries’ entrepreneurial ecosystems, the proposed analysis of composite indicators allows the computation of endogenous (country-specific) weights that can be used for developing more informed policy making. The results show that countries prioritize different aspects of their national system of entrepreneurship which confirms that, contrary to homogeneous prescription, tailor-made policy is necessary if the objective is to optimize the resources deployed to enhance the countries’ entrepreneurial ecosystem. The findings of the empirical application reveal significant improvements in the quality of the entrepreneurial ecosystem can be realized by targeting the policy priorities of the local entrepreneurship system identified by the ‘benefit of the doubt’ weights. By analyzing the variation in economic and entrepreneurship outcomes over the seven-year period centered on the study year (period 2013–2019), we found a significant positive correlation between quality improvements in the entrepreneurial ecosystem and venture capital investments., Peer Reviewed, Postprint (published version)

This paper studies deprivation dynamics at the subnational level, introducing a Local Multidimensional Poverty Index (LMPI), and focusing on multidimensional poverty in Ecuador and Uruguay between the last two available censuses, 1990–2010 and 1996–2011, respectively. As a first step, we construct the LMPI at the municipal level using microdata from both counties. Subsequently, we explore spatial and temporal dynamics through a set of tools such as the salter graph, Moran’s I, Moran scatterplot, and spatial transition matrix. The results indicate that compared to Ecuador, Uruguay was initially in a better position in terms of the LMPI. However, Ecuador achieved a generalized reduction of the LMPI during the period of analysis, reaching levels close to that of Uruguay. Nevertheless, spatial persistence in the LMPI is observed. © 2022, Asociacion Espanola de Ciencia Regional. All rights reserved.

This article aims to improve one of the newest energy transition measures-the World Economic Forum WEF Energy Transition Index (ETI) and find its driving forces. This paper proposes a new approach to correct the ETI structure, i.e., sensitivity analysis, which allows assessing the accuracy of variable weights. Moreover, the novelty of the paper is the use the spatial error models to estimate determinants of the energy transition on different continents. The results show that ETI is unbalanced and includes many variables of marginal importance for the shape of the final ranking. The variables with the highest weights in ETI did not turn out to be its most important determinants, which means that they differentiate the analysed countries well; nonetheless, they do not have sufficient properties of approximating the values of the ETI components. The most important components of ETI (with the highest information load) belong to the CO2 emissions per capita, the innovative business environment, household electricity prices, or renewable capacity buildout. Moreover, we identified the clustering of both ETI and its two main pillars in Europe, which is not observed in America and Asia. The identified positive spatial effects showing that European countries need much deeper cooperation to reach a successful energy transition.

[EN] In the last two decades, the construction of composite indicators to measure and compare multidimensional phenomena in a broad spectrum of domains has increased considerably. Different methodological approaches are used to summarise huge datasets of information in a single figure. This paper proposes a new approach that consists in computing a multicriteria composite performance interval based on different aggregation rules. The suggested approach provides an additional layer of information as the performance interval displays a lower bound from a non-compensability perspective, and an upper bound allowing for full-compensability. The outstanding features of this proposal are: 1) a distance-based multicriteria technique is taken as the baseline to construct the multicriteria performance interval; 2) the aggregation of distances/separation measures is made using particular cases of Minkowski Lp metric; 3) the span of the multicriteria performance interval can be considered as a sign of the dimensions or indicators balance.

Composite Indicators (CIs, a.k.a. indices) are increasingly used as they can simplify interpretation of results by condensing the information of a plurality of underlying indicators in a single measure. This paper demonstrates that the strength of the correlations between the indicators is directly linked with their capacity to transfer information to the CI. A measure of information transfer from each indicator is proposed along with two weightoptimization methods, which allow the weights to be adjusted to achieve either a targeted or maximized information transfer. The tools presented in this paper are applied to a case study for resilience assessment of energy systems, demonstrating how they can support the tailored development of CIs. These findings enable analysts bridging the statistical properties of the index with the weighting preferences from the stakeholders. They can thus choose a weighting scheme and possibly modify the index while achieving a more consistent (by correlation) index., QC 20211026

This article aims to improve one of the newest energy transition measures-the World Economic Forum WEF Energy Transition Index (ETI) and find its driving forces. This paper proposes a new approach to correct the ETI structure, i.e., sensitivity analysis, which allows assessing the accuracy of variable weights. Moreover, the novelty of the paper is the use the spatial error models to estimate determinants of the energy transition on different continents. The results show that ETI is unbalanced and includes many variables of marginal importance for the shape of the final ranking. The variables with the highest weights in ETI did not turn out to be its most important determinants, which means that they differentiate the analysed countries well; nonetheless, they do not have sufficient properties of approximating the values of the ETI components. The most important components of ETI (with the highest information load) belong to the CO2 emissions per capita, the innovative business environment, household electricity prices, or renewable capacity buildout. Moreover, we identified the clustering of both ETI and its two main pillars in Europe, which is not observed in America and Asia. The identified positive spatial effects showing that European countries need much deeper cooperation to reach a successful energy transition.

