Free Essays - Amazing Grace :: Amazing Grace Essays

Within the next few pages here I intend to address two issues. First I will try to give a personal review of what I saw this book to hold, and second I will try explain the revelence which this book has to the field of Public Administration.   First try to picture children in a slum where the squalor in their homes is just as bad as that which is in the streets. Where prostitution is rampant, thievery a common place and murder and death a daily occurrence. Crack-cocaine and heroin are sold in corner markets, and the dead eyes of men and women wandering about aimlessly in the streets of Mott Haven are all to common., Their bodies riddled with disease, disease which seems to control the neighborhood. This is Mott Haven, in New York City's South Bronx, the outback of this American nation's poorest congressional district, also the setting of Jonathan Kozol's disturbing representation of poverty in this country.   The stories, which are captured Amazing Grace, are told in the simplest terms. They are told by children who have seen their parents die of AIDS and other disease, by mothers who complain about teenagers bagging dope and loading guns on fire escapes, by clergy who teach the poor to fight injustice and by police who are afraid to answer 911 calls.   Kozol seems to be disparage about the situation of the poor in American today, especially when more and more the poor are blamed for being poor. Kozol’s portrait of life   in Mott Haven is gentle and passionate.   Even though rats may chew through apartment walls in the homes of Mott Haven, the children still say their prayers at night. What seems to bother Kozol is that many people do not even want to look at this picture of America, but in Amazing Grace he dares us to recognize it does exist. Kozol spent a year wandering through Mott Haven and its neighboring communities; visiting churches, schools, hospitals, parks, and homes. Talking with parents and kids, social   workers, religious leaders, and principals and teachers; struggling to try to understand how these children and parents cope with poverty and violence. Kozol trys to determine how their fellow citizens can tolerate, even demand policies that guarantee misery and death for those living a few subway stops north of glitzy midtown Manhattan. Perhaps nothing can halt the tides of social policy where citizens of this nation are allowed to live in such conditions. If on the other hand anything can, it may be Kozol's forecasting visions and the openness and humanity of the remarkable people whose

Josh Gibson and Baseball :: Sports Racism African American Essays

Josh Gibson and Baseball Josh Gibson hit over 900 or 800 home runs in his career, depending on whose information you consult. His average was over .350. So why do we not hear Gibson's name mentioned in the recent discussion about baseball's best player ever that has surrounded Barry Bonds or at least as the greatest home run hitting catcher ever with Mike Piazza? This is because Josh Gibson played in the Negro Leagues. from http://baseballguru.com/jholway/analysisjholway43.html Talk of Gibson's greatness has been glaringly absent from mainstream reporting on baseball. Let me share with you three examples of this error that I have encountered recently. The first occurrence I noticed recently was in a book published to commemorate the anniversary of the Yankee Stadium. In a section entitled, "the longest home runs hit in Yankee Stadium," Gibson is omitted entirely, although some of his home runs have certainly been among the longest balls ever hit in (or out of) that stadium. The second occurrence was in a recent New York Times article about Barry Bonds and his quest for the Major League home run record. It states, "as Barry Bonds builds a case as the best player ever, he also makes a run at being the most controversial and most unaccepted" (Jenkins). The most recent example was in a New York Times article regarding Mike Piazza, the catcher and slugger for the New York Mets. The article begins: "Mike Piazza, who has been playing more at first base than behind the plate these days, was honored last night for hitting more home runs as a catcher than anyone in baseball history" (Dicker). There are no mentions of Gibson, who played catcher throughout his career. His omission is his stake as the most unaccepted baseball great and his home run hitting prowess is the proof of his greatness. His exclusion from major league baseball is part of his legacy and one of the reasons his career deserves another look. Josh and His Family Come to Pittsburgh The story of Josh Gibson is one that captures the story of many African Americans in the midst of what is now known as the Great Migration. It begins in Georgia, but moves north to Pittsburgh in 1821 when his father, Mark Gibson, begins work in one of Andrew Carnegie's steel factories. After three years of saving money, he sends for the rest of his family - his wife and three