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Rui Cunha Marques is a Full Professor of the Scientific Area of Systems and Management of Infrastructures at the Department of Civil Engineering, Architecture, and Geo-resources at the IST-UL. His areas of expertise include regulation of public services, performance assessment, project management, procurement, particularly public–private partnerships, and infrastructure services.
Over the years, the Portuguese National Health Service has undergone several reforms to face the challenges posed by internal and external factors on the access to and quality of its health services. One of its most recent reforms addressed the primary healthcare sector, where understanding the incentives behind the actors of the inherent institutional interventions and how they are aligned with the governing health policies is paramount for reformative success. With the purpose of acknowledging the alignment of the primary healthcare sector’s institutional interventions from an incentive-based perspective, we propose a framework resting on a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis, which was built in cooperation with a panel of decision-making actors from the Portuguese Ministry of Health. In the end, we derive possible policy implications and strategies. This holistic approach highlighted the positive impact of the primary healthcare reform in the upgrade of physical resources and human capital but stressed the geosocial asymmetries and the lack of intra- and inter-sectorial coordination. The proposed framework serves also as a guideline for future primary healthcare reforms, both national- and internationally.
Miguel Pereira; Rui Marques; Diogo Ferreira. An Incentive-Based Framework for Analyzing the Alignment of Institutional Interventions in the Public Primary Healthcare Sector: The Portuguese Case. Healthcare 2021, 9, 904 .
AMA StyleMiguel Pereira, Rui Marques, Diogo Ferreira. An Incentive-Based Framework for Analyzing the Alignment of Institutional Interventions in the Public Primary Healthcare Sector: The Portuguese Case. Healthcare. 2021; 9 (7):904.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMiguel Pereira; Rui Marques; Diogo Ferreira. 2021. "An Incentive-Based Framework for Analyzing the Alignment of Institutional Interventions in the Public Primary Healthcare Sector: The Portuguese Case." Healthcare 9, no. 7: 904.
Many studies have stated the results of interventions presented in refugee camps to improve the quality of refugees’ lives and reduce their suffering. However, there has been no formal systematic review and meta-analysis comparing the evidence of the relative effectiveness of these interventions along with sustainability and the current 2030 Agenda. We developed a comprehensive search strategy designed to identify all peer-reviewed articles that presented interventions related to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a refugee camp setting. We examined only articles with a specific focus on development goals. We screened the titles and, where necessary, the abstracts of 1108 publications. Seventy-two studies were judged to contain relevant evidence and were reviewed in detail. Data were extracted from these studies and pooled by meta-analysis to provide summary estimates of the effectiveness of existing procedures. Health and education sectors were the most frequently discussed SDGs. Results and recommendations from included studies were categorized into seven sectors: planning, development, and shelters; health and well-being; education; water and sanitation; energy; work and economic growth; and others. In order to improve the quality of life of refugees and internally displaced persons living in camps, more research that addresses both SDGs and camp planning and management is needed. This study is the first review found in the literature to report on sustainability in refugee camps.
Mai Wardeh; Rui Marques. Sustainability in Refugee Camps: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sustainability 2021, 13, 7686 .
AMA StyleMai Wardeh, Rui Marques. Sustainability in Refugee Camps: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (14):7686.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMai Wardeh; Rui Marques. 2021. "Sustainability in Refugee Camps: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis." Sustainability 13, no. 14: 7686.
The Portuguese National Health Service (SNS) was created to provide universal, equal, and tendentiously free care. There are different levels of care (primary, secondary, continued, and palliative) and all of them should deliver quality care services. Quality in healthcare is assessed according to several criteria, such as patient safety, care appropriateness or access. However, over the last years political and economic events have had an impact on the SNS. Hence, structural reforms have occurred, and new healthcare policies have been implemented, mostly focused on improving efficiency and reducing costs. It associated to divestment can increment barriers to access, compromise infrastructures and equipment, and, above all, the service’s quality. This work aims to assess quality of the Portuguese public hospitals (secondary care providers) in this line. To this aim, we adopt a multiple criteria decision aiding approach, applying the Electre Tri-nC method to build a decision model with intervention of an expert, who acts as the decision maker. Hospitals are assessed and assigned to predefined categories, taking into account the hospitals’ performances on various criteria. Each criterion is characterized by different subcriteria, resulting in a complex criteria tree. Thus, to construct a multidimensional scale for each criterion, we propose an innovative approach using an Electre Tri-based method. The results are analyzed and the robustness of the model is tested. This work’s findings may have potential application to healthcare policy and hospital funding in the SNS, in which financial sustainability is a permanent challenge.