This article aims to improve one of the newest energy transition measures-the World Economic Forum WEF Energy Transition Index (ETI) and find its driving forces. This paper proposes a new approach to correct the ETI structure, i.e., sensitivity analysis, which allows assessing the accuracy of variable weights. Moreover, the novelty of the paper is the use the spatial error models to estimate determinants of the energy transition on different continents. The results show that ETI is unbalanced and includes many variables of marginal importance for the shape of the final ranking. The variables with the highest weights in ETI did not turn out to be its most important determinants, which means that they differentiate the analysed countries well; nonetheless, they do not have sufficient properties of approximating the values of the ETI components. The most important components of ETI (with the highest information load) belong to the CO2 emissions per capita, the innovative business environment, household electricity prices, or renewable capacity buildout. Moreover, we identified the clustering of both ETI and its two main pillars in Europe, which is not observed in America and Asia. The identified positive spatial effects showing that European countries need much deeper cooperation to reach a successful energy transition.

This article aims to improve one of the newest energy transition measures-the World Economic Forum WEF Energy Transition Index (ETI) and find its driving forces. This paper proposes a new approach to correct the ETI structure, i.e., sensitivity analysis, which allows assessing the accuracy of variable weights. Moreover, the novelty of the paper is the use the spatial error models to estimate determinants of the energy transition on different continents. The results show that ETI is unbalanced and includes many variables of marginal importance for the shape of the final ranking. The variables with the highest weights in ETI did not turn out to be its most important determinants, which means that they differentiate the analysed countries well; nonetheless, they do not have sufficient properties of approximating the values of the ETI components. The most important components of ETI (with the highest information load) belong to the CO2 emissions per capita, the innovative business environment, household electricity prices, or renewable capacity buildout. Moreover, we identified the clustering of both ETI and its two main pillars in Europe, which is not observed in America and Asia. The identified positive spatial effects showing that European countries need much deeper cooperation to reach a successful energy transition.

The analysis of how organizations orchestrate their resource and capabilities in order to create and/or develop a competitive advantage has increasingly drawn scholarly and policy attention. The collection of 14 papers in this special issue brings new insights into business competitiveness by emphasizing the multidimensional nature of the competitiveness construct. By adopting a multidisciplinary perspective that combines a variety of frameworks (economics, resource-based view, and business servitization), the papers in this special issue analyze the relationships underlying business competitiveness, its determinants as well as its strengths and weaknesses in different geographic contexts (Europe and Latin America). This editorial note first portrays business competitiveness as a multidimensional construct and argues that competitiveness-enhancing strategies require an effective understanding of businesses’ resources and capabilities. Also, we provide a number of yet unresolved topics that deserve academic attention., Peer Reviewed, Postprint (author's final draft)

Index-based approaches are widely employed for measuring flood vulnerability. Nevertheless, the uncertainties in the index construction are rarely considered. Here, we conducted a sensitivity analysis of a flood vulnerability index in the Maquiné Basin, Southern Brazil, considering distinct normalization, aggregation, classification methods, and their effects on the model outputs. The robustness of the results was investigated by considering Spearman’s correlations, the shift in the vulnerability rank, and spatial analysis of different normalization techniques (min-max, z-scores, distance to target, and raking) and aggregation methods (linear and geometric). The final outputs were classified into vulnerability classes using natural breaks, equal interval, quantiles, and standard deviation methods. The performance of each classification method was evaluated by spatial analysis and the Akaike’s information criterion (AIC). The results presented low sensitivity regarding the normalization step. Conversely, the geometric aggregation method produced substantial differences on the spatial vulnerability and tended to underestimate the vulnerability where indicators with low values compensated for high values. Additionally, the classification of the vulnerability into different classes led to overly sensitive outputs. Thus, given the AIC performance, the natural breaks method was most suitable. The obtained results can support decision-makers in reducing uncertainty and increasing the quality of flood vulnerability assessments.

