Search

Post Tender Negotiation (PTN) procedure is part of the tendering process in procurement of goods and services. The procedure could be triggered if the initial tendering activity does not result in the selection of a supplier. This could be due to a lack of clear Value for Money (VfM) bidder. The PTN procedure is sparingly applied in the UK public sector procurement and the reasons adduced for this are based on ethical considerations. The UK Office of Government Procurement (OGP), formerly known as the Office for Government Commerce (OGC) and the European Union (EU) are the chief proponents of restricting the use of PTN to exceptional cases. The premise of their argument is that the buyer could unethically tilt her/his actions in the process of applying the PTN procedure to favor certain suppliers. It is the argument of this paper that buyers from the public sector in UK are being deprived of the procedure’s benefit and therefore, the restrictions should be relaxed. Evidence from this study suggests that the procedure could offer the opportunity for further clarifications of supplier’s bid. The study also identifies that, for PTN to be successful, factors ensuring success in negotiations including cooperation should be present.

PurposeIn addition to lower value for money and the loss of trust in government, procurement corruption threatens to produce a vicious cycle whereby honest firms self-select out of public procurements, further increasing corruption and decreasing value for money. This paper aims to explore this vicious cycle hypothesis.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses a survey of businesses registered with the procurement regulator in Honduras, a country with high grand corruption but low levels of administrative procurement corruption. The study uses the survey to test the effects of experiences and perceptions of corruption and personal connections on perceptions of fairness and intention to bid on future procurements.FindingsThis study finds that experiences with bribery and the perceived importance of personal and party connections undermine perceptions of fairness, particularly for firms bidding with Honduras’s public works agency. While firms that have not bid recently view the process as less merit-based than those that have, the study does not find that perceptions of fairness influence intention to bid in the future as the vicious cycle hypothesis would suggest.Social implicationsThis research suggests that even firms that are frustrated with procurement irregularities are willing to tolerate them to access government markets.Originality/valueThe study benefits from a unique survey of businesses on issues of corruption and connections in a challenging procurement environment.

Water companies are regional monopolies in the UK, and subject to quinquennial price reviews to ensure customers receive value for money. This paper documents the application and evolution of state...

This study aimed to determine the measurement of performance in the Village Government of Jabal Nur, Kec. Kodeoha, North Kolaka Regency in 2015-2019 using the concept of Value For Money. Performance measurement is one of the factors for a private or public organization. Performance measurement is used as a control tool in an organization to evaluate the results of activity and determine the success of the management carried out by an organization. The application of the value for money concept is important for the government as a public service because the implementation of this concept will provide benefits for assessing: 1) the effectiveness of public services, 2) the quality of public services, 3) spending allocations that are more oriented to the public interest, and 4) increasing public cost awareness as the root of the implementation of public accountability. The results of this study indicate that the performance of the Jabal Nur village government has been said to be economical because the percentage ratio has never exceeded 100%; in terms of efficiency, government performance is efficient even though the first 3 years are in balanced efficiency, but in years 4 and 5 the level of efficiency has increased, and from in terms of the effectiveness of the performance of the village government of Jabal Nur has been effective even though in 2017 the level of effectiveness was according to. Still, the following year the level of effectiveness increased again.

PurposeOn the basis of the justice, attachment, social support, self-determination theories, this research paper examines the impact of the student–instructor relationship construct on the customer-centric measures of overall student satisfaction, and perceived value for money and their impact of the behavioral intentions as an endogenous construct. We considered universities as providers of complex services focusing on students' service quality and students as the customers of the higher education institutions.Design/methodology/approachA survey instrument was used to collect data among undergraduate and graduate business students in a medium-sized Canadian university (N = 178). Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to analyze the strength, significance, and effect sizes of the relationships between the key constructs.FindingsThe results indicate that the student–instructor relationship is significantly related to student satisfaction and value for money perceptions. Also, the student satisfaction and behavioral intentions, value for money and student satisfaction, and value for money and behavioral intentions relationship were significant.Originality/valueThe perceived quality of student–instructor relationship and its relationship to customer-centric measures like satisfaction, value for money and behavioral intentions has received relatively little attention in previous research and was discovered to be an important contributor to the perceived student satisfaction and value for money. The importance of the student–instructor relationship is further emphasized indirectly via the perceived value for money construct to student satisfaction.

Purpose This paper aim to investigate how organic labeling impacts perceived value for money (PVFM) as well as attitudinal and behavioral brand loyalty for private label brands (PLBs). This impact is tested for different product categories and retailers. Design/methodology/approach Two online experiments are conducted with different product categories (i.e. eggs and chocolate) and different retailers (i.e. Auchan and Carrefour). For each experiment, a multivariate analysis of covariance with brand type (i.e. PLBs and organic PLBs) as the independent variables, the PVFM and brand loyalty as the dependent variables as well as consumers’ characteristics, involvement with organic products and attitudes toward the retailer as the covariates is run. Findings On aggregate, organic PLBs prompt a higher PVFM as well as a higher attitudinal and behavioral loyalty than the PLBs. These results are consistent across the above-mentioned product categories and retailers. Research limitations/implications This study advances knowledge on organic labeling for the PLBs. Practical implications Retailers gain insights on the perceptions and behaviors toward organic PLBs versus standard PLBs. Originality/value This study tests how an organic label impacts the PVFM and brand loyalty for the PLBs.

