Environmental Science and Policy Essay

The occurrence of rapid economic and political changes could be traced from the post-era of industrial revolution. These changes have brought impact to the environment wherein emerging industrial progress and remarkable growth of population has acquired significant economic resourcing relating to the utilization of the ecosystem. On the other hand, the accompanying trends in the advancement of science and technologies have conquered the law of natural sciences. The expansion of factories, development of industrial machineries and increasing numbers of vehicles has brought in the looming effect of air pollution and other pollutants. Likewise, the exploitative and inefficient utilization of environment depletes the natural habitation of flora and fauna, from which the ecosystem becomes fragile and the forces of Mother Nature asymmetrically collide. Today, Global Warming is a potential catastrophe that threatens the earth and all its inhabitants. Such a situation depicts the poem of the Founder of Evolutionary Economics, Kenneth Ewart Boulding’s (1910-1993), as cited: â€Å"The world is finite, resources are scarce, Things are bad and will be worse, Coal is burned and gas exploded, Forests out and soil eroded, Wells are dry and air polluted, Dust is blowing, trees are uprooted, Oil is going, ores depleted, Drains receive what is excreted, Land is sinking, seas are rising, Man is far too enterprising, Fires will rage with man to fan it, Soon we will have a plundered planet† (Boulding,1993; in Edugreen Poems, 2008). The health hazard and death toll related to air pollution is extremely alarming; specifically in most highly populated and highly industrialized countries. Thus, the issue on air pollution is recognized as a critical sociological, economic and geological problem that is tried to be sensibly addressed by people and governments worldwide. This paper will objectively examine the extent and scope of various governmental and non-governmental responses on environmental science and policy issues relating to the evolution of the United States’ Clean Air Act, and the effects or impacts of its subsequent amendments towards achieving national and global importance in enacting policies to mitigate air pollution and towards the protection and preservation of the global environment. Methodology This paper adopts a three-prong method of study, such as (1) a review of literature relating to the Clean Air Act, (2) discussion of policy issues affecting its implementation, and (3) situational analysis to evaluate the national impact. What is Clean Air Act? According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US-EPA), the Clean Air Act (CAA) has been amended in 1970 as an ambitious national campaign to maintain healthy and quality air by controlling air pollution. With the 1970 amendment to CAA, many US-based industries criticized the CAA’s implementation due expensive compliance. To cite, the American businesses in a number of ways are forced to control air pollution through end-of-pipe methods that confine pollution and implement preventative measures that limit the quantity of pollutants, in which the cost of compliance with Clean Air Act regulations can be expensive (US-EPA, 2008). However, the Clean Air Act has been enacted to basically reduce air pollution. Based on the report of Business Week Magazine (2008), CAA implementation contributes to the decrease of significant amounts of air pollutants in the US at about 30% from the period of 1970 to 1995, in spite of the US’ population growth of 28% of that period. Literature Review Brief historical background The problems on air pollution have long been an issue way back from the time of King Edward I of England in 1306 (American Meteorological Society, 1999). As further cited from the American Meteorological Society (1999), King Edward issued a proclamation banning the use of sea coal in London due to the smoke it caused. On the succeeding centuries, Great Britain continuously pursued the anti-pollution campaign on its first trial to air pollution controlling in Chicago and Cincinnati during its US occupation, in which it legislated the Clean Air Policy of 1881. After the British-American war, the Clean Air Policy of 1881 was adopted by the US and enforced by its federal government agencies, specifically the Bureau of Mines of the Department of the Interior which established the Office of Air Pollution. In the 1940’s, the tragedy caused by a â€Å"deadly smog† in Los Angeles and Donora, Pennsylvania elevated the alarm of the residents of affected areas which called the US Congress to pass the ‘Air Pollution Control Act of 1955’, which was the â€Å"first clean air and air quality control acts† that is still in effect and being continuously revised and amended (American Meteorological Society, 1999). Historical amendments to the Clean Air Act as a state policy A timeline on the amendments to the Clean Air Act is herein cited from the electronic journal of the American Meteorological Society (1999) in order to fully discuss the historical and chronological basis of its evolution as a state policy, as follows: In 1955, the local governments’ problems on air pollution has triggered the federal government to address the issue at a national level in which Congress passed the Air Pollution Control Act of 1955 as a result of the â€Å"deadly smog tragedy† in Donora, Pennsylvania that accounted the deaths of 20 people and hundreds of casualties from airborne diseases. In 1963, Congress passed the nation’s Clean Air Act of 1963 to reduce air pollution by setting emission standards for stationary sources such as power plants and steel mills. It did not take into account mobile sources of air pollution which had become the largest source of many dangerous pollutants. In 1970, the issue on inadequate laws in enacting the Clean Air Act of 1963 has been amended by the Clean Air Act of 1970 as a major modification which emphasized challenging principles, such as the establishment of â€Å"primary and secondary principles† for setting air quality, minimize emissions from factories and vehicles as to be enacted by the state and federal government, and increased funds for air pollution research and development. Congress did not amend the Clean Air Act during the 1980’s because of President Reagan’s prioritization of economic policies above environmental actions. In 1990, the long phase of idleness of the federal government has realized the need to modify the Clean Air Act of 1970. The amendment has enacted the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 that focuses on 5 key areas of implementation, such as (1) air-quality standards, (2) motor vehicle emissions and alternative fuels, (3) toxic air pollutants, (4) acid rain, and (5) stratospheric ozone depletion. The Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 (as amended) envisioned a recovery of gaps of regulatory policies and empowered the functions of government agencies’ and the implementations of their policies.