Composite indicators are a remarkably useful tool in policy ana- lysis and public communication for assessing phenomena, such as Knowledge-Based Economy (KBE), that cannot be expressed by means of a simple indicator. The objective of this study is to pro- pose and compare three MCA-DEA models from a “Benefit of Doubt” (BoD) approach in order to build KBE Composite Indicators. To show the effectiveness of the models, this paper proposes a case study of 36 European countries to assess the degree of development of KBE. The results revealed differences with respect to the optimal weights assigned to the sub-indica- tors, the discriminating power, the operability, and the participa- tory nature of the models. Model 1 yielded high scores for every country and low discriminating power. Model 2 favored the most efficient countries in terms of KBE and allows for the incorpor- ation of expert knowledge, thereby giving flexibility to the pro- cess. Model 3 made it possible to construct composite indicators from an optimal balance approach and yielded low results overall. These results demonstrate the necessity to analyze the different choices for measuring KBE in order to determine which indicator is more suitable for each context., Depto. de Economía Financiera y Actuarial y Estadística, Fac. de Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales, TRUE, pub

[EN] The purpose of this contribution is to develop a Circular Economy Composite indicator to benchmark EU countries performance. Europe is at the forefront of the global transition towards a sustainable and circular economy. To this end, the European Commission has launched in 2015 a Circular Economy Action Plan including a monitoring framework to measure progress and to assess the effectiveness of initiatives towards the circular economy in the European Union (EU) and Member States. Still, this monitoring framework lacks a composite indicator at the national level to aggregate the circular economy dimensions into a single summary indicator. Although there is a wide range of sustainability composite indicators, no aggregate circular economy index exits to this date. We use a multi-criteria approach to construct a circular economy composite index based on TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preferences by Similarity to Ideal Solutions) methodology. In addition, we introduce a novel aggregation methodology for building a composite indicator where different levels of compensability for the distances to the ideal and anti-ideal (or negative-ideal) values of each indicator are considered. In order to illustrate the advantages of this proposal, we have applied it to evaluate the Circular Economy performance of EU Member States for the year 2016. This proposal can be a valuable tool for identifying areas in which the countries need to concentrate their efforts to boost their circular economy performance.

On the basis of extensive empirical data that the 72 focused composite indicators, making up the System of Indices on the Quality of European Societies (SIQES), provide on the 28 EU Member States, this paper analyses the societal quality of the Southern European Mediterranean countries, namely, Spain, Italy, Portugal and Greece, from a holistic, multidimensional and comparative perspective. First and foremost, it indicates the position of these Mediterranean countries in the European societal quality rankings. Secondly, after confirming that, in accordance with the Five Europes Typology, the Mediterranean countries form a distinctive cluster, it includes an analysis of their social characteristics, comparing them with those of the other four clusters. Thirdly, on the basis of the 14 societal quality domains included in the system, it offers a diagnosis by contrasting the societal quality of the Southern European Mediterranean countries with that of the rest of the EU Member States. This structural diagnosis, endogenous as well exogenous, offers a panoramic view of great importance to both social researchers and policymakers., En base a la amplia información empírica que sobre los 28 países de la UE aportan los 72 indicadores compuestos focalizados que componen el Sistema de Índices de Calidad de las Sociedades Europeas, este artículo analiza la calidad societal de los países mediterráneos del sur de Europa, Portugal, España, Italia y Grecia, desde un perspectiva holista, multidimensional y comparada. Primero, se ofrece el posicionamiento de los países mediterráneos en los rankings europeos de calidad societal. Segundo, tras comprobar que, de acuerdo con la Tipología de las Cinco Europas, los países mediterráneos forman un cluster propio, se analizan sus características societales. Tercero, en base a los 14 dominios de calidad societal que incluye el sistema de índices, se ofrece un diagnóstico comparando la calidad de los países mediterráneos con la del resto de países europeos. Este diagnóstico estructural, tanto endógeno como exógeno, ofrece una panorámica de gran interés tanto para los investigadores sociales como para los responsables políticos.