For the Government projects, Value for Money (VFM) is an important parameter based on which the projects are procured through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) by the public sector. The objective of this paper is to identify and evaluate perceptions of VFM factors affecting Indian road projects undertaken by PPP. Eighteen VFM factors were shortlisted through a literature survey and were validated with experienced professionals. A questionnaire survey was conducted to investigate the most important VFM factors and was grouped into three categories: financial implications, the expertise of the private sector, and contract efficiency using factor analysis. Important VFM factors were identified using the Importance Index Method. The perception was analyzed with various statistical tools. The findings from this study provide more information and understanding about VFM in an early stage, which will be helpful for decision making about PPP.

CSR and Sustainable development are interrelated. Companies are practicing Corporate Social Responsibility manner that generates significant returns to their businesses. Well – Known Companies have proven that they can differentiate their Brands and reputations, if they take responsibility for the well being of society and environment in which they operate. Sustainability and CSR have taken something of a back seat in the past few months thanks to the increasing reality of a global economic slowdown. In this tough economic climate, tough decisions have to be made. With everyone focused on delivering value for money to the customers there is likelihood that people will see CSR as a fringe activity and not a business essential. Recession is a time of uncertainty and corporate should try to focus on the long term benefits from CSR activities rather than focusing on immediate cost cutting at the risk of forgoing their responsibilities towards the community.

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the passengers' perception of app or application-based ride-sharing service in Bangladesh. The research directly measures the passengers' perception of perceived quality and value for money of using app-based ride-sharing services in Bangladesh and how it impacts passengers' satisfaction. The study also measures the indirect relationship of perceived quality and value for money and passengers' loyalty through the mediating effects of passenger satisfaction in app-based ride-sharing services.Design/methodology/approachThe authors used an online self-administered survey questionnaire to collect data from the respondents who have experienced app-based ride-sharing services in Bangladesh. In this study, 400 questionnaires were distributed to the respondents online (Google form) and received 281 useful responses that give a 70.25% response rate. The survey data were analyzed based on construct validity, convergent validity and structural equation modeling by using Smart PLS 3.FindingsThe research findings indicate that perceived quality and value for money positively and significantly influence passengers' satisfaction. The passengers' satisfaction has a direct and significant relationship with passenger loyalty. The research findings also indicate that perceived quality and value for money have an indirect relationship with passenger loyalty through the mediating effect of passenger loyalty in app-based ride-sharing services.Practical implicationsBoth perceived quality and value for money have been the key drivers of passenger satisfaction and loyalty. Thus, the ride-sharing service providers should emphasize enhancing passenger value perception and quality service to reinforce passenger satisfaction and loyalty by increasing communication with the passengers about their apps. Besides, the service providers need to keep track of passengers' satisfaction levels and adopt necessary initiatives to ensure satisfied passengers toward loyalty.Originality/valueLimited studies have investigated the impacts of perceived quality and value for money on passenger satisfaction and loyalty to app-based rideshare service. It is a suitable time as the research findings will help ride-sharing service providers enhance their quality performance to compete healthily. Simultaneously, passengers can enjoy improved, and value-added services due to increasing competition among the app-based service providers. Regulators can also emphasize passenger quality services and the importance of money as a proposition while formulating policy and regulations toward the management of ride-sharing companies.

This article examines how alternate-level-of-care (ALC) days are funded through the cancer surgery funding model in Ontario and evaluates policy options to better address ALC days. The contribution of ALC days to hospital funding and the impact of removing or reallocating this funding from cancer surgery is measured. Though costs associated with ALC days in cancer surgery are low, this article highlights the need for policy options that would realign funding across the healthcare system in Ontario to better meet the needs of patients waiting for ALC, reduce pressure on inpatient bed capacity and improve value for money.

We study whether there is a racial bias in ratings of professional football players in Italian newspapers. We find that there is such a bias. Conditional on objective performance indicators black players receive a lower rating than non-black players. This is not a difference across the board but predominantly present at the lower end of the newspaper rating distribution. The best black players are not subject to a racial bias in ratings. We also find that clubs do not have a racial bias in the wages they pay to players. We speculate that for clubs there is sufficient competition to remove racial wage discrimination. Clubs simply want value for money. Newspaper football experts do seem to have a racial bias in their rating of players. We hypothesize that this might be unconscious discrimination related to stereotyping of black players.

The achievement of Universal Health Coverage, including quality services, is high on the international agenda. Cambodia aims to expand social health protection and is committed to improving the healthcare service quality. We review the country context and propose five policy approaches to accelerate progress on healthcare quality improvement in Cambodia. These approaches aim to augment the profile and continued focus on quality while leveraging and optimizing existing systems to incentivize improvements and increase value for money.

