Aphorisms, Mottos and Sayings

Aphorisms, Mottos and Sayings Aphorisms, Mottos and Sayings Aphorisms, Mottos and Sayings By Maeve Maddox Many depictions of old people on American television–for example, Grandpa Simpson–reflect contempt for the elderly, but the language presents a different picture. The variety of words for â€Å"wisdom passed down the generations† suggests a tradition of respect for the experience of one’s elders. I’ve already written about the words proverb and adage. Here are a few more English words that mean â€Å"an often-repeated wise saying.† The dates in parentheses correspond to the earliest citations in the OED. Because so many of the definitions for these words contain the adjective pithy, I’ll define this word up front: pithy (adjective): of language or style; full of concentrated meaning; conveying meaning forcibly through brevity of expression; concise, succinct; condensed in style; pointed, terse, aphoristic. aphorism (1570) In a scientific context, an aphorism is the statement of a principle, but in general usage, an aphorism is a short pithy sentence containing a truth of general import. For example, â€Å"A living dog is better than a dead lion.† apothegm (1570) Also spelled apophthegm, an apothegm is a terse, pointed saying that embodies an important truth in few words. It will be pithy and may also be sententious, like one of Dr. Johnson’s oft-quoted sayings: â€Å"Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.† axiom (1578) This term is from Latin axioma, which in turn comes from a Greek word meaning â€Å"that which is thought worthy or fit, that which commends itself as self-evident.† In a scientific context, an axiom is a self-evident proposition requiring no formal demonstration. For example, it’s an axiom that the Earth revolves around the Sun. dictum (1586) A dictum is an authoritative pronouncement attributed to a particular person or source. For example, Harry Selfridge (1858-1947) is credited with the dictum, â€Å"the customer is always right.† maxim (1450) A maxim states a rule of conduct or action in the form of a proverb: â€Å"Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.† motto (1589) Nowadays we use the word motto to mean any maxim that a person tries to follow as a rule of conduct. For example, I once had a kitchen with very little counter- or drawer-space; my motto was, â€Å"If it will hang, hang it.† Motto originally referred to a word or sentence attached to a design, as in heraldry. For example, the emblem of the Prince of Wales is three white ostrich feathers with the German motto Ich dien, â€Å"I serve.† precept 1375 Similar to a maxim, a precept is a general command or injunction; a rule for action or conduct, especially a rule for moral conduct. A precept that has implications for personal privacy and security is, â€Å"A man’s home is his castle.† saw (c. 1000) The sayings of King Alfred (849-899) were known as saws, a word that comes from the verb â€Å"to say.† One of Alfred’s saws that I can recall without looking it up is, â€Å"Tell it to your saddlebow.† That means â€Å"Don’t go sharing your plans or worries with others; keep your own counsel.† saying (1303) Like saw, saying comes from the verb â€Å"to say.† The word can apply to any current or habitual expression of wisdom or truth. For example, â€Å"The experience of many lottery winners tends to prove the truth of the saying that a fool and his money are soon parted.† I’ll let you decide for yourselves which of these nine terms best describes each of the following expressions: A penny saved is a penny earned. A job worth doing is worth doing well. A lie often told becomes the truth. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Actions speak louder than words. All work and no play make Jack a dull boy. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Birds of a feather flock together. Charity begins at home. Curiosity killed the cat. Little drops the mighty ocean make. Love conquers all. No use crying over spilt milk. Opposites attract. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Strike while the iron is hot. Time is money. Two heads are better than one. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Idioms About Legs, Feet, and ToesGrammar Quiz #21: Restrictive and Nonrestrictive ClausesA Yes-and-No Answer About Hyphenating Phrases

The Day the Mona Lisa Was Stolen

The Day the Mona Lisa Was Stolen On August 21, 1911, Leonardo da Vincis Mona Lisa, today one of the most famous paintings in the world, was stolen right off the wall of the Louvre. It was such an inconceivable crime, that the Mona Lisa wasnt even noticed missing until the following day. Who would steal such a famous painting? Why did they do it? Was the Mona Lisa lost forever? The Discovery Everyone had been talking about the glass panes that museum officials at the Louvre had put in front of several of their most important paintings in October 1910. Museum officials said it was to help protect the paintings, especially because of recent acts of vandalism. The public and the press thought the glass was too reflective and detracted from the images. Some Parisians quipped that perhaps art such as the real Mona Lisa had been stolen, and copies were being passed off to the public. Museum director Thà ©ophile Homolle retorted you might as well pretend that one could steal the towers of the cathedral of Notre Dame. Louis Bà ©roud, a painter, decided to join in the debate by painting a young French girl fixing her hair in the reflection from the pane of glass in front of the