With increasing decentralization of public activities to the municipalities, it has become imperative to deploy an enhanced service provision analysis at the local level. This paper suggests the innovative use of a composite indicator to measure the multidimensional aspects of the local public provision comprising of several commonly administered municipal tasks. We propose a robust conditional version of a directional distance composite indicator with weight restrictions based on the municipal expenditure composition. Specifically, we deal with the presence of "undesirable" municipal service indicators and with the heterogeneity among the municipalities in their political preferences, priority public activities and operating environment characteristics. To illustrate the applicability of the suggested method, we show the construction of the municipal service provision composite indicator for 307 Flemish municipalities over the year 2006-2011. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Company performance measurement is fundamental for decision-makers to monitor a company's performance and to solve management problems. The evolution of company performance measurement tools started from a pure financial-biased framework. The first generation of company performance measurement tools was achieved through supplementing the traditional financial measures with non-financial measures. The second generation addressed the dynamic of value creation by investigating transformations of resources. Both the first and the second generation showed appropriateness in how they reflect the realities in companies. The third generation emphasized the business-oriented methodology to real free cash flow activities. This dissertation, that will present a fourth generation company performance measurement tool, has a focus on motor vehicle manufacturers (MVMs) due to its economic significance and its environmental impact during vehicles' production., Transport Engineering and Logistics

The important role that higher education plays in today’s competitive world market asserts universities as key factors for the country socioeconomic development. In this scenario, some national and international university rankings have become references used for assessing a university reputation. However, most rankings provide either ordinal or numerical results that are difficult to interpret, which leads to incomplete and confusing information. This paper aims to go beyond simply providing a ranking of the Spanish public university system. To this end, we carry out a performance analysis of the Spanish public universities by using a multicriteria analysis technique, based on the Multiple Reference Point based Weak and Strong Composite Indicators (MRP-WSCI). The assessment of universities using the MRP-WSCI approach has two main advantages. First, reference levels are used for each indicator and thus, the scores are easily interpreted as the current position of the university with respect to these levels. Second, composite indicators for different compensation degrees are provided, in such a way that the scores, apart from giving an overall performance measure of the universities, also provide warning signals that let the user detect improvement areas. The analysis has been carried out for each of the three missions of a university system (research, teaching and technology transfer)., El importante papel que muestra la educaci´on superior en la competitividad global de los pa´ıses confirma a las universidades como un factor fundamental para el desarrollo socio-econ´omico de una naci´on. Ante este panorama, algunos rankings nacionales e internacionales se han convertido en referencias utilizadas para valorar el prestigio y la reputaci´on de las mismas. No obstante, la mayor´ıa de dichos rankings ofrecen unos resultados bien ordinales, o num´ericos de dif´ıcil interpretaci´on, lo cual da lugar a una informaci´on incompleta de los mismos. Este trabajo de investigaci´on persigue ir m´as all´a de la mera elaboraci´on de un ranking del Sistema Universitario P´ublico Espa˜nol (SUPE). Para ello, se propone analizar el rendimiento de las universidades p´ublicas espa˜nolas utilizando una t´ecnica de an´alisis multicriterio, basada en el m´etodo de m´ultiples puntos de referencia. Una ventaja de esta t´ecnica es la posibilidad de usar niveles de referencia, de tal manera que los resultados obtenidos se interpreten f´acilmente en t´erminos del desempe˜no de la universidad con respecto a estos niveles. Adem´as, se proporcionan indicadores sint´eticos para diferentes grados de compensaci´on. Se analizan por separado las tres misiones b´asicas de nuestro sistema universitario (investigaci´on, docencia y transferencia de conocimiento), porque nos interesa obtener una visi´on m´as precisa de cada una de ellas. La aplicaci´on nos permite concluir que la metodolog´ıa ofrece un sistema de advertencia para ayudar en la toma de decisiones estrat´egicas, y los valores de los indicadores nos permiten encontrar campos de mejora en todas las ´areas.

The development and use of composite indexes has exploded in the last 15 years as a tool to summarise the large amount of information available nowadays. To ensure that composite indicators reflect faithfully the purpose of evaluation and are widely accepted and used, the users must understand the relationship between individual sub-indicators and the result (transparency) and the evaluation should not depend on weights, lack of information, etc. (robustness). It is proposed here for the first time a composite index to measure energy efficiency in a wastewater treatment plant, from the definition of the individual sub-indicators to the assignation of an energy label, easy to communicate to a broad public. Using as a demonstration real data from 44 wastewater treatment plants, the index robustness is tested and improved by uncertainty and sensitivity analysis results, finally achieving a robust algorithm which can be used by the large majority of wastewater treatment plants