children, including the 12 year old Josh. Josh Gibson and Baseball :: Sports Racism African American Essays Josh Gibson and Baseball Josh Gibson hit over 900 or 800 home runs in his career, depending on whose information you consult. His average was over .350. So why do we not hear Gibson's name mentioned in the recent discussion about baseball's best player ever that has surrounded Barry Bonds or at least as the greatest home run hitting catcher ever with Mike Piazza? This is because Josh Gibson played in the Negro Leagues. from http://baseballguru.com/jholway/analysisjholway43.html Talk of Gibson's greatness has been glaringly absent from mainstream reporting on baseball. Let me share with you three examples of this error that I have encountered recently. The first occurrence I noticed recently was in a book published to commemorate the anniversary of the Yankee Stadium. In a section entitled, "the longest home runs hit in Yankee Stadium," Gibson is omitted entirely, although some of his home runs have certainly been among the longest balls ever hit in (or out of) that stadium. The second occurrence was in a recent New York Times article about Barry Bonds and his quest for the Major League home run record. It states, "as Barry Bonds builds a case as the best player ever, he also makes a run at being the most controversial and most unaccepted" (Jenkins). The most recent example was in a New York Times article regarding Mike Piazza, the catcher and slugger for the New York Mets. The article begins: "Mike Piazza, who has been playing more at first base than behind the plate these days, was honored last night for hitting more home runs as a catcher than anyone in baseball history" (Dicker). There are no mentions of Gibson, who played catcher throughout his career. His omission is his stake as the most unaccepted baseball great and his home run hitting prowess is the proof of his greatness. His exclusion from major league baseball is part of his legacy and one of the reasons his career deserves another look. Josh and His Family Come to Pittsburgh The story of Josh Gibson is one that captures the story of many African Americans in the midst of what is now known as the Great Migration. It begins in Georgia, but moves north to Pittsburgh in 1821 when his father, Mark Gibson, begins work in one of Andrew Carnegie's steel factories. After three years of saving money, he sends for the rest of his family - his wife and three children, including the 12 year old Josh.

Major Trends in Bank Management

The banking industry of the United States has experienced tremendous changes over the past few decades.   Regulation has had to keep up with the times, of course.   The three major changes that the banks of America have worked around in recent decades have required regulatory transformations in order to increase the profits of the banks and at the same time to make banking a more convenient facility on offer to the consumers, investors, etc.   Banks have merged and also ventured into the provision of nontraditional banking services to increase their revenues. An example of added convenience that the recent changes in the industry have brought about is the growing number of American banks in foreign countries.   Seeing that globalization has shifted a large number of American businesses into foreign markets as multinational corporations, the wisdom behind opening American banks in the self same foreign markets is apparent.   As a matter of fact, besides consolidation and the provision of nontraditional banking services, globalization is the third major trend that has faced the banking industry of the United States especially in the latter half of the twentieth century. The McFadden Act of 1927 was an enemy of the expansion of U.S. banks.   By prohibiting banks from expanding across state lines, this Act was not only a barrier to competition but was also responsible for the establishment of a huge number of small banks with little to show in terms of assets.   Thanks to the loopholes that McFadden carried along, the Act was eventually repealed, but only after the states of America began to allow their banks to branch across state lines.   It was in 1975 that the state of Maine first allowed interstate branching unto its bank holding companies.   Other states of America developed their own banking regulations to the same effect, eventually to rule out the McFadden Act, which was actually replaced by the  Congress in the year 1994 when the Riegel-Neal Interstate Banking and Branching Efficiency Act was passed. This new legislation allowed all U.S. banks to branch across state lines.   Consequently, there were important bank mergers that reduced the number of banks in the country, but did not decrease the number of physical banks or branches sprawled across the United States.   Many of the physical banks or branches of banks remained under the supervision of the big, merged banks.   