Systems Evaluation: Methods, Models, and Applications (Systems Evaluation, Prediction, and Decision-Making) - Softcover

A book in the Systems Evaluation, Prediction, and Decision-Making Series, Systems Evaluation: Methods, Models, and Applications covers the evolutionary course of systems evaluation methods, clearly and concisely. Outlining a wide range of methods and models, it begins by examining the method of qualitative assessment. Next, it describes the process and methods for building an index system of evaluation and considers the compared evaluation and the logical framework approach, analytic hierarchy process (AHP), and the data envelopment analysis (DEA) relative efficiency evaluation method.

Unique in its emphasis on the practical applications of systems evaluation methods and models, the book introduces several new evaluation models of grey system, including general grey incidence model, grey incidence models based on similarity and closeness, grey cluster evaluation based on triangular whitenization functions, and multi-attribute grey target decision model. Explaining intricate concepts in language that is easy to understand it provides step-by-step explanations of the various methods and models.

The text illustrates the practical application, analysis, and computation of systems evaluation methods and models with an abundance of practical examples and empirical studies. The case studies examine post evaluation of road-bridge construction projects, the efficiency evaluation of the science and technology activities, the evaluation of energy-saving projects in China, and the evaluation and selection of international cooperation projects.

Sifeng Liu earned a B.S. in mathematics in 1981 from Henan University, an M.S. in economics in 1986, and a Ph.D. in systems engineering in 1998 from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, both in China. He served as a visiting professor at Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania, De Montfort University in England, and Sydney University in Australia. At present, he is the director of the Institute for Grey Systems Studies and the dean of the College of Economics and Management at Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (NUAA) and a distinguished professor, academic leader, and doctor tutor in management science and systems engineering. His research focuses on grey systems theory, systems evaluation, and prediction modeling. He has published over 200 research papers and 19 books.

Over the years, Dr. Liu received 18 provincial and national prizes for his outstanding achievements in scientific research and he was named a distinguished professor and an expert who made significant contributions to China. In 2002, he was recognized by the World Organization of Systems and Cybernetics. He is a member of the Evaluation Committee and the Teaching Direct Committee for Management Science and Engineering of the National Science Foundation of China (NSFC). Additionally, he currently serves as chair of the TC of IEEE SMC on Grey Systems, president of the Grey Systems Society of China (GSSC), vice president of the Chinese Society for Optimization, Overall Planning and Economic Mathematics (CSOOPEM), cochair of the Beijing and Nanjing chapters of IEEE SMC, vice president of the Econometrics and Management Science Society of Jiangsu Province (EMSSJS), and vice president of the Systems Engineering Society of Jiangsu Province (SESJS). He is the editor of Grey Systems: Theory and Application (Emerald, UK) and serves on the editorial boards of several professional journals including the Journal of Grey Systems, Scientific Inquiry, Chinese Journal of Management Science, Systems Theory and Applications, Systems Science and Comprehensive Studies in Agriculture, and the Journal of Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Dr. Liu was named a National Excellent Teacher in 1998, and an Outstanding Managerial Person of China in 2005.

Naiming Xie earned a B.S. in 2003, M.S. in 2006, and Ph.D. in 2008 in grey systems theory at Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics in China. His research interests include grey systems theory and management science. He is an associate professor of the College of Economics and Management at the university. He also serves as the secretary-general of the Grey System Society of China (GSSC) and published 2 books and more than 20 papers.

Chaoqing Yuan earned a B.S. in 2000, M.S. in 2004, and Ph.D. in 2010 in economics and management science from the Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics in China. He is an associate professor in the College of Economics and Management at the university and is a member of the Grey System Society of China (GSSC). His main research interests are technological innovation management and energy policy. He has published 11 papers.

Zhigeng Fang earned a master’s in management science from Xi’an Science and Engineering University in 1996 and a Ph.D. in management science and engineering from the Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics in 2006. He is a professor and the deputy director of the Institute for Grey Systems Studies and also assistant dean of the College of Economics at the Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He is a vice president of Grey Systems Society of China (GSSC), director of the Chinese Society of Optimization, Overall Planning and Economic Mathematics, executive director of the Complex Systems Research Committee, and deputy director of Jiangsu Postevaluation Research Center, and a member of the Services Science Global and IEEE Intelligent Transportation Systems Council. Fang’s main research interests are project management, post-project evaluation, and grey systems. He completed 26 academic and research projects for national, provincial, and municipal departments and published over 80 research papers and books. He has received several provincial and national prizes for his outstanding achievements in scientific research and applications.