The currently dominant scientific production model in the field of Communication exhibits an excess of standardization towards mainly empirical work that is overwhelming caried out using quantitative techniques based on simple statistical analyses, in many cases limiting the presentation of results to a reading of the available data. This article presents an innovative proposal in this area, designed as a new form of dissemination and scientific presentation, with the objective of constructing three composite indicators that, when applied to European public service media, will enable the assessment of the perception of their social value, independence, and management efficiency. Another aim of the study is to provide a comparative vision of these three aspects in all the countries of the European Union except Malta and Luxembourg. This methodology is innovative because it explains the process in detail and justifies the validity of the documentary sources that were used to facilitate its replication or questioning, and reinforces the discussion of the results obtained by evaluating the robustness of the indicators created, before determining which was the most appropriate and comparing the results with a multicriteria decision analysis technique, the Topsis method (technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution), proposed by Hwang and Yoon (1981). The results show that the synthetic indicators constitute an innovative, original, and validatable methodological tool that can contribute to the advancement of research in Communication, El modelo de producción científica actualmente dominante en el área de Comunicación presenta un exceso de estandarización de las investigaciones, principalmente empíricas, que se llevan a cabo de un modo abrumador mayoritariamente con técnicas cuantitativas basadas en análisis estadísticos simples que, en muchos casos, limitan la exposición de resultados a una lectura de los datos disponibles. Se plantea una propuesta innovadora en el área que se diseña a modo de nueva forma de diseminación y exposición científica. El objetivo es la construcción de tres indicadores compuestos que al ser aplicados a los medios de comunicación públicos europeos permitirán medir la percepción de su valor social, su independencia y eficiencia de gestión. Se plantea, además, como un estudio que permita una visión comparativa de estos tres aspectos en todos los países de la Unión Europea, excepto Malta y Luxemburgo. La metodología innova porque explica detalladamente el proceso y justifica la validez de las fuentes documentales empleadas para facilitar su réplica o cuestionamiento. Refuerza la discusión de los resultados obtenidos con la evaluación de robustez de los indicadores creados, antes de decidir cada vez cuál es el indicador más adecuado comparando los resultados con una técnica de análisis de decisión multicriterio, el método Topsis (Technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution), propuesto por Hwang y Yoon (1981). Los resultados acreditan que los indicadores sintéticos constituyen una herramienta metodológica innovadora, original y validable que puede contribuir al avance de la investigación en Comunicación

On the basis of extensive empirical data that the 72 focused composite indicators, making up the System of Indices on the Quality of European Societies (SIQES), provide on the 28 EU Member States, this paper analyses the societal quality of the Southern European Mediterranean countries, namely, Spain, Italy, Portugal and Greece, from a holistic, multidimensional and comparative perspective. First and foremost, it indicates the position of these Mediterranean countries in the European societal quality rankings. Secondly, after confirming that, in accordance with the Five Europes Typology, the Mediterranean countries form a distinctive cluster, it includes an analysis of their social characteristics, comparing them with those of the other four clusters. Thirdly, on the basis of the 14 societal quality domains included in the system, it offers a diagnosis by contrasting the societal quality of the Southern European Mediterranean countries with that of the rest of the EU Member States. This structural diagnosis, endogenous as well exogenous, offers a panoramic view of great importance to both social researchers and policymakers., En base a la amplia información empírica que sobre los 28 países de la UE aportan los 72 indicadores compuestos focalizados que componen el Sistema de Índices de Calidad de las Sociedades Europeas, este artículo analiza la calidad societal de los países mediterráneos del sur de Europa, Portugal, España, Italia y Grecia, desde un perspectiva holista, multidimensional y comparada. Primero, se ofrece el posicionamiento de los países mediterráneos en los rankings europeos de calidad societal. Segundo, tras comprobar que, de acuerdo con la Tipología de las Cinco Europas, los países mediterráneos forman un cluster propio, se analizan sus características societales. Tercero, en base a los 14 dominios de calidad societal que incluye el sistema de índices, se ofrece un diagnóstico comparando la calidad de los países mediterráneos con la del resto de países europeos. Este diagnóstico estructural, tanto endógeno como exógeno, ofrece una panorámica de gran interés tanto para los investigadores sociales como para los responsables políticos.

This paper presents new data on services trade regulation for 46 countries in 22 services sectors over 6 years (2014-2019). The data consist of qualitative information which is scored and weighted to produce composite indices. They cover market access and national treatment restrictions with respect to all GATS modes of supply, but also behind the border domestic regulation such as licensing, non-transparent regulatory procedures and competition policy. The database is updated annually. The trade restrictiveness indices (STRIs) are significantly correlated with services trade flows, but also with the performance of the sectors subject to the restrictions including logistics performance indicators, interest spreads, density of ATMs and secure servers, broadband penetration and outcomes such as legal rights and the time to resolve insolvency.

