Semantic technology for improving business process management and Essay

Semantic technology for improving business process management and E-Business - Essay Example From traditional to contemporary perspectives, core objective of the businesses has been to manage business operations so that enables business to achieve the competitive advantage over competitors (Dean, DiGrande, Field, and Zwillenberg, 2012). Since introduced information technology has been a constantly upgrading paradigm and so business are attempting to align the functions developing more concrete connections within and outside business environment; hence, entire stakeholders. Technology expansion has changed the perspectives and businesses are now being viewed as system having core components of input, process and output. Around these core components, business processes are continuously evolving for improvement with changing dynamics mainly arising from other perspectives. Broadly the sequence can be regarded as the information technology to recent integration of semantic technology in business processes. Thereby, the report herein attempts to explore the contribution of semantic technology in improving specific business areas of business process management and e-business conduct. In addition to specifically explore the understudy perspectives the report has developed the detailed reference with respect to technological banking leader Citibank. DISCRIPTION OF THE THEORY SEMANTIC BUSINESS PROCESS MANAGEMENT Business process management has over years achieved success to a great extent automating the critical components of the life cycle of business process. Semantic business process management has an objective of attaining process space in an organization to an increased level of knowledge. Success in achieving the process space in the organization benefits business with reasoning with respect to entire business processes including combination as well as execution of process. Integration of semantics technologies in business process management is achieved with the use of ontology that f acilitates the semantic information to the business process. Further, business process automation is enhanced with provision of the semantic web techniques. Business ontology is build using conceptualized core Semantic Web Services as well as Web Service Modeling Language. Sample organizational is depicted in the image below: (Pedrinaci, Domingue, and Brelage, ) As visible from the image above the organizational ontology has various segments and connection between the resources, structure, functions, policies, setup and strategies. The interconnection built between various aspects being facilitated by the core components of the semantic integration in the business process. These interconnections enhance the role of bidirectional interconnection in the business process. Hence, business process management has gained gain efficiencies in entire processes specifically the bottleneck avenues of business processes. ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF THEORY Over years of development, information syst ems are attempting to enhance the dual perspective in the computers’ languages; first, increasing computers capacity to enhance understanding the human language with greater comprehension and intelligence while second refers to techniques aimed at providing existing content with labeling related to the domain (Mika, Elfring, & Groenewegen, 2006; Warren, Thurlow, & Alsmeyer, 2006). Further, semantic technology enables metaphorical as well as logical analysis from the queries in the similar context in which it is asked irrespective of the language as well as pattern it is asked and hence

Karachaganak Petroleum Operating Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Karachaganak Petroleum Operating - Case Study Example The agreement was signed for a period of 40 years. The key business area with respect to KPO B.V., Kazakhstan is it Information Technology equipment. The company is strong in its IT equipment which it uses to run its daily operations. The unit holds around 1.2 billion tones of oil and condensate and also 1.35 trillion cubic meters of gas. The major advantage with the plant is that there is a good amount of income being generated to both the national and local economies. Additionally, the plant is also providing long-term employment to almost 80% people of Kazakhstan. The field covers an area of almost 280 square kilometers. The Mission Statement of the Procurement Department at KPO B.V. is - to provide cost effective and efficient service to all Company User groups for the procurement of goods and services. In providing this service the Department maximizes the practical use of commercial competitions to achieve the best overall economic solution consistent with the User Departments requirements. The structure of the Procurement Department at KPO B.V. is as follows: -Vendor Development and Qualification (VNDQ) - The main objective for the existence of this department is to handle all sorts of issues related to the qualification of vendors and contractors whom it feels are potential for the Approved Vendors List and at the same time contribute in developing the local supply sources. -Procurement - The major responsibility of the Procurement department is to manage the activities of procurement that are associated with the field operations. The department is also needed to supervise the wide range of procurement right from goods to the corporate services. -Contracts - Contracts planning, audit, supervision and all sorts of coordination and administration activities of the major contracts are taken care by this department. -Planning & Reports - This department takes care of all the planning activities like the budget planning, cost control, the formulation of the Standard Term & Conditions of Contract, business methods and systems and the formulation of Departmental procedures. The main focus of the Vendor Development with respect to the operations of KPO B.V. is to make the local companies involve in the provision of the required goods and services of the company. The requirement may be related to all the departments like Production and Maintenance, Engineering and Projects, Infrastructure and Services, Well Operations in which the company wishes to develop local supplier capability for a long-term relationship. Supply Chain Management - An Overview The supply chain can be described as the network, covering the various stages in the provision of products or services to customers. It includes not only manufacturers and suppliers, but also transporters, warehouses, distributors, retailers, etc.

The Role Of World Vision Philippines In Nation-Bulding Essay Example for Free

The Role Of World Vision Philippines In Nation-Bulding Essay A. Introduction People have the tendency to organize themselves into groups in order to address mutual needs and concerns. As the platitude goes: â€Å" No Man Is An Island†. In the olden days, groups of people banded together to increase their chances of survival because being part of a larger group increased their strength, and even warded off potential predators. Also, being in a group resulted to more people hunting and gathering, which led to an increase in the amount of food that they could accumulate. Today, people band together, not for survival, but for reasons more complex and diverse than before. One of these reasons is to address certain issues that the members of the organizations deem socially relevant and timely. Non-governmental organizations or NGOs are set up by like-minded individuals brought together by a mutual passion, a need to promote or attend to a certain issue, or because of common identities.â€Å"NGOs have been defined according to five structural-operational features which states that NGOs are organized, private, non-profit, self-governing, and voluntary. (Global Civil Society, 2003)†. NGOs are perceived to be organizations geared towards a specific purpose, and are renowned for their vigor and dedication in pursuing their goals. These organizations are commonly concerned with societal issues like supporting out-of-school youths, orphanages, women, health, and education, amongst many others. World Vision is a non-governmental organization set up by Dr. Robert Willard Pierce in 1950. His inspiration for establishing this organization was an abandoned Chinese child called White Jade who he supported by giving $5 a month to her caretaker. The first child sponsorship program was put in place three years later to handle the funds that came from donations when he made a film called the â€Å"38th Parallel†, which intended to raise funds for orphans in the Korean War. Since then, it has spread to the other continents and expanded its scope to include not only children, but also emergency relief, poverty, community-based projects, education, health, leadership training,  and income generation seminars. World Vision also founded a branch of the organization in the Philippines in 1957. This was done to help an orphanage in the island of Guimaras called the Good Shepherd’s Fold by donating musical instruments and textbooks for the children. Three years later, World Vision Philippines established their own orphanage called Mercyville Orphanage in South Cotabato. The Philippines has focused on the concept of nation-building ever since it was given independence by its last colonizer, the United States of America. Admittedly, it has been hard to have a sense of a united Philippines because of the inherent ethnic, religious, and geographic divide between the Filipinos. The Philippine government recognizes that the youth are significant to nation-building as reflected in Section 2 of the Republic Act 8044 which states that: â€Å"The State recognizes its responsibility to enable the youth to fulfill their vital role in nation-building†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . The proponents of this research would like to analyze if the World Vision Philippines, which is one of the largest international organizations here in the country, plays a significant role in the Philippines’ nation-building. The proponents chose this non-governmental organization because of its widespread reputation brought about primarily by their wide scope of beneficiaries and their celebrity endorsements. Also, their programs mainly cater to the youth, which has been established as vital to nation-building, although it is a fact that the World Vision Philippines also have programs for families and communities. However, this fact does not dissuade a possible relationship between World Vision and the Philippines’ nation-building but rather, strengthens it as families and communities also play a role in nation-building. B. Statement Of The Research Problems This research is trying to find out the role of the non-governmental organization, the World Vision Philippines, in the aforementioned country’s nation-building. Specifically, this research attempts to answer the following questions: 1. Does the World Vision Philippines play a significant role in nation-building of the Philippines? 