António Rocha; Ana Sara Costa; José Rui Figueira; Diogo Cunha Ferreira; Rui Cunha Marques. Quality assessment of the Portuguese public hospitals: A multiple criteria approach. Omega 2021, 105, 102505 .
AMA StyleAntónio Rocha, Ana Sara Costa, José Rui Figueira, Diogo Cunha Ferreira, Rui Cunha Marques. Quality assessment of the Portuguese public hospitals: A multiple criteria approach. Omega. 2021; 105 ():102505.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAntónio Rocha; Ana Sara Costa; José Rui Figueira; Diogo Cunha Ferreira; Rui Cunha Marques. 2021. "Quality assessment of the Portuguese public hospitals: A multiple criteria approach." Omega 105, no. : 102505.
Since 2014, the Portuguese bus market has been experiencing substantial competition and regulatory environment changes. Nevertheless, further improvements in governance and particularly transparency are still needed. This paper intends to explore how the health and water sectors currently apply sunshine regulation to promote healthy competition and improve service quality and how good practices can be replicated into the Portuguese bus sector. We explore the strategies and tools used by the regulators from these two sectors and propose a simplified template to integrate sunshine regulation in public bus operations. The first steps for applying sunshine regulation were taken by recently enacted laws and regulations that impose the need to monitor contracts using performance indicators or other metrics. With this paper, we intend to take a further step suggesting a framework that uses these performance metrics to increase transparency and accountability in the sector.
Gabriel de Carvalho; Rui Marques. What Can Urban Buses Learn about Sunshine Regulation Adopted in Other Sectors? Sustainability 2021, 13, 6694 .
AMA StyleGabriel de Carvalho, Rui Marques. What Can Urban Buses Learn about Sunshine Regulation Adopted in Other Sectors? Sustainability. 2021; 13 (12):6694.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGabriel de Carvalho; Rui Marques. 2021. "What Can Urban Buses Learn about Sunshine Regulation Adopted in Other Sectors?" Sustainability 13, no. 12: 6694.
In contrast to conventional data envelopment analysis (DEA), where a system is considered as a ”black-box”, network DEA acknowledges its internal structure to generate more enlightening results. It goes without saying that putting network DEA in practice is natural- and progressively rarer as the complexity of a system’s structure increases. In particular, its employment in healthcare is no exception. Thus, we designed a slacks-based model to measure the efficiency of the Portuguese secondary healthcare providers bearing in mind their internal services. However, the absence of data regarding the connections between those services called for the additional use of a simulation method – the well-known Monte Carlo method –, modelled with the judgements of a decision-maker. This unprecedented application of static systems with a matrix-type structure found that two-thirds of those providers were inefficient and allowed the identification of target areas for future policy reforms in the Portuguese National Health Service.
Miguel Alves Pereira; Diogo Cunha Ferreira; José Rui Figueira; Rui Cunha Marques. Measuring the efficiency of the Portuguese public hospitals: A value modelled network data envelopment analysis with simulation. Expert Systems with Applications 2021, 181, 115169 .
AMA StyleMiguel Alves Pereira, Diogo Cunha Ferreira, José Rui Figueira, Rui Cunha Marques. Measuring the efficiency of the Portuguese public hospitals: A value modelled network data envelopment analysis with simulation. Expert Systems with Applications. 2021; 181 ():115169.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMiguel Alves Pereira; Diogo Cunha Ferreira; José Rui Figueira; Rui Cunha Marques. 2021. "Measuring the efficiency of the Portuguese public hospitals: A value modelled network data envelopment analysis with simulation." Expert Systems with Applications 181, no. : 115169.