Being a Girl

Being Girl: A Sociological Memoir My first memory of kindergarten was this: dozens of tiny, petrified 5-year-olds being dropped off at their first day of school, and dozens of exhausted, overworked mothers consoling their weeping sons and daughters. I remember it vividly because, despite the terror and chaos, a single thought pervaded my mind, the thought that â€Å"these moms are not as pretty as my mom. † I wasn’t entirely biased, either. By North American standards of beauty, I was correct. Here was my mother, a rail-thin, blonde-haired, blue-eyed statuesque stunner, among a sea of frumpy women with visible wrinkles and tangles of black hair.And here I was, the daughter of this perfect specimen, the proud owner of a mother who was more â€Å"feminine†, more â€Å"womanly†, and therefore, I naively deduced, â€Å"a better mother†. In fact, although my vocabulary was fairly limited at the time, I believed her to be the epitome of all mothers. She l ooked, I told her that morning, â€Å"like a mom was supposed to look. † In interviewing my mother, she said that this was my â€Å"first brush with what it meant to be a girl. † Throughout kindergarten, I was labeled â€Å"weird†. I dug for worms, collected Pokemon cards (which was deemed a â€Å"boyish† activity), and none of my friends were girls.My teacher, a young woman who had just recently graduated from university, was often concerned for me, and thought that my lack of female friends would be detrimental to my developing of social skills, so she would often encourage the popular girls in the class to include me in their recess activities. They did as they were told, and despite my hesitation, I jumped rope with them at recess, while still managing to play with the boys for short periods of time. Finally, one day, the girls gave me an ultimatum: â€Å"us† or â€Å"them†.If I wanted to be an â€Å"official† member of their â₠¬Å"club† (This was serious business; they had membership cards made out of construction paper), I had to give up the toy trucks and the rambunctious boys. With the encouragement of my teacher, I severed ties with the boys. Although I missed them, I quickly learned that being a girl was â€Å"better† anyways. Apparently, girls were allowed to wear makeup and dresses and boys had cooties and never took baths and didn’t I like being clean? I suppose I liked being clean, but what I really liked was being accepted by this particular group of popular girls.I suppressed my love of all things â€Å"dirty†, all things that were labeled â€Å"boy†, and developed a superficial affinity for all things typically â€Å"girly†, in an attempt to fit comfortably into this group. I skipped rope at recess, I choreographed dances, and I received a ballerina outfit from my parents at Christmas that I absolutely adored. Being a girl was not very hard. It came with a list of instructions. Do this, talk like this, wear this, and you are a girl. It was less of an innate instinct than it was a learned act. I wasn’t born with an eyelash curler in hand, rather, it was handed down to me by a girl older than myself.The torch of femininity was passed down from generation to generation until it finally landed in my dirt-stained lap. In 9th grade, in a fit of rebellion against my mother, who I fought with often around this time, I cut my hair short. Not just â€Å"short†, I cut my hair boy short, a look my mother wasn’t too fond of, which, naturally, made me covet and admire it more, because nothing is as satisfying as a mother’s disapproval when you are a rebellious teenager. When I returned to school the Monday following my haircut, however, I didn’t get the positive reaction I had anticipated.No, the minute I walked into my first period class, the official â€Å"bully† of the grade, a tall, unattractive fell ow, asked me if I had become a â€Å"dyke†, and insisted on calling me â€Å"dykey† for the remainder of the day. The strange behavior of my classmates didn’t stop there. Girls I only casually talked to began avoiding me, which I learned while interviewing a friend from that time was because they were â€Å"convinced I was trying to hit on them†. Boys treated me differently as well. According to this same friend, it was because they believed I was gay.Not â€Å"lesbian†, because, for them, the word â€Å"lesbian† conjured up images of attractive girls drunkenly kissing at a house party, but gay. Gay as in homosexual, gay as in â€Å"fag†. I didn’t understand why a simple haircut had drastically changed my classmate’s opinions of me. Sure, I dressed a bit â€Å"boyish†, as I wasn’t fond of dresses and found skirts to be uncomfortable, but that was all a matter of taste, not sexuality. Wasn’t it? Besid es, I wasn’t gay. I had a boyfriend at the time. I quickly learned that being â€Å"gay† had little to do with who you liked, and more to do with what you did.The â€Å"last straw†, the event that acted as a catalyst, the one that prompted me to conform to what it meant to be a â€Å"girl†, occurred the day I accompanied my sister to our high school’s uniform shop to buy her a blazer. My hair was still cropped short at the time. I wore long, baggy jeans, no makeup, and an oversized band t-shirt. Upon walking up to the cash register, the lady behind the counter turned to my sister and blurted out, innocently, â€Å"Oh, is this your brother? † I was too embarrassed to correct her, and instead gazed at her awkwardly until she realized her mistake.After a moment of tense silence, it dawned on her. â€Å"Oh! haha, silly me, I meant sister,† she swallowed nervously, embarrassed. I honestly didn’t really mind being confused for a boy, but this lady was intent on defending my womanly honor. â€Å"I’m really, really sorry. You know, when I was young, I had short hair for while, and tons of people thought I was a boy. It was so embarrassing. † Surprisingly, her short anecdote did not make me feel better. According to her, being confused for a boy was this terribly embarrassing ordeal that she carried with her all her life.She apologized profusely for the mixup, and continued to do so throughout the school year, whenever I happened to stop by the uniform shop. Through her, I learned that not adhering to strict gender rules on how one should dress caused embarrassment and humiliation, and I therefore should’ve been profoundly humiliated when the mixup occurred. When future incidents similar to this one occurred (I was confused for a boy a second time in a restaurant a few months later), I knew that I should be ashamed of myself. I had utterly failed at being feminine, so much so that I might as w ell have been a boy.Oh the horror. The fear of â€Å"not being girly enough† grew more intense with every snide remark and homophobic slur, and I soon found myself staying home on weekends, retreating to my room, my fortress, playing video games while my peers downed copious amounts of alcohol and partied, for the few months it took my hair, the symbol of my femininity, the only thing that differentiated me from a boy, to grow back. Once it did, I was quickly re-accepted into my group of peers. I was a girl, I looked like a girl, and I acted like a girl, and this seemed to please them. I â€Å"knew my place†, so to speak.Gender Roles and Sexuality While gender has both biological and neurological components, my personal experiences with gender have allowed me to see gender as more of a social construct. In terms of gender, I’m a believer in behaviorism, the psychology that emphasizes socialization over biology in creating gender identity. In my experiences, for the most part, gender was not a naturally occurring phenomenon, it was taught. My experiences mostly relate to feminist postmodernism, which, out of all the categories of feminism in relation to gender, emphasizes the influence of social constructs the most.Queer Theory, a methodology within postmodernism that was introduced by Professor Judith Butler in her book Gender Trouble, also relates to my experiences. The theory states that gender identity is not created by biology, but by â€Å"gender performance. † She argues that individuals are not distinctly â€Å"male† or â€Å"female†. Male and female were opposites on a spectrum, and most