2. How does World Vision Philippines contribute to the nation-building of the Philippines? 3. How is the World Vision Philippines held accountable for all the donations and funds sent to them by their donors? 4. What are the measures used to assess whether the World Vision Philippines’ projects and programs are successful? 5. What are the strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities that affect the World Vision Philippines? 6. What strategies can be done in order to address the said strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities of World Vision Philippines that could help into making it a better organization? C. Statement Of the Research Objectives This research aims to find out the role of the World Vision Philippines in the goal of nation-building. Specifically, the proponents aspire to attain the following objectives: 1. To determine whether World Vision Philippines plays a significant role in nation-building of the Philippines. 2. To describe how the specific programs and projects of the World Vision Philippines contribute to the nation-building of the Philippines. 3. To find out how the World Vision Philippines is held accountable for all the donations and funds sent to them by their donors. 4. To establish what measures are used to assess whether the World Vision Philippines’ projects and programs are successful. 5. To deliberate the strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities that affect the World Vision Philippines. 6. To consider the strategies that can be done in order to address the said strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities of World Vision Philippines that could help into making it a better organization. D. Significance of the Study The existing literature about nation-building in the Philippines does not take into account the role of NGOs. The proponents wish to address this research gap by providing an analysis of the role of one of the largest international non-governmental organizations in the country, the World Vision Philippines. The proponents would like to add to the information available and hope to specifically benefit the following: D.1. World Vision Philippines The World Vision Philippines is the primary beneficiary of this study because it is the organization that is being analyzed by the proponents. If the research proves that the organization does play a significant role in nation-building, their existence will be legitimatized. Also, their reputation would improve which could lead to more donors and volunteers for their programs, projects, and activities. The information and analysis done in this paper could be utilized by the organization in order to improve their services, supplement their inadequacies, address their main problems, maintain or even further enhance their successes, and develop strategies to make their organization more efficient and better as a whole. D.2. Donors Potential and actual donors would also benefit from this study because they will be able to use the information about the World Vision Philippines so that they can more accurately assess whether the organization is worth donating to or not. This is important because the NGO already has a lot of donors from both individuals and institutions. Also, donors are the entities to whom World Vision Philippines is most accountable to because it is their donations that funds the programs, projects, and activities of the said organization. The information provided here can help the donors identify the areas of insufficiencies of the World Vision Philippines, and because of their critical role in the organization, they can wield pressure and influence to make the organization address these issues. D.3. Beneficiaries The beneficiaries of the World Vision Philippines could assess from this research whether the services that are given to them are what the organization promised to render. Also, they would be able to pinpoint the areas that the organization is deficient in, from which, in coordination with the NGO, they could both address these concerns to improve the organization and its services. The beneficiaries could also assess whether the treatment given to them by the NGO is the same for all the other beneficiaries that are also helped by the organization. D.4. Volunteers The potential and actual volunteers of World Vision Philippines can benefit from this study because it would allow them to get to know the NGO better. This is important because as volunteers, they would represent the NGO to the beneficiaries and other entities, and such, they must familiarize themselves in the workings, structures, and principles of the organization. Also, they could assess accurately whether the organization they joined in is delivering on its promises, and if not, being insiders, they would be able to help the organization improve its performance better. D.5. Affiliated NGOS and corporations Non-governmental organizations that work with World Vision Philippines will benefit from this study because it would allow them to understand how the World Vision Philippines works and its priorities and concerns. This would allow them to better their working relationship with the concerned institution, and they could develop strategies which would utilize their and the World Visions’ strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities. One of the most important affiliated organizations of the World Vision Philippines is the Philippine Council for NGO Certification which is an entity that gives a certification to NGOs that meet established minimum criteria for financial management and accountability. This is an important institution because they help in reviewing and establishing the legitimacy and performance of NGOs in the Philippines. D.6. Related Government Agencies Government agencies, whose jurisdictions overlap with the concerns of the World Vision Philippines, will benefit from this study, because they could evaluate the work that the NGO does. If World Vision Philippines is proven to be helpful in nation-building, they can build a partnership with the NGO so that their works are supplemented by the said institution. These government agencies include the Securities and Exchange Commission (the agency that deals with NGOs as a whole), Department of Health (World Vision Philippines is also concerned about the health status of its beneficiaries), DEPED (the aforementioned NGO funds the schooling of its recipients), DSWD (World Vision Philippines’ main receiver of services are the youth, particularly children), and National Risk Reduction Management Council (Because the organization also helps in post-disaster relief missions). D.7. Future Researchers Nation-building and NGOs are very important factors and entities in the society and thus, the proponents of this study believe that researches  discussing either of the two topics, and more importantly, the relationship between the two, will materialize in the future. Future researchers can use this study as a source for their own study. It could also aid them in expanding their resource material base because of the other literatures cited in this study. E. Definition of Terms 1. World Vision Philippines – A non-profit organization which is a subsidiary of an international non-governmental organization that does projects and programs that are primarily concerned with the Philippine youth, but also includes community and family beneficiaries. It also tackles the societal issues of education, health, disaster relief, and youth empowerment. It operates through the funds given by donors and through volunteer-work. 2. Nation-Building – A concept that focuses on the personal development of individuals and communities of a particular nation with the goal of improving the standard of living of everyone in that country in terms of health, education, livelihood, and other factors that have a huge impact in their lives. This involves values formation and community development through active engagement in societal issues that affect the society they live in. This gives special emphasis to the youth as they will be the future professionals, policy-makers, and leaders of the country. 3. Non-governmental organizations – Organizations that operate as an entity that is not part of a government of a country. They are established to pursue a common goal or to address a certain issue. They are usually non-profit. They may be local or international in scope and in terms of their beneficiaries. 4. Donors – People who give money to the World Vision Philippines and are the source of funds of the said institution. 5. Volunteers – People who help in the actual carrying out of the services of World Vision Philippines who expect no pay or compensation for the work that  they do. 6. Beneficiaries – People who receive the funding and services from the World Vision Philippines. The main objective of the said NGO is to improve their standard of living and increase their chances for self-development. 7. Strengths – Internal factors that the World Vision Philippines utilizes and are the advantages that they have that contribute significantly to their good performance in delivering their services. 8. Weaknesses – Internal factors inherent in the World Vision Philippines that significantly but negatively affects their performance in giving out their services in their programs, projects, and activities. These factors puts the said organization at a disadvantage. 9. Opportunities – External factors that positively affects the World Vision Philippines which they can utilize for the betterment of their organization as a whole. 