This study aimed to study the role of e-marketing in building the competitive advantage of electrical appliances companies in Egypt from the customers' point of view. To achieve the goal of the study, the descriptive analytical approach was used to collect data and information, and the field study was conducted with the guidance of (520) survey forms and distributed them electronically to those interested in the field of study, Statistical packages v.25 SPSS have been used to test the hypotheses of the study in addition to v.24 AMOS, where the modeling of the structural equation SEM is a technique for building and testing statistical models. The study has found a significant relationship between the role of e-marketing and between the price, the quality of the environmentally friendly electric product, the value for money, and the creativity and innovation of the environmentally friendly electric product. The study recommended the need to pay attention to safety and privacy on the corporate website to enhance customer satisfaction with the environmentally friendly electric product..

Local or regional fast-moving consumer (FMCG) brands sold mostly in delimited geographic areas are a growing trend. This study aims to understand consumer attitudes towards such products and to identify factors critical to their success. The paper is a comparative study between developed (Germany) and emerging (South Africa) nations to identify differences between the preference criteria for FMCG. The methodology involved an online cross section survey in the two countries. Respondents from both countries preferred local brands and believe they are better quality and more supportive of, and connected to, local communities. South Africans feel this more strongly, show greater commitment, and are prepared to pay more than Germans. ‘Beliefs’ regarding quality, value for money, and trust in local brands are critical.

Global strategists suggest to deploy a value for money strategy both in emerging and developed markets. This study uses reviews from 24,926 airline passengers across 29 countries, and investigates ...

The public has put increased pressure on organizations providing public services to demonstrate the most productive use of resources, with due regard for value received. Education is no exception. This study focus on the presentation and evaluation of public organizations (public grammar schools in our case) in education on the basis of their economy, efficiency and effectiveness as one of the indicators of performance assessment. The methodology of Value For Money presented in this study can provide useful information about the situation of education for public forces and for public grammar schools themselves. Also, this methodology may help to gain a deeper insight into strengths of individual schools, as well as in which they can improve. A limitation of the concept of VFM is that performance evaluation is possible only between homogeneous services. The originality and value of the study are reflected in its focus on such topics as monitoring and measuring of performance for public service organizations (i.e., education services). It also provides a tool for districts and individual schools to gain information using indicators employed here for identifying and solving the performance problems that occur in education system of Slovakia.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to determine the students’ perceptions of an on-campus foodservice operation at an identified historically black college and university (HBCU) and its effect on their satisfaction and dining frequency. Design/methodology/approach A survey of 685 students was conducted to collect data. Partial least squares based structural equation modeling is used to test the proposed structural model with SmartPLS 3.0. Findings Results confirm that quality of food, ambience, value for money, food and beverage options and service quality have a positively significant impact on students’ overall satisfaction with the on-campus foodservice operation and dining frequency. As such, all the hypotheses are supported. Research limitations/implications These findings indicate that on-campus foodservice operators should focus on quality of food, ambience, value for money, food and beverage options and service quality to achieve student satisfaction. This in turn could positively impact the institution’s reputation, student retention and the marketability of the institution to future students. Originality/value This study would help on-campus foodservice operators to better understand the impact of the various elements of foodservice experience which will lead to students’ overall satisfaction and dining frequency, particularly in a HBCU setting.

This study investigates the changing discourses of the value of degrees in prospectuses between 1976 and 2013, chosen due to the massification of higher education and use of the particular ...

An important factor in modern-day tourism is restaurant guests' feeling of satisfaction. Motivated by the desire to quantify this feeling and make it an operational element of recommendations for further development of one segment of restaurant tourism, this paper examines the expressed satisfaction of foreign tourists in restaurants of selected cities in the Western Balkans. The second goal of this paper is to show the extent to which local visitors and domestic tourists are satisfied with the service provided in the analysed catering facilities. Comments that are an integral part of the research part of this paper's analysis were collected from one of the most popular websites in the field of restaurant industry - Trip Advisor.

This article seeks to develop our understanding of the agency of vulnerable groups who at first sight may not seem to have much agency in their lives. It explores the co-constructed nature of agency in three Danish homeless shelters. Unlike earlier interview-based studies, our research is based on naturalistic data drawn from 23 video-recorded placement meetings. Using concepts from Goffman, we examine how versions of the neediness and worthiness of homeless people are negotiated verbally and bodily between staff and clients. We find that homeless people have to juggle two partly contradictory roles when they are given or take the roles of either a (active) citizen or a (passive) client. Clientship is actively negotiated by both parties and demonstrates the agency of homeless people: they can collaborate with (as clients) or challenge (as citizens) the staff's attempts to formulate solutions to their troubles. We further examine how the professional ideology of client centredness affects the meeting between the two parties. However, we show that, like any discourse, client centredness has no intrinsic meaning and is played out by actors in very different ways. In work with the homeless, the discourse of client centredness is related to discourses of 'neediness', 'worthiness' and 'value for money' that define agency in different ways and make three different client positions available: the resolute client, the acquiescent client and the passive client.

