As the practice of intensive animal production increases, there is a need for affordable treatment technologies that can help manage the large amounts of manure generated. Our approach has been to develop an efficient liquid-solid separation module using polymer technology and integrate this separation module into systems of treatment technologies for both the separated liquid and solids. We describe the progress that has been made in management techniques and new technological alternatives for manure treatment and generation of value added by-products based on the SELCO-Ecopurin separation technology and experiences during the last five years in 12 livestock farms in Spain, Italy and the USA. High recovery of solids (>90%) makes the use of advanced purification of the liquid a more economical alternative. The liquid can be further treated to reduce N and P and produce effluents virtually free of these nutrients. Production of methane and energy was affected by solids concentration; the anaerobic process was optimised with polymer application rate of 120 ppm during separation and a solids content of 13%.

Abstract:In a context that approaches the limits of environmental and social problems, and in view of the challenges that the agri-food sector faces today, the need to produce more food, linking environmental sustainability and human health, constitutes a means for sector organizations to turn these new conditions into opportunities to achieve their strategic objectives in project governance. The objective of this study is to analyze the governance of an agri-food cooperative comprised of farmers with more than 40 years of experience. In addition, we propose, based on the findings obtained, a plan for the organization to integrate the culture of the projects and project management in its governance system. This paper is based on a conceptual framework that takes into account the systemic nature and dynamics of social and organizational interactions, with the aim of moving towards sustainability within the agri-food system, through the analysis of an empiric study in the agriculture cooperative sector in the southeast of Spain. The findings show that working by projects offers a novel and effective governance model for the sector, and that integrating expert and experienced knowledge, working with people, is a fundamental condition for moving towards sustainability.

This study analyses the effects that the project management certification has on employability. This analysis started with a participative process in which various groups of experts who are involved in the certification of people were consulted. A personal interview was carried out amongst 106 professionals -certifying bodies, training institutions, the civil service, and international organisations-and amongst professional who are certified in project management by the International Project Management Association in Spain. The results show that the certification emerges as a powerful tool for improving employability. The effects are demonstrated across two complementary aspects: internal company aspects and external aspects relating to the labour market. Finally, by compiling the different agents' opinions, a series of measures emerge for improving the accreditation processes as an employability tool and increasing the mutual learning between public and private actors. level within the population is linked to employability and that these skills should be adapted quickly in order to respond innovatively to the structural changes that are currently being experienced. This so-called life-long learning [36] is in response to said challenge and was adopted as a political objective for the member states of the OECD in 1996 [34]. Certification systems for professional skills are seen as tools that aim to improve people's employability and learning [20]. Therefore, the concepts of life-long learning and employability are strongly linked to these systems which are focused on skills and learning from a particular job [33], [34].Currently, there are several active certification models for personal skills -both professional and industrial-most of which are recognised internationally. In Spain there are currently five certified organisations for professional skills which are better known and more credible for the following reasons: a) their certifying bodies are internationally recognised and they apply rules at an international level; b) they are accredited by the National Accreditation Body (ENAC), according to the applicable international standard ISO/IEC 17024: 2003 and other stipulated accreditation requirements for organisations that certify people; c) they are based on models which have a voluntary element by which certain professionals improve public recognition of their skills and abilities.In Spain there are five such certification models for professional skills which meet these three requirements. They are associated with different areas; The European Organization for Quality (EOQ), The International Project Management Association (IPMA), The Project Management Institute (PMI), People Capability Maturity Model (P-CMM), and Coaching.This study investigates in Spain the effect that the project management certification -IPMA's universal four level certification system-has on employability. This universal system has been present in Spain since the year 2000 through AEIPRO (Asociación Española de Ingeniería de Proyecto...

Actualmente, ¿cómo se presenta la Dirección de Proyectos en Europa y cuáles son las proyecciones de crecimiento de esta área en el mundo? La dirección de proyectos (PPP-proyectos, programas y portafolios) es una de las profesiones de mayor demanda en Europa, hay muchas razones por las cuales la sociedad demanda cada vez más a los profesionales cualificados y competentes en dirección de PPP, entre ellas la complejidad, los nuevos desafíos, la necesaria sostenibilidad. El crecimiento del project manager en Europa no difiere de resto del mundo y está basado en la certificación de sus competencias profesionales por parte de organismos certificadores internacionales. ¿Según la IPMA, cuáles son las competencias necesarias a un director de proyectos? ¿Qué se debe hacer para desarrollarlas? Las competencias profesionales de un director de proyecto están definidas en la ICB® IPMA Competence Baseline, en ella se describen tres ámbitos de competencia con 46 elementos específicos: 20 de técnicas, 15 de comportamiento y 11 de contexto. La ICB® se adapta a la realidad cultural y contextual y en el idioma de cada país como NCB® National Competence Baseline, sobre la ICB-NCB el director de proyecto dispone de las bases necesarias para el establecimiento y desarrollo continuo de las competencias en 4 niveles, dependiendo de su conocimiento, experiencia y actitud.¿Cómo Brasil se posiciona con relación a la demanda de competencias necesarias a la Dirección de Proyectos? Brasil representa hoy una de la naciones de mayor proyección mundial, en lo social y en lo económico, un mercado de más de 200 millones de personas, con grandes desafíos y oportunidades, eventos de relevancia como los próximos Juegos Olímpicos donde la demanda de directores de proyectos competentes es una realidad.

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