10. Threats – External factors which may hinder the performance of the World Vision Philippines. These needs to be addressed in order to improve the efficiency, timeliness, and overall capacity of the said NGO to deliver their promised services. F. Review of Related Literature This research has included information from various studies and literature on the concepts of non-governmental organizations, nation-building, and World Vision Philippines. Nation-building is an important aspect in the Philippine society. Carolyn Stephenson said that, â€Å"Nation-building matters to intractable conflict because of the theory that a strong state is necessary in order to provide security, that the building of integrated national community is important in the building of a state, and that there may be social and economic  prerequisites or co-requisites to the building of an integrated national community.†This article shows that nation-building is really important because due the integration of national community, the country will be more united in its goal of achieving improvement in the quality of life for all. Nation-building needs a lot of effort to achieve its purpose. According to Native Nations Institute,† Nation-building involves building institutions of self-government that are actually appropriate to the nation and that are effective in addressing the nation’s challenges. Nation-building involves developing the nation’s capacity to make timely, strategically informed decisions about its affairs and to implement those decisions. It involves a comprehensive effort to rebuild societies that work†. Though, we could see that nation-building is not an easy process, still, it is very important because it leads to the formation of countries as stated in the article Nation-building by Alberto Alesina and Bryony Reich(2013): Nation-building is a process which leads to the formation of countries in which the citizens feel a sufficient amount of commonality of interests, goals, and preferences so that they do not wish to separate from each other. Non-governmental organizations are truly a force in today’s society, especially to the people who subscribe to the Constructivist point of view. But even in Liberalism, they are one of the major actors that shape the international society today. As stated by the Commonwealth Business Council (2003): The power of NGOs is further exemplified not just by their increasing number but by their ability to network and mobilize their members to affect global politics†.This was taken furtherby Songco (2006) when he said: â€Å" Such power [of NGOs] was demonstrated in various U.N. conferences, international summits and multilateral meetings where NGOs have been effective in influencing policy agendas, official statements and joint resolutions. The first statement implies that NGOs today are not limited by their scope (environmental, humanitarian, etc.) because they have the power to influence the political sphere in their respective areas. This is relevant to this study because nation-building entails government measures in improving the standards of living of the people and if these measures can be affected by NGOs particularly World Vision then these can be used as a channel or can play a role in nation-building of the Philippines. NGOs play a very significant role in society as reflected by a research paper by Jordan L. which said: NGOs are a potent political force and there are some serious issues confronting civil society that need to be addressedAt the national level, many social services that traditionally were in the purview of government are today delivered by the private sector or through NGOs. This explains NGOs despite being an entity that is not under the government still has political power that it can utilize to realize its advocacies. These organizations play a role in bringing of service to the public but as indicated in the paper, these NGOs also have issues to consider and one of them is their accountability to the public. Because of their significant role in society, people are becoming more and more aware of NGOs and are encouraged to take part in their activities either through donations or volunteerism. However, as their donors and volunteers increase, the accountability of the NGOs to these people, their beneficiaries, and the population as a whole also increases. To wit: The increasing funding of NGOs by official donor agencies thrusts the question of legitimacy into center stage, for if NGOs are becoming more responsive to external concerns, are substituting for government and are growing larger on the basis of foreign funding, what is happening to the links -– to their values and mission, and to their relationships with the poor, supporters and others -– through which they derive their right to intervene in development. This was taken from â€Å"Too Close For Comfort? The Impact of Official Aid on Nongovernmental Organizations† by Edwards and Hulme (1998: 8-9). This reveals that there is an argument regarding the legitimacy of NGOs and a question on how non-governmental are these NGOs especially if they are receiving funding from government institutions as well. The article also says that NGOs need to incorporate mechanisms that can help improve their performance and provide ample measures of evaluation in order for them to remain credible and accountable. The World Vision Philippines is a prime example of a non-governmental organization. According to the article Vision in Action in the Manila Bulleting:â€Å"The World Vision, one of the world’s biggest international NGOs, has established its presence in the Philippines 56 years ago, it has helped uplift and empower poor communities through education, public engagement, values formation, and disaster and emergency response.† (Barawid R.C., Fojas, S.C., Lim, R.S). Since then, the World Vision Philippines, the Philippine branch of the World Vision International, has been an active player in the Philippine arena. From the same article, an example was given in that the NGO was one of the first to respond to the recent onslaught of Typhoon Haiyan in Leyte. They provided relief goods and psychological debriefings in the evacuation centers. This shows that the NGO already has a good reputation in terms of fast response to calamities and that they are very active in their humani tarian undertakings. Because of their very fast, efficient, and lauded response to the Yolanda disaster, the NGO was able to gain more fundings from donors. One of these was the Ascot Limited who â€Å"†¦donated 1.87 million pesos to World Vision for its relief and rehabilitation efforts†¦Ã¢â‚¬ .(TravPR.com) This article shows that private corporations have a lot of trust in the organization and believes that it truly renders good service to its beneficiaries. This also shows that the NGO was able to establish a good reputation in terms of emergency and disaster relief efforts which will be able to encourage more donors and volunteers to patronize their institution. World Vision Philippines is not only concerned with disaster response. It is also concerned with other societal issues like education, sanitation, and all the other aspects that define the standard of living of a child and his family. This multi-scope aspect of the NGO was affirmed by an article in GMA Network which said : â€Å"World Vision is concerned about ensuring safe living spaces for children and their families as heavy rains and aftershocks are still prevalent in quake-hit areas†¦ World Vision calls for more intensified action to uphold childrens education rights in the quake-hit areas. Back-to-school woes include damaged classrooms as teachers and children hold classes in tents. Children in emergencies also need to be protected from the risks of hazardous work in quake-hit areas, along other forms of child abuse and exploitation†. G. Scope and Limitation of the Study The study shall focus on how the projects, programs, and activities of the World Vision helps in the nation-building of the Philippines. It shall not include those of the World Vision International. It shall deal only with the latest statistical data from the latest reports given by the NGO. It will also include interviews conducted with people who can better assess the World Vision Philippines’ performance as a humanitarian institution. CHAPTER 2 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK A. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK This study wants to find out the role of the non-governmental organization, the World Vision Philippines, in the Philippines’ nation-building. The proponents use the existing information available about the said organization and analyze them to determine whether they have a relationship to the nation-building of the Philippines. These independent variables include, the projects, programs, and activities of World Vision Philippines, the organization’s financial reports, the outside perception on the NGO, and the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) of the said institution. The dependent variable or the outcome is the role of the World Vision Philippines in the country’s nation-building. B. HYPOTHESES OF THE STUDY This study assumed the following hypotheses: 1. The World Vision Philippines plays a significant role in nation-building of the Philippines. 2. Specific programs and projects of the World Vision Philippines contribute to the nation-building of the Philippines. 3. World Vision Philippines is accountable for all the donations and funds sent to them by their donors. 4. Measures can be used to assess whether the World Vision Philippines’ projects and programs are successful. 5. There are strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities thataffect the World Vision Philippines. 