Mona Lisa. On Tuesday, August 22, 1911, Bà ©roud walked into the Louvre and went to the Salon Carrà © where the Mona Lisa had been on display for five years. But on the wall where the Mona Lisa used to hang, in between Correggios Mystical Marriage and Titians Allegory of Alfonso dAvalos, sat only four iron pegs. Bà ©roud contacted the section head of the guards, who thought the painting must be at the photographers. A few hours later, Bà ©roud checked back with the section head. It was then discovered the Mona Lisa was not with the photographers. The section chief and other guards did a quick search of the museum- no Mona Lisa. Since museum director Homolle was on vacation, the curator of Egyptian antiquities was contacted. He, in turn, called the Paris police. About 60 investigators were sent over to the Louvre shortly after noon. They closed the museum and slowly let out the visitors. They then continued the search. It was finally determined that it was true- the Mona Lisa had been stolen. The Louvre was closed for an entire week to aid the investigation. When it was reopened, a line of people had come to solemnly stare at the empty space on the wall, where the Mona Lisa had once hung. An anonymous visitor left a bouquet of flowers. Museum director Homolle lost his job. Why Did No One Notice? Later reports would show that the painting was stolen for 26 hours before anyone noticed it.   In retrospect, thats not all that shocking. The Louvre Museum is the largest in the world, covering an area of about 15 acres. Security was weak; reports are that there were only about 150 guards, and incidents of art stolen or damaged inside the museum had happened a few years earlier. In addition, at the time, the Mona Lisa was not all that famous. Although known to be an early 16th-century work of Leonardo da Vinci, only a small but growing circle of art critics and aficionados were aware that it was special. The theft of the painting would change that forever.   The Clues Unfortunately, there wasnt much evidence to go on. The most important discovery was found on the first day of the investigation. About an hour after the 60 investigators began searching the Louvre, they found the controversial plate of glass and Mona Lisas frame lying in a staircase. The frame, an ancient one donated by Countess de Bà ©arn two years prior, had not been damaged. Investigators and others speculated that the thief grabbed the painting off the wall, entered the stairwell, removed the painting from its frame, then somehow left the museum unnoticed. But when did all this take place? Investigators began to interview guards and workers to determine when the Mona Lisa went missing. One worker remembered having seen the painting around 7 oclock on Monday morning (a day before it was discovered missing) but noticed it gone when he walked by the Salon Carrà © an hour later. He had assumed a museum official had moved it. Further research discovered that the usual guard in the Salon Carrà © was home (one of his children had the measles) and his replacement admitted leaving his post for a few minutes around 8 oclock to smoke a cigarette. All of this evidence pointed to the theft occurring somewhere between 7:00 and 8:30 on Monday morning. But on Mondays, the Louvre was closed for cleaning. So, was this an inside job? Approximately 800 people had access to the Salon Carrà © on Monday morning. Wandering throughout the museum were museum officials, guards, workmen, cleaners, and photographers. Interviews with these people brought out very little. One person thought they had seen a stranger hanging out, but he was unable to match the strangers face with photos at the police station. The investigators brought in Alphonse Bertillon, a famous fingerprint expert. He found a thumbprint on the Mona Lisas frame, but he was unable to match it with any in his files. There was a scaffold against one side of the museum that was there to aid the installation of an elevator. This could have given access to a would-be thief to the museum. Besides believing that the thief had to have at least some internal knowledge of the museum, there really wasnt much evidence. So, whodunnit? Who Stole the Painting? Rumors and theories about the identity and motive of the thief spread like wildfire. Some Frenchmen blamed the Germans, believing the theft a ploy to demoralize their country. Some Germans thought it was a ploy by the French to distract from international concerns. The prefect of the police had several theories, quoted in a 1912 story in The New York Times: The thieves- I am inclined to think there were more than one- got away with it all right. So far nothing is known of their identity and whereabouts. I am certain that the motive was not a political one, but maybe it is a case of sabotage, brought about by discontent among the Louvre employees. Possibly, on the other hand, the theft was committed by a maniac. A more serious possibility is that  La Gioconda  was stolen by someone who plans to make a monetary profit by blackmailing the Government. Other theories blamed a Louvre worker, who stole the painting in order to reveal how bad the Louvre was protecting these treasures. Still, others believed the whole thing was done as a joke and that the painting would be returned anonymously shortly. On September 7, 1911, 17 days after the theft, the French arrested the French poet and playwright Guillaume Apollinaire. Five days later, he was released. Though Apollinaire was a friend of Gà ©ry Pià ©ret, someone who had been stealing