Despite the efforts of various governments and the different reforms in the water sector related to water and sanitation services (WSS), Brazil continues to experience significant difficulties in achieving universal access, having a long way to go to reach this goal. This article discusses the barriers to WSS universal access in Brazil. By analyzing policies, institutions, and regulation (PIR) and the associated enabling environment, we assert that the leading cause of failure is isomorphic mimicry. We further suggest that only with a better alignment of PIR can adequate incentives be provided for universal and sustainable WSS.
Daniel Antonio Narzetti; Rui Cunha Marques. Isomorphic mimicry and the effectiveness of water-sector reforms in Brazil. Utilities Policy 2021, 70, 101217 .
AMA StyleDaniel Antonio Narzetti, Rui Cunha Marques. Isomorphic mimicry and the effectiveness of water-sector reforms in Brazil. Utilities Policy. 2021; 70 ():101217.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDaniel Antonio Narzetti; Rui Cunha Marques. 2021. "Isomorphic mimicry and the effectiveness of water-sector reforms in Brazil." Utilities Policy 70, no. : 101217.
Access to water and sanitation services (WSSs) in low- or middle-income countries is constrained by the poverty and vulnerability conditions of the population. In this context, it is urgent to establish public policies for WSSs that will increase the economic access to these services so that they will be more comprehensive and comprise the entire population, ensuring a balance between social and financial objectives. This paper contributes to a better understanding of the provision of WSSs in vulnerable areas and of the difficulty in achieving universal access using Brazil as a case study. The role of regulation in the provision of WSSs in vulnerable areas and the impact of the recent institutional reform that took place last year in that country is discussed. The different experiences analyzed provide interesting lessons that contribute to the improvement of the Brazilian status quo and that, at the same time, can be good practices that can be applied in other countries. One of the main conclusions of this research is related to the contributions that regulation should provide in the universalization of WSSs, mainly when the provision of these services is ruled by a contract. Furthermore, we observed that public authorities have resigned their role in this scope and that they must be more effective and, particularly, more proactive so that universalization can be achieved.
Daniel Narzetti; Rui Marques. Access to Water and Sanitation Services in Brazilian Vulnerable Areas: The Role of Regulation and Recent Institutional Reform. Water 2021, 13, 787 .
AMA StyleDaniel Narzetti, Rui Marques. Access to Water and Sanitation Services in Brazilian Vulnerable Areas: The Role of Regulation and Recent Institutional Reform. Water. 2021; 13 (6):787.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDaniel Narzetti; Rui Marques. 2021. "Access to Water and Sanitation Services in Brazilian Vulnerable Areas: The Role of Regulation and Recent Institutional Reform." Water 13, no. 6: 787.
Investment in sanitation and drinking water infrastructure is essential for universal access to these services in developing countries. Universal coverage of water and sanitation services (WSS) can prevent the dissemination of waterborne diseases and mitigate their adverse effects. These diseases are responsible for many deaths worldwide, especially among the disadvantaged population and children. A causal effect can be established between WSS investment and hospital admissions due to waterborne diseases. Therefore, we considered an innovative network-DEA approach that models the link between serially connected subsystems (upstream investment and downstream hospitalizations). This approach allowed us: to measure the efficiency of both subsystems; estimate the amount of (efficient) investment necessary to universalize the access to proper WSS infrastructure; and mitigate hospital admissions due to waterborne diseases. We used the Brazil case study to test our model. On average, Brazilian states could increase the number of people not requiring hospitalizations due to waterborne diseases by 157 thousand per R$100 million invested in sanitation and 26 thousand per R$100 million invested in drinking water. Our results suggest that relatively small (efficient) investment in those two infrastructure types has a massive impact on hospitalizations. This impact would be more significant than the investment in WSS coverage. Therefore, if safely managed, WSS would cover all citizens, and Brazil would come closer to developed countries.
Diogo Cunha Ferreira; Ingrid Graziele; Rui Cunha Marques; Jorge Gonçalves. Investment in drinking water and sanitation infrastructure and its impact on waterborne diseases dissemination: The Brazilian case. Science of The Total Environment 2021, 779, 146279 .
AMA StyleDiogo Cunha Ferreira, Ingrid Graziele, Rui Cunha Marques, Jorge Gonçalves. Investment in drinking water and sanitation infrastructure and its impact on waterborne diseases dissemination: The Brazilian case. Science of The Total Environment. 2021; 779 ():146279.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDiogo Cunha Ferreira; Ingrid Graziele; Rui Cunha Marques; Jorge Gonçalves. 2021. "Investment in drinking water and sanitation infrastructure and its impact on waterborne diseases dissemination: The Brazilian case." Science of The Total Environment 779, no. : 146279.