Organized crime impacts on societies, and it is one of the main threats to global justice. Assessment of the presence and activities of organized crime is therefore crucial for the design of effective policies and actions. Several methodological approaches have been proposed to address the two main challenges implied by this effort: (1) the complexity of defining what organized crime is; and (2) the collection and generation of reliable data to estimate it. Moreover, organized crime groups increasingly engage in illicit activities that extend beyond their traditional territories and the borders of a single state. This expansion is facilitated by the ever-growing economic and social connections among people and countries. This poses serious threats to countries and their citizens by generating direct and indirect economic damage, affecting social structures, and hindering the development and stability of states. This paper discusses the latest methodological advances in measurement of OC within a country or a region. It then describes a strategy for assessing OC presence based on the estimation of the transnational illicit markets and the role of countries in those illicit networks. Examples from the current research studies are provided.

This study employs a Benefit-of-the-Doubt (BOD) weighting model that incorporates information generated via a participatory method—i.e., based on experts’ opinion—to construct a composite indicator that evaluates the competitiveness level of Costa Rican counties during 2010-2016. The results of the empirical application based on the county competitiveness index (CCI) reveal the superior informative power of the proposed BOD composite indicator, relative to models using equal weight restrictions or weights estimated via principal component analysis. The county competitiveness index is a valuable tool to monitor counties’ competitive level, and the findings underline that an analysis based on the BOD approach may offer useful information to policy makers on what strategic actions may potentially optimize the allocation of local resources and, subsequently, enhance economic outcomes (i.e., business creation and employment)., Peer Reviewed, Preprint

In recent years, building disaster resilient communities has become a primary objective of crisis management institutions across the globe, as a resilient community is likely to suffer fewer losses and recover more quickly when faced with an adverse event. However, in order to strengthen a community’s resilience, one needs to first establish a baseline, an initial measure that can be used to compare communities and to track changes over time. This article presents such a baseline, a community resilience index, for Norway. Following the approach outlined by the Baseline Resilience Indicators for Communities (BRIC), the article constructs a hierarchical index, using 47 indicators divided into six subdomains, to describe the resilience capacities of the Norwegian municipalities. The results show considerable variations in the relative levels of resilience. Most markedly, there seems to be a north-south divide; i.e., many of the northern municipalities having lower levels of overall resilience and many of the southern municipalities having higher levels of overall resilience. These initial observations are further analysed by deconstructing the overall index into its components to identify driving forces behind the overall resilience score. To validate the results, the resilience scores are compared to previously established vulnerability metrics. The resilience and vulnerability metrics are then used to identify potential low-risk (high resilience, low vulnerability) and high-risk (low resilience, high vulnerability) areas across Norway.

Considering the impact composite indicators can have on public opinion and policy development, the need for their frameworks to be methodologically sound and statistically verified is growing daily. One of the issues in the process of composite indicator construction which has generated much debate is how to choose the weighting scheme. To address this slippery step, we propose an optimization approach based on the enhanced Scatter Search (eSS) metaheuristic. In this paper, the eSS algorithm is applied to obtain a weighting scheme which will increase the stability of the composite indicator. The objective function is based on the relative contributions of indicators, while the problem constraints rely on the bootstrap Composite I-distance Indicator (CIDI) approach which is also proposed herein. The eSS-CIDI approach combines the exploration capability of eSS and the data-driven constraints devised from the bootstrap CIDI. This novel weighting approach was tested on two acknowledged composite indicators: the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) and the Networked Readiness Index (NRI). Results indicate that the composite indicators created using the eSS-CIDI weighting approach are more stable than the official ones.