Evaluation and economics each have distinct approaches to valuing. These approaches are traditionally separated by disciplinary boundaries. However, they can and should be combined. Value for money (VFM), in particular, is a shared domain of the two disciplines, because it is an evaluative question about the economic problem of resource use. A theoretical and practical model for combining valuing approaches has been developed through doctoral research. This article presents and reflects on an example – an international development programme where VFM has been assessed using mixed methods (qualitative, quantitative and economic). Under this approach, evaluative reasoning provides the means for integrating economic values with other criteria and evidence. Deliberation with stakeholders strengthens the valuing process, enhancing validity, credibility and use.

Purpose This paper aims to answer the following question: Is PPP a financially viable alternative for the management of regional airports in Brazil? Design/methodology/approach The methodology is based on the case study of the innovative model of Zona da Mata Regional Airport management. It was used Value for Money as a method to compare this case with the conventional airport management alternative. Findings It was observed that, when compared to the airport management alternative through contracting third parties, the public–private partnership (PPP) provided a reduction of almost 70% of public spending on the management of this infrastructure. Besides the financial advantage, other benefits of this PPP contract were also observed. Research limitations/implications The analyses carried out in this study are not exhaustive and can be improved and remade as the life cycle of the PPP contract studied is progressed. Practical implications It was concluded, from the results found, that PPP is an efficient alternative for the management of regional airports in Brazil, and the model can be replicated for similar airports. Originality/value When analyzing the results of this innovative project of managing a regional airport through a PPP, this work made it possible to measure the positive impacts of this alternative and demonstrate the potential of the PPP as an alternative for the management of other regional airports in Brazil.

This study analysed the behavioural differences between e- and m-bookers in online hotel booking. The theoretical relationships among functionality and usability, perceived value for money and time, and satisfaction and loyalty were analysed based on the quality–satisfaction–loyalty framework. Results from a sample of 431 and 401 e- and m-bookers, respectively, affirmed the similarities and differences between the two types of bookers. Results also showed that e- and m-bookers substantially differ in their perceptions on functionality and usability performance, perceived value for money and relative importance of functionality and usability in online hotel booking. Moreover, the findings revealed the moderating effects of perceived value for money and time on the satisfaction–loyalty link among m-bookers.

The objectives of this research were: 1) to survey the level of consumers’ awareness on traditional grocery stores in Dusit District, Bangkok, based on location, service quality , risk, shopping enjoyment, value for money, shopping satisfaction and future shopping intention; 2) to survey the influences of factors including: location, service quality, risk, shopping enjoyment, value for money and shopping satisfaction on future shopping intention of the consumers of the traditional grocery stores in Dusit District, Bangkok. Quantitative and qualitative analyses are used in this research. The quantitative sample comprises of 400 consumers in Dusit District, Bangkok, to whom questionnaires were distributed. In-depth interviews were also conducted with five owners of traditional grocery stores in the same area. In analyzing data of this study, both multiple regression analysis and SPSS for windows were employed. According to the results of this research, it was found that consumers have moderate level of awareness on location, service quality, risk, shopping enjoyment, value for money, shopping satisfaction and future shopping intention. The factors including value for money, shopping enjoyment and the risk strongly influence on shopping satisfaction and the shopping satisfaction influences on the future shopping intention. This research also indicates that the factor on shopping enjoyment mostly stems from the consumers organize activities together at traditional grocery stores.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose a new procurement strategy with the aim to achieve higher value for money (VFM) in public works delivery. Its main innovation lies in the possibility of optional submission of cost-efficient design variants by any interested contractor within the context of an open procedure. The final scope of works incorporates the variants approved, and all contractors are invited to submit a bid for the revised scope and budget. Design/methodology/approach This paper is a piece of applied research presenting the development of a new, cost-effective procurement strategy for public works, geared at the European Union (EU) legal framework. The strategy’s feature compilation has been based on comprehensive literature review while numerical data from a real world project were used to demonstrate its financial advantages. Findings The proposed strategy enables the delivery of the best value project at the lowest cost possible. This is achieved through ensuring high competition among competent contractors, improving the cost efficiency of technical solutions, discouraging future scope changes and establishing objectivity, fairness and transparency in the process of contract award. Practical implications The use of the proposed strategy results in public projects of enhanced VFM, reduced constructability issues and less scope changes during the construction stage. Originality/value The proposed strategy marks a new approach in procurement which enables the delivery of best VFM in public works. Therefore, it makes a valuable contribution towards the achievement of the overarching EU target for efficient public spending.

This research investigates consumers' responses to products made of recycled ocean plastic. A quantitative study was conducted online with 258 Dutch consumers in which attitudinal and behavioural responses to products made of ocean plastic were investigated. The most important predictors of consumers' purchase intention were anticipated conscience, value for money and perceived functionality. In addition, risks of contamination negatively influenced purchase intention. For willingness-to-pay (WTP) a price premium, anticipated conscience, recognisability and perceived safety appeared to be the most important predictors. Through a cluster analysis, four different consumer groups were identified. Two consumer clusters consisting of ‘sustainability experts’ and the ‘sustainability benevolent’ (59% of our sample) demonstrated a strong interest and a willingness to pay a price premium for these products. When comparing consumers' responses in different product categories, results showed that quality expectations and purchase intention were generally lower for textile products than for durables and fast-moving consumer goods packages. This research contributes to the theoretical understanding of consumer responses to products made of recycled ocean plastic and can help companies to develop strategies to launch such products effectively.