To assess customer satisfaction determinants in a public pediatric inpatient service and propose some strategies to enhance the consumer and customer experience. We applied a Multiple Criteria Customer Satisfaction Analysis to estimate the value functions associated with each satisfaction (sub)criterion and determine the corresponding weights. We characterized satisfaction criteria (according to the Kano's model), estimated the customers' demanding nature and the potential improvements, and proposed strategic priorities and opportunities to enhance customer satisfaction. Strategies for satisfaction enhancement do not depend solely on the criteria with the lowest satisfaction levels and the estimated weights, each criterion's nature, the customers' demanding nature, and the technical margin for improvements. Areas deserving attention include clinical staff's communication skills, the non-clinical professionals' efficiency, availability, and kindness; food quality; visits' scheduling and quantity; and facilities' comfort.
Diogo Cunha Ferreira; Rui Cunha Marques; Alexandre Morais Nunes; José Rui Figueira. Customers satisfaction in pediatric inpatient services: A multiple criteria satisfaction analysis. Socio-Economic Planning Sciences 2021, 101036 .
AMA StyleDiogo Cunha Ferreira, Rui Cunha Marques, Alexandre Morais Nunes, José Rui Figueira. Customers satisfaction in pediatric inpatient services: A multiple criteria satisfaction analysis. Socio-Economic Planning Sciences. 2021; ():101036.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDiogo Cunha Ferreira; Rui Cunha Marques; Alexandre Morais Nunes; José Rui Figueira. 2021. "Customers satisfaction in pediatric inpatient services: A multiple criteria satisfaction analysis." Socio-Economic Planning Sciences , no. : 101036.
Public-private partnerships (PPPs) offer possible solutions for governments seeking to achieve better value for money and fund the investments needed to provide infrastructure and manage public services. Water-sector projects demand extensive, up-front and sunk investments, and inefficiency levels are often significant. This study conducted a systematic review of previous research on water sector PPP projects. The research design is innovative in that it relied on a hybrid methodology combining systematic quantitative, semantic network and narrative analyses. The literature review protocol applied found 122 relevant studies published in top journals. Five key topics within water-related PPP studies were identified: risk management, PPP contractual arrangements, financing and tariffs, infrastructure, and governance. The most important topic is risk management, within which individual scholars’ contributions were tracked. However, a consensus has not been reached about the best risk matrix for improving PPP contracts in the water sector.
Sónia Lima; Ana Brochado; Rui Cunha Marques. Public-private partnerships in the water sector: A review. Utilities Policy 2021, 69, 101182 .
AMA StyleSónia Lima, Ana Brochado, Rui Cunha Marques. Public-private partnerships in the water sector: A review. Utilities Policy. 2021; 69 ():101182.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSónia Lima; Ana Brochado; Rui Cunha Marques. 2021. "Public-private partnerships in the water sector: A review." Utilities Policy 69, no. : 101182.
To ensure the sustainable development of the water and wastewater (WSS) sectors, new and more investments are needed. However, private financing in these sectors has not been successfully leveraged. This study conducted a systematic literature review of peer-reviewed papers in this field, to provide an overview of how researchers have been studying the financing endeavors of the WSS sectors. A three-part framework was carried out: retrieval of papers from search engines (Scopus and ASCE Library), focused on the title, abstract, and keywords; process of elimination of papers; and analysis of the selected papers based on the hybrid method combining a systematic quantitative review, a semantic network analysis, and a narrative analysis. This research resulted in the identification of four most studied areas: sustainable development; water management and public finance; project financing; and public policy. Future research should focus on existing financing instruments and how these can specifically be applied in the WSS sectors successfully. This paper makes several contributions to the literature because it addresses and emphasizes the most important financing issues in WSS, reviews the insights found, and discusses the future research needs. In addition, it demonstrates the benefits of using a hybrid methodology that could be adopted in other literature review studies.
Inês Machete; Rui Marques. Financing the Water and Sanitation Sectors: A Hybrid Literature Review. Infrastructures 2021, 6, 9 .
