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Against the background of drastically rising global water demand and increasing pollution and overexploitation of regional water resources, the demand-driven water supply of households and industry is of central importance. Water reuse and desalination are seen as key technologies to overcome potential regional and local water shortage. In the joint projects funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) ‘Future-oriented Technologies and Concepts to Increase Water Availability by Water Reuse and Desalination (WavE)’, evaluation approaches for analysing innovative technologies and concepts are being developed and assessed. All evaluation methods and criteria used were selected based on the decision situation at hand and the decision-makers preferences. Based on the analysis of six multi-criteria evaluation concepts used in selected WavE projects, this paper presents a general approach for comparative multi-criteria evaluation of water reuse systems consisting of prerequisites, minimum requirements, evaluation criteria (qualitative, semi-quantitative or quantitative) and a final aggregation of results. Exemplary sets of criteria for the application in a more industrial, municipal and/or international context are presented as an aid for the application of holistic evaluation approaches for (process) concept and technology selection in the context of water reuse and desalination. HIGHLIGHTS The paper provides guidance on the application of different evaluation approaches for the selection of advanced treatment technologies for water reuse and desalination.; It is based on a review of assessment methods used in six different projects funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and provides insights into challenges that were faced in the assessment processes of the individual projects.; It presents a general approach for comparative multi-criteria evaluation of water reuse systems consisting of prerequisites, minimum requirements, evaluation criteria (qualitative, semi-quantitative or quantitative) and a final aggregation of results.; Exemplary sets of criteria for the application in a more industrial, municipal and/or international context are presented as an aid for the application of holistic evaluation approaches for concept and technology selection in the context of water reuse and desalination.; Finally, possible data sources, challenges in using them and indicators to measure data quality are presented to give guidance on data collection.

With the continuous innovation of new-generation information technology and its accelerated integration with manufacturing industry, industrial internet platforms (IIPs) are rapidly emerging worldwide. Construction and application of IIP has become a new focus in international competition for leading enterprises, and also a new direction of industrial development for many countries worldwide. However, the development of IIP is still in the stage of exploration, and the industry sector still lacks unified understanding of the IIP. Therefore, this study firstly proposes a reference architecture of IIP to clarify its framework and core functions, so as to provide a general reference model for the industry to understand and jointly promote construction of IIP. Secondly, an assessment system is proposed to evaluate the usage of IIP. The assessment framework is composed from three domains namely the foundation, key capability, value and benefit. Finally, the practical value of the reference architecture and the assessment framework of IIP is verified by an industry practice.

The growing reliance of the shipping industry on information and communication technologies places a high premium on cyber risk management. The International Mar- itime Organization has imposed improvement of the approved safety management system of ships by incorporating the cyber risk management no later than the first annual verification of a shipping company’s document of compliance following 1 January 2021. In this paper, we present a framework for assessing cyber risks that affect safe operation of ships. The framework relies on an on-board survey to identify existing safeguards, cyber security testing to detect vulnerabilities and threats, and determination of the cyber risk level. The cyber security testing of the ship’s critical systems and assets, as the specific part of the framework, is introduced and studied. The cyber security testing method is based on computational vulnerability scanning and penetration testing tech- niques, which is aligned with the upcoming maritime standard IEC 63154. For a case study, the testing of a shipboard Electronic Chart Display and Information System cyber security was performed using an industry vulnerability scanning tool.