artifacts right under the guards noses for quite a while, there was no evidence that Apollinaire had any knowledge or had in any way participated in the theft of the  Mona Lisa. Though the public was restless and the investigators were searching, the  Mona Lisa  did not show up. Weeks went by. Months went by. Then years went by. The latest theory was that the painting had been accidentally destroyed during a cleaning and the museum was using the idea of a theft as a cover-up. Two years went by with no word about the real  Mona Lisa. And then the thief made contact. The Robber Makes Contact In the fall of 1913, two years after the  Mona Lisa  was stolen, a well-known antique dealer in Florence, Italy named Alfredo Geri innocently placed an ad in several Italian newspapers which stated that he was a buyer at good prices of art objects of every sort.   Soon after he placed the ad, Geri received a letter dated Nov. 29, 1913, that stated the writer was in possession of the stolen  Mona Lisa. The letter had a post office box in Paris as a return address and had been signed only as Leonardo. Though Geri thought he was dealing with someone who had a copy rather than the real  Mona Lisa, he contacted Commendatore Giovanni Poggi, museum director of Florences Uffizi museum. Together, they decided that Geri would write a letter in return saying that he would need to see the painting before he could offer a price. Another letter came almost immediately asking Geri to go to Paris to see the painting. Geri replied, stating that he could not go to Paris, but, instead, arranged for Leonardo to meet him in Milan on Dec. 22. On December 10, 1913, an Italian man with a mustache appeared at Geris sales office in Florence. After waiting for other customers to leave, the stranger told Geri that he was Leonardo Vincenzo and that he had the  Mona Lisa  back in his hotel room. Leonardo stated that he wanted a half million lire for the painting. Leonardo explained that he had stolen the painting in order to restore to Italy what had been stolen from it by Napoleon. Thus, Leonardo made the stipulation that the  Mona Lisa  was to be hung at the Uffizi and never given back to France. With some quick, clear thinking, Geri agreed to the price but said the director of the Uffizi would want to see the painting before agreeing to hang it in the museum. Leonardo then suggested they meet in his hotel room the next day. Upon his leaving, Geri contacted the police and the Uffizi. The Return of the Painting The following day, Geri and the Uffizi museum director Poggi appeared at Leonardos hotel room. Leonardo pulled out a wooden trunk, which contained a pair of underwear, some old shoes, and a shirt. Beneath that Leonardo removed a false bottom- and there lay the  Mona Lisa. Geri and the museum director noticed and recognized the Louvre seal on the back of the painting. This was obviously the real  Mona Lisa. The museum director said that he would need to compare the painting with other works by Leonardo da Vinci. They then walked out with the painting. The Caper Leonardo Vincenzo, whose real name was Vincenzo Peruggia, was arrested. Peruggia, born in Italy, had worked in Paris at the Louvre in 1908. He and two accomplices, the brothers Vincent and Michele Lancelotti, had entered the museum on Sunday and hid in a storeroom. The next day, while the museum was closed, the men dressed in workmans smocks came out of the storeroom, removed the protective glass and the frame. The Lancelotti brothers left by a staircase, dumping the frame and glass in the staircase, and, still known by many of the guards, Peruggia grabbed the  Mona Lisa- painted on a white polar panel measuring 38x21 inches- and simply walked out of the museums front door with the  Mona Lisa  under his painters smock. Peruggia hadnt had a plan to dispose of the painting; his only goal, so he said, was to return it to Italy: but he may well have done it for the money. The hue and cry over the loss made the painting far more famous than before, and it was now far too dangerous to try to sell too quickly. The public went wild at the news of finding the  Mona Lisa. The painting was displayed at the Uffizi and throughout Italy before it was returned to France on Dec. 30, 1913. After Effects The men were tried and found guilty in a tribunal in 1914. Peruggia received a one year sentence, which was later reduced to seven months and he went home to Italy: there was a war in the works and a resolved art theft was no longer newsworthy. The Mona Lisa became world-famous: her face is one of the most recognizable in the world today, printed on mugs, bags, and t-shirts around the globe. Sources and Further Reading McLeave, Hugh. Rogues in the Gallery: The Modern Plague of Art Thefts. Raleigh, NC: Boson Books, 2003.  McMullen, Roy. Mona Lisa: The Picture and the Myth. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1975.Nagesh, Ashitha. Mona Lisa is moving: What does it take to keep her safe? BBC News, 16 July 2019.  Scotti, R.A. The Lost Mona Lisa: The Extraordinary True Story of the Greatest Art Theft in History. New York: Bantam, 2009.  - Vanished Smile: The Mysterious Theft of the Mona Lisa. New York: Random House, 2010.  The Theft That Made The Mona Lisa A Masterpiece. National Public Radio, July 30, 2011.  Three more held in Mona Lisa theft; French Police Seize Two Men and a Woman on Perugias Information. The New York Times, Dec. 22, 1913. 3.  Zug, James. Stolen: How the Mona Lisa Became the World’s Most Famous Painting. Smithsonian.com, June 15, 2011.

