This article presents the development of a conceptual framework which aims to assess Decision Making Units (DMU) from multiple perspectives. The proposed conceptual framework combines the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) method with the non-parametric technique known as Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) by using various interconnected models which try to encapsulate four perspectives of performance (financial, customers, internal processes, learning and growth).The practical relevance of the conceptual model has been tested by using it to assess the performance of DMUs in a multinational company which operates in two business areas.Various models were developed with the collaboration of the directors of the company in order to conceive an appropriate and consensual framework which may provide useful information for the company. The application of the conceptual framework provides structured information regarding the performance of each DMU (from multiple perspectives) and ways to improve it. By integrating the BSC and the DEA approaches this research helps to identify where there is room for improving organisational performance and points out opportunities for reciprocal learning between DMUs. In doing so, this article provides a set of recommendations relating to the successful application of DEA and its integration with the BSC, in order to promote a continuous learning process and to bring about improvements in performance.

Primary care is currently at the heart of health service policy, both in Portugal and internationally. At the same time, interest in the measurement of efficiency of health care delivery has increased considerably. However, very few studies have focused specifically on performance assessment in primary health care provision. In this paper we aim to contribute to a discussion regarding appropriate ways to compare the performance of primary health care providers. Following a review of the literature, a conceptual framework for performance assessment of health centres is developed and tested using the Portuguese case. Our empirical analysis uses data from 2004 and 2005 for all the Portuguese health centres and compares the geographical equity of access to services, technical efficiency and quality of services across District Health Authorities. Data Envelopment Analysis is the technique used to measure technical efficiency. From our empirical analysis, we conclude that there is evidence of large variation in equity of access to services, in technical efficiency and quality of services across District Health Authorities. Our findings suggest that a better use of resources could lead to more and improved services. Whilst formative evaluation could contribute to this, the challenge is to engage health care professionals in the evaluation exercise.

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The results have important implications for the advancement of research on this topic, as well as for the development of interventions to fight ageism in practice. There is a need to take into account underexplored forms of operationalization and inductive conceptualizations of ageism, such as self-directed ageism and implicit ageism. In addition, ageism in health care should be measured by using context-specific instruments.

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The Portuguese judicial system has attracted considerable criticism in recent years and demands for reforms have gained prominence. By using the Data Envelopment Analysis technique and focusing on the performance of 223 Portuguese first instance courts during the period of 2007 to 2011, this research has found evidence that supports some of this criticism and justifies the calls for reforms, better performance and accountability of the judicial system. In particular, our results found a sector with considerable scope for improvement with less than 16 percent of the 223 courts analysed making an efficient use of their resources in each year and with only one third of the courts being considered efficient in at least one of the five years assessed. Whilst the results suggest that improvement can be achieved with better case management, scale factors also seem to play an important role in explaining inefficiency, with most of the inefficient courts being smaller than optimal and with smaller courts being, on average, less efficient than larger ones. The existence of a statistically significant relationship between courts' efficiency and size was confirmed by the Mann-Whitney test. These results indicate considerable scope for improvement and that some of the planned reforms are timely and seem well targeted. However, the results also suggest that efficiency increases matching peers' best practices are not enough to sustainably reduce the prevailing judicial backlog and length of court proceedings in a considerable number of courts. Major changes in the capacity and/or functioning of the Portuguese judicial system might also be required.

-The use of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) in the electricity distribution sector has been prolific in the number of papers published in research journals. However, while numerous studies have been documented, they have mostly been summative. Their aim has been predominantly descriptive and classificatory. This paper argues that evaluations of a formative nature are more effective than summative studies in promoting a better understanding of the structures and processes of electricity distribution utilities and, consequently, are more appropriate to contribute to performance improvement. To illustrate the use of DEA for formative evaluation, and highlight some of the difficulties of using DEA in practice, this paper compares the cost-efficiency of the Portuguese electricity distribution companies from 2002 to 2006. A dynamic analysis using Malmquist Indices is also conducted in order to evaluate the changes in productivity over this period. Our analysis shows that the application of DEA for formative purposes meets some difficulties. In particular it shows that whilst the modelling of productivity/efficiency scores using DEA is relatively straightforward, it is comparatively more difficult to develop models that are economically valid and that produce results with face validity. Based on the insights derived from this analysis the paper provides some recommendations regarding the successful application of DEA for performance improvement.

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