Although economists believe that the big, merged banks should be experiencing economies of scale in addition to economies of scope, there is no evidence yet to suggest that the consolidated banks of America have indeed experienced economies of scale and scope.   At the same time, it has been shown that bank mergers have the capacity to check inefficiency.   When an efficient bank takes over an inefficient bank that did not fare too well during the McFadden days; there are obvious quality improvement implications. The second major trend that the banking industry of the U.S. experienced especially in the latter half of the twentieth century was concerned with the provision of nontraditional banking services.   Given that banks are functioning for the sake of profits – anything that threatens a source of bank revenue must be replaced by a different revenue source and the changes backed by regulation.   The Glass-Steagall Act of 1933 was an obstruction to the revenue generating function of U.S. banks. This Act prohibited banks from venturing forth into investment markets, allowing the financial markets alone to enjoy the blessings of the large corporate loans business.   Another loss facing the banks of the nation was a new regulatory requirement introduced during the 1980s making it mandatory for banks to keep a specified minimum ratio of equity capital to total assets. Fortunately, however, during the 1960s, the banks of the United States had already  begun to publicly decry the Glass-Steagall Act, ultimately to have it repealed and replaced by the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999.   Subsequently, today’s banks are permitted to provide a variety of nontraditional banking services, including interest rate swaps, financial futures, and financial options; and thereby increase their revenues.   Increases in bank profits are expected to lead to quality improvements also in the traditional banking areas. In addition to the above, the banks of the U.S., especially since the last two decades of the twentieth century, have increasingly assumed the responsibilities of globalization.   The Edge Act of 1919 had granted express permission to American banks to establish their subsidiaries abroad in order to ease the functioning of international business.   Even so, there were only eight U.S. banks with foreign branches until the 1960s. Today, there are more than one hundred U.S. banks with foreign branches – all making it easy especially for American businesses in foreign countries to transact with them.   As globalization has replaced the Cold War era in a period of unprecedented integration among markets and economies, a great number of foreign banks have also opened their branches in the United States.   These foreign banks in the U.S. were by and large unregulated until the year 1978.   The International Banking Act of 1978 changed this to mandate that all foreign banks must also be regulated like the local (American) banks in the country. Even though globalization arrived full-fledged at the banking industry during the last two decades of the twentieth century, its signs had begun to appear as early as 1960s.   During that time, the Regulation Q, putting a ceiling on interest rates in the United States, had compelled a huge number of investors to move into European markets where regulations were relatively  relaxed.   Eurodollars were created when the U.S. dollars began to move out of their home country to be deposited into and borrowed from banks that were outside the country. The Eurobond market, for long-term investment, was similarly created outside the United States, albeit committed to transactions in U.S. dollars in countries where regulations were more relaxed than in the U.S.   These countries were not just in Europe, however.   The Bahamas and the Caymans, for example, played an active role in the Euromarket because of little or no regulation as well as nearly zero taxation. The most recent development in the banking industry in the area of globalization has been the permission granted by Federal Reserve for the establishment of International Banking Facilities.   Allowed since 1981, these special facilities are based in the U.S. and largely unregulated.   The only condition that these International Banking Facilities are required to meet is twofold: (1) International Banking Facilities should only deposit money that comes to them from outside the United States; and (2) They must only lend to borrowers that are based abroad.   American multinational corporations in foreign countries may also avail the services of International Banking Facilities.     This kind of departmentalization in terms of the sources and uses of funds is meant to add to the convenience of banking.   Furthermore, the creation of International Banking Facilities, plus the changes that the banking industry has experienced in terms of consolidation and the provision of nontraditional banking services; proffer evidence that the regulatory agencies are in fact committed to the improvement of business in general.   