Universities are engines of societal transformation and can nurture future citizens and navigate them towards sustainability through their educational programmes. Here, we developed an assessment framework for educational institutions to evaluate the contribution of their educational programmes to sustainability by reviewing the alignment of their intended learning outcomes to the enabling conditions for a vision of sustainability based on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The tool is based on a systemic grouping of the SDGs into eight sustainability attributes, namely, Safe Operating Space, Just Operating Space, Resilient Sustainable Behaviours, Alternative Economic Models, Health and Wellbeing, Collaboration, Diversity and Inclusion, and Transparency and Governance, and uses a word code developed specifically for each sustainability attribute to assess the coverage of the SDGs in master&rsquo, s programmes&rsquo, learning outcomes. The tool uses multi-criteria analysis to compare and rank programmes according to the alignment of their learning outcomes to the sustainability attributes and their contribution to sustainability. It was first tested using data from a University&rsquo, s eighteen master&rsquo, s programmes on a range of subjects and subsequently applied to compare forty UK and European master&rsquo, s programmes focusing on environment and sustainability. Findings demonstrate that even environmental programmes face some important gaps related to health, wellbeing, diversity, inclusion, and collaboration, amongst others, and reinforce the need for all universities to understand the contribution of their programmes to sustainability. The application of the tool can generate empirical evidence on the effectiveness of university programmes and establish a strong argument regarding the potential of education as a tool for achieving the SDGs.

As organisations are vulnerable to cyberattacks, their protection becomes a significant issue. Capability Maturity Models can enable organisations to benchmark current maturity levels against best practices. Although many maturity models have been already proposed in the literature, a need for models that integrate several regulations exists. This article presents a light, web-based model that can be used as a cybersecurity assessment tool for Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) of the United Kingdom. The novel Holistic Cybersecurity Maturity Assessment Framework incorporates all security regulations, privacy regulations, and best practices that HEIs must be compliant to, and can be used as a self assessment or a cybersecurity audit tool.

An ageing population raises the question of providing adequate housing that enables older people to age in place without losing autonomy and independence. Except for the issue of accessibility, no framework exists that specifically outlines a standard to achieve and, as a result, interventions on existing or on new buildings may be inconsistent without leading to a desired rise in living standards. This research addresses this issue by presenting a framework for the assessment of the age-appropriateness of housing through a number of metrics that detect and identify physical and non-physical features of a home environment to enable ageing in place. The study combines data from a qualitative systematic literature review of 93 papers and qualitative data from structured interviews with four experts in the field. As a result, 71 metrics were identified, divided into eight main domains, to describe the framework. This paper provides an improved understanding of the housing features that enable ageing in place. The tool categorizes and rates qualitative and quantitative aspects that contribute to the age-friendliness of housing, resulting in an easy to adopt assessment framework. This is a valuable means for stakeholders engaged in improving the current housing stock or in constructing new buildings for older people.

Peer-to-peer (P2P) energy sharing is a fast-emerging concept that concerns electricity exchanges between grid-connected end-users. This innovative user-centric market model incentivises the creation of more distributed, collaborative, and democratised energy networks compared to traditional ones. Current research on P2P energy sharing has essentially focused on the definition of its techno-economic attributes, hence sound research on end-user engagement in this context is still lacking in the scientific literature. This paper addresses this knowledge gap by proposing a novel end-user engagement framework constructed around the P2P energy sharing context that was trialled in 3 different pilots in Portugal. These pilots represent the first Portuguese testing grounds where this concept was demonstrated under real market conditions. Findings based on a sample of 123 participants suggest that the proposed framework was effective in raising awareness and empowering unmotivated, passive end-users in an initial phase of the project implementation, as well as in retaining the interest of motivated end-users during a later phase. Furthermore, the empirical analysis allowed to conclude that participation in the project was predominantly voluntary rather than coerced. The proposed end-user engagement framework contributes to the scientific literature since it facilitates and guides the design of future P2P energy sharing initiatives.

Community participation is a key part of heritage management. However, in practice, unlike natural heritage, the nature of community participation within cultural heritage is seldom assessed, nor are there theoretical frameworks developed to baseline such assessments. To fill this knowledge gap, this paper developed and tested an assessment framework, to assess community participation within cultural heritage. Based on the conceptualisation of community participation from heritage management policies, a literature review was conducted to develop an assessment framework, including four criteria and 23 indicators. This assessment framework was tested on the management practices of 36 Chinese cultural heritage properties inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List from 1987 to 2018. Using content analysis as a method, this research applied this assessment framework to UNESCO documents, reporting on the state-of-the-practice of heritage management as applied to Chinese World Heritage. The results provide an overview of the current situation on how community participation is positioned within World Heritage management in China. Several World Heritage properties in China have reported relatively high community participation in examples such as Honghe Hani Rice Terraces and Kulangsu. However, most of them demonstrate minimal community participation, such as the Yungang Grottoes and Lushan National Park. Moreover, the assessment framework of community participation in heritage management has been extended and improved, which is relevant to heritage management practices worldwide.