6. Strategies that can be done in order to address the said strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities of World Vision Philippines that could help into making it a better organization. CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY A. Research Design This paper is classified as a qualitative research because it describes phenomena that are hard to quantify. It could also be described as a Descriptive Research because it shows the associations or relationship of the determined independent variables with the dependent variable. It analyzes existing literature, articles, and reports to determine the role of World Vision Philippines to nation-building. It also makes use of interviews to get the outside perception about the NGO. B. Sources of Data The data shall come from existing literature which may include studies, articles, and feedback about the World Vision Philippines, NGOs, and nation-building. It will make use of the reports disseminated by the World Vision Philippines in its website . It shall also make use of interviews with experts who have a unique perspective about NGOs due to their educational attainment and or experience. These literature and statistics shall come from hardbound or online books, articles, and journals taken from the LPU, UP-Diliman, and national libraries, and from website sources in the internet. C. Method of Data Collection The study employed the Documents or Secondary Data or Data Mining method of data collection wherein the information were based from existing literature. Among the Secondary Data method of data collection, the study used Content Analysis in which literature that is related to the concepts of the paper are found and its content was noted and categorized into appropriate categories and themes. Also, data was gathered through individual in-depth interviews by the interviewers. The interviewers took down important notes in the conduct of the interviews. In order to secure the consent of the selected participants, the researchers relayed all important details of the study, including its aim and purpose. By explaining these important details, the respondents were able to understand the importance of their role in the completion of the research. Respondents were offered no monetary compensation. Preliminary conversations before and after the interview session were also noted as these helped in clarifying and validating any vague responses that emerged in the results. Sample Interview Questions: 1. How would you describe the status of our NGOs today in terms of authenticity, accountability and transparency? 2. Do you believe that NGOs contribute to the nation-building of our country today? If yes, in what way? 3. How does good governance help in the workings of a non-government organization? 4. What measures do you consider are important in analyzing whether an NGO is able to achieve its goals? 5. Is World Vision relevant for the Philippines? Does it have a huge impact amongst the Filipinos? D. Method of Data Analysis After the data has been collected, the proponents used the Descriptive method of data analysis wherein the main characteristics and features of the data gathered are described. After which the Exploratory method of data analysis was then employed in order to study the relationships between our variables. CHAPTER 4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS This study identified five research problems in Chapter 1 specifically: 1. Does the World Vision Philippines play a significant role in nation-building of the Philippines? 2. How does World Vision Philippines contribute to the nation-building of the Philippines? 3. How is the World Vision Philippines held accountable for all the donations and funds sent to them by their donors? 4. What are the measures used to assess whether the World Vision Philippines’ projects and programs are successful? 5. What are the strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities that affect the World Vision Philippines? 6. What strategies can be done in order to address the said strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities of World Vision Philippines that could help into making it a better organization? The first problem was answered by identifying the factors involved in nation-building and the scope of the projects of world vision. Nation-building is a concept that focuses on the personal development of individuals and communities of a particular nation with the goal of improving the standard of living of everyone in that country in terms of health, education, livelihood, and other factors that have a huge impact in their lives. This involves values formation and community development through active engagement in societal issues that affect the society they live in. This gives special emphasis to the youth as they will be the future professionals, policy-makers, and leaders of the country. The on-going projects of World Vision Philippines involve areas such as health and nutrition, education, child participation, livelihood, disaster response and  values formation. In the 2012 Annual Report of World Vision Philippines, the organization serves over 20,000 families in 33 area deve lopment programs (ADP) regarding livelihood programs, 110,000 children in 49 ADPs in terms of education-related projects and 51,969 affected families from December 2011-2012 for the natural disaster response programs. World Vision works in 33 provinces and 14 cities in the country. The second research problem was addressed by indicating the various projects being implemented by the World Vision Philippines. Table 1 shows the various priorities of World Vision and their corresponding programs on 2011 and 2012 World Vision Philippines Annual Report. PRIORITIES PROGRAM HEALTH AND NUTRITION Social Mobilization on TB Nutrition Jump Start Channels of Hope Child Health Now EDUCATION Tulong Aral ng Petron Bridge to Employment ABK3 Elementary Comletion LIVELIHOOD Community- Managed Savings and Credit Association (CoMSCA) Food Education with Agricultural Development and Sustainability (FORWARD) Community Economic Ventures, Inc. (CEVI) DISASTER RESPONSE Child Friendly Spaces (CFS) Humanitarian and Emergency Affairs Response Team (HEART) trainings Child-Focused Disaster Risk Reduction (CFDRR) VALUES FORMATION Local Capacities for Peace (LCP) Table 1: World Vision Priorities and Corresponding Programs The third research problem was about the financial accountability of World Vision Philippines regarding the funds being donated to the organization. World Vision released annual reports containing the finances of the organization however there are instances when the information in these reports are too vague. See Figure 1 and 2 which were taken directly from the 2011 and 2012 World Vision Annual Report. Figure 1 showed the breakdown of the finances in the organization in million pesos while Figure 2 merely stated the percentage of each of the expenses. Figure 1: World Vision Financial Report for 2011 Figure 2: World Vision Financial Report 2012 The Philippine Council for NGO Certification gave a 5 year certification to World Vision Philippines last December 29,2010 and will expire in August 25, 2015. This meant that the World Vision Philippines passed the criteria for financial management and accountability in the service to underprivileged Filipinos. According to PCNC PCNC has formulated three rating sheets one is for organizations operating for two or more years; another is for newly established organizations; and the third is for networks. The evaluation covers six areas, namely: Vision, Mission, and Goals; Governance; Administration; Program Operations; Financial Management; and Networking. Financial Management gives the best source of assurance for donors that the recipient organization is accountable and transparent and that donations are  utilized according to the organizations declared goals and objectives. Extra parameters may be added or deleted when necessary, depending on the organization being evaluated. An NGO may get a 1, 3, or 5 year-certification, depending on its years of existence and ratings from the evaluation. To practice transparency, World Vision Philippines’s main program Sponsor-A-Child involves giving annual reports regarding the status of the child that the donors are sponsoring. The sponsorship package includes nutritious food, clean water, access to healthcare and education not only for the child but also his community. The organization also has an event called Lakbay Pag-asa in partnership with Cebu Pacific that allows the donor and the children they are sponsoring to meet. This gives chance to the donors to evaluate the progress of not only the child they are sponsoring but also the families and communities that they will visit. The fourth research problem was answered by the statement of Jennica Enciso, UNFPA Philippines Youth Advisory Panel at UNFPA and Political Science Professor of Jose Rizal University, on measuring the authenticity and effectiveness of NGOs. She stated thatto measure the authenticity of the NGO: first it should be registered but there is a question on the credibility of the body giving the certification especially with the recent happenings regarding the bogus NGOs supposedly created by Janet Lim Napoles. Measuring the effectiveness of an NGO can be done through monitoring and evaluation on how this NGO is active in many activities. The beneficiaries themselves will give a good feedback if they gained any help and if the projects of the NGOs were a success. The fifth research problem was answered by conducting a SWOT analysis on World Vision Philippines. The researchers identified the following as the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of World Vision Philippines: Strengths 1. The organization is devoted to Christian beliefs therefore it adheres to values that are important to the society 2. World Vision’s approach is holistic. 3. They have a target of 15 years to study to complete their Sponsor A Child  Program which shows that they are timebound, and therefore, this project is measurable and can be analyzed. 4. Fast response to natural disasters. 5. Showing people the hard parts of the world. 6. Great reputation and donor base 7. Leaders are people from corporate sector 8. Celebrity endorsements from well-known celebrities like Anne Curtis, Kramer Family, Ogie Alcasid and so on 9. Helps anyone regardless of religious affiliation 10. World Vision promotes public involvement and government policies related to education and children. Weaknesses 1. Public perception wanting to know how much goes to the kids. 2. How the effectiveness of programs is measured. 3. Getting the word out that it is not a bad company that only thinks about themselves. 4. People do not donate because they cannot afford the minimum amount specified in certain programs such as Sponsor-a-Child. 5. Decentralized leadership leads to delayed decision making 6. Uncertainty of the continuation of funds coming from donors 7. Reactive, rather than proactive culture 8. Personnel not ready to deal with the huge influx of orphans and sick patients. 