Management of a Software Development Project Essay

Introduction Many years ago, general services offered by hotels like dinner reservations, room reservations and other services were done manually. Most hotels used books, ledgers and papers to record names of guests, their duration of stay and contact details. This required a lot of effort and time. Since the advent of the information age however, dynamic and interactive websites have been introduced which have more efficient and faster technological features and capabilities for the management of hotel services. For any business to remain competitive, it is necessary to maintain an online presence in order to reach out to customers all over the world and compete on a global platform. Reservations and payments are now done online to ensure that conduction of business is faster and more convenient for customers. Definition of Project Management A project is a temporary endeavor that is done to generate a unique product or service (Duncan 1996). Project Management is an activity that involves the overall supervision, management and co-ordination of all activities related to accomplishing a set activity. It always has a start and a finish date. According to Whitten, Project Management is a process that starts at the beginning of a project, is conducted throughout a project and doesn’t end until after the project is completed (2001).   According to Duncan (1996), Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to activities to fulfill stakeholders’ needs and expectations. It usually involves finding a balance among scope, time, cost, quality, and varying expectations of stakeholders. Another definition of Project Management is â€Å" the process of scoping, planning, staffing, conducting, directing, and managing the development of a system at an affordable cost within a specified time frame† (Whitten, Bentley & Dittman 2001, p.124). Importance of Project Management According to Dr Malcolm Wheatley, â€Å"Project management as a management discipline, supports much economic activity.† In major industries like Information Technology, Software Development, Construction, Pharmaceuticals, and Aerospace, project management is fundamental. Project Management is also important in governments that have set goals and milestones which can only be achieved with effective management practices. Data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis of the US Department of Commerce, estimated in 2001 that the US companies spend $2.3trn on projects every year (2000).   Project management is important in any economic activity because it ensures adequate planning, scheduling and successful execution of a project; it also helps to reduce possible risks associated with a project and ensure minimal hitches. Project Management is indeed important to every economy. Many projects fail because of poor knowledge of Project Management concepts. Its relevance cannot be over emphasized. Role of the Project Manager The project manager is in charge of daily management and supervision of the project. He manages the project to ensure that things go according to plan. He also communicates with all stakeholders and project team members to ensure that there’s a clear understanding of general requirements. The project manager confirms users’ requirements to make sure that these requirements are incorporated into the end-product. A project manager engages in scoping, planning, staffing, organizing, scheduling, directing, controlling and closing a project (Whitten 2001, p.127). Swot Analysis The Regency Hotels has several strengths that serve as advantages. It has the potential to expand its services to customers internationally due to the number of branches it has, internet availability and its unique services. It is also strategically located, can leverage on its positioning and has a wide customer base. Its two major weaknesses are: 1) it has a static website which cannot provide interactive functions like online payments, online reservations, message boards, fan clubs, and so on. 2) It does not have skilled IT staff in-house that can manage the online system when it is eventually deployed. There are however, opportunities for it to become one of the best hotels in the world by maintaining a consistent and interactive global presence.   Increased competition is the major threat to Regency Hotels. Most hotels today, have a strong online presence that offers customers various services that make their experiences with the hotel more memorable and convenient, like booking and paying online. Regency Hotels is yet to rise to the challenge. Development methodology The software development methodology to be adopted for the production of this system is the waterfall method. This is an approach to software development that specifies that a project should be grouped into phases and one phase must be completed before the next. The project is carried out in a logical manner through a pre-determined number of steps. This method is preferred because the duration of the project is only two weeks and the requirements are clear.   With the waterfall method, project reviews are conducted between stages, which represent milestones. This provides an organized scenario that ensures required documentation and quality management of the developed application is carried out (Sorensen 1995). Project Scope The project scope definition involves clarifying the boundaries of the project. Regency Hotels in addition to available technological features like retrieving customers’ information, billing, checking for room availability, desires a system with added capabilities of online booking and payment. This project involves building a system that can accept online booking and payment options by customers. A portal will be developed to include the following features: Online reservations, online payment, checking room availability, checking in, checking out, discussion group and general information on the hotel. Secure Socket Layer (SSL) will be added to the website to provide for added security when paying online; search functions will be provided on web pages to check for room availability and booking; e-mail and discussion group facilities will be included to facilitate communication between customers and the hotel; and other technological features from the available website will be incorporated into the new portal to ensure that a robust system that meets the expectations of Stakeholders at Regency Hotels is built. The final system will be deployed at the hotel and