people fell somewhere in the middle of the spectrum, but â€Å"acted† more male or female depending on the situation. Growing up, I displayed different characteristics that were specific to both males and females.I was quiet, a characteristic usually attributed to girls, and I was â€Å"tough†: I occasionally pick ed fights, a characteristic usually attributed to boys. Butler’s theory that people act exclusively male or female to conform to gender expectation is completely relatable. In order to be a â€Å"girl†, I had to give up my â€Å"other half†. In my above narrative, I mentioned that, to be part of the popular girl’s posse, I had to sever ties with the boys. In this situation, I was either a â€Å"girl† or a â€Å"boy†, and I had to choose which one I wanted to be.I ultimately chose girl, although I would have much preferred if I could maintain both my male and female characteristics and qualities. Queer Theory also states that gender â€Å"performances† are restricted by sanctions (Steckley, Letts 360). We avoid acting out (or performing) in ways that conflict with gender norms because we want to avoid negative sanctions. In my experiences, negative sanctions imposed by my peers (including overt forms of bullying, being labelled a †Å"dyke†, and being rejected) fostered in me a deep-seated fear of ostracism, and I learned to conform to gender norms and roles in order to gain acceptance among my lassmates. I believe the â€Å"ideology of fag† perfectly sums up my aforementioned experiences. The ideology of fag is a set of beliefs which dictates that â€Å"if you violate a gender role, you must be gay† (Stekley, Letts 360). Prior to my ostracism, the word â€Å"gay†, to me, was a neutral word. It simply referred to homosexuality. However, in high school, â€Å"gay† became an accusation, a threat. Being a â€Å"lesbo† or a â€Å"dyke† was something immoral. It was an insult hurled at me with the utmost contempt.It became the most powerful sanction, the one that I believe played the biggest role in my gender socialization. My classmates made it clear that a â€Å"dyke† was something that I didn’t want to be, and therefore, to eliminate any traces of lesb ian-ness, I had to â€Å"become† a girl. If I was gay because I violated gender roles, because I dressed like boys and enjoyed activities that boys typically enjoyed, then all I needed to do to not be gay was to stop violating these gender roles.Gayness, in essence, was in no way related to who you were sexually attracted to; it referred to the violation of gender norms. Acting aggressive, initiating fights and being obnoxious â€Å"meant† that a girl was a lesbian. A passive, nurturing, sensitive boy was gay. This relates to Ann Oakley’s concept of gender and gender roles. Gender roles are â€Å"sets of expectations concerning behavior and attitudes that relate to being male or female† (Steckley, Letts 354). Gender roles, their enforcement, and the severity of the consequences doled out to those who reject them differ across cultures and societies.In my classroom, in my pseudo-society, there was no room for androgyny. Gender roles were rigidly enforced, and anyone who strayed from them was ridiculed and marginalized. Boys who did not assert themselves, or boys who ventured into the category of subordinate masculinity, as opposed to complicit or hegemonic, were routinely beaten, demeaned and humiliated until they â€Å"manned up†, hid their homosexuality (in most cases, however, they were not gay, simply â€Å"too sensitive†) and participated in complicit masculine practices.Girls who did not act typically feminine, sensitive and unabashedly â€Å"girlish† were marginalized as well, and although they did not suffer to the same extent that the marginalized boys did, and were not subjected to beatings, they nevertheless were severely pressured into assuming a â€Å"traditional† female gender role. Today, my hair is longer. It is blonde at times, brown at times, it is often black, but it is never short. My uniform consists of tights, shorts and skirts.I have worn pants approximately 3 times this semester, an d on each occasion it was because I was running late. I never leave the house without at least some form of makeup. I justify my sudden change in taste by reassuring myself that I have simply â€Å"grown up†. I’ve navigated away from my boyish nature in the same way that I navigated away from cartoons and cheeseburgers: It followed the natural order of things. However, despite my reassurances, the real reason behind my change is not becoming â€Å"more mature†.The truth is, I’m scared. I’ve been socialized into this gender role and I know that scrutiny is awaiting me if I ever choose to leave it. I fear breaking gender norms and being subjected to negative sanctions in the same way I fear dark alleys at night. It is a rational fear, in that it protects me from being ostracized and it satisfies a very basic human need: the need to be accepted. Work Cited Steckley, J. , and Kirby Letts, G. (2010). Elements of Sociology. Oxford University Press Canada .

Henrietta's Immortal Cells Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Henrietta's Immortal Cells - Essay Example Sadly, this same rate of cell proliferation killed Henrietta but the cells have lived on to become support pillars of biological researches. â€Å"He-La are the first immortal human cell lineage† (Howard W Jones, Victor A. McKusick; Obstetrics and gynecology, pg-945-949). Dr.Gey distributed the cells worldwide to researchers, to help in research endeavors, because â€Å"He-la cells could be grown by anyone capable of trypsinizing cells† (Fredrick Bang, History of tissue culture), they divided rapidly, synthesized normal proteins, mimicked normal cell signaling, gene regulation and could be infected, and thus they became potential tools for study. He-La cells helped to develop Salk’s vaccine and the cells have also been used for gene mapping, Aids and Cancer studies, gene cloning, immunological studies. Author Rebecca Skloot â€Å"More than 60,000 published science articles have mentioned He-La cell research and the number just keeps on increasing† (Rebecca Skloot, The Immortal life of Henreitta

Vivendi Universal Case Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Vivendi Universal Case - Assignment Example In the case of EBITDA, deprecation and amortization which does not involve the payment of cash but represents estimated annual charges for tangible and intangible assets respectively are not taken into account. These charges relate to the portion of assets used up during the period. Operating free cash flow which is seen as a more useful measure is the net operating capital after tax with a deduction for expenditures on operating capital during the period (Brigham and Ehrhardt 2010). Increasing free cash flow (FCF) is seen as the means by which managers seek to improve their company’s valuation (Brigham and Ehrhardt 2010). FCF takes into consideration interest and taxes as well as the company’s gross investment in operating capital in order to determine what is available to be distributed to investors. EBITDA does not differ from accrual earnings as it takes into consideration revenue earned during the current period but not yet received as well as expenses incurred but not yet paid. However, it does not take into consideration interest and taxes which relates to the net income earned during the period. Additionally, depreciation charges which seek to allocate the cost of operating assets over their estimated useful life and amortization charges on tangible assets for which amounts are capitalized in the accounts. Operating free cash flow differs from accrual earnings because it not only focus on expenses incurred during the period and revenue earned during the period but also investments in operating capital – fixed or non-current assets and current assets. Earnings accrual does not take gross investment in operating capital into account. I believe that auditors should be held responsible for auditing such information since the income statement and the cash flow statement form part of the financial statements that they provide opinion on in there audit report. They state whether these and