Public‒private partnerships (PPPs) are often promoted as a means to lower the costs and increase the quality and value for money (VfM) of public construction and infrastructure projects. While the increasing capital stock of PPPs warrants evaluation of their performance there has until now been limited systematic assessment of PPP versus conventional public procurement. This article contributes to the literature by presenting the findings of a systematic review of empirical peer‐reviewed studies comparing the costs, quality, and/or VfM of infrastructure PPP projects with conventional public procurement. The international literature suggests that PPPs are on average more costly and provide approximately similar VfM as conventional procurement. The number of empirical evaluations is limited, however, and evidence on the quality of infrastructure facilities is particularly scarce. While infrastructure PPPs continue to proliferate, systematic assessment of their performance is warranted to assist policy‐makers in choosing the procurement method that offers best value for taxpayers, users and society.

Public private partnerships (PPP) procurement instruments have been very popular tools for developing projects around the world. This is largely due to their success in bringing quality, efficiency...

Background Delivering Reproductive Health Results(DRHR) programme used social franchising (SF) and social marketing (SM) approaches to increase the supply of high quality family planning services in underserved areas of Pakistan. We assessed the costs, cost-efficiency and cost-effectiveness of DRHR to understand the value for money of these approaches. Methods Financial and economic programme costs were calculated. Costs to individual users were captured in a pre-post survey. The cost per couple years of protection (CYP) and cost per new user were estimated as indicators of cost efficiency. For the cost-effectiveness analysis we estimated the cost per clinical outcome averted and the cost per disability-adjusted life year (DALY) averted. Results Approximately £20 million were spent through the DRHR programme between July 2012 and September 2015 on commodities and services representing nearly four million CYPs. Based on programme data, the cumulative cost-efficiency of the entire DRHR programme was £4.8 per CYP. DRHR activities would avert one DALY at the cost of £20. Financial access indicators generally improved in programme areas, but the magnitude of progress varies across indicators. Conclusions The SF and SM approaches adopted in DRHR appear to be cost effective relative to comparable reproductive health programmes. This paper adds to the limited evidence on the cost-effectiveness of different models of reproductive health care provision in low- and middle-income settings. Further studies are needed to nuance the understanding of the determinants of impact and value for money of SF and SM. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s41256-018-0089-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Social Impact Bonds (SIBs) have emerged in recent years as outcome‐based public‐private partnerships (PPP) for the delivery of welfare services, where the payment to the private operator is linked to the achievement of superior social impact. Since the traditional infrastructure‐based PPP approach seems to have failed to achieve higher level of efficiency and, above all, effectiveness, this paper discusses the extent to which the SIB model can represent a reference point to innovate the PPP model by introducing more focus on outcome achievement and social value generation.

This paper examines the possibilities and limitations in pursuing value for money (VfM) in public procurement. There is ambiguity about the VfM concept and the methods that public procurers should ...

Background: A wide variety of social, cultural and economic factors may influence dietary patterns. This work aims to identify the main determinants of food consumption and barriers for healthy eating at the workplace, in a university setting. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted with 533 participants. Data were obtained through the application of a self-administered questionnaire that included socio-demographic information, food consumption determinants and the main perceived barriers for healthy eating at the workplace. Results: The respondents identified “price” (22.5%), “meal quality” (20.7%), and “location/distance” (16.5%). For women, the determinant “availability of healthy food options” was more important than for men (p &lt, 0.001). The food consumption determinants at the workplace most referred to by respondents were related to the nutritional value. Smell, taste, appearance and texture, and good value for money, were also considered important for choosing food at the workplace. Respondents referred to work commitments and lack of time as the main barriers for healthy eating at the workplace. Conclusions: Identification of determinants involved in food consumption, and the barriers for healthy eating, may contribute to a better definition of health promotion initiatives at the workplace aiming to improve nutritional intake.