tested. Staff members that need to be trained will be identified and educated on how to use the system. The change management process will be made easier for staff of Regency Hotel by ensuring that they are adequately trained, resources are provide to assist them, and maintenance/ support plans are put in place. Result of using COCOMO model to estimate effort, duration and number of people required. The Constructive Cost Model, known as COCOMO was developed by Barry Boehm in 1981. It is based on the waterfall model and is used for estimating the number of person and months needed to develop software. It also estimates the development schedule in months. The development mode for this project is organic because it is a small and straight-forward one. A small team with sufficient experience work together to develop the portal system (Merlo-Schett 2002). COCOMO is defined in terms of three basic models: The Basic model, the Intermediate model and the detailed model. The KDSI is the size of the project in Kilo delivered source instructions. These are source lines that are created by the project team. Using the Intermediate COCOMO I, calculation is done as follows: Required: Portal system for online payment and booking Development Effort (MM) = a * KDSI b Effort and development Time (TDEV) =     2.5 * MM c With organic mode of development, a = 3.2, b = 1.05, c = 0.38 4 modules to implement: Data entry – 0.5 KDSI Data update – 0.3 KDSI Online Reservations – 0.8 KDSI Online Payment – 0.7 KDSI System SIZE 2.3 KDSI MM = 3.2 * 2.3 1.05   = 7.7 TDEV = 2.5 * MM c = 2.5* 7.7 0.38 = 5.4 (Project needs more than 5 months to complete) Number of people to be hired = MM/TDEV = 7.7/5.4 = 1.4 (This means that more than one team member is needed to execute the project). The major shortcoming of the above calculation is that value of the KDSI used is approximate (Merlo-Schett 2002). Hardware and Software Requirements At least four separate computers will be needed for building the portal, testing it and hosting it.   Softwares like Macromedia Dreamweaver, Java, PHP, SQL Server and Visual Basic .NET will be needed for building the portal. A central server for hosting and managing user connections to the portal will also be required.   Work Breakdown Structure Work Breakdown Structure shows the hierarchical decomposition of projects into phases, activities and tasks (Whitten 2001, p.135). SOFTWARE REQUIREMENT SPECIFICATION 1.1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Identify sponsors and stakeholders 1.2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Meet with sponsors and stakeholders to clarify system requirements 1.3  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Produce Software Requirements Specification Draft 1.4  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sign-off on software requirements TECHNOLOGY SPECIFICATION 2.1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Determine hardware and software needed for developing the system 2.2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Procure hardware and software needed for system development 2.3  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Set-up hardware and software for use SCOPE MANAGEMENT 3.1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Develop a written scope statement as a basis for future project decisions 3.2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Verify Scope of the Project with sponsors 3.3  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Perform Scope Change Control to prevent scope creep COST & SCHEDULE MANAGEMENT 4.1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Develop an estimate of project costs 4.2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Schedule Meeting with Stakeholders to agree on cost and deadline 4.3  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Receive Payment from Stakeholders 4.4  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Allocate cost estimates to individual work items 4.5  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Evaluate actual versus projected schedule 4.6  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Control changes to project budget to avoid going over the budget 4.7  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Compare actual and budgeted costs 4.8  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Schedule Development 4.9  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Schedule Control HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT PHASE 5.1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Identify Project Roles/Conduct Organizational Planning 5.2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Determine Skills of People needed to develop system 5.3  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Determine number of people to work on the project 5.4  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Recruit Project Team Members 5.5  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Engage staff with appropriate skills 5.6  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Develop individual and group skills to enhance project performance ACTIVITY MANAGEMENT PHASE 6.1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Develop activity list for project team members 6.2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sub-divide major project deliverables into smaller components 6.3  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Assign Team Members to tasks and deliverables 6.4  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Supervise activities within the project team 6.5  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Evaluate Performance and Productivity 6.6  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Update activity list as necessary 6.7  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Conduct meetings and review status reports on software development PROJECT OFFICE ADMINISTRATION 7.1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Attend to daily activities or events concerning the project 7.2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   General project supervision PROJECT COMMUNICATIONS 8.1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Determine information and communication needs of stakeholders 8.2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Provide information to stakeholders in a timely fashion 8.3  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Put contact details of all team members and stakeholders into the database 8.4  