Application of concept Analysis to Clinical Practice Essay

Application of concept Analysis to Clinical Practice - Essay Example Teamwork is considered a major facilitator for effective communication in various clinical settings. However, the meaning and nature of teamwork requires an in-depth research for effective translation of the concept into practice. As healthcare systems are regarded as organizations, teamwork helps to create more adaptive and productive working environments facilitating positive and cost-effective outcomes. Healthcare institutions throughout the world advocate the need for development of effective healthcare teams. Many researchers have even warned that lack of teamwork amongst healthcare individuals can lead to unsafe patient care practices. Better communication and understanding among healthcare professionals may reduce medication errors and effect patient outcomes positively. The lack of conceptual clarity with regards to actual representation of the concept is one of the major hindrances in clinical practice. ... thod as a concept may imply number of meanings in different contexts and it is important for clarification of concept to be explored according to its unique context. As the understanding of teamwork concept was merely addressed in healthcare theories, the authors compared their findings with theories from organizational theory literature. In first two steps of the process, the concept of team work was identified and purpose of the analysis was established. The study aimed at providing useful definition for the concept within healthcare, which also has implications for future research. Along from nursing, other literature was also searched to prevent biasness of opinion. Various databases including, Medline, CINAHL, Web of Science and Cambridge Scientific Abstracts were searched for terms ‘team working’, ‘teamwork’, ‘team’ and ‘team working’ to screen titles. Existing definitions for the concept were also deeply researched from liter ature published in the last few decades. In the next step, the uses of the concept were identified. It is critical to note here that though the concept should be examined across different disciplines, but complete explorations can sometimes also render the results impractical. For instance, in human resource management, teamwork increases the expertise and skills of the employees. Learning capabilities are nourished and enhanced through team work in educational settings. In healthcare, team work reduces medical errors to a greater extent improving patient outcomes. Multiple definitions for ‘Team’ and ‘Work’ were both combined and separately sought and analyzed from various English as well as medical dictionaries for better understanding of the combined term. Some attributes of teamwork were also determined in the next

Job Satisfaction Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Job Satisfaction - Article Example That may make them more satisfied with their "work" in the short run, but their performance certainly didn't improve. Each and every organization is faced with people challenges. How do you get public moving in the right direction Start where they are. The first step is to provide feedback to employees from their current point of view. That is where Inscape Publishing comes in. For nearly 30 years Inscape guides have been first choice for research-based self-assessments. They've helped over 30 million people worldwide progress performance, increase job satisfaction and value differences (Hines, 1990). All analysis are conducting by using SPSS for Windows (SPSS, 13.0) were utilized to conduct statistical analyses. Descriptive statistics were calculated for the employment background and the job satisfaction variables. Now we apply the hypothesis on overall job satisfaction level and ANOVA for intrinsic and extrinsic satisfactions. Since the computed value of z falls within the rejection region, so we reject the null hypothesis (at = 0.05). So there is sufficient evidence that the average overall job satisfaction is not equals to 4.5 The significance value of the F test in the ANOVA table is 0.000 and 0.002 for intrinsic and extrinsic cases respectively. ... Therefore, Z = Z = -2.1124 Critical Region At 0.05 level of significance, the critical values are as follows, Z Z/2 1.96 Decision: Reject Ho, Conclusion Since the computed value of z falls within the rejection region, so we reject the null hypothesis (at = 0.05). So there is sufficient evidence that the average overall job satisfaction is not equals to 4.5 Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) The significance value of the F test in the ANOVA table is 0.000 and 0.002 for intrinsic and extrinsic cases respectively. Thus, we must reject the hypothesis that average satisfaction assessment scores are equal across both intrinsic and extrinsic groups. Now that we know the groups differ in some way, we need to learn more about the structure of the differences. Taking overall job satisfaction as a factor - Obviously when a job is routine, these elements would be routine. What is routine is ordinary, and what is ordinary cannot be perfect. In order to have a perfect job, one has to break through these formal walls that are built to enclose a so-called professional world. Summary Employee expectations of certain standards for working conditions at the beginning of employment may be considered an implicit social contract with the employer. If those standards are not met, a violation of the contract occurs and system inequity results. System inequity may be the most powerful predictor of dissatisfaction given that, in addition to working conditions, it has been found to be antecedent to pay dissatisfaction. Firms seeking to reduce system inequity must promote realistic expectations of both pay and working conditions, particularly at the time of employment (Happell, 2003). In summary, this article has filled a gap in the

How the USA Patriot Act Effect Law Enforcement Research Paper

How the USA Patriot Act Effect Law Enforcement - Research Paper Example This illustrates that the USA Patriot Act is aimed at enforcing the law enforcement agencies by enabling them to be in a position to competently deal with terrorism attempts. However, enormous debate has revolved as pertains to whether the USA Patriot Act positively or negatively effects the law enforcement. It is with this regard that the thesis statement that this paper seeks to affirm is that the Patriot Act is designed to offer positive benefits to the goals of law enforcement and federal intelligence agencies that protect the American populations (Van Cleef 73). Topic sentence 1: Withstanding the presumed negatives that have come with intelligence investigation after the passing of the Patriot Act, surveillance strategies are actually necessary for securing the public welfare. The patriot Act is mainly aimed at protecting the nationals of the United States against terrorist attacks and surveillance form the enforcement agencies. Surveillance intelligence has widely been reviewed in the case of Mayfield following the terrorist Act and was typically depicted as Patriot Act on trial in the Nation Newspaper. This was a case that took shape in March 2004 where intelligence surveillance after conducting investigations, the FBI concluded that following the cross matching of partial finger prints in one of the bomb detonator bags, it matched that of Mayfield and he was arrested. His arrest was affirmed by in depth investigations that revealed that he was a Muslim convert and had been involved in a movement of Taliban’s that had wanted to go to Afghanistan to fight against the United States (Sarasohn 1). However, Mayfield being an attorney knew that the United States had no charges against him and being a citizen of the United States, challenged his arrest and conviction on the wake of the Patriot Act. This led to his release following additional surveillance that revealed that he was not the perpetrator behind the terrorism attack. This led Mayfield to chal lenge the protection assured by the Patriot Act since he affirmed that his protection, safety and privacy had been violated by the enforcement agencies during the investigations. The Mayfield trial is a clear indication of the effect the Patriot Act has on law enforcement especially with reference to intelligence investigations. Consequently, surveillance strategies depicted in the Patriot Act and Mayfield trial, affirm that the Patriot Act is indeed aimed at securing the public welfare. This therefore affirms the thesis statement that the Patriot Act is designed to offer positive benefits to the goals of law enforcement and federal intelligence agencies that protect the American populations (Sarasohn 1). Topic sentence 2: Patriot Act makes it possible for law officers to conduct search and seizure procedures without first notifying the individuals involved. Patriot Act of the United States gives law enforcement officers the mandate to seizure and act without warning in terrorist at tempts. This gives the law enforcement officers an upper hand in the investigations and especially in the financial sector which has become a major terrorist avenue. The Patriot Act has provisions that enable the treasury to secure its finances by implementing anti-money launder mechanisms. These are

Law Enforcement and Policing- (Deputy Sheriff) Essay

Law Enforcement and Policing- (Deputy Sheriff) - Essay Example The sheriff is the head of the department-wide authority. Different ranks have the scope of authority in a given county for analysis purpose we shall take an example of Montgomery county in Tennessee. Here we find that the sheriff is the department-wide authority with an insignia having five gold stars arranged in a pentagon, second in command is the chief deputy sheriff with a badge having four gold stars arranged in a line the chief deputy sheriff is responsible with department-wide jurisdiction with the authority to act in the stead of the sheriff. The captain is third in command where he acts as a division commander his badge is a double gold bars. The lieutenant is forth in command whom is the section commander and carries a insignia with a single gold bar (Inwald, 1988). The sergeant is the fifth in command who his responsibility is the unit or the shift commander for identification he has 3 chevrons. Next to him the investigator is basically called school resource officer, their responsibilities are to provide direction for deputies at crime scenes there is no way of identifying them since they do not wear any insignia. The corporal is responsible for field training officer for patrol shift supervisor or detection division, the corporal wears 2 chevrons with FTO notation for patrol. lastly in the basic organizational structure is the deputy sheriff who is the only one whose badge is silver as opposed to others who have a gold badge in color, he has no insignia (Inwald, 1991). The sheriff has is important in every county due to the functions that he is responsible for within the county, the sheriff is the chief law enforcement officer who is charged with the responsibility of policing the county and keeping the peace, he has the power to make arrests and administration of jail and custody of the inmates. The sheriff also serves as the treasurer of the county and is responsible for collecting all taxes which are levied by the

Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words - 1

Strategic Management - Essay Example A bird’s eye view on the Australian wine industry, at this juncture, would be appreciable. Wines in Australia though are 200 years old, the industry was sluggish in its initial years. They have now caught pace in New-world countries that they are considered the ‘Hot Trends’ in the market. Thomas Hardy & Sons wine company, known for its quality wines, was established in Australia in 1853 and was most respected for its culture and polite values. Berri Renmano Ltd. (BRL), a co-operative and merged entity was known for aggressiveness and commercial success. Hardy group had to incur huge losses after acquiring some French, Tuscan and Italian old wineries. At the same time, BRL was also facing financial hardship, but nevertheless proposed and merged with Hardy which according to the industry analysts was not a great arrangement. Owing to the financial strength of the BRL team, BRL Hardy had more of BRL’s executives at the top notch in the merged entity while the Hardy’s executives were a bit suppressed. Irrespective of all these happenings, the group was an initial success. After the initial success, there were differences regarding the marketing and distribution of some key brands of the company between Stephen Davies, the Group Marketing and Export Manager based at the head office at Reynella, Australia and the Managing Director of U.K. management team – Christopher Carson. For instance, while Davies was planning to launch a global brand, Carson tried to develop a low price wine brand D’instinto. This attemp t was criticised by Davies citing examples of Carson’s failure in renewal of distribution agreement of Caliterra (wine brand) and disappointing launch of brand Mapocho with a Chilean sourcing. Nevertheless, Steve Millar, the Managing Director of the BRL Hardy Company as a whole understood these delicate issues and tactically dealt with both of them. Similarly, the head office was planning to launch Banrock station, a product which was a

The Home Depot SWOT Analysis Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Home Depot SWOT Analysis - Article Example This paper seeks to do a SWOT analysis of this giant specialty retailer by evaluating its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in order to make suggestions on how to keep the company growing and profitable. Home Depot has ensured continued success and lead in the home improvement industry due to various strengths which include: The home depot’s continued growth is as a result of continuously renewing and working on its culture aimed at producing good products, sustaining its employees and customers thus effectively maintaining its competitive edge in the retail industry. The Home Depot culture is focused on taking care of its employees by paying those modest wages and benefits, providing them with excellent and superior training and granting them opportunities for advancement. The employees are regarded as the most important people after the customers due to their role in interfacing with the customers (Marcus and Blank, 271) Home depot also provides their customers with value, loyalty and low pricing. Through the company’s focus in customer satisfaction, the company’s NPS, (Net Promoter Scores) has improved significantly allowing it to wrest a further market share from rival companies. Home Depot’s success is also attributed to its ability to form alliances with strategic partners. Through its partnerships with the industry’s leading manufactures it is able to deliver exclusive and innovative assortments such as to do-it-yourselfers and professional contractors alike, with combination of other brands like LG appliances. Home depot’s continued upgrading of its computerized systems and implementation of satellite communication increased its operational efficiency. This was evident as significant reduction in operational costs were realized thus supporting the overall growth of the company and better

Ratification of the Constitution Essay Example for Free

Ratification of the Constitution Essay When the new Constitution was proposed in the year 1787, many arguments arose that opposed its ratification. When the framers of the Constitution met on the 17th of September that year, they asked every state to call a special convention that would take into consideration the ratification of the new constitution. This was all for the purpose of a new government for the thirteen United States of America. All of the major arguments that surfaced in opposition to the new constitution did have reason behind them, but there were still many reasons to justify the ratification of the new Constitution that would create a new US government. At the time, Americans felt that their loyalty to the state governments would keep them from ratifying the new Constitution. As spoken about in Document A, such a vast territory, as the 13 colonies were, cant be governed by one government only but need several small state governments instead. If it were to be governed fully by one government it would no dubitably become a dictatorship. And according to Document B, A very expensive territory cannot be governed on the principles of freedom, otherwise then by a confederation of republics, posing all the powers of internal government; but united in the management of their general, and foreign concerns. This means that one government for all the 13 states would not be sufficient to properly govern on the principles of freedom without help from a confederation of republics. Those who opposed the Constitution also feared the strong central government it would come to create. In Document A, Patrick Henry said in his speech to the Virginia ratifying convention on June 9 of the year 1788, In the British government there are real balances and checks: in this system there are only ideal balances. Till I am convinced that there are actual efficient checks, I will not give my assent to its establishment. By this, Henry meant that until the lines are clear that there are real balances and checks in this new system, he will not support the ratification of this new constitution. Document D shows George Clintons words In Opposition to Destruction of States Rights. Clinton has said The premises which the new form of government is erected, declares a consolidation or union of all thirteen parts, o r states, into one great whole, under the firm of the United States Here he means that The result of one government over all nations will end as a house divided against itself. And in Document G, James Madison  states that the greater number of citizens and extent of territory which may be brought within the compass of republican then of democratic government; Extend the sphere, and you take in a greater variety of parties and interests; you make it less probable that a majority of the whole will have a common motive to invade the rights of other citizens; or if such a common motivate exists, it will be more difficult for all who feel it to discover their own strength, and to act in unison with each other. Madison pointed out that a main central government over the thirteen states would not function properly if the states did not all share a common motive, and if they did, there would still be struggles in acting in unison together. These three main arguments that rose up in opposition to the new constitution that was proposed in 1787 all have fair reasoning behind them. The new government for the thirteen United States of America was meant to unify the country as a whole and set up a way for it to function as one nation. The framers of the Constitution clearly supported its ratification while the states debated whether or not to support it. When in July, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the constitution, the Federalists soon proposed a Bill of Rights to be added. After approved by the states, 10 of the 12 amendments became the Bill of Rights and with this, the ratification of the Constitution was complete. The thirteen United States of America now had a new government Document A Source: Patrick Henry, speech to the Virginia ratifying convention, June 9, 1788 I am persuaded of what the honorable gentleman says, that separate confederacies will ruin us. In my judgment, they are evils never to be thought of till a people are driven by necessity. When he asks my opinion of consolidation, of one power to reign over America with a strong hand, I will tell him I am persuaded of the rectitude of my honorable friends opinion, (Mr. Mason,) that one government cannot reign over so extensive a country as this is, without absolute despotism. Compared to such a consolidation, small confederacies are little evils; though they ought to be recurred to but in case of necessity†¦.In the British government there are real balances and checks: in this system there are only ideal balances. Till I am convinced that there are actual efficient checks, I will not give my assent to its  establishment. The President and senators have nothing to lose. They have not that interest in the preservation of the government that the king and lords have in England. They will, therefore, be regardless of the interests of the people. Document B Source: The Address and Reasons of Dissent of the Minority of the Convention of Pennsylvania to their Constituents, December 12, 1787 We dissent, first, because it is the opinion of the most celebrated writers on government, and confirmed experience, that a very extensive territory cannot be governed on the principles of freedom, otherwise than by a confederation of republics, possessing all the powers of internal government; but united in the management of their general, and foreign concerns†¦.The first consideration that this review suggests, is the omission of a BILL of RIGHTS, ascertaining and fundamentally establishing those unalienable and personal rights of men, without the full, free, and secure enjoyment of which there can be no liberty, and over which it is not necessary for a good government to have the control. The principal of which are the rights of conscience, personal liberty by the clear and unequivocal establishment of the writ of habeas corpus, jury trial in criminal and civil cases, by an impartial jury of the vicinage or county, with the common law proceedings, for the safety of the accused in criminal prosecutions, and the liberty of the press, that scourge of tyrants, and the grand bulwark of every other liberty and privilege; the stipulations heretofore made in favor of them in the state constitutions, are entirely superceded by this constitution. Document C Source: The Debates In the Convention of the State of New York, On the adoption of the Federal Constitution, June 17, 1788. He would now proceed to state his objections to the clause just read, (section 2, of article 1, clause 3.) His objections were comprised under three heads: 1st, the rule of apportionment is unjust; 2d, there is no precise number fixed on, below which the house shall not be reduced; 3d, it is inadequate. In the first place, the rule of apportionment of the representatives is to be according to the whole number of the white inhabitants, with three fifths of all others; that is, in plain English, each state is to send representatives in proportion to the number of freemen, and three fifths of the slaves it  contains. He could not see any rule by which slaves were to be included in the ratio of representation. The principle of a representation being that every free agent should be concerned in governing himself, it was absurd in giving that power to a man who could not exercise it. Slaves have no will of their own. The very operation of it was to give certain privileges to those people who were so wicked as to keep slaves. He knew it would be admitted that this rule of apportionment was founded on unjust principles, but that it was the result of accommodation; which, he supposed, we should be under the necessity of admitting, if we meant to be in union with the Southern States, though utterly repugnant to his feelings. Document D Source: George Clinton, In Opposition to Destruction of States Rights The premises on which the new form of government is erected, declares a consolidation or union of all thirteen parts, or states, into one great whole, under the firm of the United States But whoever seriously considers the immense extent of territory comprehended within the limits of the United States, together with the variety of its climates, productions, and commerce, the difference of extent, and number of inhabitants in all; the dissimilitude of interests, morals, and politics in almost every one, will receive it as an intuitive truth, that a consolidated republican form of government therein, can never form a perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquillity, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to you and your posterity, for to these objects it must be directed: this unkindred legislature therefore, composed of interests opposite and dissimilar in nature, will in its exercise, emphatically be like a house divided against itself Document E Source: Brutus, New York Journal, January 10, 1788 The power to raise armies, is indefinite and unlimited, and authorises the raising forces, as well in peace as in war. Whether the clause which impowers the Congress to pass all laws which are proper and necessary, to carry this into execution, will not authorise them to impress men for the army, is a question well worthy consideration? If the general legislature deem it for the general welfare to raise a body of troops, and they cannot be procured by voluntary enlistments, it seems evident, that it will be  proper and necessary to effect it, that men be impressed from the militia to make up the deficien cy. Document F Source: Noah Webster, â€Å"An Examination into the Leading Principles of the Constitution October 10, 1787 â€Å"Congress likewise are to have the power to provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining the militia, but have no other command of them, except when in actual service. Nor are they at liberty to call out the militia at pleasure—but only, to execute the laws of the union, suppress insurrection, and repel invasions. For these purposes, government must always be armed with a military force, if the occasion should require it; otherwise laws are nugatory, and life and property insecure.† Document G Source: James Madison, Federalist No. 10, November 22, 1787  the greater number of citizens and extent of territory which may be brought within the compass of republican than of democratic government; and it is this circumstance principally which renders factious combinations less to be dreaded in the former than in the latter. The smaller the society, the fewer probably will be the distinct parties and interests composing it; the fewer the distinct parties and interests, the more frequently will a majority be found of the same party; and the smaller the number of individuals composing a majority, and the smaller the compass within which they are placed, the more easily will they concert and execute their plans of oppression. Extend the sphere, and you take in a greater variety of parties and interests; you make it less probable that a majority of the whole will have a common motive to invade the rights of other citizens; or if such a common motive exists, it will be more difficult for all who feel it to discover their own strength, and to act in unison with each other. Document H Source: U.S. Congress, Preamble to the Bill of Rights, March 4, 1789 THE Conventions of a number of the States, having at the time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added: And as extending the ground of public confidence in the  Government, will best ensure the beneficent ends of its institution. RESOLVED by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, two thirds of both Houses concurring, that the following Articles be proposed to the Legislatures of the several States, as amendments to the Constitution of the United States, all, or any of which Articles, when ratified by three fourths of the said Legislatures, to be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of the said Constitution; viz. ARTICLES in addition to, and Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America, proposed by Congress, and ratified by the Legislatures of the several States, pursuant to the fifth Article of the original Constitution.