9. Website is not updated particularly the contact page. 10. Vague report on financial accountability. Opportunities 1. World Vision is getting donation from churches. 2. Government and private organization also give donations to the World Vision. 3. Organization is able to expand programs because there is a great need from its targeted beneficiaries. 4. Can build on community models and leverage community relationships 5. Collaborate with other organizations to expand their reach 6. World Vision can utilize their celebrity endorsers to further promote the advocacies of the organization 7. Recent natural calamities that occurred in the country can serve as a means to carry out  disaster response programs 8. Their twitter already has 31.4 thousand followers. 9. Celebrities who are non-World Vision endorsers publicly donate to World Vision Philippines (Valentines Concert of Regine Velasquez and Martin Nievera) 10. Sentimentality of people from affected areas increased volunteerism. Threats 1. Embezzlement 2. Computer Failure 3. Negative Legislature and Lawsuits 4. Strikes 5. Tax Problems 6. Terrorism 7. Workplace Violence 8. Competition from other Charities that implement changes more quickly 9. Possibility of Economic Crisis 10. Bad Reviews on NGOs The last research problem was addressed in Figures 3 to 10 that shows the strategies identified by the researches as possible means to improve the organization. Figure 3: S1-01 Strategy Figure 4: S2-03 Strategy Figure 5:S1-T1 Strategy Figure 6: S8-T10 Strategy Figure 7: W6-02 Strategy Figure 8: W3-010 Strategy Figure 9: W8-T8 Strategy Figure 10: W6-T9 Strategy CHAPTER 5 SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS SUMMARY This study wants to find out the role that the World Vision Philippines play in the country’s nation-building. After analysis of the existing literature, It was found out that the organization does play significant role in nation-building primarily because its projects, programs, and priorities coincides with activities that are essential to nation-building like improvements in the standard of living of the people in terms of health and nutrition, education, child participation, livelihood, disaster response and values formation. The World Vision Philippines has 14 active programs, four of which are related to health and nutrition, another four for education, three for livelihood, two for disaster response, and one for values formation. The World Vision Philippines holds itself accountable to its donors and the public by releasing an annual financial report that shows the breakdown of their revenues, expenses, and project costs. A private organization, the Philippine Council for NGO Certification, gave a five year certification to World Vision Philippines which meant that it passed the minimum requirement for an NGO in terms of financial management and accountability in rendering its services. Another way it practices transparency is in the program Sponsor-A-Child, the NGO gives annual reports to the donors regarding the status, grades, and other relevant information of their specific beneficiary. Ms. Jennica Encisco said that the authenticity and effectiveness of NGOS are measured by analyzing whether they are registered as such, monitoring and evaluating the activities of the NGO, and through the feedback of actual beneficiaries. The proponents listed down 10 Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) to the  organization and recommended strategies that utilized this SWOT to help improve the performance and efficiency of the organization. CONCLUSIONS The study has derived the following conclusions based on the information gathered by the researchers. World Vision Philippines plays a significant role in nation-building of the Philippines since the scope of its projects involve factors that are needed in nation-building such as health, education, livelihood, individual and community development and so on. World Vision contributes to the nation-building through its projects such as Social Mobilization on TB, ABK3. Child Friendly Spaces, Local Capacities for Peace, Bridge to Employment and many more. World Vision Philippines is held accountable for all the donations and funds sent to them by their donors by publishing annual reports available to the public, providing reports to their donors regarding the status of their sponsored child or community, and having a certification from the PCNC. However there is still a question on the authenticity of some of the financial reports due to the vagueness of the information given. The measure s used to assess the success of World Vision Philippines’ projects are monitoring, evaluation and feedback regarding the programs. The strengths of World Vision Philippines are the organization is devoted to Christian beliefs therefore it adheres to values that are important to the society, World Vision’s approach is holistic, they have a target of 15 years to study to complete their Sponsor A Child Program which shows that they are time-bound, and therefore, this project is measurable and can be analyzed; Fast response to natural disasters, Showing people the hard parts of the world; Great reputation and donor base; and lastly, World Vision promotes public involvement and government policies related to education and children. The weaknesses of the organization are public perception wanting to know how much goes to the kids, how the effectiveness of programs is measured, getting the word out that it is not a bad company that only thinks about themselves and lastly, people do not donate because they cannot afford the minimum amount specified in certain programs such as Sponsor-a-Child. The opportunities of World Vision are it is getting donation from churches, Government and private organization also give donations to the World Vision; Organization is able to expand programs because there is a great need from its targeted beneficiaries, Can build on community models and leverage community relationships, and lastly, they collaborate with other organizations to expand their reach. The threats on World Vision Philippines are embezzlement , computer failure, negative legislature and lawsuits, strikes, tax problems, terrorism, workplace violence, competition from other charities that implement changes more quickly, possibility of economic crisis and lastly, bad reviews on NGOs. The different strategies that World Vision Philippines can adopt to improve and overcome the challenges it faces are: Because of their strong affiliations with the Christian Churches, and because the latter has lots of adherents who give out donations to their institution, churches who are donors of World Vision Philippines could be a major source of funds for the said organization; Since the World Vision Philippines is not limited to a single social issue and there is a great need from the targeted beneficiaries of their programs, there is a huge demand for the services of the organization which strengthens its reason for existence; If the organization strengthens its members and volunteers’ Christian values, then the likelihood of cases of embezzlement shall be significantly reduced; The NGO can utilize their celebrity endorsements to counteract negative reviews and this will be effective because celebrities have huge followings and thus, wield significant influence; Since government and private organizations also donate to the World Vision Philippines, the funds coming from them will be more stable than those coming from individuals; The problem of World Vision Philippines in proving that they really care about the services they render rather than for personal gain can be addressed by utilizing people who want to be volunteers because their areas were ravaged by natural disasters; The World vision Philippines should recruit more volunteers and personnel and train them in order to sufficiently address the influx of orphans and sick patients and thus be more competitive against other NGOs and charitable institutions and lastly, World Vision Philippines must expand their donor base to include institutions and individuals that  are financially secure so as to counter the uncertainty of the source of funds and the threat of an economic crisis depleting the funds of their usual donor base. RECOMMENDATIONS The proponents recommend to the future researchers the following: Future researchers mustutilize primary sources such as interviews from experts such that there will have a more in-depth and possibly more accurate perspective about the status and assessment on NGOs in the Philippines and specifically, World Vision. Future researches should identify the organizational structure of World Vision in order to determine whether or not it has an impact on the success of the implementation of the programs. Future researches should discuss the authenticity of the certification issued by PCNC especially with the recent happenings regarding bogus NGOs. BIBLIOGRAPHY Commonwealth Business Council, â€Å"Strengthening Good Governance in Business, Government, Civil Society: Shared Challenges of Leadership and Accountability†. November 2003. Songco, Danilo A. 2006. The Evolution of NGO Accountability Practices and their Implications on Philippine NGOs A literature review and options paper for the Philippine Council for NGO Certification TravPR.com. Febrauary 2014. Ascott and Capitaland Hope Foundation Donate PHP1.87 Million to World Vision’s Typhoon Yolanda Relief and Rehabilitation Operations. Retrived from: http://www.travpr.com/pr-28129-ascott-and-capitaland-hope.html Rachel C. Barawid, Sara C. Fojas Ronald S. Lim. February 2014.Vision in Action. Manila Bulletin. World Vision Philippines. January 2014. World Vision launches shelter project for quake-hit Bohol. Retrieved from: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/343817/cbb/world-vision-launches-shelter-project-for-quake-hit-bohol Jordan, L.,2005. â€Å"Mechanisms for NGO Accountability†, GPPi Research Paper Series No. 3, Global Public Policy Institute, Berlin, Germany. Edwards, M. Hulme, D. 1996. â€Å"Too Close For Comfort? The Impact of Official Aid on Nongovernmental Organizations,† in World Development, Volume 24. U. K. Native Nations Institute. 2013. What is Native Nation Building. Stephenson, C. 2005. Nation-building. World Vision. http://issuu.com/myworldvision/docs/2012_annual_report Alesina, A. Reich B. 2013. Nation-building.