During the last decades, a great number of innovative building envelope materials and facade compo- nents have been developed. The majority of these technologies promise significant improvements in en- ergy efficiency and occupant’s comfort, with products that are easily available in the market. However, it remains a challenge to assess the performance of such facades, leading to difficulties for efficient design, operation, and maintenance. As a consequence, the market adoption of adaptive facades is not realizing its full potential, resulting in missed opportunities for energy savings and improved occupant satisfac- tion. In this study, the current trends of adaptive facades are investigated, with particular emphasis on their performance assessment. Based on extensive literature review, the gaps in assessment of adaptive facades are determined and a novel object-based facade characterization and classification framework is proposed. Furthermore, a generic stakeholder map and process map are presented to explain current adaptive facade delivery practices. In addition, the findings of interviews and two focus group discus- sions with experts and specialists are presented to elucidate their expert opinions, leading to a validated framework of key performance indicators. As results of this paper, the gaps related to adaptive facade systems’ assessment are identified with respect to the different actors and stakeholders, and insights and perspectives on current trends and future challenges of adaptive facade system assessment are provided. In: Elsevier, Energy & Buildings 179 (2018) p. 165-182

A semi-quantitative assessment framework (SQAF) is proposed to evaluate slab-on-girder bridge columns subjected to reinforcement corrosion using evaluation limit states (ultimate limit state, including seismic loads for high seismic zones, and serviceability limit state). The SQAF suggests the use of structural performance thresholds decided by the evaluation engineers based on the bridge management system (BMS) requirements. The SQAF provides a systematic assessment procedure that needs minimum numerical efforts and can be integrated into the BMS. Although the framework is dependent on the accuracy of the input data, which in turn depends on enhanced inspection and material testing, it presents a step towards the development of a fully quantitative assessment approach. The proposed assessment framework provides efficient analysis tools that help to quantify the important performance parameters of aged slab-on-girder bridge columns. The quantitative comparisons between the required and existing load capacities and performance measures would give the bridge owners, practicing engineers, and bridge management team a better evaluation approach that would reduce the maintenance/rehabilitation cost and provide higher safety.

Water markets are increasingly proposed as a demand-management strategy to deal with water scarcity. Water trading arrangements, on their own, are not about setting bio-physical limits to water-use. Nevertheless, water trading that mitigates scarcity constraints can assist regulators of water resources to keep water-use within limits at the lowest possible cost, and may reduce the cost of restoring water system health. While theoretically attractive, many practitioners have, at best, only a limited understanding of the practical usefulness of markets and how they might be most appropriately deployed. Using lessons learned from jurisdictions around the world where water markets have been implemented, this study attempts to fill the existing water market development gap and provide an initial framework (the water market readiness assessment (WMRA)) to describe the policy and administrative conditions/reforms necessary to enable governments/jurisdictions to develop water trading arrangements that are efficient, equitable and within sustainable limits. Our proposed framework consists of three key steps: 1) an assessment of hydrological and institutional needs; 2) a market evaluation, including assessment of development and implementation issues; and 3) the monitoring, continuous/review and assessment of future needs; with a variety of questions needing assessment at each stage. We apply the framework to three examples: regions in Australia, the United States and Spain. These applications indicate that WMRA can provide key information for water planners to consider on the usefulness of water trading processes to better manage water scarcity; but further practical applications and tests of the framework are required to fully evaluate its effectiveness. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