Systems Development Life Cycle

Systems Development Life Cycle Introduction SDLC, The systems development life cycle (SDLC) is a conceptual model used in project management that describes the stages involved in an information system development project, from an initial feasibility study through maintenance of the completed application. Hence an array of system development life cycle (SDLC) models has been created: Fountain, Spiral, rapid prototyping, synchronize and stabilize and Incremental. Although in the academic sense, SDLC can be used to refer to various processes followed during the development of software, SDLC is typically used to refer to the oldest of the traditional models a waterfall methodology. Software Engineering Process The SDLC supports a list of important phases that are essential for developers, such as planning, analysis, design, and implementation, and are explained more in detail later in this report. Traditionally the waterfall model was regarded as the original: which adhered to a sequence of stages in which the output of each stage became the input for the next. No definitive models exist, but the steps can be describe and divided as follows: Project planning, feasibility study, Initiation: A feasibility study is a quick examination of the problems, goals and expected cost of the system. Projects are usually evaluated in three areas of feasibility: economical, operational, and technical. In addition, it is also used as a guide to keep the project on track and to evaluate the progress of project (Post Anderson, 2006). Thus the goal of the feasibility studies is to evaluate alternative systems solutions and to propose the most feasible and desirable business application for development, (Obrien Marakas, 2006) states that the feasibility of a proposed business system can be evaluated in four major categories Organizational Feasibility: An illustration of how a business supports the strategic business priorities of the organization. Economic feasibility: Identifies whether expected cost savings, increase revenue, increase profits and reductions in required investments will exceed the cost of developing and operating a proposed system. Technical feasibility: can be demonstrated if reliable hardware and software capable of meeting the needs of a proposed systems can be acquired or developed by the business in the required time. Operational feasibility: can be measured by the ability and willingness of management, employees, customers, suppliers and others to operate, use, and support a proposed system. for example if Tescos was to change its software platform at the tills to something entirely different, employees may begin to make to many errors and find ways around using it or just all together quite, thus it will fail to show operational feasibility. Requirements gathering and Systems Analysis: (Hawrzyszkiewycz 2004) This step defines the proposed business solutions and any new or changed businesses processes. The goal at this stage is to find any problems and attempt to fix the system or improve its productivity and efficiency. The technique here is to break the system into smaller pieces as it is easier to be explained to others and can be split up amongst different development team. A draw back of this though is that it takes time and effort to reintegrate all of the pieces (Post Anderson, 2006). Systems design: Functions and operations are described in detail during the design stage, including screen layouts, business rules, process diagrams and other documentation. The output of this stage will be to describe the new system as a collection of modules or subsystems. (Hawrzyszkiewycx 2004) states that system designs is a two step process, Broad design: which indentifies the main architecture of the proposed system which may include the language use to develop the databases, network configurations, software requirements and whether programs are to be developed using internal programmers or external contractors. Detailed design: only after the design phase is completed the detailed design phase can be initiated, during this phase the database and program modules are design and detailed user and system interaction procedures and protocols are documented. Build: Software developers may install (or modify and then install) purchased software or they may write new or custom design programs (Senn 1989). Just like the design phase, this phase is broken up into two separate sub phases, development and implementation. During the implementation phase the components built during the development are put into operational use. Usually this means that the new and old systems run parallel until users are trained in system operations and existing processes converted to the new system. (Hawrzyszkiewycz 2004) Testing: During the integration and test stage, the software artefacts, online help, and test data are migrated from the development environment to a separate test environment. At this point, all test cases are run to verify the correctness and completeness of the software. Successful execution of the test suite confirms a robust and complete migration capability. In addition, reference data is finalized for production use and production users are identified and linked to their appropriate roles. The final reference data (or links to reference data source files) and production user list are compiled into the Production Initiation Plan and the system is used experimentally to ensure that the software does not fail, also the code is tested iteratively at each level (Senn 1989). Installation, Implementation and Deployment: Implementation is a vital step in the deployment of information technology to support employees, customers, and other business stakeholders, the system implementation stage involves hardware and software acquisition, software development, testing of programs and procedures, conversion of data resources and additionally involves the educating and training of end users and specialist who will operate the new system. All together this is the final stage where the project is finally used by the business (Obrien Marakas, 2006). Maintenance: Once a system is fully implemented and is being used in business operation, the maintenance function begins; this involves the life of the system which may include changes and enhancements before its decommissioning. (Obrien Marakas, 2006) states that the maintenance activity includes a post implementation review process to ensure that newly implemented systems meet the business objectives establish for them. (Hawrzyszkiewycx (2004) supports the argument that maintenance is required to eliminate errors in the system during its working life and to improve the system in the light of changes by monitoring, evaluating and modifying operational business systems to make desirable or necessary improvements. Evaluation and Reason for Adopting SDLC for a small Pc Application The adoption of the SDLC for the development of a small application on a pc will not be appropriate because the SDLC is just what is says it is the Life Cycle of the system software. The SDLC is a process use to manage time and resources on a project, from the identification of a need for the system Initiation) to rolling it out to the user (Implementation) to de-supporting or no longer needing it (Disposition), Each phase of the SDLC requires documentation, reporting, and approval. This assures that a project cannot get out of hand either by changing the direction or becoming a financial black hole and the project sponsors are aware at every step of exactly what is going on as it is documented. Therefore it is reasonable to assume that the development of a small application on a pc does not require the adoption of the SDLC model whereas a large systems which have teams of architects, analysts, programmers, testers and users must work together to create the millions of lines of cust om-written code that drive enterprises today, will without a doubt need to adopt an SDLC solution to manage the resources of such a project. Evaluation Of the Traditional SDLC Strengths Limitations The Waterfall Model The waterfall model is the most classical sequential life cycle; each phase must be completed in its entirety before the next phase can begin. (Post Anderson, 2006) states that one advantage of the SDLC is the formality aspect which makes it easier to train employees and to evaluate the progress of the development as well as ensuring that steps are not skip, such as user approval, documentation and testing. In addition with eighty percent of MIS resources spent of maintenance, adhering to standards whilst building the system makes it easier to modify and maintain in the future because of the documentation generated and the sustain consistency, however the formality of the SDLC approach can be problematic as it increases the cost of development and lengthens the development time (Post Anderson, 2006) The formality of the SDLC method also causes problems with projects that are hard to defined, unlike newer methods like Agile which helps software development teams to respond to the unpredictability of building software through incremental, iterative work cadences, known as sprints (Cohn, Mike 2006). Agile Methods aim at allowing organizations to deliver quickly, change quickly and change often. While, agile techniques vary in practice and emphasis, they share common characteristics, including iterative development and a focus on inter-action and communication. Maintaining regularity allows development teams to adapt rapidly to changing requirements, and working in close proximity, focusing on communication, means teams can make decisions and act on them immediately, rather than wait on correspondence. It is also important to reduce non-value adding intermediate artefacts to allow more resources to be devoted to product development for early completion. The SDLC however works best if the entire system can be accurately specified in the beginning. That is, users should know what the system should do long before the system is created. (Post Anderson, 2006) further explains that because of the rigidity of the SDLC, the development of more modern applications are difficult, hence the combination of existing SDLC models and the creation of other alternatives models and methodologies are adopted as outlined later in this paper. Advantages Easier to use. Easier to manage because of rigidity Phases are completed at specific phase intervals Requirements are very well understood. Disadvantages scope adjustment during the life cycle can kill a project Working software is not produced until the life cycle is complete. Not suited for long and ongoing projects. In appropriate where requirements are at a moderate to high risk of changing Alternative development mythologies One management advantage of the traditional SDLC method is the sequential series of tasks; on the other hand using the traditional SDLC has many drawbacks. For example, when adopting a traditional SDLC methodology, the rigid chain of phases may subsequently make it impossible for developers to improved ways to provide functional requirements as the project is being built, which results in the designers redoing their work. Instead programmers should be involved in the planning and design phases, so that they may be able to identify improvements much earlier in the process, thus enhancing the effectiveness of project activities, (FFIEC IT Handbook (2009). Development solutions such as iterative and Rapid prototyping address many of the shortcomings of a traditional SDLC. And a brief description of two the newer methodologies are outlined below along with some advantages and disadvantages for comparison purposes. Agile Development Model Agile software development is a conceptual framework for undertaking software engineering projects. Agile methods attempt to minimize risk and maximize productivity by developing software in short iterations and de-emphasizing work on secondary or interim work artefacts. The key differences between agile and traditional methodologies are as follows: Development is incremental rather than sequential. People and interactions are emphasized. Working software is the priority rather than detailed documentation. Customer collaboration is used, rather than contract negotiation. Responding to change is emphasized, rather than extensive planning. Rapid Prototyping model Rapid prototyping is a process for creating a realistic model of a products user interface (Najjar, L. J. (1990) ,Using rapid prototyping, you model the look and feel of the user interface without investing the time and labour required to write actual code (Najjar, L. J. (1990). Advantages Saves time and money Promotes consistency in user interface design Allows early customer involvement Reduces time required to create a product functional specification Disadvantages Usually does not produce reusable code Lacks an obvious stopping point Conclusion It can be seen from the above comparison that differing philosophies can produce radically different views of a system. Nevertheless, both the Traditional SDLC and the alternatives produce valid working systems as well as their share in drawbacks The one size fits all approach to applying SDLC methodologies is no longer appropriate. Each SDLC methodology is only effective under specific conditions. (Traditional SDLC methodologies are often regarded as the proper and disciplined approach to the analysis and design of software applications but the drawback is that it takes a considerable amount of time and all of the system details have to be specified upfront. Methodologies like Rapid Prototyping alternatively are a compromise of rigidity and no rigidity. These new hybrid methods were created to bridge the gap with the evolution of more modern application developments requirements. Newer the less methodologies like Agile are most appropriate when volatility and uncertainty exist in the development requirements, and the SDLC is good when the requirements are already defined. Bibliography Najjar, L. J. (1990). Rapid prototyping (TR 52.0020). Atlanta, GA: IBM Corporation. http://www.lawrence-najjar.com/papers/Rapid_prototyping.html FFIEC IT Handbook (2009). Alternative development methodologies http://www.ffiec.gov/ffiecinfobase/booklets/d_a/02.html Senn James A. (1989), Analysis Design of Information Systems, Introduction to Information Systems, pg27 32 Ch1 McGraw-Hill Co- Singapore Post. G Anderson. D (2006), Management Information Systems, Organizing Business Solutions, pg 448 459 Ch 4 McGraw-Hill Co- New York Igor Hawryszkiewycz. (1998), Introduction to System Analysis Design, The Development Process, pg120 136 Ch 7 Prentice Hall- Australia Obrien A. O Marakas .M. (1989), Management Information Systems, Introduction to Information Systems, pg27 32 Ch1 McGraw-Hill Co- Singapore Systems development life cycle Systems development life cycle 1. Introduction SDLC, The systems development life cycle (SDLC) is a conceptual model used in project management that describes the stages involved in an information system development project, from an initial feasibility study through maintenance of the completed application. Hence an array of system development life cycle (SDLC) models has been created: Fountain, Spiral, rapid prototyping, synchronize and stabilize and Incremental. Although in the academic sense, SDLC can be used to refer to various processes followed during the development of software, SDLC is typically used to refer to the oldest of the traditional models a waterfall methodology. 