Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
the end-users?”), pertinence (“Does it express the requested impact or trend?”),
robustness (“How do we know that this indicator will be suitable for the different
situation from field to EU?”), sensitivity (“Do we think that the indicator will
change with the expected policy?”) and how is it computed (“Do we have the
knowledge, the data and the skill to compute it?”). This conceptual evaluation was
performed in close relation with the general evaluation procedure. Using the test
cases as concrete stories led the selection of indicators.
APES (Agricultural Production and Externalities Simulator) can illustrate the
conceptual evaluation of a quantitative model in the case of SEAMLESS-IF. APES
(see also Chapter 4 of this volume) is a field scale crop model describing the soil-
plant behaviour under a specific climate and technical management. From the test
cases we derived that APES should be able to simulate the yield and externalities
of main European crops to be further used as input by the farm model to which it
is linked. It also needed to be flexible and modular enough to allow for future addi-
tions of modules describing other processes (e.g. carbon sequestration) and types
of crops (combining several crops in an agroforestry system). In order to generate
proper yields and externalities APES has to take into account water and nitrogen
stresses as well as soil and weather variability across Europe, have parameters that
can be estimated from available data, and the integration of different modules
within APES should be scientifically sound (i.e. without scale and precision dis-
crepancy between modules).
Conceptual Evaluation of User Interfaces
When extending evaluation to issues like utility, robustness, rapidity, efficiency,
extension possibilities, ease of use, credibility, etc. (Mosqueira-Rey and Moret-Bonillo
2000)
the evaluation of user interfaces become important. The way in which
integrated frameworks can be accessed, i.e. through the graphic user interface,
determines to a large extent the type of study for which the integrated framework
can be put. The evaluation of user interfaces is closely linked to the target uses and
users of the framework.
In the case of SEAMLESS-IF which is a computer-based tool a GUI was
developed to set up IA within the framework. The GUI design was therefore
derived from the SEAMLESS procedure for integrated assessment (see Fig.
10.1
).
The conceptual evaluation of the GUI was based on mock-ups, which were
screenshots of how the GUI would look like while it was not yet operational to
run the model chains. These mock-ups were then evaluated to see whether they
would allow the implementation of the full SEAMLESS procedure for integrated
assessment of each of the test cases. Apart from allowing a conceptual evaluation
of the GUI at an early stage of development, mock-ups also facilitated development
of a common understanding and representation between participants of different
disciplines by providing a graphical illustration of the proposed functionalities
of the GUI.
