This 2003 edition of OECD's annual DAC Report presents detailed statistics and analysis on foreign aid flows and related policy developments. This issue focuses on policy coherence for development co-operation and delivery of more, and more effective aid.

This annual report is the key reference document for statistics and analysis on the latest trends in international aid. It is of particular importance this year as the world reflects on progress in development five years after the UN Millennium Summit set a series of goals to be reached by 2015.

In fiscal year 2003, the Department of Defense expects to spend more than $18 billion to develop, acquire, and operate satellites and other space-related systems. Satellite systems collect information on the capabilities and intentions of potential adversaries. They enable military forces to be warned of a missile attack and to communicate and navigate while avoiding hostile action. And they provide information that allows forces to precisely attack targets in ways that minimize collateral damage and loss of life. DOD's satellites also enable global communications, television broadcasts, weather forecasting; navigation of ships, planes, trucks, and cars; and synchronization of computers, communications, and electric power grids. Congress requested that we review reports we issued on satellite and other space-related programs over the past two decades and identify common problems affecting these programs. The majority of satellite programs cost more than expected and took longer to develop and launch than planned. In reviewing our past reports, we found that these results were commonly tied to the following problems. Requirements for what the satellite needed to do and how well it must perform were not adequately defined at the beginning of a program or were changed significantly once the program had already begun. Investment practices were weak. For example, potentially more cost-effective approaches were not examined and cost estimates were optimistic. Acquisition strategies were poorly executed. For example, competition was reduced for the sake of schedule or DOD did not adequately oversee contractors. Technologies were not mature enough to be included in product development. Several factors contributed to these problems. First, DOD often took a schedule-driven instead of a knowledge-driven approach to the acquisition process. As a result, activities essential to containing costs, maximizing competition among contractors and testing technologies were compressed or not done. Second, there is a diverse array of organizations with competing interests involved in overall satellite development--from the individual military services, to testing organizations, contractors, civilian agencies, and in some cases international partners. This created challenges in making tough tradeoff decisions, particularly since, for many years, there was no high-level official within the Office of the Secretary of Defense dedicated to developing and enforcing an overall investment strategy for space. Third, space acquisition programs have historically attempted to satisfy all requirements in a single step, regardless of the design challenge or the maturity of technologies to achieve the full capability. This approach made it difficult to match requirements to available resources (in terms of time, money, and technology). Other factors also created challenges for the satellite acquisition programs we reviewed. These include a shrinking industrial base, a declining space workforce, difficulties associated with testing satellites in a realistic environment, as well as challenges associated with launching satellites.

Inhaltsangabe:Einleitung: In den letzten zwei Jahrzehnten sind die Auswirkung industrieller Aktivität auf die Umwelt immer mehr zu einem Thema in der gesellschaftlichen Diskussion geworden. Unternehmen sind heutzutage mit hohen Erwartungen in Bezug auf die Umweltfreundlichkeit ihrer Aktivitäten konfrontiert. Diese Diplomarbeit konzentriert auf das Konzept der Abfallvermeidung, das den meisten Umwelt-Strategie zugrunde liegt. Viele Unternehmen haben Abfallvermeidung bis zum jetzigen Zeitpunkt jedoch noch nicht eingeführt. In dieser Arbeit wird Abfallvermeidung vornehmlich aus dem Blickwinkel dieser Unternehmen analysiert. Ein kurzer Überblick über die relevanten Begriffe und Konzepte wird gegeben. Danach werden die Bedrohungen für die Unternehmensleistung erörtert, die von ökologischer Gesetzgebung, versteckten Kosten, ISO Standards und den Erwartungen diverser Stakeholder herrühren. Anschließend werden die potentiellen, von Abfallvermeidung bewirkten Nutzen und Vorteile, die die gesamte Organisation umfassen, beschrieben und evaluiert. Diese sind unter anderem zu finden in Effizienzsteigerungen, Stärkung der Organisationsstruktur und Mitarbeiter-Engagement. Eine kritische Analyse dieser Vorteile führt nicht zu fundamentalen Kritikpunkten, sondern unterstreicht eher die Notwendigkeit für eine rationale Herangehensweise an ökologisches Management. Zum Abschluss werden Empfehlungen zur Einführung von Abfallvermeidung in Unternehmen, die dieses Strategie noch nicht verfolgen, gegeben. Darunter fallen unter anderem die Integration von Abfallvermeidung in die übergreifende Strategie, Kostenidentifikation und Abfallvermeidungsprogramme, die zum Empowerment von Mitarbeitern beitragen. Schlussendlich wird betont, dass Abfallvermeidung erst der erste Schritt in Richtung nachhaltiger ökonomischer Entwicklung ist. Abstract: During the past two decades the impacts of industrial activities on the environment have become a prominent issues in debates on economic development. Nowadays, Companies are confronted with high expectations in terms of environmental protection. This thesis focuses on the concept of pollution prevention, which underlies most environmental strategies. Many companies, however, have not yet implemented pollution prevention. In this thesis pollution prevention is primarily evaluated from the perspective of such firms. As a starting point a short overview of terms and concepts in the pollution prevention area is given. Following this [...]

The world is living dangerously - either because it has little choice or because it is making the wrong choices -- Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland WHO Director-General

In his introduction to The Hidden Dimensions Maurice Vambe argues that the treatment of people as 'human dirt' demands the notion of citizenship in Zimbabwe be rethought.