Bilingual education Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Bilingual education - Research Paper Example Two-way bilingual programs (TBP)- extremely beneficial for minority learners at the elementary level- student interactions based on cross-cultural relationships- role of the bilingual teacher- to facilitate meaningful interactions through carefully chosen activities and learning experiences- both native English speakers and minority students benefit from TBP- facilitate interactions among learners from various linguistic and socio-cultural backgrounds. Benefits of BE- language proficiency and academic achievement- promotes trans-cultural and transnational values- promotes multiculturalism, sharing of identities, and a broader enculturation- safeguards against segregation based on racism and stereotyping- fosters better content learning, employment opportunities, creativity, cognitive development-various societal or community benefits. BE contributing factors-unequal treatment of the linguistic minorities-low academic achievement, low self-esteem, and high dropout rates- can never undermine these positive outcomes of BE. BE as a supporting program for children with limited English proficiency-Hispanic population favor BE- demand from the immigrant community for BE-promotes equality, fraternity and mutual respect among children- need for more authentic studies-significance of NCLB. The use of one’s native tongue to teach a foreign language is generally understood as bilingual education and the system has been found to be effective in the case of learners with limited English proficiency. There are many researchers who hold that one’s native tongue plays a pivotal role in the teaching learning process among students who lack higher levels of English proficiency. Rossell and Baker have undertaken some remarkable studies on the educational effectiveness of bilingual education. The authors observe that bilingual education in the United States refer to

Healthcare Policy And Its Effectiveness Assignment

Healthcare Policy And Its Effectiveness - Assignment Example These agencies also bear the role of championing for their grievances. These include pay crisis and the roles of each in the medical field. They also determine the requirements in the market which helps in the development of the course outline in the colleges and universities offering the courses (Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, web) In many states and countries, the health sector is managed free from political processes which derail the provision of quality health services to the society. The payment of medical practitioners is done by the national or state government. The establishment and development of policies that govern the health sector is a gradual process that includes the includes stakeholders and the government (Skolnik, 2012, p. 263-267).. Due to the sensitivity of the matters affecting health, it is always advisable that the policies be set by the professionals in the field with consultation from the legal administrative officers in the region.

Ethics - End of Life Choice Essay Example for Free

Ethics End of Life Choice Essay Being a member of the hospital Ethics Committee, it is my responsibility to make policy recommendations on end-of-life issues. Due to my intellect and reputation as a clear thinker, my ideas on this matter carry a lot of weight with the other members of the committee. Within this paper I will make a strong and convincing case for my position and recommendations on this topic. This paper will address the following question: What, if anything, should be done to help people who are dying? First I must start off with the obvious question: Is the patient an adult of 18 years or older who is terminally ill and of clear and sound mind to authorize assisted death intervention? If the answer is yes, then we should follow the wishes of the patient. Ultimately, it is their body; their life and they should have the right to choose. That being said, I do believe that guidelines should be established and followed in order to assure that the welfare of the patient is the only priority. Such guidelines should be made that reflect the three states that currently have laws in place for assisted death, which are, Oregon, Washington, and Montana. The law should include but not limited to, a capable adult who has been diagnosed, by a physician, with a terminal illness that will kill the patient within six months may request in writing, from his or her physician, a prescription for a lethal dose of medication for the purpose of ending the patients life. Exercise of the option under this law is voluntary and the patient must initiate the request. Any physician, pharmacist or healthcare provider who has moral objections may refuse to participate. The request must be confirmed by two witnesses, at least one of whom is not related to the patient, is not entitled to any portion of the patients estate, is not the patients physician, and is not employed by a health care facility caring for the patient. After the request is made, another physician must examine the patients medical records and confirm the diagnosis. The patient must be determined to be free of a mental condition impairing judgment. If the request is authorized, the patient must wait at least thirty days and make a second oral request before the prescription may be written. The patient has a right to rescind the request at any time. Should either physician have concerns about the patients ability to make an informed decision, or feel the patients request may be motivated by depression or coercion, the patient must be referred for a psychological evaluation. The law protects doctors from liability for providing a lethal prescription for a terminally ill, competent adult in compliance with the statutes restrictions. Participation by physicians, pharmacists, and health care providers is voluntary. The law should also specify a patients decision to end his or her life shall not have an effect upon a life, health, or accident insurance or annuity policy. These physician assisted suicide guidelines are within the â€Å"Death with Dignity Act. † The Death with Dignity Act is the philosophical concept that a terminally ill patient should be allowed to die naturally and comfortably, rather than experience a comatose, vegetative life prolonged by mechanical support systems. Currently there are two ways of assisted suicide, one is when the patient is given a prescription medication of a fatal dose that will cause them the loose consciousness and die shortly after. The other, which is not legal in the United States, is known as â€Å"Active Euthanasia† which is a type of euthanasia in which a person who is undergoing intense suffering, and