Cost Estimation for Meeting Perths Water Needs

Cost Estimation for Meeting Perths Water Needs (a) Introduction 2.1 This career episode is based on my engineering activity at the University of Western Australia. It is about an assignment I carried out during the second semester of my masters degree in the unit Process synthesis and design, worth 25 % of the overall grade. The assignment was released on 11 August 2015 and was due on the 18 September 2015.Thus the entire task was completed in just five weeks time. (b) Background 2.2. The project on Cost Estimation for Meeting Perths Water Needs was carried out as an assignment for the unit Process Synthesis and Design. I was part of a group of six people. The project required the calculation of CAPEX and OPEX for two different scenarios and comparison of both to determine the suitable one for real life implementation. This assignment involved several design stages along with the study of flow in a pipeline in order to select the appropriate piping and the length required to meet the water requirement over a 50 year lifetime. The project was completed successfully under the guidance of Prof. Mike Johns, School of Mechanical and Chemical Engineering at the University of Western Australia. 2.3 Decreasing annual rainfall and subsequent decrease in water supply had become the talk of media and local government in Perth. This has caused an interest in techniques to supply fresh water to Perth. The project aimed at evaluating two different scenarios to meet with Perths increasing water demands. The first scenario considered in the project was a two stage RO Desalination plant that would intake seawater and produce fresh water at 1000 à °Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ¢â€š ¬Ãƒ °Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ ¿/à °Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ¢â‚¬ËœÃƒ °Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ… ½Ãƒ °Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ‚ ¦. The second scenario was the design construction of a 2435 km Kimberly pipeline from Argyle dam to Perth capable of meeting the same fresh water requirement per day. 2.4 Some of the core duties I was involved in are as follows: I performed literature reviews and referred several materials to understand various prospects of the project. I divided the task among my team members and ensured that they accomplished their assigned tasks effectively. I estimated the CAPEX and OPEX for two different scenarios. I contributed to the discussion with the members of my team on the merits and demerits of each case of the project. I attended meetings with my supervisor and team members to discuss the progress of the project and to exchange our contributions. I also compared and validated certain theoretical results with that of my calculated ones using appropriate approaches to suit the requirements of the project. I welcomed the challenge in completing a cost breakdown analysis by selecting the appropriate material based on its mechanical properties, pressure head, volumetric flow rate, velocity and followed by certain significant assumptions throughout the project. I prepared charts and tabulations of selection and cost analysis for different equipment and materials. I also prepared a report on the comparison of CAPEX and OPEX of two different scenarios and contributed more towards the design of reverse osmosis desalination plant and its functions. (c) Personal Engineering Activity The assignment required the comparison of CAPEX (Capital Expenditure) and OPEX (Operational Expenditure) for two scenarios. The first scenario given was the reverse osmosis desalination plant. This process consists of several stages. I analyzed the process to determine the amount of feed required to produce 1000 à °Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ¢â€š ¬Ãƒ °Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ ¿/à °Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ¢â‚¬ËœÃƒ °Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ… ½Ãƒ °Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ‚ ¦ of fresh water. I discovered that from the 45% recovery of the RO membrane system, a 2222.2 à °Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ¢â€š ¬Ãƒ °Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ ¿/à °Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ¢â‚¬ËœÃƒ °Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ… ½Ãƒ °Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ‚ ¦ of salt water feed will provide the required 1000 à °Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ¢â€š ¬Ãƒ °Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ ¿/à °Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ¢â‚¬ËœÃƒ °Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ… ½Ãƒ °Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ‚ ¦ of fresh water to Perth. Figure 1: Reverse Osmosis design selection block diagram 2.6 In order to determine the OPEX, all the steps involved in the process had to be accounted. In order to do so, I broke down the process into independent steps. The first step was the pre-treatment of feed water to avoid fouling in the membrane system. Managing membrane fouling with pre-treatment methods reduces the replacement rate of membranes and lowers the ongoing OPEX costs. The next step involved in the process was coagulation. I chose Ferric Salts as a coagulant because of its tendency to disinfect microorganisms, partially degrade and oxidize the organic and inorganic impurities, and remove suspended particulate materials in a single dosing and mixing unit process. The next step in the process was the passage of feed water through Dual-filters. After extensive research, I decided that the Anthracite bed on silica sand was best suited to remove suspended solids and colloids formed in the ferric salt treatment. Lastly the feed was passed through micron cartridge filters to re move fine particles and bacterial matter before it was processed through a high pressure pump to the membranes. 2.7 The final and the most important step of the process was the selection of membrane. Referring to a number of papers, I found out that the best suited membrane for the specific purpose was the Toray TM820-440 membranes. These membrane elements had a high salt rejection percentage, large flux, low cost and are efficient on energy use to minimize OPEX costs. Before distribution, the permeate needs to be treated to maintain pH and remove corrosion potential. Lime contactors can increase hardness, alkalinity and pH while preventing calcium to leech from pipes into the distribution system. 2.8 I prepared the CAPEX by scaling up the capacity of an existing desalination plant to match the desired capacity. I considered The Perth Seawater Desalination Plant in Kwinana which has a capacity of 45à °Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ ºÃƒ °Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ ¿/à °Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ‚ ¦Ãƒ °Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ¢â‚¬â„¢Ãƒ °Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ… ½Ãƒ °Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ… ¸ and incurred a capital cost of $387 million AUD. I also took Southern Seawater Desalination Plant into consideration in Binningup which had a capital cost of $1400 million AUD and produces 100 GL/year. Of the two, I selected the Binningup desalination plant as it was built much more recently compared to that of kwinana. From calculations, I found that the proposed plant is 3.65 times larger than the Binningup plant and as such, the CAPEX could be approximated to $5110 million AUD. 2.9 Operating Costs can be classified as fixed or variable. Figure 2: Operating expenditure classification used in the project The table below summarizes the OPEX estimation for the Desalination plant. Table 1: Summary of RO Desalination OPEX Cost Components 2.10 The second scenario to be considered was the Argyle Dam Pipeline. The solution costs were based on quotes from two Australian companies:   Steel Mains and Flowserve. I selected these two companies based on a background study that I carried out. From the research, I learnt that these companies have been involved in numerous Australian water transport projects and abide by Australian standards. The final solution that I selected was based on Steel Mains cement mortar lined pipe model DN2200 and custom made pumps designed by Flowserve with an operating head value of 250 metres with inlet and outlet valves equal to the diameter needed. The 250 metres operating head was chosen as the pipes are designed to work at 2.7MPa. After discussion with the team members, two solutions were proposed: a real pipeline with outer diameter of 2159mm, 3 pipelines with 3 pumps per pipeline, and the other one having theoretical pipelines with outer diameter 2520mm, 2 pipelines with 3 pumps. The CAPEX estimation for the proposals is as follows: Table 2: Summary of Pipeline CAPEX Cost Components The OPEX estimation has been limited to the power requirements of the pumping stations and the personnel required to run the pipeline. Table 3: Summary of Pipeline OPEX Cost Components I compared the CAPEX and OPEX along with the advantages and disadvantages of both the scenarios to determine which of the two would be more suitable for real life application. For the Kimberley pipeline, the CAPEX cost ($36.6 billion AUD) heavily exceeds the desalination plant. This large CAPEX cost comes from the cost of purchasing DN2200 pipes which have an estimated lifetime of 100 years. The major factor contributing to the OPEX value from the pipeline is maintenance (77.7%). On the proposed desalination plant solution, the CAPEX cost is relatively low compared to the pipeline ($6.275 billion AUD). The majority of this cost comes from the installation of high pressure pumping station, and a seawater desalination system with energy recovery devices which are a long term investment to save on high energy costs of up to 50-60% associated with desalination. The majority of OPEX estimates come from the cost of power to run the plant (81%). Considering all the facts, I decided that the desalination plant should be selected over the Kimberley project. This is because the desalination plant is more economically feasible over a large time span. Even though the pipeline has been designed to facilitate this increase in demand, CAPEX estimates are too expensive to justify this project. I also carried out several calculations to determine the velocity of water running through the selected pipelines and was found to be 1.08 m/s. Table 4: Information summary of real (calculated values) and theoretical pipeline options Parameters such as Reynolds number, relative roughness, pressure drop, volumetric flow rate and pipeline elevation were also determined when selecting the appropriate pipeline for this project. Estimating the appropriate number of pumping stations at remote areas along the length of the pipeline was one of the tedious task in the project as it involved a lot calculations and literature reviews. A different approach to this project was the consideration of solar technology over wave supply to be the best present day strategy at remote areas as the supply of power to pumping stations was not be a viable option by the latter. Unfortunately, these winds are not a reliable option in the interior parts of Western Australia and so would not be a feasible selection for power supply to a potential pipeline. Overall, I was able to achieve all the objectives of the project successfully within the specified time and prepared a final report incorporating all the necessary design calculations, ide as and suggestions which could have improved the overall outcome of the project. A peer review was also submitted at the end of the project as a reflection on how each team member contributed individually for the project. (d) Summary 2.15 This project provided me with a valuable experience and great insight into an industrial project. I gained profound knowledge on process economics and also helped boost my confidence. During the course of the project, I understood the importance of team work and team management. I utilized my engineering knowledge for the successful completion of the project and as a whole, this project served as a stepping stone into the industrial world.

