Abstract
Decent Work Agenda consists of a comprehensive initiative for promoting safety at work and social protection. Over 20 years since its conceptual release, measuring the progress of its elements is still challenging even after the publication of the decent work indicators guideline by the International Labour Organization in 2012. To close this gap, we use a Directional Distance Function (DDF) to measure the efficiency of safe work environment, and propose a combined measure taking into consideration also the efficacy. To illustrate the application of DDF in a reality-based case, we conducted a longitudinal study in a multinational organization. Data were collected from 21 branches of the company over 4 years (2018-2021). In the period of analysis, 60% of the branches were efficient in average, composing an overall efficiency score of 0.91. Our results also indicated low dispersion between the efficiency scores year on year due to a small-scale interquartile range. Finally, the use of efficiency combined with efficacy resulted in a promising approach for managerial applications. This research presents some contributions. One is the novelty approach of measuring the efficiency of safe work environment using a DDF model in a real-world application. Another is the managerial benefits of identifying benchmarks, as well as revealing potential improvements as a mechanism to reduce decent work deficits. From a modeling perspective, our conclusions suggest caution in considering only efficiency to measure safe work environment due to its relative nature. Thus, further studies are recommended to explore the use of combined measures in the analysis of decent work.

Abstract
A benchmarking evaluation instrument was designed with a European Union country regulatory authority for water supply and wastewater treatment services to determine the efficient operating cost of its service providers that operated in the wholesale market segment in the 2017-2021 period. To this end, the non-parametric Data Envelopment Analysis technique was adapted to a robust and conditional approach. The results point to similar mean efficiency scores between water supply and wastewater services in the five-year period, despite the greater heterogeneity in the latter. Furthermore, the estimated potential cost savings for both services ranged from about 2% to 3%.

Abstract
This paper describes an application of data envelopment analysis (DEA) to the performance assessment of Portuguese bank branches. The analysis shows how DEA can complement the profitability measure currently used at the bank. The use of an efficiency-profitability matrix enabled the characterisation of the branches' performance profile. Consistent with the bank's development objectives, the analysis focused on the relation between branch size and performance. Two alternative target setting strategies were explored. One eliminates pure technical inefficiencies by focusing on the selection of appropriate benchmarks. The other attains the branches' most productive scale size through the elimination of scale inefficiencies, with minimal changes to branches' scale size.

Abstract
This paper explores the evolution of productivity of the artisanal dredge fleet that operates in the south coast of Portugal. This fleet is considered to be one of the most significant in the sector, essentially due to the volume and value of its catches. In this context, the study carried out sought in first place to determine variation in productivity over a time window of 10 years (between 1995 and 2004). Secondly, it sought to distinguish the performance of local and coastal vessels comprising the chosen fleet, The performance of the five homeports in the Algarve coast was also compared. We used Malmquist indexes to measure productivity change and explored the impact of changes in stock conditions and in regulatory policies on productivity levels. During the time period analysed, the measures defined by regulatory entities included allowing the use of a new type of dredge and the establishment of fishing quotas per vessel and per species. Finally, the fishing quotas allowed for each vessel were confronted with the captures officially declared.

Abstract
Oliveira, M. M., Camanho, A. S., and Gaspar, M. B. 2010. Technical and economic efficiency analysis of the Portuguese artisanal dredge fleet. - ICES Journal of Marine Science, 67: 1811-1821. An efficiency analysis of the commercial dredge fleet operating along the south coast of Portugal between 2005 and 2007 sought to determine the efficiency of the vessels using data envelopment analysis models, considering fixed inputs (vessel power, length, tonnage, and an indicator of stock biomass) and a variable input (number of days at sea). The annual quota per vessel was also included in the model as a contextual factor. In the technical-efficiency (TE) analysis, outputs were defined by the catch weight for each of the three target species (bivalves). Using price data for each species in the wholesale market, revenue efficiency was also estimated to complement the TE analysis. The advantage of the approach lies in the ability to separate technical aspects from allocative aspects in the efficiency assessment, allowing two-dimensional graphic representation of vessel performance. The procedure allows the identification of benchmark vessels, which maximized the catch weight of the species landed, given their inputs, as well as the vessels that selected the appropriate target species to maximize the revenue of the fishing activity, given output prices. The approach also allowed the specification of targets for inefficient vessels that correspond to the catch by species, permitting revenue maximization from fishing.

Abstract
This study develops a framework that combines different management science methods to provide insights concerning the performance of retailing stores. First, the framework enables to specify appropriate targets for stores of a retail network using data envelopment analysis. This involves comparing stores within homogenous groups, that is, supermarkets and hypermarkets. Second, the framework compares the overall performance of these two groups. This requires the combined use of a Malmquist-type index and statistical tests. This index is decomposed into sub-indices for comparing the differences between groups in terms of the efficiency spread in each group of stores and the productivity differences between the best-practice frontiers spanned by the benchmark stores from each group. The hypothesis tests are used to verify if the differences between groups captured by the sub-indices are statistically significant. Journal of the Operational Research Society (2012) 63, 631-645. doi:10.1057/jors.2011.63 Published online 13 July 2011