who has no practical hope of recovery is induced to death. It is also known as mercy killing. Generally, a physician performs active euthanasia and carries out the final-death causing act. Active euthanasia is performed entirely voluntarily, without any reservation, external persuasion, or duress, and after prolonged and thorough deliberation. A patient undertaking active euthanasia gives full consent to the medical procedure and chooses direct injection, to be administered by a competent medical professional, in order to end with certainty any intolerable and hopelessly incurable suffering. My second question: Is the patient an adult of 18 years or older who is suffering? In rare cases some patients who are very ill do not respond to pain medications or may be suffering in other ways that make comfort impossible. In these circumstances there is a last resort therapy that can be used: terminal sedation. With terminal sedation, a patient will be given medications that induce sleep or unconsciousness until such time as death occurs as a result of the underlying illness or disease. The intention with terminal sedation must be to relieve suffering only, not to cause death. These measures are often accompanied by the withholding of artificial life supports like intravenous feeding and artificial respiration. * * Also, the physician may use medications that cause a â€Å"double affect. † This has been defined in medical journals as: â€Å"the administration of opioids or sedative drugs with the expressed purpose of relieving pain and suffering in a dying patient. The unintended consequence may be that these medications might cause either respiratory depression or in extreme sedation, might cause to hasten a patient’s death.† What does this mean? In the simplest terms it means that the medication required to abate suffering cannot be given without the probable result of hastening death. While this may sound vague and quasi-discomforting, it is a legal, medically accepted practice, as long as the intention is only to relieve suffering and not cause death. The death is attributed to the disease or complications of the disease, combined in some circumstances with the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatments such as intravenous liquids, nutrition, and artificial respiration. While the patient need not be unconscious during this process, unconsciousness is often the result. * * The last question I ask is: in cases when a minor, a person under the age of 18, is either terminally ill or suffering, who has the right to make the final decisions, the parents/legal guardians, the state, or the patient? I believe that all three need to have a united decision. If one or more of the three votes differ, then neither intervention stated above may be used. These policy recommendations I have stated within this paper regarding end-of-life issues have been explained thoroughly and in detail. I have successfully made a strong and convincing case for my position and recommendations on this topic. I hope that the members of this Ethics Committee agree with my findings and support my recommendations and that my reputation as a clear and trustworthy thinking member is evident.

School Vouchers The Wrong Choice Essays -- essays papers

School Vouchers: The Wrong Choice Susie is a young girl who lives in Florida. Since kindergarten, she has attended a nearby private school. Her parents willingly pay her tuition, even though doing so forces them to cut other corners. They do not mind these sacrifices, since they know that their daughter is getting the best education they can give her. Jesse lives downtown, in the inner city. She attends the local public school and struggles through her classes. Her mother would like to send her to a private school, where there is less violence and a calmer atmosphere, but cannot afford it. Then, Jesse’s mother learns that a voucher system has put into place for the entire state of Florida. Jesse’s inner city, spray-painted elementary school received a failing status, so she can receive a voucher to attend the school of her choice. With the money she receives from the voucher, Jesse’s mother is able to send her daughter to the same private school that Susie attends. Is it fair that Susie’s parents pinch pennies while Jesse’s mother send her on the bus for free? While meaning well, does the voucher system inadvertently discriminate against children like Susie whose parents must work extra hours to put their children through private school? Is the voucher system really the answer to the problems with American education today, or a way to transfer them somewhere else? American public schools have always had their flaws. In the nineteenth century, colleges complained of under-prepared freshmen; students who could not write an essay or even spell. A main controversy was bilingual education for newly naturalized immigrants. As America entered the early 1900s, the debate turned to the use of entertainment in the classroom. Teachers felt that they must put on a show in order to keep the attention of their pupils. The abandonment of phonics in the 1920s and 30s was believed to be the reason why the job market consisted of those with inadequate educational preparation. Social promotion and the replacement of the â€Å"three R’s† with emotional stability and attitude courses were the causes of concern in the 1940s. The 1950s brought an awareness of low standards. It was found that American children were lagging behind the average standards of the rest of the world. Safety in schools also became an issue; incoming teachers were warned of the â€Å"ph... ...(Roberts, Glenn 23). Instead of taking this money away form the nation’s failing schools, it should be pumped into them and put to work. Education tax dollars should be put to work solving the problems in American schools. The voucher system is an escape out the back door. It simply transfers all of the issues out of the public schools, placing them in the hands of the private community. Bibliography: Works Cited Kaczor, Bill. â€Å"Judge Throws Out Florida Voucher Law.† Tallahassee Democrat, 15 March 2000. Roberts, Nanette M. and Glenn, Charles L. â€Å"School Vouchers: Two Views.† Sojourners (January - February 1998): 22-25. Rothstein, Richard. The Way We Were?: The Myths and Realities of America’s Student Achievement. [Online] Available http://www.tcf.org/publications/education/way.we.were/Foreword.html, May 1, 2000. Tyack, David. â€Å"Choice Options: School Choice, Yes - But What Kind?† The American Prospect Online, January - February 1999, 42. [Online] Available http://www.propect.org/archives/42/42tyack.html, May 1, 2000. Whitmire, Richard. â€Å"Milwaukee Voucher study Says Public Schools Not Harmed.† Gannett News Service, 3 February 2000.