2. Software Engineering Process The SDLC supports a list of important phases that are essential for developers, such as planning, analysis, design, and implementation, and are explained more in detail later in this report. Traditionally the waterfall model was regarded as the original: which adhered to a sequence of stages in which the output of each stage became the input for the next. No definitive models exist, but the steps can be describe and divided as follows: †¢ Project planning, feasibility study, Initiation: A feasibility study is a quick examination of the problems, goals and expected cost of the system. Projects are usually evaluated in three areas of feasibility: economical, operational, and technical. In addition, it is also used as a guide to keep the project on track and to evaluate the progress of project (Post Anderson, 2006). Thus the goal of the feasibility studies is to evaluate alternative systems solutions and to propose the most feasible and desirable business application for development, (Obrien Marakas, 2006) states that the feasibility of a proposed business system can be evaluated in four major categories Organizational Feasibility: An illustration of how a business supports the strategic business priorities of the organization. Economic feasibility: Identifies whether expected cost savings, increase revenue, increase profits and reductions in required investments will exceed the cost of developing and operating a proposed system. Technical feasibility: can be demonstrated if reliable hardware and software capable of meeting the needs of a proposed systems can be acquired or developed by the business in the required time. Operational feasibility: can be measured by the ability and willingness of management, employees, customers, suppliers and others to operate, use, and support a proposed system. for example if Tescos was to change its software platform at the tills to something entirely different, employees may begin to make to many errors and find ways around using it or just all together quite, thus it will fail to show operational feasibility. †¢ Requirements gathering and Systems Analysis: (Hawrzyszkiewycz 2004) This step defines the proposed business solutions and any new or changed businesses processes. The goal at this stage is to find any problems and attempt to fix the system or improve its productivity and efficiency. The technique here is to break the system into smaller pieces as it is easier to be explained to others and can be split up amongst different development team. A draw back of this though is that it takes time and effort to reintegrate all of the pieces (Post Anderson, 2006). †¢ Systems design: Functions and operations are described in detail during the design stage, including screen layouts, business rules, process diagrams and other documentation. The output of this stage will be to describe the new system as a collection of modules or subsystems. (Hawrzyszkiewycx 2004) states that system designs is a two step process, Broad design: which indentifies the main architecture of the proposed system which may include the language use to develop the databases, network configurations, software requirements and whether programs are to be developed using internal programmers or external contractors. Detailed design: only after the design phase is completed the detailed design phase can be initiated, during this phase the database and program modules are design and detailed user and system interaction procedures and protocols are documented. †¢ Build: Software developers may install (or modify and then install) purchased software or they may write new or custom design programs (Senn 1989). Just like the design phase, this phase is broken up into two separate sub phases, development and implementation. During the implementation phase the components built during the development are put into operational use. Usually this means that the new and old systems run parallel until users are trained in system operations and existing processes converted to the new system. (Hawrzyszkiewycz 2004) †¢ Testing: During the integration and test stage, the software artefacts, online help, and test data are migrated from the development environment to a separate test environment. At this point, all test cases are run to verify the correctness and completeness of the software. Successful execution of the test suite confirms a robust and complete migration capability. In addition, reference data is finalized for production use and production users are identified and linked to their appropriate roles. The final reference data (or links to reference data source files) and production user list are compiled into the Production Initiation Plan and the system is used experimentally to ensure that the software does not fail, also the code is tested iteratively at each level (Senn 1989). †¢ Installation, Implementation and Deployment: Implementation is a vital step in the deployment of information technology to support employees, customers, and other business stakeholders, the system implementation stage involves hardware and software acquisition, software development, testing of programs and procedures, conversion of data resources and additionally involves the educating and training of end users and specialist who will operate the new system. All together this is the final stage where the project is finally used by the business (Obrien Marakas, 2006). †¢ Maintenance: Once a system is fully implemented and is being used in business operation, the maintenance function begins; this involves the life of the system which may include changes and enhancements before its decommissioning. (Obrien Marakas, 2006) states that the maintenance activity includes a post implementation review process to ensure that newly implemented systems meet the business objectives establish for them. (Hawrzyszkiewycx (2004) supports the argument that maintenance is required to eliminate errors in the system during its working life and to improve the system in the light of changes by monitoring, evaluating and modifying operational business systems to make desirable or necessary improvements. 3. Evaluation and Reason for Adopting SDLC for a small Pc Application The adoption of the SDLC for the development of a small application on a pc will not be appropriate because the SDLC is just what is says it is the Life Cycle of the system software. The SDLC is a process use to manage time and resources on a project, from the identification of a need for the system Initiation) to rolling it out to the user (Implementation) to de-supporting or no longer needing it (Disposition), Each phase of the SDLC requires documentation, reporting, and approval. This assures that a project cannot get out of hand either by changing the direction or becoming a financial black hole and the project sponsors are aware at every step of exactly what is going on as it is documented. Therefore it is reasonable to assume that the development of a small application on a pc does not require the adoption of the SDLC model whereas a large systems which have teams of architects, analysts, programmers, testers and users must work together to create the millions of lines of cust om-written code that drive enterprises today, will without a doubt need to adopt an SDLC solution to manage the resources of such a project. 4. Evaluation Of the Traditional SDLC Strengths Limitations The Waterfall Model The waterfall model is the most classical sequential life cycle; each phase must be completed in its entirety before the next phase can begin. (Post Anderson, 2006) states that one advantage of the SDLC is the formality aspect which makes it easier to train employees and to evaluate the progress of the development as well as ensuring that steps are not skip, such as user approval, documentation and testing. In addition with eighty percent of MIS resources spent of maintenance, adhering to standards whilst building the system makes it easier to modify and maintain in the future because of the documentation generated and the sustain consistency, however the formality of the SDLC approach can be problematic as it increases the cost of development and lengthens the development time (Post Anderson, 2006) The formality of the SDLC method also causes problems with projects that are hard to defined, unlike newer methods like Agile which helps software development teams to respond to the unpredictability of building software through incremental, iterative work cadences, known as sprints (Cohn, Mike 2006). Agile Methods aim at allowing organizations to deliver quickly, change quickly and change often. While, agile techniques vary in practice and emphasis, they share common characteristics, including iterative development and a focus on inter-action and communication. Maintaining regularity allows development teams to adapt rapidly to changing requirements, and working in close proximity, focusing on communication, means teams can make decisions and act on them immediately, rather than wait on correspondence. It is also important to reduce non-value adding intermediate artefacts to allow more resources to be devoted to product development for early completion. The SDLC however works best if the entire system can be accurately specified in the beginning. That is, users should know what the system should do long before the system is created. (Post Anderson, 2006) further explains that because of the rigidity of the SDLC, the development of more modern applications are difficult, hence the combination of existing SDLC models and the creation of other alternatives models and methodologies are adopted as outlined later in this paper. Advantages Easier to use. Easier to manage because of rigidity Phases are completed at specific phase intervals Requirements are very well understood. Disadvantages scope adjustment during the life cycle can kill a project Working software is not produced until the life cycle is complete. Not suited for long and ongoing projects. In appropriate where requirements are at a moderate to high risk of changing Alternative development mythologies One management advantage of the traditional SDLC method is the sequential series of tasks; on the other hand using the traditional SDLC has many drawbacks. For example, when adopting a traditional SDLC methodology, the rigid chain of phases may subsequently make it impossible for developers to improved ways to provide functional requirements as the project is being built, which results in the designers redoing their work. Instead programmers should be involved in the planning and design phases, so that they may be able to identify improvements much earlier in the process, thus enhancing the effectiveness of project activities, (FFIEC IT Handbook (2009). Development solutions such as iterative and Rapid prototyping address many of the shortcomings of a traditional SDLC. And a brief description of two the newer methodologies are outlined below along with some advantages and disadvantages for comparison purposes. Agile Development Model Agile software development is a conceptual framework for undertaking software engineering projects. Agile methods attempt to minimize risk and maximize productivity by developing software in short iterations and de-emphasizing work on secondary or interim work artefacts. The key differences between agile and traditional methodologies are as follows: Development is incremental rather than sequential. People and interactions are emphasized. Working software is the priority rather than detailed documentation. Customer collaboration is used, rather than contract negotiation. Responding to change is emphasized, rather than extensive planning. Rapid Prototyping model Rapid prototyping is a process for creating a realistic model of a products user interface (Najjar, L. J. (1990) ,Using rapid prototyping, you model the look and feel of the user interface without investing the time and labour required to write actual code (Najjar, L. J. (1990). Advantages Saves time and money Promotes consistency in user interface design Allows early customer involvement Reduces time required to create a product functional specification Disadvantages Usually does not produce reusable code Lacks an obvious stopping point 5. Conclusion It can be seen from the above comparison that differing philosophies can produce radically different views of a system. Nevertheless, both the Traditional SDLC and the alternatives produce valid working systems as well as their share in drawbacks The one size fits all approach to applying SDLC methodologies is no longer appropriate. Each SDLC methodology is only effective under specific conditions. (Traditional SDLC methodologies are often regarded as the proper and disciplined approach to the analysis and design of software applications but the drawback is that it takes a considerable amount of time and all of the system details have to be specified upfront. Methodologies like Rapid Prototyping alternatively are a compromise of rigidity and no rigidity. These new hybrid methods were created to bridge the gap with the evolution of more modern application developments requirements. Newer the less methodologies like Agile are most appropriate when volatility and uncertainty exist in the development requirements, and the SDLC is good when the requirements are already defined. 6. Bibliography Najjar, L. J. (1990). Rapid prototyping (TR 52.0020). Atlanta, GA: IBM Corporation. http://www.lawrence-najjar.com/papers/Rapid_prototyping.html FFIEC IT Handbook (2009). Alternative development methodologies http://www.ffiec.gov/ffiecinfobase/booklets/d_a/02.html Senn James A. (1989), Analysis Design of Information Systems, Introduction to Information Systems, pg27 32 Ch1 McGraw-Hill Co- Singapore Post. G Anderson. D (2006), Management Information Systems, Organizing Business Solutions, pg 448 459 Ch 4 McGraw-Hill Co- New York Igor Hawryszkiewycz. (1998), Introduction to System Analysis Design, The Development Process, pg120 136 Ch 7 Prentice Hall- Australia Obrien A. O Marakas .M. (1989), Management Information Systems, Introduction to Information Systems, pg27 32 Ch1 McGraw-Hill Co- Singapore

