The Analysis and Optimization of the Health and Disability Advocacy Problem

Abstract

The Health and Disability Advocacy Problem represents a typical example of commonly occurring network optimization problem. This problem arises from the request of New Zealand national Health and Disability Advocacy to determine an optimal allocation of their advocates to their visits. The Health and Disability Advocacy would like this optimal allocation to reduce the total travelling distance of all advocates throughout a year. This thesis presents a method of using a mathematical model called Vehicle Routing Problem model to analyze the allocation of advocates for the Health and Disability Advocacy. An algorithm aimed at solving the Vehicle Routing Problem is also introduced and it has been used in this thesis to determine the optimal allocation and the minimized travelling distance of advocates. Three problems have been solved in this thesis, two of which are small-scale test problems and the third problem is the full-scale Health and Disability Advocacy Problem based on the 2009 data. The findings of our study and the future extensions of the problem are also discussed.