Predmet istraživanja doktorske disertacije je dalji razvoj metodologije za formiranje i evaluaciju kompozitnih indikatora kreirane od strane eksperata iz Organizacije za ekonomsku saradnju i razvoj (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development – OECD) i Objedinjenog istraživačkog centra (Joint Research Center – JRC). Kompozitni indikatori su metrike formirane od agregiranih pojedinačnih ponderisanih indikatora koji mere različite aspekte posmatranog višedimenzionalnog koncepta. Donosioci odluka sve više koriste kompozitne indikatore za rangiranje i evaluaciju entiteta u različitim oblastima života. OECD-JRC metodologija pruža korisne smernice za sprovođenje kompleksnog procesa formiranja metodološkog okvira kompozitnog indikatora. Međutim, način dodeljivanja težinskih koeficijenata i analiza robusnosti i analiza osetljivosti su koraci metodologije koji i dalje privlače pažnju. Cilj metode dodeljivanja težinskih koeficijenata predložene u ovoj doktorskoj disertaciji je određivanje težinskih koeficijenata koji maksimizuju stabilnost metrike, merenu sumom standardnih devijacija relativnih doprinosa indikatora. Za definisanje ograničenja modela predloženo je kombinovanje metode reuzorkovanja i Ivanovićevog odstojanja (I-odstojanje), dok je za rešavanje definisanog optimizacionog modela korišćena metaheuristika unapređeno raspršeno pretraživanje (enhanced Scatter Search – eSS). Nova metoda uzima u obzir stabilnost kompozitnog indikatora već prilikom određivanja težinskih koeficijenata i predlaže težinske koeficijente zasnovane na podacima, čime se smanjuje stepen intuitivnosti metode i prevazilazi činjenica da se analiza robusnosti često ne sprovodi u procesu formiranja i evaluacije kompozitnih indikatora. Shodno rezultatima istraživanja, pokazano je da se predložena metoda može sa uspehom primeniti u procesu formiranja i evaluacije kompozitnih indikatora., The subject of this doctoral dissertation is further development of the methodology for construction and evaluation of composite indicators created by experts from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Joint Research Center (JRC). Composite indicators are metrics formed when individual indicators that measure different aspects of the observed multidimensional concept are weighted and aggregated. Decision makers increasingly use composite indicators to rank and evaluate entities on various topics. The OECD-JRC methodology provides useful guidelines for the complex process of construction the methodological framework of the composite indicator. However, the weighting method and the robustness and sensitivity analysis are the steps of the methodology that continue to attract attention. The aim of the weighting method proposed in this doctoral dissertation is to determine the weighting scheme which maximizes the stability of the metric, measured by the sum of standard deviations of relative contributions of indicators. In order to define the model constraints the bootstrap Ivanović distance (I-distance) is proposed, while the metaheuristics enhanced Scatter Search (eSS) is used to solve the defined optimization problem. The new method takes into account the stability of the composite indicator during the process of weighting scheme determination and proposes a data-driven weighting scheme which reduces the level of intuitivity and overcomes the fact that the robustness analysis is often not conducted in the process of construction and evaluation of composite indicators. According to the experimental results, it is shown that the proposed weighting method can be successfully applied in the process of construction and evaluation of composite indicators.

This technical report proposes a set of metrics and a methodology to measure the progress that European countries are making towards the development and integration of capital markets. Based on six priorities linked to the achievement of a well-functioning and integrated European capital market, we identify a set of indicators and analyze country performance for the period 2007-2018 by using a composite measure, both in a static and a dynamic environment. In order to account for country specificities and differences in dynamic trajectories, we use robust clustering to identify groups of countries and follow their development through time.

While mobility and safety of older drivers are challenged by age-related cognitive changes, the increasingly complex road environment has placed a higher demand on their adaptability. Older drivers experience difficulties in regulating their operational level behaviors which rely on the second-to-second decision-making, e.g., using the visuospatial information to guide their steering. The roundabout maneuver is one of the critical scenarios for older drivers which requires efficient visual and motor coordination. Understanding older drivers’ visual-motor coordination at roundabouts will provide insights into the mobility and safety of older driver population, which is important yet to be explored. This paper contributes to new measurements in driving behavior through quantitative examinations on driver–vehicle–environment interactions. The drivers’ visual-motor coordination is conceptualized as a sequence of eye fixations coupling with the vehicle trajectory in a space–time path. The experimental data were from 38 older adults’ on-road driving recorded using context and location-aware enabled eye tracking and precise vehicle movement tracking. A visual-motor coordination composite indicator (VMCCI) was developed to measure the efficiency of visual-motor coordination in GIS based on the aggregate multiple parameters of visual and motor behaviors at entry, circulating and exit stage of a roundabout. The results show that the VMCCI is a sensitive indicator for identifying risky drivers, problematic road sections, problematic behaviors. Older drivers’ VMCCI was associated with the angle of deviation at roundabouts, particularly at the entry stage. Findings of this study have implications for actual roundabout designing practice, which will contribute to improve the safety of older drivers behind the wheel.