Management annotated bibliography Essay

The purpose of this paper is to provide an annotated bibliography of three articles that deal with innovation and strategic management. And will include a review from the author’s perspective on current trends being shaped by innovation and specific aspects of innovation influencing strategic management. Innovation strategy: 4 key tactics of top growth companies The article covers the four practices of successful growth. Finding the next S-curve, lean on customers, think like a designer, and lead the way are the four areas that are focused on. The practice of finding the next S-curve explains that innovation has a time window, and is directly related to revenue. With continuous innovation, a company’s chance of hitting and staying within the window increases dramatically. The practice of lean on customers directly relates to gaining an understanding of the customer. It points out tools to use, such as creating a customer empathy map. Lean on customers creates a lean approach to product innovation. The think like a designer practice involves using innovation to create new options. This includes using Blue Ocean Strategy which is the search for uncontested market space and the business model canvas which is the nine building blocks for business. The lead the way practice involves making innovation a priority and those innovative leaders should be role models. Current innovative companies are used as examples for each practice. These include Amazon, Apple, IBM, and Starbucks (Power, 2014-15). Elements of a successful innovation roadmap This article covers innovation with Rapid Innovation Cycle (RIC). RIC leads to a higher success rate, by showing a repeatable process. It is an  introduction to a work shop. Product, business models, and processes can benefit from this road map. The rapid innovation cycle has four phases. Phase one is define and scope the innovation opportunity, phase two is discover new ideas, phase three develop and design concepts for experimentation, and phase four is demonstrate the innovation through piloting and prototyping. The define phase details the way to define and scope an innovation. This is from the customer’s perspective and saves valuable time and energy. The discovery phase details ways of exploring ideas to solve the issues that came to light in the define phase. The develop phase shows ways of developing the ideas that came from the discovery phase. The demonstrate phase turns the ideas from the development phase into simulations or working prototypes. By following the prescribed roadmap, companies can innovate with little to no waste (Samuel, 2013). Using Global insights to drive local innovation This article shows a strategy to gain innovation by looking at trends and insights on a global level. By learning what trends are emerging and what global consumers behaviors are, provides important insights to meet consumer’s needs. Two important areas to focus on are the customer’s experience and lifestyle focus. The consumer’s overall satisfaction is a key element, and products need to fulfill a wide array of lifestyles and interests. By following and anticipating these trends, companies can focus their innovation efforts to fulfill these needs (Capercini, 2013). Author’s review Innovation is a key factor in any business. With the information age moving and advancing as fast as it is, companies have to be proactive to keep up. Part of strategic management is innovation; this includes having a plan, developing new ways to do business, and new or better products and services. Not paying attention to global as well as local trends could have catastrophic consequences on a business. It is up management to lead the way and be role models. By finding uncontested market space, companies can have the advantage over competitors. References Capercini, R. (2013). Innovation Management.se. Retrieved from http://www.innovationmanagement.se/2014/10/28/using-global-insights-to-drive-local-innovation/ Power, D. (2014-15). Harvard division of continuing education: Professional Development. Retrieved from http://www.dce.harvard.edu/professional/blog/innovation-strategy-4-key-tactics-top-growth-companies Samuel, Dr. P. (2013). Innovation Management.se. Retrieved from http://www.innovationmanagement.se/2014/11/10/elements-of-a-successful-innovation-roadmap/

Project Risk Management – Holyrood Project

Project Risk Management| M3N313401-12-B| Group report    Jenna McCall : S1O21235 Adelle Kelly : S1023858 Angela Mitchell : S1034517 Luciano Farias : S1306729 Iaponaira de Abreu : S1306726| | | 5103 words Contents 1. Introduction 2. 1 Executive summary 2. Case study . What is project management 4. 2 Successful project management 4. 3 Risk management in projects 4. Project Scope 5. 4 Cost management 5. 5 Time management 5. 6 Project management tools 5. Stakeholder management 6. Conclusion 7. Recommendations 8. References 1. Introduction After the identification of the requirements of the Holyrood parliament building, responsibility for the construction of the project was handed over to the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body in June 1999 which took place over the course of 5 years.A project goes through many phases throughout its lifecycle and can be deemed successful if implemented efficiently against initial objectives. This includes cost effective, quality management and co mpletion within the required time scale with the overall aim being to meet stakeholder’s objectives. A project that fails is said to be one that lacks quality, control and management. In order for project management to be effective, both strategic and operational strategies must be incorporated. 1. 1 Executive SummaryProject risk management is a systematic process concerned with reducing the risks and uncertainties involved in business activities, essential if a project is to achieve its objectives which typically include scope, time and cost. It is based on managing people so that a project can be actively managed reducing the risks that could occur. After the objectives have been defined, in order for appropriate risk management to be exercised, a traditional SWOT analysis should be conducted to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats involved in the project.This report discusses the foundations of project management and indentifies the Political, Economic al, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal drivers that can influence project management. In order for the project team to achieve successful completion of the project against delivery time and budget they should follow four steps- identifying the objectives, the projects deliverables, and the schedule and supporting plans. Overall project risk management forms the basis of any successful project. It is used to identify the challenges that the project is particularly vulnerable to in order to ensure impact is minimised.It is vital that the project team makes effective use of risk management in order to manage unforeseen complication which could arise. The biggest challenge that projects face is the inadequate management of planning. Failed projects tend to be ones which over stretch budget, schedule and do not accomplish its desired purpose. 