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Performance reporting to stakeholders through status reports, progress measurement and forecasting 8.5  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Set up meetings with project team members 8.6  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Develop status reports for the project RISK MANAGEMENT 9.1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Identify all possible risks within the project and effects on project 9.2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Define steps for responding to threats 9.3  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Respond to changes in risks during the course of the project QUALITY MANAGEMENT 10.1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Identify quality standards relevant to the project and how to satisfy them 10.2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Evaluate overall project performance 10.3  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Define Quality Assurance Specifications 10.4  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Code and check the system for compliance with quality standards 10.5  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Test System to make sure it fits clients’ requirements Hand-Over of Project 11.1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ensure adherence to client requirement 11.2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Conduct Customer Acceptance Tests 11.3  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Review Software User Manuals 11.4  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sign off & Certify Solution Development 11.5  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Submit Project Close-out Report 11.6  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Terminate Project Project scheduling (Please refer to attached Microsoft Project document for dependency between activities, network diagram, critical path and Gantt chart) A Project network diagram displays the logical relationships of project activities. A Gantt chart is a horizontal bar chart that shows tasks against timelines. Each bar is equivalent to a project task. Gantt charts show, tasks that can be performed at the same time (Whitten 2001, p.128).Any tasks on the critical path cannot be delayed. Name of Activity  Ã‚      Duration Starting Date    Finishing Date    Software Requirement Specification 1 Day Wed 4/23/08 Wed 4/23/08 Technology Specification       1 Day Thu 4/24/08 Thu 4/24/08 Scope Management       10 Days    Wed 4/23/08 Tue 5/6/08       Cost & Schedule Management       12 Days Wed 4/23/08 Thu 5/8/08 Human Resources Management Phase 8 Days Wed 4/23/08 Fri 5/2/08       Activity Management Phase       10 Days Wed 4/23/08 Tue 5/6/08 Project Office Administration       10 Days Wed 4/23/08 Tue 5/6/08 Project Communications       10 Days Wed 4/23/08 Tue 5/6/08 Risk Management       10 Days Wed 4/23/08 Tue 5/6/08 Quality Management       10 Days Wed 4/23/08 Tue 5/6/08 Hand-Over of Project       10 Days Wed 4/23/08 Tue 5/6/08 Possible risks related to the software development project Every project has its own share of risks. Risks associated with this project are outlined below: The period of time given for the execution of the project is short. The COCOMO model shows that a project of such magnitude requires at least 5 months for completion. There is a risk of the project exceeding the time frame allocated by the stakeholders. User requirements may change or expand during the duration of project. There is a risk of having to accommodate changes to the design of the portal. This is known as scope creep and may affect the schedule and budget (Whitten 2001). With the obvious need to procure softwares for the development of the portal system, resources like time and money may not be sufficient. There is a risk of taking short cuts around the system development methodology in order to meet the deadline and not exceed the budget. This might affect the quality of the final product. Another potential risk is that of feature creep. This refers to the uncontrolled addition of technical features to a system that is being developed without regard to schedule and budget (Whitten 2001, p.125). A portal system is a robust application that is designed to fulfill various needs of an organization. The temptation to add more features is always a prevalent risk There is the risk of a team member resigning from the project. This will cause a considerable loss of time. There is also the risk of insufficient communication within the project team which may lead to misunderstanding of customers’ requirements, and cause a deviation from the project plan, budget and schedule. Project Monitoring Project monitoring involves supervising the project throughout its lifecycle. This is important in order to know how things are going and to solve any problem that may arise during the course of the project. This can be done via meetings, emails, reports on progress and finances and also by observing project management best practices. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Applying the principles of Project Management to the development of the portal system at Regency Hotels will go a long way to ensure that the objectives are met on time, within budget and that the software product will be of the desired quality. Project Management is a crucial practice that should be encouraged in every sector of the economy. It ensures that money, energy and time are not wasted on failed projects. With sufficient project management practices in place, stakeholders and contractors can conduct businesses without bothering about the hitches involved with long-term projects. Regardless of the end product, which could be a new service, product or knowledge, project management ensures that a successful outcome is achieved within the available resources and time frame. References Whitten, JL, Bentley, LD, & Dittman, KC 2001, Systems Analysis and Design Methods, 5th edn, Mc Graw-Hill, New York. Wheatley, M 2000, The Importance of Project Management, Project Smart. Available from: [22 April 2008] Sorensen, R 1995, A comparison of Software Development Methodologies, Software Technology Support Centre. Available from: [24 April 2008] Duncan, WR 1996, A Guide to Project Management Body of Knowledge, PMI Standards Committee. Available from: [24 April 2008] Merlo-Schett, N 2002, ‘COCOMO Constructive Cost Model’, Proceedings of the seminar cost estimation W 2002/2003, pp. 1-24. Available from: [22 April 2008].   

