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JOB POSITION Post-doctoral position in economics “Performance of water supply services and multi-objective asset management: contribution of the cost-benefit analysis”

The French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAE) is a public institution with more than 11,000 agents across the French territory. Inra is the first European agricultural research institute and produces scientific knowledge and works for economic and social innovation in the areas of food, agriculture and environment. It focuses on issues related to agriculture, food and environment, with a particular emphasis on sustainable development and agroecology.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT AND ACTIVITIES

Under the project “Gestion patrimoniale des réseaux d’eau potable pour préserver la qualité de l’eau et réduire les pertes – Renouvellement Orienté des Canalisations (ROC)” funded by the Région Nouvelle Aquitaine, the Agence de l’eau Loire-Bretagne and the Agence de l’eau Adour-Garonne, INRAE offers a 15-month postdoctoral position in economics from September 1, 2020.

Drinking water networks are a high value asset with a long service life; their management must thus adopt a long-term approach and adapting to changes in their environment, mainly connected to global change and new technologies. The key challenge of this “asset management” is the annual renewal of a small portion of pipelines, in order to mitigate the effects of ageing on their performances, and to prevent the deterioration of the quality of service. It thus concerns technical, organisational (service), economic and financial (costs and benefits), environmental (resources) and societal (territorial governance, users) issues, which call for interdisciplinary answers enlisting engineering, mathematics and social sciences.

In this context, the ROC project aims to develop tools and methods allowing potable water distribution system authorities to build asset management strategies oriented towards limiting water loss and safeguarding water quality. The study sites are located in the Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine.

Today, health risks (in particular linked to the presence of Vinyl Chloride Monomer (VCM) in PVC pipes) and the limitation of water loss are usually driving the decision regarding water pipes renewal. However, the methodological reflection remains focused on risks of service interruptions and impacts of malfunctions on the urban environment. And it is mainly based on multi-criteria decision-making. A major challenge for research thus lies in taking into account the other dimensions of the performance of water supply service, namely integrity of the network (resource protection) and water quality (among which the issue of CVM). This is especially true since, in most cases, actions undertaken to satisfy one axis of performance are sub-optimal for the others. It appears that technical sciences are able to generate new knowledge on each axis taken separately. However, their integration, which is an operational necessity, requires a more complete picture on the issue and the resort of economics. To achieve this goal, we propose to use a Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA), which seems to allow taking into account the multi-objectives character of asset management.

The postdoctoral student will lead the CBA in order to compare three asset management strategies leading to the same amount of work but each focussing on one specific dimension of service performance (water quality; service continuity and protection of the urban environment, that is to say prevention against breakages; limitation of water loss), while considering the water price. More precisely, the postdoctoral student will have to:

• Convey the state of the art and best practices in the economic analysis of the performance of drinking water supply services;
• Contribute to building the research question, in link with the scientific objectives of the project;
• Define the data collection protocol, taking into account the existing literature and recent methodological developments in the area;
• Conduct the CBA and analyse the results;
• Contribute to the dissemination of those results.

TRAINING AND SKILLS REQUIRED

• Ph.D. in economics
• Mastery of the quantitative techniques (statistics and econometrics) and of dedicated software
• Experience in fields surveys
• Familiarity with monetary valuation methods
• Interest in the issues of water management
• Autonomy
• Oral and drafting skills in French and English
• Aptitude for team work and interdisciplinarity

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Fisheries Economic Project Manager position with JIMAR PIFSC

JIMAR PIFSC FISHERIES ECONOMIC PROJECT MANAGER – ID# 19663. Joint Institute for Marine & Atmospheric Research. Regular, Full-Time, RCUH Non-Civil Service position with the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST), Joint Institute for Marine & Atmospheric Research (JIMAR), located at the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), located in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. Continuation of employment is dependent upon program/operational needs, satisfactory work performance, availability of funds, and compliance with applicable Federal/State laws.

MONTHLY SALARY: Salary commensurate with qualifications.

DUTIES: Serves as project manager for economic research projects working with the Ocean Synthesis and Human Dimensions (OSHD) Program at the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center in support of fisheries management in the Pacific Islands areas. Conducts fisheries economic analysis and develops economic modeling on commercial fisheries and seafood markets in the Pacific Islands Region (PIR), including economic assessments of management alternatives. Works with fisheries confidential data and collects secondary data. Works on select economic research projects and reports, including developing research designs, conducting interviews, designing database, entering data, analyzing data, visualizing data, producing outreach materials, supporting annual economic report compilation, making presentations to professional and lay groups, and writing reports and manuscripts for publication. Works with PIFSC and JIMAR economists to conduct field economic research on commercial and recreational fishing vessels and seafood markets in the Pacific Islands Region. Tracks projects, ensures deadlines are met, writes proposals for funding, and tracks manuscripts through the review process. Some travel may be required to conduct interviews on other Hawaiian Islands or US-affiliated island territories in the Western Pacific including American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI).

PRIMARY QUALIFICATIONS: EDUCATION/TRAINING: Master’s Degree from an accredited college or university in Economics or Agricultural/Resource Economics. EXPERIENCE: Three to five (3-5) years of experience in economic analysis and modeling, conducting economic surveys, summarizing and analyzing data, and presenting results for technical and lay audiences. Experience in database design and management. ABIL/KNOW/SKILLS: Knowledge of economic research methods and statistical analysis techniques. Familiar with statistical computing and graphics using R and other software packages. Must be able to meet and maintain the United States Department of Commerce (DOC) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) security requirements to access work location. Must be a US Citizen or Permanent Resident Alien. Evidence of strong verbal communication and writing skills. Statistical analysis and data visualization using R, SPSS, or similar program. Ability to manage and coordinate research projects. Ability to work with fisheries confidential data and collect secondary data. Ability and skill in conducting interviews based on a general set of interview topics and guidelines. Ability to travel to interview locations. Post Offer/Employment Condition: Must be able to meet US Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) security requirements for working in a federal facility, which includes being fingerprinted and having a federal background check performed prior to date of hire and maintained throughout duration of employment. POLICY AND/OR REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS: As a condition of employment, employee will be subject to all applicable RCUH policies and procedures and, as applicable, subject to University of Hawai‘i’s and/or business entity’s policies and procedures. Violation of RCUH’s, UH’s, or business entity’s policies and/or procedures or applicable State or Federal laws and/or regulations may lead to disciplinary action (including, but not limited to possible termination of employment, personal fines, civil and/or criminal penalties, etc.). SECONDARY QUALIFICATIONS: Knowledge or experience working with fisheries and fish markets in Hawai‘i or other Pacific Islands. Experience with geospatial analysis. Possess a valid driver’s license.

INQUIRIES: Nicole Wakazuru-Yoza 956-5018 (Oahu). APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS: Please go to rcuh_employment. If you have questions on the application process and/or need assistance, please call (808)956-8344 or (808)956-0872.

CLOSING DATE: February 04, 2020.

RCUH’s mission is to support and enhance research, development and training in Hawai‘i, with a focus on the University of Hawai‘i.

Equal Opportunities Employer – Minorities/Women/Disability/Veteran.