2. Case study The construction of the ‘Holyrood Parliament Building’ first began in June 1999, and the Scottish Parliament held their first debate in the building on 7th September 2004. The official opening of the new building was on 9th October 2004 and was opened by Queen Elizabeth.From when construction began in 1999 until the opening of the parliament building in 2004, the committee rooms and the debating chamber of the Scottish Parliament were forced to hold their meetings in the General Assembly Hall of the Church of Scotland. Office and administrative accommodation which were supporting the Parliament were located in buildings leased from the City of Edinburgh Council. However, the new Scottish Parliament Building allowed the different sectors within the Parliament to amalgamate into the one parliament building. According to The BBC (2004), in the initial planning stages the predicted ? 0 million was set aside by the government to fund the project. This amount remained fixed until additional uncontrolled construction costs resulted in the project cost to increase to ? 109 million in June 1999 to a total cost of ? 414. 4 million which in turn resulted in a 20 month delay to the initial schedule. The BBC (2004) also suggested that the main cause of the delay in the project finalisation was due to the â€Å"production of detailed designed variations and the late supply of information during the construction process†. The deadlines which the project manager provided for the construction of the parliament building were very tight.The BBC (2004) argues that these deadlines did not reflect the complexity of the building which resulted in both architects and trade contractors failing to deliver critical foundations of the project therefore meaning the project timescale overrun. The project manager failed to realise the unlikelihood of the targets set being achievable and therefore failed to alter the timeline to reflect this. Also the project manager should have completed steps which would allow the realisation of the key problems which were in turn causing the negative eff ect on the project’s performance in both cost and time.The project manager should have never relied on assumptions when producing construction programmes which would have resulted in the estimations of cost and time to have been realistic and therefore would have prevented the project running over time and budget. 3. What is project management Project management â€Å"provides an integrated framework for project organisation, planning and control which is designed to: ensure the timely and cost effective production of all end products†. (Project Smart, 2013) It should be delivered within the defined scope, time, and budget.Overall, â€Å"at its most fundamental, project management is about people getting things done† (Barnes, APM President, 2013). The project management lifecycle goes through various stages before it is completed where each phase is measured against checklists to ensure operations are running according to plan. The initiation phase is the beginn ing of a projects lifecycle. This is a vital stage where ideas are explored and plans elaborated, allowing feasibility and resource requirements to be examined. This stage also allocates who will take charge of the process.This involves entrusting the entire project with the project manager where they will â€Å"cultivate the  people skills  needed to develop trust and communication among all of a project's stakeholders†. (PMI, 2013), coordinating the task against budget and delivery time. Once the project plan has been reviewed and approved by sponsors, the project enters the second stage: definition. This involves the identification of the expected outcome of the complete project. Typically, the execution phase is when resources are applied to the task.A list of requirements is drafted; suppliers and contractors are brought in alongside a schedule detailing the materials and resources needed. Followed by the monitoring and control process which involves the construction of the task measured against plans. The final stage in closing the project involves carrying out an evaluation which is vital as it â€Å"compares what has been accomplished (evidence) with what should have been accomplished (criteria) and then makes a judgment about how well it was done. † C. L. Taylor (1998). 4. Successful project management Successful projects are typically ones which are executed within the required time scale and do not exceed allocated resources. Therefore, a project will be deemed successful if it: delivers the outcome within required time and quality, remaining within cost of resources. There are 5 stages that contribute to project success: 1. Objectives 2. Stages 3. Organisation 4. Planning ; Control 5. Leadership ; Management Objectives – They truly define a project and make it something concrete rather than abstract.Stages – Projects step through different phases, such as the research and exploration phase, a decision phase, a planni ng and organising phase, an implementation phase, and then a closure phase. Organisation – Since projects naturally operate outside of normal hierarchy, perhaps even crossing boundaries, it is the Project Manager’s duty to set organizational foundations for it, or rather, a â€Å"chain of command†. Planning and control – No matter the project, whether a new building or a cultural change project, are always moving into uncertain regions through uncertain paths.Leadership and management – Required for a project to reach successful team development, by allowing negotiations and influences to occur. Successful project execution is also based largely on the role that the parties involved play in the management of operations. The relationship between the project team manager and how information is communicated, both internally and externally, to stakeholders is vital to its success including team members, sponsors and senior management.There is a great d eal of risk associated with the management of any project, organisations will often gain from the benefits when the project is completed. Increased risk management as risks will be defined and identified which can â€Å"promote an uninterrupted progression of the activities within the project and, by implementing the appropriate measures, remove any interruptions as quickly as possible†. (Well-Stam, 2004) 3. 