Measurement processes are critical to the aerospace industry, which products must follow strict regulations and customer requirements. Additionally, measurement of uncertainty is fast becoming a requirement from both certification bodies and customers. An uncertainty assessment must be carried out for all processes that need to add an uncertainty statement to the measurement result. In order to maintain defined quality standards, aerospace manufacturing companies need to identify all measurement disciplines that benefit from stating the level of uncertainty and define a methodology to calculate it for complex measurement processes. An extensive research has been conducted in order to define the most appropriate methodology to assess uncertainty on complex aerospace components and a case study has been applied to assess the strain gauge calibration test uncertainty of different aerospace components. This study develops a generic framework, which helps the assessment of all individual sources of uncertainty and completes the one established by the Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement. Conclusions have been extracted from the outcome of the case study. The conducted research contributes to a better understanding of measurement processes and good practices that lead to lower uncertainty. The outcome will help manufacturing companies to be aware of the contributors of uncertainty to the tests, how to reduce this uncertainty and the reliability of the measurements taken during the process.

Presently, for the purpose of sustainable growth of the economy, it is a common choice to promote sectors’ digital transformation (DT). However, to credibly monitor the effect of DT on sectoral development, it is necessary to develop a systematic measure for the monitoring sector’s DT. This study provides a monitoring index system for sectors’ DT. First, an assessment framework for enterprises’ DT is introduced, which laid a foundation for the proposed monitoring index system for sectors’ DT. Secondly, a monitoring index system for sectors’ DT is established, which includes 13 monitoring indexes from four aspects, namely transformation stages, single-domain digitalization, integration and interconnection, and collaboration, interaction and mode innovation. A weighted method of interval hesitant fuzzy entropy is also given here. Finally, a panorama of sectors’ DT in China is derived by applying the proposed monitoring index system, and a prediction that the level of sectors’ DT in China will continue to grow in the next three years is made by gray predication.

This paper proposes a reversal of perspective in the evaluation of Regeneration projects. Until now, attention has been mainly focused on project “internal effectiveness”, in reference to the environment and life quality improvement of the areas directly affected by the interventions. The effects induced in the wider urban context are rarely sufficiently analyzed. This aspect instead opens an important field of investigation, useful for a broader assessment of regeneration initiatives, especially with regards to Public Housing Neighborhoods where the long-term project success also depends on the positive effects it generates in the surroundings. Therefore, the aim of this research is to develop a conceptualization of “Outwards Regeneration Effects” (OREs), based on an extensive literature review, and to make it operational through a conceptual framework for the qualitative analysis. The results of this study, on the one hand, highlight several critical issues raised by the interventions implemented so far, and, on the other hand, provide a more effective assessment framework, useful in the evaluation of future projects. Further developments of such an approach could lead to the development of operational evaluation models, combining both qualitative and quantitative indicators, starting from the implementation of the proposed analytic framework.

Open data are currently a hot topic and are associated with realising ambitions such as a more transparent and efficient government, solving societal problems, and increasing economic value. To describe and monitor the state of open data in countries and organisations, several open data assessment frameworks were developed. Despite high scores in these assessment frameworks, the actual (re)use of open government data (OGD) fails to live up to its expectations. Our review of existing open data assessment frameworks reveals that these only cover parts of the open data ecosystem. We have developed a framework, which assesses open data supply, open data governance, and open data user characteristics holistically. This holistic open data framework assesses the maturity of the open data ecosystem and proves to be a useful tool to indicate which aspects of the open data ecosystem are successful and which aspects require attention. Our initial assessment in the Netherlands indicates that the traditional geographical data perform significantly better than non-geographical data, such as healthcare data. Therefore, open geographical data policies in the Netherlands may provide useful cues for other OGD strategies.

