Abstract
This paper presents a framework to facilitate the selection of the most appropriate company to be contracted among competitive bids. This framework is intended to be integrated in e-marketplaces to comply with the major technological advances in the construction industry. A novel feature of the system is that it allows bilateral evaluations between companies to better understand general contractor-subcontractor relationships and to improve the level of transparency within the construction sector. The performance assessment system incorporates other innovative features, such as the ability to specify a set of performance indicators suitable for inclusion in e-marketplaces covering three different perspectives: company reliability, operation performance, and bid attributes. The system also allows the integration of the preferences of the decision maker concerning the selection of the best company for a given work. (C) 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.

Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to develop a robust methodology to assess municipalities' performance concerning the consumption of resources in residential buildings. The assessment is carried out at a municipal level to inform decision makers about the relative position of their municipalities compared to others. In addition, the factors associated to better levels of municipal performance are identified, and the extent of their effects is quantified. The study uses an enhanced stochastic frontier panel model based on data of energy, water and materials consumption in Lisbon municipalities during the period 2003-2009. The study reveals that the municipalities' performance has remained stable over the years, although there are considerable differences in performance among municipalities. In addition, it is concluded that municipal performance tends to improve with the environmental policy expenditure and scale size, and decline with buildings' age, population density and the proportion of buildings with private ownership.

Abstract
The bivalve dredge fleet is by far the most extensively studied fleet among the Portuguese artisanal segment. It is considered one of the most important artisanal fisheries, essentially due to the number of fishermen and vessels involved and to the high volume and value of the catches. The present study aimed to explore the efficiency of the dredge fleets that operated in the west coast of Portugal between 2006 and 2012. The methodology was based on the use of data envelopment analysis to assess vessels' efficiency. The inputs considered included the number of days at sea, a biomass stock indicator, and the characteristics of the vessels (power, length and tonnage). The annual fishing quota per vessel was also included in the model as a contextual factor. In the technical efficiency analysis, the outputs were defined by the weight of captures for three different bivalve species. Using data on the prices of each species in the wholesale market, revenue efficiency was also estimated to complement the technical efficiency analysis. The results allowed to gain insights concerning the performance of both Northwest and Southwest fleets, considering both technical and economic aspects of the fishery. It was also possible to identify the benchmark vessels, whose practices should be followed by the other vessels of the fleet.

Abstract
It is widely recognized that skippers can have a significant role in their vessel performance levels. However, in many studies that seek to address differences in performance of vessels, the contribution of the skipper is often not quantified, or the influencing factors are not explained. This study examines the effect of social factors, such as family heritage, education and professional expertise, on skipper skill and the economic performance of the Portuguese artisanal dredge fleet. This is done using a stochastic production frontier model and data on the weekly activity of 54 vessels operating during 2013 and 2014. The results suggest that in this fishery age and education levels of skippers are important determinants of efficiency. Experience as a skipper was no determinant of performance, possibly due to the simplicity of the technical equipment onboard. From a managerial perspective, this indicates that local authorities should consider initiatives to enhance the education levels and professional training of skippers, if they aim to improve the effectiveness of artisanal fleets.

Abstract
This study develops a tool to assess livability in European cities covering two components of livability: human wellbeing and environmental impact. First, we propose a conceptual model to assess cities' livability, that extends the concept of urban livability to include a component related to environmental sustainability. Second, we address the measurement of cities' livability. For this purpose, a new composite indicator was constructed based on a data envelopment analysis model specified using a directional distance function. In addition to assigning a summary measure of performance for each city, the composite indicator can be used to guide improvements concerning different livability objectives. One of the innovative features of the model proposed is to enable, by the specification of different directional vectors, focusing separately on each component of livability (e.g., human wellbeing and environmental impact) or alternatively considering cities' potential for improvement in all indicators simultaneously. In addition, it is possible to incorporate a new type of weight restrictions, specified as assurance regions type I, that reflect the relative importance of both desirable and undesirable outputs in percentage terms. Finally, this paper approached the assessment of the evolution of cities' performance over time using the Luenberger productivity indicator.

Abstract
This paper investigates the impact of internationalization and diversification strategies on the financial performance of construction industry companies. The results obtained can guide the design of strategies to pursue company growth and achieve competitive advantage. The evaluation of companies' performance is based on the use of the Data Envelopment Analysis technique to aggregate financial indicators using optimized weights. The impact of internationalization and diversification on company performance is explored using truncated regression, controlling for the effect of contextual factors such as company age, size and time. Data Envelopment Analysis and truncated regression were complemented with bootstrapping to ensure the robustness of the results obtained. The activity of Portuguese and Spanish contractors in the period 2002 to 2011 is used as case study. The empirical results show that internationalization has a positive impact on financial performance, although this effect is only statistically significant for Spanish contractors. Diversification has a nonlinear relationship with performance, benefiting companies with either a small number of core activities or companies with a broad scope of activities.