Customer Driven Organization Essay -- essays research papers

THESIS SENTENCE A customer driven organization with detailed customer relations can result in optimal effectiveness and efficiency in the workplace. FORMAL OUTLINE I.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Maintaining an effective environment through a customer driven organization A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Empowerment – the ability to help people use their powers and truest potentials to extend themselves, rather than restricting themselves. 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Involvement of the employees Staff Development via in-house training a.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Technical – train in the specifics of a particular job b.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Quality – training in the principles of total quality combined with technical (i.e. computer programs) required to implement quality assurance and implementation. c.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Specific Skills – specialized classes Financial – Accounting (A/R, A/P) Selling Technique Languages Interviewing skills d.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Activity - â€Å"Outward Bound† -Type of course in which people learn about leadership and teamwork by engaging in physical tasks such as rock climbing. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Personal growth and development a.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Higher Education (continuing education) Managerial – provide expertise and knowledge in fields such as strategy, change of or implementing management. Identify and work on developing skills directly related to â€Å"REAL† corporate problems. b....

Essay --

MRSA among athletes Staphylococcus discovery started when it is first investigated and been observed also culture by Pasteur and Koch but were made by Ogston in 1881 and Rosenbach in 1884 (Ogston, 1882: Rosenbach, 1884). Staphylococcus aureus is well known as staph are bacteria that carried on the skin or nose of healthy people. About 25 to 50 per cent of people carried this staph according to research that being made. Most skin that infected by staph causes minor affect likes pimple but it can be cure without using an antibiotics. Sometimes, staph can cause serious problem for example pneumonia, blood or joint infections and deep skin infections. Usually athletes tend to get the infection anywhere equipment rubs and cause broken skin such as on the hands, knees or elbows for football, basketball or volleyball players or on the buttocks or sides of the legs for rowers. According to (Rosenbach), S. aureus were responsible for wound infections and furunculosis (Rosenbach, 1884). After that, surgeon being afraid of this microbe could infect the patient who doing surgeries. They believed that Staphylococcus can cause life threatening disease after trauma and fatal pneumonia during influenza season. Therefore, in pre-antibiotic era, S.aureus was known as major life-threatening pathogen. MRNA started to become world-wide problem in 1950 (Shanson, 1982; Cokkson and Philips, 1990). MRNA stands for methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus and this microbe are related to MRNA is staphylococcus aureus. S.aureus is a bacterium commonly found on skin, axillae and nares of healthy individuals. MRSA is the outbreak of skin infections caused by S.aureus which is resistance to antibiotics. During 1950, a new virulent strain of peni... ...self-inoculation’ from a carrier site or acquired by contact with an exogenous source, usually another person. People who are nasal carriers of virulent Staphylococcusaureus can also cause serious skin diseases due to toxin production. In addition, skin and soft tissue infections are also caused by MRSA. Therefore, the treatment involves drainage and this is usually sufficient for minor lesions, but antibiotics may be given in addition when the infection is severe and the patient has a fever. MRSA can be treated with enzyme-stable penicilins such as nafcilin. Isolates resistant to these compounds may be treated with vancomycin, linezolid, quinopristin-dalfoprisin, or daptomycin. (Goering et al. (2008).Treatment with this agent does not necessarily eradicate carriage of the staphylococci. Lastly, good skin care and personal hygiene should be encouraged.

Learner-Center Educational Plan

With abundance of information regarding teaching and learning, it might reasonably be expected that education planning would be a quick and easy process. Teachers still have a vital role to play within planning; the guidance and frameworks provides information on what to teach, the teacher will decide how best to interpret this information for the particular children within their class. Proctor et al (1995, p.39) discusses the requirement for planning, and opens with the idea that no planning can take place without a clear idea, on the part of the teacher, of what the children in the class are going to learn.The planning process requires the identification of the learning objectives in detail; in reality, meeting the criteria of the curriculum and even the more detailed key objectives in the teaching strategy will require a series of lessons and usually a return to the subject at a later date. Planning over different time frames allows teachers to meet the desired outcomes and provid e a coherent progression.Long term plans will detail the expectations within a curriculum area over an academic year; these plans will identify themes to be used and the subject areas to be covered they will be expressed in terms of the key concepts that children will need to understand and the knowledge and skills that they should be acquiring. Medium term planning will usually be for a unit of work – generally one item from the program of study – and cover a term or  ½ term. The medium term planning phase is when teachers are required to link the long-term plans to the curriculum key objectives. The medium term plans will outline a series of activities and the approach that is to be taken; these plans are the first level at which the teaching/learning approach is considered and the methods and criterion for assessment are decided. (Platz 1994)There is need to consider the different learning styles that children prefer and to include (as far as is practical) these d ifferent styles within each teaching episode. Education planning, is a complex area, not all teaching methods are appropriate to the subject matter; we as teachers need to remember that an eclectic approach is necessary if we are to provide an adequate learning experience for all of the pupils within our classrooms. Additionally, new paradigm of learner-centered education emerged recently.It implies issues of what and how the student is learning, the conditions under which the student is learning, how current learning positions the student for future learning, and whether the student is retaining and applying the learning. (Weimer, 2002 XVI).   In this paper we will try to cover up a cognitive aspect of learner-center education planning. Cognitive aspect of learner-centered education involves some following factors. These are the nature and goals of learning process, the construction of knowledge and higher-order thinking.In order to identify children's individual learning needs t he teacher should observe the children and their work. Factual information can be obtained from previous teachers, schools etc. The Standard Assessment Tasks (SATs) provide essential information about the level of attainment a child has reached and may possibly show levels of progression over time. According to Proctor et al (1995 p.129) assessment provides an accurate picture of an individual child's achievements.It measures a child's achievements from that child's own baseline and as it is non-comparative to other children it shows what a child is able to achieve regardless of what other's can do. Individual Educational Plans (IEPs) show evidence of any special needs, which may be physical such as poor sight and hearing and any learning difficulties. It will also identify children who have behavioral problems or particularly able and gifted children.IEPs will also show any strategies and teaching approaches used to meet these children's needs. It can also highlight any particular resources that facilitate the children's learning. A previous teacher can provide valuable information on how these strategies and resources were employed and the success or failure of them. It is important to keep in mind when discussing children with other teachers that their views and opinions are unlikely to be impartial. Conversations with parents/carers allow them to raise any issues they have about their interpretations of their children's needs and progress in learning. It can also be useful to look at children's ages to gain a better understanding of the level they are working at.Once this preliminary information has been collected the teacher can plan diagnostic work, which will further identify children's abilities and needs. Teachers should plan broad topic work at a variety of levels where children have a reasonable opportunity of success and which provides some challenges. The teacher's prior knowledge of the children should enable him/her to pitch the work at the corr ect levels. If not, the assessment of the children's difficulties or ease will provide clues as to how to alter it. From this point onwards the teacher should have a fairly coherent idea of the needs of the class as a whole and the individual children within it. (Hamilton 1999)When planning to meet children's individual needs, a teacher is planning for inclusive education, which provides all children with an equal opportunity to reach their potential.   