This paper establishes the need to act at a city scale to reduce energy use and improve sustainability in general. The paper evaluates the plans that the City of Fargo (Climate zone 6), North Dakota has established to grow in a sustainable manner. As part of this effort, the City of Fargo is participating in the Georgetown University Energy Prize Competition to reduce the energy use of residential and municipal buildings. As such, the City is engaged in assessing, defining, designing and implementing the Go 2030 plan (2012) as the basis for a sustainable future. This paper reviews and evaluates several methods of city-scale assessments and identifies distinguishing characteristics of these tools and assessments and creates a categorization to make the methods ordered and understandable. The two broad categories developed are (1) category- and (2) indicator-based models of urban sustainability. Further, this paper reviews the tools through a literature search and compares the City of Fargo's Go 2030 plan against these categorizations. Based on this evaluation this paper proposes a framework that has the potential to fill the gaps in the current Go2030 plan.

Part 3: Organizational Aspects; International audience; Health sector institutions’ websites need to act as effective web resources of information and interactive communication mediums to address the versatile demands of their multiple stakeholders. Academic and practitioner interest in health sector website assessment has considerably risen in recent years. This can be seen by the number of papers published in journals. The purpose of this paper is twofold to further establish the field. First, it offers a literature re-view on hospitals’ websites assessment. Second, it offers a conceptual framework to address the website assessment issue in health sector. The proposed assessment framework focuses on four main criteria: content, technology, services, and participation being evaluated by the use of several indicators. Academics, hospital practitioners, public officials and users will find the review and the framework useful, as they outline major lines of research in the field and a method to assess health institution websites.

City assessment tools can be used as support for decision making in urban development as they provide assessment methodologies for cities to show the progress towards defined targets. In the 21st century, there has been a shift from sustainability assessment to smart city goals. We analyze 16 sets of city assessment frameworks (eight smart city and eight urban sustainability assessment frameworks) comprising 958 indicators altogether by dividing the indicators under three impact categories and 12 sectors. The following main observations derive from the analyses: as expected, there is a much stronger focus on modern technologies and “smartness” in the smart city frameworks compared to urban sustainability frameworks. Another observation is that as urban sustainability frameworks contain a large number of indicators measuring environmental sustainability, smart city frameworks lack environmental indicators while highlighting social and economic aspects. A general goal of smart cities is to improve sustainability with help of technologies. Thus, we recommend the use of a more accurate term “smart sustainable cities” instead of smart cities. However, the current large gap between smart city and sustainable city frameworks suggest that there is a need for developing smart city frameworks further or re-defining the smart city concept. We recommend that the assessment of smart city performance should not only use output indicators that measure the efficiency of deployment of smart solutions but also impact indicators that measure the contribution towards the ultimate goals such as environmental, economic or social sustainability.

Circular economy is currently characterized by various definitions, measurement approaches, and critical analyses thereof coexisting alongside each other. Whether the concept eventually prevails or collapses will depend to some extent on our success in harmonizing assessment methods among public, scientific, and private institutions, as well as across different materials and scales. Therefore, in this article, we present a generic material flow analysis framework that might serve as a common basis for circularity assessment, and test it by means of three case studies. It proved impossible to eliminate all subjective assumptions when transforming a real complex system into the generic framework, especially regarding the definition of by-products. However, by introducing subsystems it is at least possible to make such assumptions transparent. Therefore, adequate comparability across regions, materials, and scales is provided. Moreover, the generic system allows for coupled analysis of multiple materials simultaneously so that interactions between them can be studied, as well and a deeper insight into overall sustainability of the system can be gained.

Accountability has hardly been studied in the governance of climate change adaptation. This paper develops a framework for assessing the accountability of interactive governance arrangements for local adaptation. This framework is based on five important accountability mechanisms: Clear responsibilities and mandates, Transparency, Political oversight, Citizen control and Checks and sanctions. For illustration purposes, the proposed framework is applied to the case of a Dutch local adaptation governance arrangement. The application shows that the five proposed mechanisms and their operationalizations offer a valid assessment of the accountability of such arrangements. It also raises some challenges, such as the tensions between accountability and flexibility, legitimacy and effectiveness; the potentially important roles of trust and of the political skills of central actor(s) in the arrangement in raising accountability, and the potential need to distinguish between arrangements for policy planning and for service delivery.