[Resumen] En este trabajo se estudia la calidad de vida en la UE-28 desde una perspectiva multidimensional que refleje lo que sienten y lo que realmente tienen los ciudadanos europeos, utilizando para ello los datos de la Encuesta Europea de Calidad de Vida (EQLS) del año 2016. Tras una selección tanto de indicadores subjetivos (satisfacciones de índole social) como de variables de tipo económico, construimos mediante una aplicación secuencial de dos métodos diferentes de agrupación (análisis de componentes principales e indicador de Mazziotta-Pareto) indicadores compuestos. Estos indicadores sintéticos permiten establecer diferencias entre los países analizando la calidad de vida desde dos enfoques diferentes (subjetivo y económico), resultando estar altamente correlacionados. Además se concluye que los países del norte y de Europa occidental tienen mayor calidad de vida que los del sur y este de la UE., [Abstract] This paper studies the quality of life in the EU-28 from a multidimensional perspective that reflects what they feel and what European citizens really have, using data from the European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS) for the year 2016. After a selection of both subjective indicators (satisfactions of a social nature) and variables of economic type, we constructed by means of a sequential application of two different grouping methods (analysis of main components and Mazziotta-Pareto indicator) composite indicators. These synthetic indicators allow to establish differences between the countries analyzing the quality of life from two different approaches (subjective and economic), resulting to be highly correlated. In addition, it is concluded that the countries of the north and of Western Europe have a higher quality of life than those of the south and east of the EU.

The water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH) sector has witnessed the development of multiple tools for multidimensional monitoring. Hierarchical and composite indicators (CI)-based conceptual frameworks provide one illustrative example. However, this approach does not address the existing interrelationship of the indicators they integrate. Bayesian Networks (BNs) are increasingly exploited to assess WaSH issues and to support planning and decision-making processes. This research aims to evaluate the validity, reliability and feasibility of BNs to replicate an existing CI-based conceptual framework. We adopt a data-driven approach and we propose a semi-automatic methodology. One regional monitoring initiative is selected as a pilot study: the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Information System (SIASAR). Data from two different countries are processed and analysed to calibrate and validate the model and the method. Major findings show i) an improvement of model inference capacity when providing structure to the networks (according to the CI-based framework), ii) a reduction and quantification of the key components that explain a pre-defined objective variable (implying important advantages in data updating), and iii) an identification of interlinkages among these components (which might enhance multi- and trans-disciplinary actions). We conclude that BNs accurately replicates the CI-based conceptual framework. The proposal contributes to its wider application., Peer Reviewed, Postprint (author's final draft)

The object of research is a system of processes for determining the level of a country's development in the context of a sustainable development model. One of the most problematic places is the mistakenly constructed or incorrectly interpreted composite indicators, which can lead to simplified analytical or political conclusions.A study is conducted on the use of composite indicators as tools for identifying development trends in the countries of the European Union, which makes it possible to determine the advantages and disadvantages of their use. And also to establish common and distinctive features with the indicators specified in the Sustainable Development Strategy of the country until 2030. The hierarchical system of composite indicators is built with their subsequent verification for completeness and dimensionality in accordance with the requirements of the selected theoretical and methodological methods of analysis.An interconnected sequence of steps is identified to determine the integral index for each of the studied countries with a view to rating them on the basis of the system of obtained composite indicators and their weight. Based on the obtained eigenvalues of the centered-normalized main components for each of the studied countries and certain substantive interpretations of the main components, a pair-wise comparative analysis is conducted within the studied set of countries. And also carried out a cluster analysis, which allowsto identify groups of countries that are close in value to the integral index. The ranking of the studied countries is carried out on the basis of the calculation of individual integral development indicators, calculated as the sum of its integral indicators for two subsets – stimulant indicators and disincentive indicators.The study of 33 countries allowsto identify the place of Ukraine in the direction of the implementation of individual goals of its development based on a system of composite indicators. And also to assess

In the article is given the method of constructing the integral characteristics of changes quality a system based on the recorded measurements. Constructing of latent composite indicators of changes of the quality system on the basis of statistical indicators for a number of consecutive observations is based on the principal component method, taking into account the presence of noise in the measured data (SNR-based algorithm), Рассматривается построение интегральной характеристики качества системы на основе статистических показателей для ряда последовательных наблюдений на основе метода главных компонент с учетом наличия шума в измеряемых данных

This paper constructs an innovative approach to measure school district organizational effectiveness. We use the fully nonparametric Benefit-of-the-Doubt approach to construct a composite indicator which reduces subjectivity in choosing weights attached to different functions of school districts. The model is extended to reduce the influence of outliers (robust) and to account for the exogenous environment (conditional). We apply the suggested technique to unique and self-collected data from surveys and interviews taken from school board members and principals. We illustrate why accounting for respondent characteristics is crucial when evaluating school districts. Next, we analyze the obtained aggregate measures to identify which organizational structures, board characteristics and management styles are of importance for the organizational effectiveness of school districts. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.