While planning, teachers must set up a learning activity, which effectively achieves the learning outcomes for each individual child. Teachers must structure learning within their classrooms in order to move each child forward, this can include differentiating appropriately, using appropriate resources and implementing various teaching and learning strategies inclusive of all children.Teaching Strategies Education planning will use a variety of strategies described by Minton (1997, p.117). It is appropriate to use ‘lecture' t o begin the session to explain what is to be covered, to find out how the students have found the work in the previous session so there will be some ‘questions and answers'. There will be a ‘group discussion' as we go through the assignment and this will give the students the opportunity to ask any questions and familiarize themselves with the work. A ‘question and answer' session will follow and then depending on the outcome, there be the opportunity for ‘demonstrations'. These strategies are outlined below. §   Question and answer to review work from last lesson §   Lecture to explain unit assessment §   Group discussion while criteria for assessment are discussed §   More question and answers as appropriate §   Demonstration of previous practical work if necessaryUsing Q and A to start the lesson as this gives an immediate feedback of progress. The disadvantage of this is that the ‘quiet' students may be reluctant to ask questions , There is need to be aware of this, and perhaps ask those students questions that they can answer to build up their confidence. A lecture strategy is then used to explain the unit assignment, as this is an effective method of broadcasting the information. Then a group discussion will involve teacher and students discussing criteria, this allows everyone to ask questions and give opinions but it may allow ‘loud’ students to dominate the group. Certain time to demonstrate practical work to the students on the computer allows the student to see what the final product should be of any particular exercise and gives them confidence in their own work.Learning Resources For IT classes, for example, a variety of resources are used in the high school. The most common ones used in the IT department are computer-based resources, OHT's and computer generated slides, and printed materials. The most common types of media resource are the PC/projector combination and printed materials , to accompany whiteboard work. In the IT department it is critical that students have individual access to PCs with relevant software installed on them, and also access to a printer to enable them to obtain hard copies of work produced.There is need for a room to seat all students, we do not need PCs for each student in this case, we need them all to see a whiteboard so we can explain the topic we will supply unit assignments in hard copy to every student, including the marking criteria and the moderator's comments. It is becoming common practice to write all forms of work on the PC, and we would expect them to word process their work whenever the facility is available.There is need to evaluate the group of students at the beginning of a course to determine if any had special requirements, for example disabled access or if any had hearing or visual impairments. It is necessary to develop intranet to include study aids for the students. For example, to put previous lecture notes and practical exercise handouts on the intranet to enable students to go over past work and also allow absent students the opportunity to catch up.Arrangement of the desks in the classroom is a common horseshoe of computer workstations with a small number of tables in the center of the room. The central tables can be moved freely although this is a suitable position for the classroom discussion. The computer workstations will be used towards the end of the lesson. The white board is at the door end of the room, it is a new smart board, and although is smaller, it can be seen from all positions in the room, if the students move their chairs round. This will be used for demonstrations of PC work and is available for the question and answer section. The acoustics are adequate for a teaching environment. The room is always light and warm enough, and windows can be opened to provide additional ventilation.Goals of learning process On reflection, education planning goals are following:Timing  · Allow enough time for each phase. Be aware of how long it takes to complete tasks and allow some leeway in each lesson for dealing with any class management issue. Be wary of being overambitious in what can be achieved in a lesson. Allow enough time for discussion and be aware of allowing too much time for starter and plenary activities.Content · Teacher should not try to cram too much in – don't fall into the trap of thinking ‘one topic per lesson’ and be prepared to spend more than one lesson on a topicWhen to collect in/hand out homework · Have a clear idea of when you are going to do this and how. Keep it consistent so the pupils know when to make a note in their contact diaries, and when to hand their homework into me, and allow time for this to be done.Differentiation.   Although there has been minimal need for differentiation in teaching particular class, teacher should be aware that other classes might require more differentiation and he should always ensure that lessons are tailored to the class he teaching. Pupil-led activities.   Make sure to include enough pupil-led activities. Remember that these types of activities not only engage learning but are also very useful in settling a lively class. Strengths Planning lessons around the five different phases of a lesson, using starter and plenary activities. This enables to focus on the different stages of a lesson and therefore how best to achieve the learning objectives as well as concentrating on what either myself as teacher, or the class or individuals should be engaged in at any point during the lesson. However, flexibility is also a key factor in delivering effective lessons and it is able to adapt the lesson plan (for example by omitting certain overheads or allowing more time for discussion of a topic) to accommodate the learning.Being creative. This a useful skill in planning and meant that it is appropriate to present what is for most pupils a familiar topic in a new and interesting way, therefore engaging more higher order thinking and facilitating learning (and minimizing disruptive behavior) at the same time. Being able to plan around what resources are available. This to a certain extent is also a creative skill although it must be taken into account when planning a series of lessons.Linking lessons with each other and with the pupils experiences. Using everyday examples, images that the pupils can relate to, and referring back to the concept map of the whole picture at every lesson enabled the pupils to put their learning (and the objectives for each lesson) in context. If the pupils can relate to what you are teaching them, you are more likely to succeed in your learning objectives.Weaknesses Overestimating what can be achieved in a lesson. Certainly to begin with, underestimated how long it would take to complete a worksheet or copy something from the board. In addition, it had not taken into account during first lesson plan, the t ime that would be spent on dealing with minor off-task behavior which can lead to you running five minutes late by the end of the lesson and therefore running out of time for the clearing and exit phases, which for example can mean you run out of time to explain the homework task properly.Spending too much time on one phase. The pupils enjoyed this so much that they would ‘plead’ for another round and on more than one occasion complied, meaning that although the pupils had a ‘great’ time, teacher run out of time to handle the clearing and exit phases as well as he should and the lessons ended a bit ‘rushed’. This is as a ‘new’ teacher who was anxious to ensure that the pupils viewed my lessons as a ‘positive' experienceReferences:Hamilton, P. J. (Fall 1999). Perceptual learning & lifelong Montessori. Montessori Life, 11(4), 41-42.Minton, D. (1997) Teaching skills in further and adult education 2nd edition, MacmillanProctor, A . Entwistle, M. McKenzie-Murdoch, S. (2001) â€Å"Learning to Teach in the Primary Classroom† London : RoutledgePlatz, Donald L., (March, 1994)   Student directed planning: fostering student ownership in learning. Education, 3Weimer, Maryellen. (2002) Learner-centered Teaching: Five Key Changes to Practice. Jossey-Bass