evaluation

Purpose- The groundwater system is subject to drastic changes. Nonlinear changes in the groundwater system and management have made it difficult.  There has been no study on groundwater dynamics assessment and most studies have examined the variables of salinity control, pollution, water volume and water demand. In addition to filling the study gap, the difference of the research is that it has studied the capacity and the elements of the groundwater system as indicators in the groundwater dynamics.Design/methodology/approach- In this study, using studies and literature on the groundwater Social-Ecological System (SES), a framework for evaluating groundwater SES dynamics by combining the groundwater adaptive cycle is presented. SES Groundwater consists of three subsystems: the aquifer, natural environment, and community. The elements of these three subsystems move in a four-stage adaptive cycle of exploitation, protection, release, and reorganization, in which potential change, connections, and adaptive capacity make the system dynamic.Findings - In assessing the dynamics of the groundwater system, the threshold of concern is an important concept for indicators for which capacity can not be defined or when and where the indicators change.Originality/value - The groundwater system dynamics assessment framework can be useful for proper management and timely actions to protect water and aquifer services in different areas.

Purpose- The agricultural insurance fund plays a crucial role in rural areas and agricultural sector. Evaluating the performance of this fund can better identify its effectiveness and challenges. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the agricultural insurance fund in the development of rural areas in Shiraz County.Design/methodology/approach- This descriptive-analytical research is based on data collection through a survey. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire. The validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by experts, and its reliability was verified with a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient greater than 0.70. The statistical population consisted of rural residents totaling 55323 individuals. Based on Cochran’s formula, the sample size was determined to be 382 individuals.Findings- The test results, at a significance level less than 0.05, indicated that the Agricultural Insurance Fund had poor efficiency in rural development from the perspective of rural residents. The average test result of 2.404 also confirms this finding. Despite its poor performance, the fund’s highest effectiveness and efficiency were related to promoting social justice with an average score of 2.609. Furthermore, analysis of variance showed no significant difference between rural areas regarding the performance status of the Agricultural Insurance fund at a level greater than 0.05 but equal to 0.774. It is also predicted that the Agricultural Insurance Fund may have an impact on the situation of rural areas. According to the regression results, support for the expansion of greenhouse cultivation with a beta value of 0.349 has been the most important factor in the effectiveness of the fund.Research limitations/implications- challenges related to data collection access and significant costs complicated this research endeavor. To mitigate these negative impacts, villages with larger populations were prioritized for inclusion.Practical implications- Sustainable rural development in agriculture hinges on various forms of managerial support from entities like the Agricultural Insurance Fund. Dynamism in this area can expedite development.Originality/value- Despite being relatively overlooked, evaluating the performance of Agricultural Insurance Funds can highlight positive aspects for managers and specialists due to their importance. The villages within the research scope also provide value and authenticity to this study.

Teacher professional development plays a critical role in enhancing educational outcomes, with Teacher Training Courses (TTCs) serving as a primary avenue for improving teaching quality. This study evaluates the effectiveness of an English TTC conducted at the Iran Language Institute (ILI) by employing a concurrent mixed-methods approach. Data were gathered from TTC candidates, attendees, and ILI teachers to assess their expectations, immediate evaluation, and delayed evaluation of the TTC. Seven interviews with TTC candidates were conducted to capture expectations, while 69 questionnaires from attendees and 85 from ILI teachers provided immediate and delayed evaluations respectively. Both interviews and questionnaires were structured around the five standards of the California Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTP), and the data were analyzed using content analysis and descriptive statistics. The findings indicate that candidates expected the TTC to focus on modern teaching techniques, syllabus design, classroom management, and supporting diverse learners. Besides, satisfaction levels were higher among female teachers and TTC attendees compared to male teachers and ILI teachers respectively. All in all, areas such as supporting diverse learners and professional development emerged with the lowest levels of satisfaction. These findings underscore the importance of tailoring TTCs to address specific needs, particularly in areas where satisfaction levels are suboptimal, to ensure the continued improvement of teaching quality and student outcomes.

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to design a model for evaluating digital innovation and transformation in startup business models.Method: The methodology of this reseatch is descriptive-exploratory and employs a qualitative approach. The thematic analysis was employed to study digital innovation and transformation in startup business models. The participants in this research were academic and industrial experts with a background in research and executive work in lean startups. Initially, a purposive sampling method was used to select the samples, and this was later extended using the snowball method. Ultimately, the researcher conducted 14 expert interviews to collect data. The data obtained from the interviews were reviewed and analyzed using coding based on theme analysis. Initially, codes were extracted from the text of the interviews. These codes were aggregated into more general codes, which were further studied and integrated into components. From these components, relevant dimensions were proposed, leading to the presentation of a model based on these dimensions and extracted components.Findings: The results indicate that the digital Innovation and transformation evaluation model for startup business models includes six main dimensions and 19 sub-themes. The proposed model consists of the following dimensions: "monitoring and analysis of market needs" with three components, "evaluation of product development costs" with three components, "digital innovation and transformation in the business model" with four components, "coordination and integration inside and outside the organization" with two components, "evaluation of learning ability and absorption of organizational knowledge" with three components, and "organizational resources and capacities" with four components.Conclusion: Based on the research findings, it is suggested that managers in the technology field understand the importance of lean startups. The indicators in the proposed model may be considered to help prepare and empower startups to improve their products and services. Each proposed dimension can be seen as a management skill necessary for the success of lean startups. Managers may create the appropriate conditions to integrate all of company capabilities.

Thispaper first reviewed the relevant literature and several R&D evaluation models in various industries. Then, a suitable model for the evaluation of R&D capabilities was selected through a New Product Development (NPD) approach within the Iranian automotiveindustry in 9 main dimensions and 29 indicators, validated based on the structural equations proposed in another paper. In the first stage, the coefficient matrix of criteria was identified according to the pairwise comparison matrix. Then, the VIKOR values S, R, and Q were calculated. The ranking involved smaller Q values. The criteria were ranked as follows: 1) research and design capabilities, 2) customer and market, 3) technological capabilities,4) financial capabilities resources, 5) organizationalstructure, 6) intellectual capital capabilities,7) NPDprocess, 8) management capabilities and, 9) strategic capabilities. Finally, there were suggestions about the capabilities falling under the lowest ranks