Garrett, C C (1991) Roadway infrastructure management and investment behavior studies for developing countries: A multicriteria approach to road improvement decision-making. PhD thesis, Ohio State University, USA.
Abstract
The application of inappropriate analytical technology to road maintenance management has resulted in discouraging outcomes of road improvement programs for developing countries. In Guyana two of the major problems encountered are: (1) The inability of the road administration to sustain improved analytical technology such as computerized pavement management systems with automated inspection techniques etc. (2) The proposed annual road-works program and budget of the road administration does not match the fiscal program and expenditure approved by the central government. This study presents a systemization of maintenance functions for Guyana's network by creating improved techniques for use under local conditions. These functions included condition evaluation, performance prediction, improvement needs analysis, and project evaluation. Expert knowledge was used to reconstruct plausible condition data, from which performance curves were developed to predict condition states. From this, the proposed annual road-works budgets were derived. Project evaluation and selection were tailored to address the incompatibility between the proposed and approved budgets. The factors which influence road improvement investment by the central government were investigated. These factors include: resource use, community, politics, and agency constraints. Regression analysis, used to establish the significant factors, supported the hypothesis that economic, social, and organizational factors were influential, but political factors were not statistically significant. The regression equation expressed the actual (as executed) road-work budget as a function of the road administration's proposed budget and influential factors. A relative weight was derived for each significant factor which reflected the extent to which it influenced the actual budget. Using these factors and their relative weights, a multicriteria technique was applied to rank improvement alternatives. Finally a method of project selection was proposed which optimized the rank order, subject to the budget constraint. The overall road improvement evaluation methodology presented is sustainable by the road administration of Guyana and the proposed maintenance programs and budgets are anticipated to be more acceptable to the budget committee than in the past.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Thesis advisor: | Nemeth, Z A |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | pavement; developing countries; government; infrastructure management; inspection; investment; maintenance management; organizational factors; politics; project evaluation; regression analysis; Guyana |
| Index terms: | Guyana, maintenance management, organizational factor, infrastructure management, performance prediction, inspection, budget constraint, politics, political factor, project selection, regression analysis, project evaluation, developing country, management system, program, decision-making, methodology, influential factor, needs analysis, agency |
| Subjects: | financial and cost management, risk assessment, business, scope management, value management, sociology, decision analysis, quality assurance, statistical analysis, political science, management, research methods, maintenance engineering, software systems, performance management, Geography, development economics, infrastructure engineering |
| Topics: | Digital Applications, International Construction, Quality Management, Organizational Design, Cost Management, Business Strategy, Engineering Principles, Geographical Context, Project Management, Research Practice, Risk Management, Governance |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here