Background and importance High patient safety is a top priority in healthcare systems worldwide To secure high patient safety, previous research have focused on different medication concepts (eg, automatic medication dispensing, nurse led medication dispensing or self-administration by patients) However, resources are scarce and decision makers want the most 'value for money' Therefore, hospital managers investigated the patient safety of medication dispensing performed by pharmaconomists (pharmacy technician with a 3 year degree (180 European credit transfer system points)) compared with nurses Aim and objectives To evaluate patient safety of ward level medication dispensing performed by pharmaconomists compared with nurse led medication dispensing Material and methods Medication dispensing by pharmaconomists was implemented at seven hospital wards in January 2020 The study was designed as a before and after study The proportion of ward level dispensing errors was collected through disguised observation of nurses and pharmaconomists in the medicine room before and after implementation of pharmaconomist led medication dispensing Before data (control group) stem from a PhD study (by the main author) at the same hospital These data were collected in 2017-2018 by observing 37 nurses in one ward After data (intervention group) were collected in March and June 2020 After data were collected in seven wards, to increase the number of pharmaconomists observed (9 instead of only 1) and thus increase generalisability The collection of after data was performed over two periods due to COVID-19 restrictions at the hospital A dispensing error was defined as a deviation between the prescription and the dispensed medication (eg, wrong dose) Opportunity for errors (OEs) was defined as any medication dispensed and any medication prescribed but not dispensed Dispensing error proportion=(dispensing errors/OEs) × 100% Results In the control group (before data), 1028 OEs were observed, covering 120 patients In the intervention group (after data), 1036 OEs were observed, covering 122 patients The dispensing error proportion was 2 2% (95% CI 1 4 to 3 3%) in the intervention group (23 errors) compared with 12 8% (95% CI 10 9 to 15 0) in the control group (132 errors) The difference between groups was statistically significant (p=0 00) Conclusion and relevance As pharmaconomists made fewer dispensing errors compared with nurse led medication dispensing, the results indicate high patient safety when medication is dispensed by pharmaconomists Medication dispensing by pharmaconomists may therefore be a safe alternative to nurse led medication dispensing

Valuable lessons can be learned from any crisis, whether well-managed or not. Cape Town endeavoured to ensure that mistakes would not be repeated by encapsulating necessary changes into both structure and policy, and, most importantly, through the development and adoption of a holistic water strategy. We acknowledge our continued reliance on rainfed dams, while we diversify water supply sources and increase assurance of supply. Amplified in times of crisis, trust and respect play critical roles in how information is received. Data has to be accurate, credible and timeous, and presented in a format that can be widely understood for effective communication. With limited resources at hand, good governance can ensure value for money, and that benefits are maximised. But restrictive interpretation of legislation and policy can also stymie development. A balance needs to be struck. Valuing water appropriately requires a changed relationship with the environment, holistically considering our individual water footprints. The technical lessons, to improve resilience to future droughts, have been encapsulated in the comprehensive and integrated strategy, Our shared water future: Cape Town’s water strategy. The strategy is built on five pillars, encompassing the relationships between water, people, the economy, and the environment.

China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a mechanism through which countries can upgrade connectivity-related infrastructure, including through cross-border projects, complementing traditional sources of finance. An overarching goal of the BRI is to reduce trade costs between China and partner countries, in part by helping to integrate regional markets. The large-scale borrowing associated with BRI projects has given rise to potential debt servicing and sustainability concerns. The rate of return of BRI regional infrastructure projects depends in part on the integrity of public procurement processes and realizing value-for-money objectives. To date BRI projects financed by Chinese institutions have been largely awarded to Chinese companies. Enhancing transparency of BRI procurement processes and international cooperation among countries participating in the BRI would help achieve value for money goals and support the integration of BRI countries.

Background England's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the US' Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) both conduct cost-effectiveness evaluations for new cancer drugs to help payers make drug coverage decisions. However, NICE and ICER assessments have been noted to reach different conclusions. We aim to better understand the degree to which their recommendations diverge and what drives these apparent differences. Methods We compared the methods and results of publicly available cost-effectiveness evaluations performed by ICER and NICE of similarly assessed cancer drugs. Assessments were compared based on incremental cost-effectiveness ratio, comparator treatment, price, recommendation, and the design of the economic evaluation. Findings Among 11 commonly assessed cancer drugs, ICER and NICE were in concordance for 7 evaluations and in discordance on the cost-effectiveness and coverage decisions for 4 drugs. Most new cancer drugs were not cost-effective in either the US (7/11) or England (7/11). Furthermore, NICE's capacity to negotiate price discounts and access schemes result in much lower cost per QALY valuations and more favourable recommendations than those of ICER for similarly assessed cancer drugs. Interpretations NICE and ICER employ similar health technology assessment (HTA) methodologies and were aligned with most recommendations, finding that many new and expensive cancer drugs are cost ineffective. Growing use of ICER assessments will continue to send stronger price signals to manufacturers that cancer drugs with low value for money will be viewed less favourably by private insurers. NICE provides an important reminder of how much lower other countries pay for drugs when comparative effectiveness and value-based pricing are integrated into public drug coverage decisions.

Introduction: Icosapent ethyl is currently the only drug approved for the prevention of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with hypertriglyceridemia, who are already on statin therapy. The approved use is both for secondary prevention in patients with established cardiovascular disease (CVD) or primary prevention for patients with diabetes and multiple risk factors. Despite its’ proven clinical benefits, the addition of icosapent ethyl to patient’s current treatment regimens may impose a significant cost burden on healthcare systems. Hypothesis: Prioritizing icosapent ethyl therapy for patients with an established CVD may provide significantly more value for money than when prescribed as primary prevention. Methods: We performed an analysis of the cost required for icosapent ethyl per achieved outcome when prescribed either for primary or for secondary prevention of MACE. The cost needed to treat (CNT) to prevent one MACE in the REDUCE-IT trial was estimated by multiplying the annualized number needed to treat to prevent one event, by the annual cost of therapy. The market price of icosapent ethyl in the US was estimated as 75% of the US national average drug acquisition cost listing. Results: In the REDUCE-IT population, the figured CNT of Icosapent ethyl provided as primary prevention was $874,500 (95% CI: $349,800-∞) vs. $206,965 (95% CI: $160,325-$294,415) for secondary prevention; P Conclusions: The CNT for patients receiving the drug for primary prevention of MACE was four-fold higher than when provided as secondary prevention. Our findings suggest that icosapent ethyl therapy for patients with an established CVD provides significantly more value for money.