Care Plan for Neuman

Pt will assist with ADL’s to the highest degree possible over the next 30 days. Ace with bathe and dress self with min-assist/supervision and cues in 90 days. | 1. Encourage patient to be accountable for specific aspects of care (i. e. brush teeth daily)2. Set up grooming items and encourage participation3. Assist with ADL’s if Ace is unable4. Encourage, cue and assist to select clothing and dress appropriately daily5. Ambulate pt with assist (as directed by PT)6. Monitor for c/o discomfort, foul smelling, and discolored urine 7. Assist with and encourage good peri-care with each toileting 8. Educate pt on breaking tasks into small steps. Limit choices to two, and provide reminder and cues during tasks   | 1. Primary2. Secondary4. Primary5. Secondary6. Primary7. Primary8. Teritary |   Risk for impaired skin integrity R/T immobility, mechanical pressure sheer. | Ace will be turned/repositioned Q 2 hrs. with assist of 1-2 people. Ace will complete transfers with min-mod assist of 1 as required. Ace will be out of bed daily, as tolerated, transfers will be with assist of 1-2 staff as required. | 1. While in bed staff with assist Ace to turn/reposition self-using pillows and wedges to maintain position. 2. Place call light w/in easy reach3. PT to educate Ace on assistive devices4. Remind and encourage Ace to call for assistance when needed5. Ace will be out of bed to chair daily as tolerated  | 1. Primary2. Secondary3. Primary4. Secondary5. Teritary|   Impaired physical mobility related to neuromuscular impairment r/t Hypertension, Occlusion within vessels of the brain parenchyma disruption of blood supply in the brain area, tissue and cell necrosis.   Ace will be free of injury for next 30 days. | 1. Change position Q 2 hrs. 2. Teaching related to ambulation and transfers by PT/OT and nursing. 3. Evaluation and education of assistive devices as directed by therapies. 4. Education on diet, nutrition and speech consult 5. Encourage use of non-skid shoes/footwear6. Provides safety measures (side rails up, using pillows to support body part)  | 1. Primary2. Tertiary3. Terti ary4. Primary5. Secondary6. Primary| Care Plan for Neuman Pt will assist with ADL’s to the highest degree possible over the next 30 days. Ace with bathe and dress self with min-assist/supervision and cues in 90 days. | 1. Encourage patient to be accountable for specific aspects of care (i. e. brush teeth daily)2. Set up grooming items and encourage participation3. Assist with ADL’s if Ace is unable4. Encourage, cue and assist to select clothing and dress appropriately daily5. Ambulate pt with assist (as directed by PT)6. Monitor for c/o discomfort, foul smelling, and discolored urine 7. Assist with and encourage good peri-care with each toileting 8. Educate pt on breaking tasks into small steps. Limit choices to two, and provide reminder and cues during tasks   | 1. Primary2. Secondary4. Primary5. Secondary6. Primary7. Primary8. Teritary |   Risk for impaired skin integrity R/T immobility, mechanical pressure sheer. | Ace will be turned/repositioned Q 2 hrs. with assist of 1-2 people. Ace will complete transfers with min-mod assist of 1 as required. Ace will be out of bed daily, as tolerated, transfers will be with assist of 1-2 staff as required. | 1. While in bed staff with assist Ace to turn/reposition self-using pillows and wedges to maintain position. 2. Place call light w/in easy reach3. PT to educate Ace on assistive devices4. Remind and encourage Ace to call for assistance when needed5. Ace will be out of bed to chair daily as tolerated  | 1. Primary2. Secondary3. Primary4. Secondary5. Teritary|   Impaired physical mobility related to neuromuscular impairment r/t Hypertension, Occlusion within vessels of the brain parenchyma disruption of blood supply in the brain area, tissue and cell necrosis.   Ace will be free of injury for next 30 days. | 1. Change position Q 2 hrs. 2. Teaching related to ambulation and transfers by PT/OT and nursing. 3. Evaluation and education of assistive devices as directed by therapies. 4. Education on diet, nutrition and speech consult 5. Encourage use of non-skid shoes/footwear6. Provides safety measures (side rails up, using pillows to support body part)  | 1. Primary2. Tertiary3. Terti ary4. Primary5. Secondary6. Primary|