AMA StyleInês Machete, Rui Marques. Financing the Water and Sanitation Sectors: A Hybrid Literature Review. Infrastructures. 2021; 6 (1):9.
Chicago/Turabian StyleInês Machete; Rui Marques. 2021. "Financing the Water and Sanitation Sectors: A Hybrid Literature Review." Infrastructures 6, no. 1: 9.
Different mechanisms have been adopted by developed and developing countries over the last decades to provide urban bus services. Although competitive tendering has been considered the standard method to procure urban bus services, it cannot be treated as a ready-made solution. Contracts are incomplete by nature and, after the tender, to avoid ex-post opportunism they must be properly monitored. Additionally, developing countries, in general, have weak regulatory bodies and limited capacity to oversee public contracts. This paper aims to review the literature to gather actions that can increase the competition in public tenders and improve service quality during the life of the contract in developing countries.
Gabriel Stumpf Duarte De Carvalho; Rui Cunha Marques. Strategies to Foster Competition for the Market in the Urban Bus Sector in Developing Countries. Infrastructures 2020, 5, 115 .
AMA StyleGabriel Stumpf Duarte De Carvalho, Rui Cunha Marques. Strategies to Foster Competition for the Market in the Urban Bus Sector in Developing Countries. Infrastructures. 2020; 5 (12):115.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGabriel Stumpf Duarte De Carvalho; Rui Cunha Marques. 2020. "Strategies to Foster Competition for the Market in the Urban Bus Sector in Developing Countries." Infrastructures 5, no. 12: 115.
An important empirical question centres on whether intermunicipal co-operation between local governments can reduce service provision costs and increase revenue. This paper reports on an investigation into the impact of intermunicipal co-operation on waste collection and treatment in the institutional context of southeast Brazilian local government. Intermunicipal co-operation resulted in local governments improving their negotiation and monitoring skills, increasing their revenue-generating service area and enhancing their financial sustainability.
Hugo Consciência Silvestre; Rui Cunha Marques; Brian Dollery; Ginésio Justino Gomes De Sá. Outsourcing through intermunicipal co-operation: Waste collection and treatment services in Brazil. Public Money & Management 2020, 1 -11.
AMA StyleHugo Consciência Silvestre, Rui Cunha Marques, Brian Dollery, Ginésio Justino Gomes De Sá. Outsourcing through intermunicipal co-operation: Waste collection and treatment services in Brazil. Public Money & Management. 2020; ():1-11.
Chicago/Turabian StyleHugo Consciência Silvestre; Rui Cunha Marques; Brian Dollery; Ginésio Justino Gomes De Sá. 2020. "Outsourcing through intermunicipal co-operation: Waste collection and treatment services in Brazil." Public Money & Management , no. : 1-11.
The pre‐conceived idea that contracts in a public–private partnership (PPP) regime, in healthcare or in any other economic sector, are, as a rule, ruinous and appealing for only a share of the stakeholders, lacks a solid basis that confirms it. This idea, outset and nurtured by the media, has been instigating the distrust of the users who, in turn, demand a more rigorous and efficient utilisation of public resources. Being Portugal in the top of countries that resort to PPPs, it is urgent to inquire if its respective contracts originated an inefficient and ineffective management of resources. It is precisely this discussion that we address in this paper, focusing our efforts in the Portuguese healthcare sector.
Miguel A. Pereira; Diogo C. Ferreira; Rui C. Marques. A critical look at the Portuguese public–private partnerships in healthcare. The International Journal of Health Planning and Management 2020, 36, 302 -315.
AMA StyleMiguel A. Pereira, Diogo C. Ferreira, Rui C. Marques. A critical look at the Portuguese public–private partnerships in healthcare. The International Journal of Health Planning and Management. 2020; 36 (2):302-315.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMiguel A. Pereira; Diogo C. Ferreira; Rui C. Marques. 2020. "A critical look at the Portuguese public–private partnerships in healthcare." The International Journal of Health Planning and Management 36, no. 2: 302-315.