With the on-going marketisation of Higher Education, universities need to evolve and respond to the highly fluid landscape of funding, opportunity and demand. In particular, there are concerns regarding the value for money of a university education. In response to this, Higher Education systems across the world are considering how to evaluate the perceived learning of students. However, there is currently no agreed method for evaluating the actual Learning Gain achieved by any particular student or course. This paper details why attention should be given to how we assess student Learning Gain, and in a world of students being treated as consumers, it theorises that understanding how students perceive their own learning has become of great importance. The paper discusses a new and alternative model that can be used for evaluating such student perceptions. The model itself considers both the Distance Travelled (explicit knowledge) and the Journey Travelled (tacit understanding) reported by students. The model employs a self-certified reflective survey method. A study, using a cohort of level six (final year) undergraduate dissertation students is undertaken to evaluate the use of the model. The primary results obtained from this study provide an interesting perspective on student learning, which has significant implications for our understanding of how we teach, and also of how students think that they learn.

Grocery retailers have begun to target price conscious consumers with a new type of budget brand, called discount venture brands. These brands are exclusive to the retailer but, unlike traditional private-label brands, do not display retailer branding at all. Sharing the same price point as economy private-label brands, the aim of discount venture brands is to attract customers with an overall look-and-feel that is not explicitly premium, yet is more attractive than that of conventional budget brands. Drawing on the self-congruity literature, the authors explore two questions: (1) whether customers perceive discount venture brands to offer greater value-for-money than conventional budget brands; and (2) whether such perceptions translate to customer impressions about the retailer brand? Results from a scenario-based experiment involving 505 participants suggest that, in comparison with conventional budget brands, discount venture brands may be less conducive to engendering favorable value-for-money perceptions; in short, discount venture brands may be less effective than conventional budget brands. This finding can be explained with a concept called self-congruity. Overall, we show that self-congruity acts as an indirect-only mediator of the path between the type of a brand and value-for-money perceptions of the brand. Particular findings are that self-congruity has a positive effect on value-for-money perceptions associated with conventional budget brands, discount venture brands, and the retailers selling those brands. However, for consumers with a preference for brands with a budget price point, self-congruity appears to be higher for conventional budget brands than discount venture brands; and this difference in self-congruity is more pronounced when shopping for others than when shopping for oneself.

Maintaining good ratings increases the profits of sellers on online platforms. We analyze the role of strategic pricing for ratings management in a setting where a monopolist sells a good of unknown quality. Higher prices reduce the value for money, which on average worsens reviews. However, higher prices also induce only those consumers with a strong taste for the product to purchase, which on average improves reviews. Our model flexibly parametrizes the two effects. This parametrization can rationalize the observed heterogeneity in the relationship between reviews and prices. Based on an analytic characterization of the optimal dynamic pricing strategy, we study a platform’s choice of the sensitivity of its rating system to incoming reviews. The optimal sensitivity depends on the effect of prices on reviews and on how the platform weighs consumers and sellers in its objective. Although sellers always benefit from more sensitivity, consumers may suffer from higher prices and from slower learning from reviews due to endogenously emerging price and rating cycles. This paper was accepted by Kartik Hosanagar, information systems. Funding: This work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft [CRC TR 224, Project C3]. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2023.4771 .

This paper examines the underlying factors behind contractor selection in Ghana in terms of policy and practice. The paper relied on quantitative data with 199 respondents of consultants and clients of construction projects. Using factor analysis, five (5) factors emerged; managerial capabilities, quality standards, resource availability, duration, project cost and location as the most influential factors. The paper concludes that through the classification and/or reclassification of selection factors, practitioners and professionals would find it easier in using these factors to make very informed decisions in contractor selection for future projects and also help client achieve both economic and social value for money. Keywords : contractor selection, cost, Ghana, social value DOI: 10.7176/CER/12-7-07 Publication date: July 31 st 2020