Effects of School Feeding Programme on Education

Effects of School Feeding Programme on Education The government of Ghana has recognized basic education as a fundamental building block of the economy. This step is in line with goal two of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which seeks to achieving a universal primary education by the year 2015 (Ghana MDG Report, 2009). Also, in congruence with GPRS II (GPRS, 2006), Article 38 of the 1992 constitution enjoins government to provide access to Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (fCUBE) to all children of school going age (Constitution of Ghana, 1992). In pursuance of this requirement, a number of plans and programmes have been launched with the government embarking upon several educational reforms and instituting new policy measures toward making education more accessible to all. These include the fCUBE programme, education strategic plan, the capitation grant; which makes basic school free from any form of school fees and the NEPAD School Feeding Programme (SFP) (ESP, 2003). It is important to note that access to education is not an end in itself, but a means to an end. The end results of the education process is that it should translate into quality human capital/resource for the state as the GPRSII envisions, hence, the zeal of governments to invest in the education of their people. The capitation grant generally should result in higher enrolment and retention in schools. The school feeding program complements this by providing for the pupils nutritional needs and enhancing their learning capabilities. All these should translate into higher performance by pupils and for that matter, the production of quality human resource required for state development. It should be noted that, before the introduction of the governments school feeding programme, the Catholic Relief Service (CRS,) had already instituted the policy of feeding school children in the district. This aside, the institution of the Northern Scholarship Scheme had also been in place in the district since the late 1950s, taking care of the feeding cost of students in Senior High Schools in the district. These had made significant impact on education of the area. In fact, many professors and educated elites in the district owe their current status to these schemes (Nadowli District, 2008) THE PROBLEM STATEMENT The introduction of the government school feeding programme was to supplement other interventions such as free school uniform and capitation grants. It has since played a crucial role alongside the other interventions in improving both Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) and Net Enrolment Ratio (NER) in schools in Ghana. The Upper West Region in general, recorded GER increase of 74.1% from 1991/199 2002/2003, 77.3% from 2002/2003 2004/2005 and 81.1% 2004/2005 2005/2006 (RSER-UWR, 2006). Despite the increases in the enrolment figures, deprived areas in Ghana continue to encounter serious difficulties in attracting trained teachers; classroom accommodation continues to be a problem with access to teaching and learning materials remaining a headache to stakeholders. These negatively affect the quality of education in these areas including the Nadowli District. The rise in enrolment figures with no corresponding increase in the number of teachers usually lead to disproportionate Pupils-Teacher Ratio (PTR). Overcrowding in classrooms also becomes phenomenal of such situations with increased enrolment with little attention to the construction classrooms in response to the increasing numbers which does not only sometimes lead to the outbreak of diseases but also affects quality of teaching adversely. The study therefore seeks to investigate how the increasing enrolment figures affect the quality of primary education in the Nadowli District. RESEARCH QUESTIONS Main Question How has the school feeding programme affected primary school education in the Nadowli District? Sub-questions How has the SFP influenced primary school enrolment in the district? How has the SFP influenced pupil retention in schools in the district? What are the implications of the SFP on PTR? How has SFP affected classrooms activity and TLM? Are there lessons for policy formulations? Main objective To examine the effects of the school feeding programme on primary school education in Nadowli District Sub-objectives To determine how the SFP has influenced primary school enrolment in the district To assess the influence of SFP on pupils retention in school To examine the implications of the SFP on PTR To examine the effects of SFP on classrooms activity and TLMs To draw lessons from the study for policy formulation RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Data collection tools Both probability and non probability data collection tools will be employed in the collection of primary data in the study. Specifically, I will use surveys, semi-structured interviews and observations. The surveys will be used to solicit general information from the respondents on their views on the topic such as on the effects of the SFP on the rate of enrolment. The surveys will also yield quantitative data. The interviews will be used to generate qualitative, specific and in-depth facts about the study. The observation will be used gain first hand information on the study. Sources of data The study will collect data from teachers, parents, pupils, caterers of the programme, and staff from the district directorate of education and suppliers of food these schools. Secondary sources of data such as newspapers, article and internet sources will be made use of. Records of enrolment before and during the SFP will also be used for comparisons. Sampling techniques and sampling units I will use purposive sampling to collect data from officials of the district education directorate (the district director, the officer in charge of statistics, the planning officer, director of human resource and a circuit supervisor), caterers, head teachers, school prefects, PTA chairpersons, and suppliers of food to the schools. Sampling size A sample size of 38 will be surveyed. This will be made of: 8 head teachers, 8 school prefects, 8 PTA chairpersons, 8 caterers, 5 officials of the district education directorate and 1 supplier of food to the schools in the district. Data analysis and presentation Qualitative data collected will be summarized into themes, analyzed and interpreted by the use of descriptive techniques. Quantitative data analysis will be done using computer programmes like the SPSS. Tables, charts and graphs would be used to illustrate and present findings for easier understanding and interpretation. RELEVANCE OF THE STUDY Through findings of the study, stakeholders will be well informed of the relevance or otherwise of the SFP on primary education in the district. Positive outcome will get them committed to success and sustainace of the programme. Also, negative effects of the programme if found will also be addressed. Aside serving as base data for further research work on the topic, findings of the study will help in policy formulation on the programme. ORGANIZATION OF THE RESEARCH REPORT The study report will be organized into six chapters as follows for clear presentation. The general introduction of the study as well as the problem statement and the research questions will go into chapter one. This chapter will also contain the research objectives, justification of the study and a brief profile of the study area. Chapter two is the review of literature on the topic. It will try conceptualizing and defining issues that relate to the study and put them in perspective. It will try to explore and fill gaps in existing literature available on the study. Chapter three will examine the methodology employed in the study for the collection of data. How data collected is analyzed and presented will also be made clear in this chapter. Findings of the study and the discussions on it will be presented in chapter four of the report. This will also take care of secondary data analysis on the study. Illustrations with tables, figures charts and diagrams will be made for easier understanding and interpretation of findings. Summaries of findings, conclusion and recommendations will be presented in the fifth and last chapter of the report. LITERATURE REVIEW The literature review aims at exploring for areas of agreements and disagreements on the topic. From this, exiting gaps will be identified and efforts made to fill them. The review will cover areas like: impact of education related interventions in Ghana, the history of school feeding in Ghana, Ghana education policy framework, recent education related interventions in Ghana and the SFP (arguments and against). See a sample review below. Impact of education related interventions in Ghana Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have been exploring ways of improving their education systems in order to achieve their commitment to education for all. Ensuring that children have access to free, compulsory and good quality primary education is receiving considerable attention from governments and aid agencies alike as is given a consideration in the (GPRS II, 2006). Two main systems through which certain governments are using to achieve this aim are the abolition of school fees and the School Feeding Programme. Studies have proven that these interventions are making significant impact in the area of education in the country (ISSER, 2009). The history of school feeding in Ghana The issue of school feeding dates back to the 1950s when the CPP government instituted the Northern Scholarship Scheme to cater for the feeding cost of students in the northern part of the country. The Catholic Relief Services also introduced a feeding scheme in basic schools in the north. Both schemes were meant to motivate students to get educated. The most recent of these schemes is the SFP which is being piloted in all districts in the country. Education Policy Framework in Ghana The 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana under Article 25 (1) guarantees the right of all persons to equal educational opportunities and facilities by ensuring free, compulsory and universal basic education. Functional literacy is also ensured under the constitution and provision is made for resourcing schools at all levels with adequate facilities. Aside the constitutional provisions, the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS) II recognizes education as the key to moving the country towards a middle income status by 2015 and as a result identifies the development of human capital as one the three thematic areas of the plan. Aside aiming to meet goal 2 of the MDGs, the GPRS II also aims to strengthen the quality of education especially at the basic level, improve the quality and efficiency in the delivery of education services and bridge the gender gap in terms of education access in the country. In 2003, the Education Strategic plan (ESP) based on the Poverty Reduction Strategy came into force and it covered the period 2003-2005. The Strategic Plan operated within the f ramework of a sector wide approach (SWAp) for education and this was situated partly within the multi-donor budgetary support (MDBS) framework (ISSER, 2009). The ESP which provided the framework or roadmap for achieving the education related MDGs was based on four key areas: equitable access, education management and Science and technology and Vocational education. There were ten policy goals to the ESP and this covered increasing access to and participation in education and training, improving the quality of teaching and learning for enhanced pupil/student (ISSER, 2009). The SFP is one of the interventions that is considered under the policy framework. Recent Education Related Interventions in Ghana Ghana has been able to make some strides in its education system through certain policy initiatives. These initiatives have goals that have been expressed in policy frameworks and reports like the GPRS I II and the Education Strategic Plan (ESP). The governments commitment towards achieving the educational goal is reflected in these policy frameworks. In accordance with these frameworks, certain policy strategies like the capitation grant and the school feeding program, early childhood development and gender parity have been adopted (ISSER, 2009). RESEARCH METHODOLOGY This chapter examines the methodology that will be employed in the study for the collection of data. Data analysis techniques and the mode of presentation of findings are both treated here. Data collection tools Both probability and non probability data collection tools will be employed in the collection of primary data in the study. Specifically, I will use surveys, semi-structured interviews and observations. The surveys will be used to solicit general information from the respondents on their views on the topic such as on the effects of the SFP on the rate of enrolment. The surveys will also yield quantitative data. The interviews will be used to generate qualitative, specific and in-depth facts about the study. The observation will be used gain first hand information on the study. Sources of data The study will collect data from teachers, parents, pupils, caterers of the programme, and staff from the district directorate of education. Secondary sources of data such as newspapers, article and internet sources will be made use of. Records of enrolment before and during the SFP will also be used for comparisons. Sampling techniques The simple random sampling technique will be applied to the list of the primary schools in the district to select seven of them for the study. This technique will ensure that biases are minimized as much as possible in the selection of the schools. The same technique will be used for the selection of teachers and pupils for the study. Questionnaires of the surveys will be administered to 100 teachers, 20 pupils and 30 parents in the district. I will also use purposive sampling to collect data from five officials of the district education directorate (the district director, the officer in charge of statistics, the planning officer, director of human resource and a circuit supervisor). Seven caterers will also be surveyed. In all, 162 questionnaires will be administered. The education officials, caterers and some of the teacher will also be interviewed after the surveys. Data analysis and presentation Qualitative data collected will be summarized into themes, analyzed and interpreted by the use of descriptive techniques. Quantitative data analysis will be done using computer programmes like the SPSS. Tables, charts and graphs would be used to illustrate and present findings for easier understanding and interpretation. TIME FRAME A maximum of 11 months will be used for the entire research work as indicated in the table below. ACTIVITY TIME PERIOD Literature review July and August, 2010 Designing questionnaires September,2010 Data collection October to December, 2010 Data analysis January and February, 2011 Report writing March and April, 2011 Binding and submission May, 2011 BUDGET An estimated amount of One Thousand, One Hundred Ghana Cedis will be required for the research activity. See breakdown in the table below. ACTIVITY COST (GHà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ µ) Using the internet and buying of relevant materials for literature review 60.00 Typing and printing questionnaire 20.00 Data collection 50.00 Transportation 100.00 Communication 50.00 Printing and binding of report 820.00 TOTAL 1,100.00

The Name Of The Rose :: essays research papers

In the title of the novel, The name of the Rose, by Umberto Eco, the 'rose' can signify many ideas. By making this the title of the book, Eco has attracted the attention of a reader because it suggests a number of things. A rose can be all of nature, the most beautiful of it, a girl, etc. Just as the title suggests several answers, so can the implications in the novel.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The rose can be the Church, the richest and most powerful organization in the entire world. As each of its most devoted die, a little bit of the doctrine is forgotten until the 'name becomes bare', it can no longer be understood as its whole. In return, the most learned abbey in Europe burns to the ground, much like the martyrs it exalted.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Instead of seeing the deaths for what they are (just random acts, committed by several people, not one depraved person, but individual curious ones) William goes on wild goose chases, i.e. trying to find Adelmo's murderer before realizing that it was a suicide. He looks for evidence that simply is not there, then finding the next real clue, usually a body, searches in vain for what he wants to be the truth. Blinded by what he thinks is true, instead of what is right in front of his face, he searches and searches not judging by 'names' so much as placing the wrong meaning on them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Near the end of the novel, William gives Adso the following advise ' Fear prophets, Adso, and those prepared to die for the truth…he loved his truth so lewdly that he dared do anything to destroy falsehood…the truth lies in learning to free ourselves from insane passion for truth' (491). Thus, the theme of the novel is the truth. William searches for it and searches for it, and finally finds it when, infuriated, he sees the clues for what they really mean, instead of what they desired them to mean.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Semiotics teaches that each element is meaningless until it is differentiated from the other elements. This can be applied several places in the novel, first as each death cannot be solved on it own, but only in conjunction with the other murders. In addition, William singles out the library as the common denominating factor not, for example, sleeping quarters or the Church.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The title 'The Name of the Rose' can apply in this fashion: William comes across a bud, as he searches for clues, the petals continue falling off, as the rose dies, when enough petals have dropped, he can see what makes the flower.