Abstract: The efficient use of scarce resources for domestic water supply and sanitation is particularly vital in low-income countries. Conventional cost–benefit analysis gives an indication of the appropriateness of projects but often fails to reflect factors that cannot be assigned monetary values. A form of linear programming, data envelopment analysis, is used to measure a single-efficiency score for 10 water supply and sanitation projects in Ghana, relating noncommensurate technical, financial, economic, institutional, social, and environmental inputs to output factors of reliability, utilization, and convenience. Following the experiences of the Water Decade, the desired public-health benefits were deemed to follow from the utilization of reliable and convenient facilities. Results suggest that capital- and management-intensive projects for water supply in major cities are as efficient as community-based rural sanitation schemes based on pit latrines. Within these two extremes, many projects are failing to reach potential levels of efficiency; most significantly, rural boreholes fitted with handpumps, sewerage, and overengineered latrines.

Abstract: An interface between goal programming and data envelopment analysis in order to integrate target setting and resource allocation in multi-level planning problems is developed. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) has been traditionally used for assessing the performance of individual decision making units and therefore necessary extensions are needed to apply DEA principles to the global organizational level without, however, losing its attractive features. The method was originally developed as an aid to the reorganization of the allocation of central funds to local authorities in Greece.

Abstract: The assessment of performance of activity units such as bank branches, retail outlets, sales forces in the profit-making sector and schools, local authorities and hospitals in the non-profit sector are given increased attention by the econometric and operational research communities in recent years. A relatively new methodology has been developed based on the use of linear programming for assessing performance of activity centres. This paper provides a state of the art review concerning the basic models and also recent trends of this methodology.

Abstract: This research develops a nonconvex model for measuring the spatial efficiency of siting decisions and demonstrates the virtues of such measurements in comparison to those of convex approaches. Working with a case study from the public sector, we develop relative spatial efficiency (RSE) models which access the sufficiency of a location decision in relation to a best practice decision on the efficient (or most accessible) frontier. The paper also compares the results of the nonconvex methodology with that of the convex model and suggests the strengths and weaknesses of each in terms of the type of support they offer to decisionmakers concerned with actual siting decisions.

Abstract: The practical usefulness of separating market efficiency from profitability when assessing the comparative performance of private sector organizational units is discussed. The market efficiency of a unit reflects the extent to which a unit is exploiting the potential within its catchment area for generating revenue. In contrast, profitability measures the aggregate performance of a unit in generating revenue and controlling the direct costs of its operations. The degree of control over these costs is reflected in the cost efficiency of the unit. How data envelopment analysis can be used to assess market efficiency of pubs in the UK is discussed. The inputs to the model are environmental variables and one uncontrollable internal variable. The output is the revenue generated. Efficiencies are based on an assumption of variable returns to scale so that a pub is not penalized for the scale at which it operates and over which it has no control.