This paper is focusing on the use of Importance-Performance (IP) Analysis to measure the destination's perfor­mance in offering tourism products. IP method is often used in research due to its simplicity, ease of use and usefulness in aiding decision-making processes. IP is also promising since it examines both expectations i.e. the importance of each attribute, and the performance of the attributes in fulfilling the expectation. Thus it aids tourism providers in determining what attributes are most important to tourists so that the attractiveness of the attributes can be improved. Using the data from the researcher's study on positioning in Kedah, a further analysis was carried out to determine Kedah's attractiveness in the eyes of its international market. Results of the IP analysis showed distinct difference in perception among clusters. For practical use of information gener­ated by the analysis, it was suggested that information on the two biggest clusters i.e. Cluster 2 and Cluster 3 be used to improve Kedah's tourism. The information revealed that according to Cluster 2, Kedah has to improve on attributes such as comfort at place of accommodation, friendliness of local people, services in. restaurants at place of accommodation, clean beaches, services in restaurants outside places of accommodation, standard of catering at restaurants outside places of accommodation, tourist information centre/booth, shopping facilities, local traffic, standard of catering at places of accommodation, isolated beaches, entertainment facilities, acces­sibility/transport and night life. For Cluster 3, we need to concentrate on improving attributes including beau­tiful scenery, comfort at place of accommodation, clean beaches, value for money, climate and weather; lack of crowdedness, services in restaurants at places of accommodation, standard of catering outside places of ac­commodation, services in restaurants outside places of accommodation, shopping facilities, tourists informa­tion centre, accessibility/transport and local traffic. The research recommended the need for Kedah's tourism planners and providers to pay attention to these attributes in planning and providing tourism offerings.

This chapter reviews a number of themes that have played a crucial role in the debate on alternative contracting regimes for the provision of urban bus services. We have selected four crucial issues to reflect on: (i) contractual regimes (in particular competitive tendering as compared to negotiated performance based contracts, as means to award the rights to provide service); (ii) contract completeness (focussing on ex ante and ex post elements); (iii) building trust through partnership; and (iv) tactical or system level planning for bus services. Experience in these areas suggests that competitive tendering has frequently not lived up to expectations and that negotiation is likely in many circumstances to deliver better value for money.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to determine the barriers to the adoption of value management (VM) in the construction industry of developing countries with a view to providing possible measures in avoiding these barriers and increasing the usage of the system within the construction industry. Design/methodology/approach The level of knowledge and adoption of VM practices, as well as the barriers to its adoption in the construction industry were assessed through a survey design. Construction professionals were sampled from the six geo-political zones in Nigeria through the use of a structured questionnaire. Factor analysis was conducted on data gathered on the barriers of VM. Findings The study revealed a moderate level of knowledge of VM among construction professionals. This implies that the problem of VM is not that of awareness, but readiness to adopt the system. The study also reveals that the barriers to the adoption of VM can be categorised under the general stakeholder’s barriers, training and education barriers, client barriers and government/top management barriers. Practical implications This study was conducted across the six geo-political zones of the country as against common practice of selecting a particular region or states to represent the entire country. The findings therefore show a true reflection of the barriers to VM adoption in the country and its recommendations can to a large extent promote the adoption of VM in the country and also other developing countries where construction projects are executed through similar method, style and approach. Originality/value This paper highlights the possible barriers to the adoption of VM in Nigeria construction industry and provides ways to avoiding these barriers in order to achieve better quality construction and value for money.

The CAP, despite strong criticisms from various expert cycles, enabled and still allows the development of European agriculture and rural areas. The current discussion about the CAP’s new architecture after 2020 stimulates a review of different positions and formulation of new views. For years, one of the key postulates has been better CAP targeting and a higher value for money. The objective of this publication is to present key developments that took place during this debate in the view of global political, economic, environmental and technological conditions. The authors formulated the following hypothesis: the coming CAP reform will bring about a fundamental change of the policy implementation model but the new CAP will not contribute to a stronger and measurable result-based orientation. The political consensus of supporting small farms will be continued at the expense of limiting support to the large farm operators. The main method used is online research, review of literature, and various analysis and documents. / Synopsis. WPR UE, pomimo stalej, czesto ostrej, krytyki roznych środowisk, umozliwiala i nadal wspiera rozwoj europejskiego rolnictwa i obszarow wiejskich. Aktualnie trwająca dyskusja nad jej ksztaltem po 2020 roku sklania do dokonania przeglądu stanowisk i wyrazenia wlasnych poglądow. W trwającej dyskusji od lat podnoszony jest pogląd o konieczności lepszego ukierunkowania WPR na skonkretyzowane cele dla uzyskania wyzszej efektywności funduszy publicznych. Glownym celem opracowania jest dokonanie przeglądu wazniejszych wydarzen, jakie mialy miejsce w trakcie zainicjowanej w 2016 r. przez Komisje Europejską debaty, w tym sfinalizowanych konsultacji spolecznych, na tle globalnych uwarunkowan politycznych, ekonomicznych, środowiskowych i technologicznych. Autorzy formulują hipoteze w nastepującym brzmieniu: Najblizsza reforma WPR choc przyniesie fundamentalne zmiany modelu wdrazania WPR, to jednak nie zapewni to jej znacznie silniejszego niz obecnie ukierunkowania na osiąganie zdefiniowanych i mierzalnych celow. Polityczny konsensus dotyczący wzmocnienia wsparcia na rzecz drobnych gospodarstw rolnych bedzie kontynuowany kosztem ograniczenia wsparcia dla duzych operatorow. Oznacza to, ze legitymizacja realizowanej polityki opierac sie bedzie glownie na spolecznych i środowiskowych jej aspektach. Glowną metodą badawczą jest przegląd i analiza obszernej literatury przedmiotu oraz dokumentow, analiz i ekspertyz.