Access to water and sanitation services (WSS) in developing countries is constrained by the conditions of social inequality and the services affordability for the poorest households. Therefore, public policies related to WSS need to broaden in scope given the challenge of reaching all customers, especially the most vulnerable, in order to achieve a balance between the social and financial objectives of WSS. This paper will contribute to the understanding of the main access and subsidy policies in South American countries focusing on the Brazilian case study. The different experiences in this region have provided some interesting lessons about these issues for Brazil; the conclusion is that the current indirect and cross-subsidy policies are important, but the needed practices for expanding pro-poor access require direct demand-side subsidies. A more proactive intervention through public authorities is also needed. A new subsidization model for Brazil is highlighted and discussed.
Daniel Narzetti; Rui Marques. Models of Subsidies for Water and Sanitation Services for Vulnerable People in South American Countries: Lessons for Brazil. Water 2020, 12, 1976 .
AMA StyleDaniel Narzetti, Rui Marques. Models of Subsidies for Water and Sanitation Services for Vulnerable People in South American Countries: Lessons for Brazil. Water. 2020; 12 (7):1976.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDaniel Narzetti; Rui Marques. 2020. "Models of Subsidies for Water and Sanitation Services for Vulnerable People in South American Countries: Lessons for Brazil." Water 12, no. 7: 1976.
The article Pay for performance in health care: a new best practice tariff-based tool using a log-linear piecewise frontier function and a dual–primal approach for unique solutions, written by Diogo Cunha Ferreira, Rui Cunha Marques, Alexandre Morais Nunes, was originally published electronically on the publisher’s internet portal on 19 June 2019 without open access.
Diogo Cunha Ferreira; Rui Cunha Marques; Alexandre Morais Nunes. Correction to: Pay for performance in health care: a new best practice tariff-based tool using a log-linear piecewise frontier function and a dual–primal approach for unique solutions. Operational Research 2020, 1 -2.
AMA StyleDiogo Cunha Ferreira, Rui Cunha Marques, Alexandre Morais Nunes. Correction to: Pay for performance in health care: a new best practice tariff-based tool using a log-linear piecewise frontier function and a dual–primal approach for unique solutions. Operational Research. 2020; ():1-2.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDiogo Cunha Ferreira; Rui Cunha Marques; Alexandre Morais Nunes. 2020. "Correction to: Pay for performance in health care: a new best practice tariff-based tool using a log-linear piecewise frontier function and a dual–primal approach for unique solutions." Operational Research , no. : 1-2.
The controversy between the performance of public and private ownership of water and wastewater services is common worldwide. In most cases, this discussion is biased due to ideological issues or insufficiency or inconsistency of information. This study aims to compare the performance of private water utilities with that of public water utilities, using rich, robust, and audited information from Portuguese operators. The benchmarking exercise focuses on three distinct areas, namely, the efficiency and effectiveness of the investments made, the quality of service provided, and the tariffs and prices implemented. From the analysis performed, it is concluded that, on average, the performance of private water utilities exceeds that of public water utilities, and prejudice in most cases is unjustified regarding private ownership. Anyway, water, as an essential service, should always be provided, regardless of utility ownership.
Rui Cunha Marques; Pedro Simões. Revisiting the Comparison of Public and Private Water Service Provision: An Empirical Study in Portugal. Water 2020, 12, 1477 .
AMA StyleRui Cunha Marques, Pedro Simões. Revisiting the Comparison of Public and Private Water Service Provision: An Empirical Study in Portugal. Water. 2020; 12 (5):1477.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRui Cunha Marques; Pedro Simões. 2020. "Revisiting the Comparison of Public and Private Water Service Provision: An Empirical Study in Portugal." Water 12, no. 5: 1477.
