On February 3, 2011 Waste Management, Xerox and the Decision Theater at ASU hosted the 1st Annual Executive Sustainability on the Tempe campus. More than 150 industry leaders, sustainability officers, managers and clients spent the day on campus learning from ASU faculty and industry sustainability leaders. Faculty speakers included: Dr. Bruce Rittmann, Dr. Harvey Bryan, Ray Jensen, Dr. R. F. Shangraw, Dr. Bill Verdini, Bonny Bentzin and Dr. George Basile. The forum concluded with optional sustainability sneaker tours and demonstrations of decision making models at the Decision Theater.
Education Projects
Waste Management 1st Annual Executive Sustainability Forum
Thursday, February 10th, 2011
The Future Of Water Management
Bob Ramsey Executive Education Program
Wednesday, June 16th, 2010
Challenge
The Bob Ramsey Executive Education program is a nationally recognized management development program at ASU. The Certified Public Manager (CPM) program wanted to introduce public managers and supervisors at all levels of government to water resource planning and management. The objective for this course was to help senior managers gain insights into and plan for water resource challenges around drought and sustainability
Solution
Decision Theater organized a one-day workshop around water resource management in the Arizona region. Structured group activities introduced participants to water resource and sustainability issues. Participants played the role of water leaders, and made decisions about water planning.
Results
Using visualization, scientifically sound scenarios, a collaborative decision-support tool and ‘backcasting,’ participants gained a sense of urgency that informed their decisions toward a more sustainable future. The event ended with a simulated press conference.
Projecting Student Enrollment
Scottsdale Unified School District
Tuesday, May 18th, 2010
Challenge
Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) officials needed forecasts of student enrollment through the year 2030 to plan programs and facilities for their students.
Solution
The Decision Theater created an integrated decision support system based on a system dynamics model, multivariate regression analysis and geospatial visualization. In addition to predicting enrollment, the model analyzes demographic and geographic characteristics of neighborhoods that affect student enrollment and assesses the spatial effects of open enrollment policies. All of the results can be displayed in the Decision Theater’s immersive environment, providing rich and analytical detail in understandable form.
Results
The decision support tool and supporting analysis was presented to the SUSD superintendent, district staff and the governing board. This decision support system is now part of the foundation district officials will use to prepare and evaluate long term plans.
Redistricting Arizona’s K-12 Schools
Arizona School District Redistricting Commission
Tuesday, May 18th, 2010
Challenge
The Arizona School District Redistricting Commission was charged with reviewing all strategies for unifying 123 elementary and union school districts. The proposed unification plans would increase operational efficiencies and make Arizona’s K-12 schools more competitive.
Solution
The Decision Theater collaborated with the W. P. Carey School of Business Seidman Research Institute to compile, organize and present data for the Commissioners’ recommendations that were made to the Governor of Arizona, Janet Napolitano.
Results
Redistricting recommendations made by the Commission were placed on the public ballot at the November 2008 elections.