Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) can be an effective way of delivering infrastructure. However, achieving value for money can be difficult if government agencies are not equipped to manage them effectively. Experience from OECD countries shows that the availability of finance is not the main obstacle in delivering infrastructure. Governance—effective decision-making—is the most influential aspect on the quality of an investment, including PPP investments. In 2012, the OECD together with its member countries developed principles to ensure that PPPs deliver value for money transparently and prudently, supported by the right institutional capacities and processes to harness the upside of PPPs without jeopardizing fiscal sustainability. Survey results from OECD countries show that some dimensions of the recommended practices are well applied and past and ongoing reforms show progress. However, other principles have not been well implemented, reflecting the continuing need for improving public governance of PPPs across countries.

Fire hazard is often mapped as a static conditional probability of fire characteristics’ occurrence. We developed a dynamic product for operational risk management to forecast the probability of occurrence of fire radiative power in the locally possible near-maximum fire intensity range. We applied standard machine learning techniques to remotely sensed data. We used a block maxima approach to sample the most extreme fire radiative power (FRP) MODIS retrievals in free-burning fuels for each fire season between 2001 and 2020 and associated weather, fuel, and topography features in northwestern south America. We used the random forest algorithm for both classification and regression, implementing the backward stepwise repression procedure. We solved the classification problem predicting the probability of occurrence of near-maximum wildfire intensity with 75% recall out-of-sample in ten annual test sets running time series cross validation, and 77% recall and 85% ROC-AUC out-of-sample in a twenty-fold cross-validation to gauge a realistic expectation of model performance in production. We solved the regression problem predicting FRP with 86% r² in-sample, but out-of-sample performance was unsatisfactory. Our model predicts well fatal and near-fatal incidents reported in Peru and Colombia out-of-sample in mountainous areas and unimodal fire regimes, the signal decays in bimodal fire regimes.

The gravure printing process is widely utilized for large-scale, high-quality, multi-colored printing tasks executed at high press speeds. This includes a diverse range of products such as art books, greeting cards, currency, stamps, wallpaper, magazines, and more. This thesis addresses the fire risks associated with gravure printing, acknowledging the use of highly flammable materials and the potential for static charge-related incidents. Despite its prevalence, there is limited research on fire prevention and control in gravure printing. The study employs field observations, stakeholder interviews, and an extensive review of literature on fire risk and control in printing press operations in India. It analyzes the causes of fires using the fire triangle model, emphasizing the role of heat, combustible materials, and oxygen in fire incidents within the printing press environment. The thesis categorizes preventive measures into fire prevention and fire suppression actions, focusing on reducing fire load, static charge mitigation, and implementing firefighting systems. It observes that poor housekeeping, lack of awareness, and inadequate emergency control plans contribute significantly to fire hazards in press facilities. Additionally, the research identifies key factors such as high press temperatures, low humidity, improper storage, and inadequacies in firefighting systems as potential causes of fires. It emphasizes the need for optimal environmental conditions, proper storage practices, and effective firefighting infrastructure within press facilities. The study concludes with comprehensive guidelines for loss prevention and control, including management programs, housekeeping, operator training, pre-emergency planning, preventive maintenance, and plant security. It also addresses safety measures specific to gravure printing presses, such as automatic sprinkler systems, fire hydrant system, carbon dioxide flooding systems, and portable fire extinguishers. In summary, this thesis provides valuable insights into the multifaceted nature of fire risks in gravure printing presses and recommends a holistic approach for effective fire prevention and control.

Projects implemented under life cycle contracts have become increasingly common in recent years to ensure the quality of construction and maintenance of energy infrastructure facilities. A key parameter for energy facility construction projects implemented under life cycle contracts is their duration and deadlines. Therefore, the systematic identification, monitoring, and comprehensive assessment of risks affecting the timing of work on the design and construction is an urgent practical task. The purpose of this work is to study the strength of the influence of various risks on the duration of a project implemented on the terms of a life cycle contract. The use of the expert assessment method allows for identifying the most likely risks for the design and construction phases, as well as determining the ranges of deviations from the baseline indicator. Using the obtained expert evaluations, a model reflecting the range and the most probable duration of the design and construction works under the influence of risk events was built by the Monte-Carlo statistical method. The results obtained allow monitoring and promptly detecting deviations in the actual duration of work from the basic deadlines set in the life cycle contract. This will give an opportunity to accurately respond to emerging risks and build a mutually beneficial relationship between the parties to life cycle contracts.

This study aims to identify key strategies and tactics necessary to effectively implement national social security in a democratic Indonesia. Indonesia established the Law on the National Social Security System in 2004. However, the national social security programs did not commence until 2014. The national social security implementation has faced significant obstacles. These challenges include recurring delays, legal disputes, appeals, judicial reviews, and deviations from the original policy objectives, all threatening the long-term viability of the national social security programs. This article applies a qualitative approach by critically analyzing regulations, government reports, and publicly available data and observing open public meetings and hearings concerning implementing national social security programs. Our findings indicate that implementing national social security policies in a democratic Indonesia depends on effectively managing the dynamic processes involved in policy formulation and adoption. We propose a risk-based decision-making model to assist policymakers in mitigating policy-related risks and enhance the effectiveness of future policy agendas in social security.