Essay 4 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

4 - Essay Example The reading reminded Muslims that their religion was revealed by God through the prophet Muhammad. The five pillars of Islam, which are ritual duties that that must be observed by all Muslims, were also mentioned and these pillars are: confessing their faith, observing the five daily prayers, paying alms to the needy, fasting during the month of Ramadan and pilgrimage or hajj to Mecca ((Ellwood & McGraw 374). The authors also explained the importance of the hajj to Muslims and the significance of the mosque as the main place of worship to the Muslims. Several religious rites that are also practiced by Muslims were also mentioned in the book. The spread of Islam from the Middle East to North Africa were also discussed in the reading (Ellwood & McGraw). The two largest branches of Islam, Sunni Islam and the Shi’a Islam were also mentioned in the reading. The Shiites believed that the descendants of Ali, (Muhammad’s son-in-law) were divinely ordained by God and they are called Imams. On the other hand, the Sunnis believed that it was Muhammad’s intention for the Muslims to choose a successor amongst themselves by agreement and they are called caliphs. The difference between the Sunni and Shi’a Islam were made clear in the reading. Islamic mysticism was also explained in the reading and the tensions that it had with mainstream Islam. Islamic mysticism was explained as a factor that has deepened the life of Muslims. The role of Islam in politics was also explained in the reading in the history of Islam and their role in modern politics, especially in the region of the Middle East. The concept of jihad, a ‘holy war’ was also explained in the reading as Muslims actually see it as a means of converting Non-Muslims and drawing their hearts to God. The reading actually relate to my experience in the sense that, it expands my knowledge on the little understanding I have about Islam. The day to day practices of Muslims that were highlighted in the reading

Apple Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Apple - Assignment Example In addition, the discussion of the assignment also tends to focus on current business performance of Apple pertaining to its financial, operational, managing and strategic background of the company. With regard to the major competitive scenario, business organisations have been often identified to involve significant strategic characteristics in comparison to their competitors. In relation to the current emerging trend in the consumer electronics and computer Hardware and software manufacturing business industry, organisations are often considered attaining significant growth by delivering wide range of streamlined products and services to the target customers. The exceptional strategic measures along with striving pace in research and development have substantially enabled the industry to contribute a large portion in the global economy. The striving business practices and performance of the market leaders have been critically identified to obtain a large financial growth over the last two decades in the global consumer electronics and computer manufacturing industry. In relation to the current industry trend, the industry has witnessed to simultaneously perform in line with the unabated economic transition. According to the current statistical reports, global consumer electronics manufacturing industry has been recorded to US$ 226bn over the past five years with an annual growth of 0.7% in 2014 (IBISWorld, â€Å"Global Consumer Electronics Manufacturing: Market Research Report†). In addition, the strategic measures and practices including wider brand differentiation along with unique mode of business operations have substantially enabled the electronic manufacturing market leaders to achieve continuous success than other business sectors. In relation to the current trend in this respective industry, aggressive expansion of business units across