Key performance indicators (KPI) are widely used tools to evaluate the economic (in)efficiency of services, including the ones devoted to urban solid waste management. Regulatory exercises are, then, mostly based on the outputs from KPIs, raising some questions about their validity. In theory, other more appropriate tools could be used to estimate those efficiency levels. This study evaluates the economic inefficiency level of urban solid waste management services in Portugal (2010–2017) through the adoption of partial frontier benchmarking models (order-m) coupled with weight restrictions. That way, the constructed model can evaluate the performance of those services under some regulatory and sustainability requirements. Then, estimated efficiency levels and some common KPIs are compared in order to understand if the latter are sufficient to explain the economic efficiency. The novelty of this research lies in two main aspects: (a) the utilization of a robust order-α model coupled with weight restrictions linked to regulatory and sustainability impositions to estimate efficiency, and (b) the comparison of economic efficiency and some commonly used KPIs, including waste fractions and recycling rate. Results point towards efficiency distributions that follow Weibull functions, with the average close to 50%; thus, nearly half of the resources have been well spent in municipal solid waste management services since 2010 onwards. Nonetheless, in an efficient system, that average would be close to 100%. Additionally, the considered management related KPIs do not exhibit any relationship with economic efficiency, which means that their interpretation and usefulness for regulatory issues are both limited and should be used carefully. In other words, those KPIs are not good performance drivers and carry no capacity to explain economic (in)efficiency in urban solid waste management services.
Diogo Cunha Ferreira; Rui Cunha Marques; Maria Isabel Pedro; Carolina Amaral. Economic Inefficiency Levels of Urban Solid Waste Management Services in Portugal. Sustainability 2020, 12, 4170 .
AMA StyleDiogo Cunha Ferreira, Rui Cunha Marques, Maria Isabel Pedro, Carolina Amaral. Economic Inefficiency Levels of Urban Solid Waste Management Services in Portugal. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (10):4170.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDiogo Cunha Ferreira; Rui Cunha Marques; Maria Isabel Pedro; Carolina Amaral. 2020. "Economic Inefficiency Levels of Urban Solid Waste Management Services in Portugal." Sustainability 12, no. 10: 4170.
The results of the analysis of water utility performance studies based on data envelopment analysis (DEA) can be very sensitive to the methodological approach and the variables employed. This study investigates approaches and variables for developing countries in order to identify an adequate model for universal access. Three models were developed and compared. The first used traditional variables, the second considered the quality of service variables, and the last are expanded on the second by incorporating the realization of the human right to water into efficiency estimation. Methodological approaches comprising the variable returns to scale DEA (most common for developing countries) and slack-based directional distance function (employed in this study) were also compared. The case study of 77 Brazilian water utilities suggests that a model that incorporates the objective of universal access in the efficiency estimation changes substantialy utility efficiency scores. Therefore, utilities that make investments to reach the universal access can be penalized since traditional models incorporate the expenses, but fail to capture the results. The research conclusions suggest that approaches and variable choices are likely to impact on the analysis results, misrepresenting them regardless of the purpose for using DEA in the study.
Tiago B. Cetrulo; Diogo F.C. Ferreira; Rui C. Marques; Tadeu F. Malheiros. Water utilities performance analysis in developing countries: On an adequate model for universal access. Journal of Environmental Management 2020, 268, 110662 .
AMA StyleTiago B. Cetrulo, Diogo F.C. Ferreira, Rui C. Marques, Tadeu F. Malheiros. Water utilities performance analysis in developing countries: On an adequate model for universal access. Journal of Environmental Management. 2020; 268 ():110662.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTiago B. Cetrulo; Diogo F.C. Ferreira; Rui C. Marques; Tadeu F. Malheiros. 2020. "Water utilities performance analysis in developing countries: On an adequate model for universal access." Journal of Environmental Management 268, no. : 110662.
This editorial introduces the Special Issue called Sustainable Tariffs for Water Services which is an outcome of an international conference about the topic which gathered two hundred experts from around the world in Lisbon last year. It starts by bringing out the importance of the topic and discussing the need for sustainable tariffs in the water sector. The conflicting objectives of water pricing are particularly analyzed. Then, the Special Issue articles are introduced and finally some future challenges and open areas of research are displayed. It can be concluded that water price setting does matter and is possibly the most effective way for policymakers to safeguard and contribute for the sustainability of water services. The water sector would benefit from applying less ironic and more iconic tariff design principles (Beecher, 2012).
Rui Cunha Marques; João Miranda. Sustainable tariffs for water and wastewater services. Utilities Policy 2020, 64, 101054 .
AMA StyleRui Cunha Marques, João Miranda. Sustainable tariffs for water and wastewater services. Utilities Policy. 2020; 64 ():101054.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRui Cunha Marques; João Miranda. 2020. "Sustainable tariffs for water and wastewater services." Utilities Policy 64, no. : 101054.