2 Risk management in projects The bigger the project, the more complex it becomes to manage, accompanied with increased risk.Project risk management â€Å"is a structured process that allows individual risk events and overall project risk to be understood and managed proactively optimising project success by minimising threats and maximising opportunities. † (APM Body of Knowledge, 5th edition section 2. 5) To be fully effective, risk management in projects requires an understanding of how risk is managed as â€Å"the need to manage uncertainty is inherent in most projects that require formal project management. † (Chapman, et al. , 2003)It is essential to conduct a swot analysis 4. Project scope â€Å"A projects scope is the sum of the work content of a project† (Murray-Webster. R, and Simon. P, 2007). This suggests all the necessary elements which have to be completed in order to achieve the projects time, cost and quality objectives and success criteria. It is crucial that a project manager has a clear understanding of the projects initial scope. They would also be required to communicate this to the organisations team and all of their stakeholders.Any consequential changes can be managed which will allow the avoidance of ‘scope creep’. According to Cupe (2010), scope creep is when continuous growth occurs in a projects scope. This is initiated when project management fails to control changes in their necessary elements. Scope Management Scope management involves the identification and defining of all of the elem ents of the project scope and to ensure that the scope is continuously up-to-date. In turn this will help manage scope creep in a project.It is a project manager’s responsibility to protect scope and prevent the occurrence of scope creep. For effective scope management, project managers must control what is and what is not in the scope of the project (Project Smart, 2013). After a review of the project scope and in the event that it is no longer effective, a project manager may decide to implement changes into the process using a â€Å"change control process† (Murray-Webster. R, and Simon. P, 2007). 4. 1 Cost management â€Å"Cost management is the process by which companies control and plan the costs of doing business.Individual projects should have customised cost management plans, and companies as a whole also integrate cost management into their overall business model†. (wiseGeek, 2013). If applied correctly, cost management reduces costs of production for p roducts and services, as well as delivering products with increased value to the customer. For a project's management to be effective in general, cost management needs to be a prime feature. For instance, in the initial stages of a project, the predicted costs need to be identified and measured.It is imperative that these expenses are then approved before any purchasing occurs. Throughout the completion of a project, all incurred costs should be made note of and kept in record, thus ensuring that costs are under control and maintained in line with initial expectations, to the extent that this may be feasible. The major challenges involved in the Holyrood project arose from the failure to identify the scope of the project when initial plans were undertaken, ensued by scope creep in cost.The earliest cost estimates for the Scottish Parliament building, in 1997, initially stated that â€Å"Overall the capital costs of establishing the Scottish Parliament – purchasing and refitt ing the New Parliament House and other buildings – are estimated to be between ? 24. 5 and ? 34 million. † (White Paper on Scottish Devolution, April 1997. Section 11. 6) This amount remained static until June 1999 when it increased to ? 109 million due to additional uncontrolled construction costs, which escalated again in April 2000 to ? 97 million with the impact of inflation. In 2003, the cost had crept again to ? 359 million and to ? 414. 4million in 2004 resulting in a 20 month delay in schedule In May 2003, after the costs had skyrocketed and the public opinion of the project was very low, Jack McConnell, the First Minister, announced a public inquiry into the handling of the building project. He mentioned how he was â€Å"astonished that year after year the ministers who were in charge were kept so much in the dark over the increases in cost estimates. † (Isobel White; Iqwinder Sidhu, 2005).He also stated that â€Å"a Parliament building of sufficient sc ale could never have been built for less than ? 50m, and was ‘amazed’ that the belief that it could be was perpetuated for so long. † (Isobel White; Iqwinder Sidhu, 2005). Furthermore, â€Å"? 150m of the final cost was wasted as a result of design delays, over-optimistic programming and uncertain authority. † (Isobel White; Iqwinder Sidhu, 2005) According to (Isobel White; Iqwinder Sidhu, 2005), by early 2004, close to its inauguration, the estimated cost of the project was around ? 30 million. This generated great controversy, as one would expect, concerning possible waste of public money. The building was audited, following its completion, after which it was stated that â€Å"the main reasons for construction cost increases after 2000 were design development and delay in the construction process. The design development was entirely related to realising the detail of the building and aspects such as the quality of finish and the palette of materials that were used, in accordance with the client’s requirements. (The Auditor General Report June 2004, paragraph 10) One of the main conclusions found in the Holyrood Inquiry was that â€Å"whenever there was a conflict between quality and cost, quality was preferred. † (The Holyrood Project, p240). The project showcased what lack of proper project management and control will achieve. On the same audit as above, it was stated that â€Å"Although it is likely that a high quality building is being delivered, the time and cost objectives have not been met. The same quality could have been achieved for less if the whole design and construction process had been better executed. (The Auditor General Report June 2004, paragraph 10) The Scottish Office decided to â€Å"procure the construction work under a ‘construction management contract', rather than under a Private Finance Initiative, in order to speed construction, but without properly evaluating the financial risks of doing so, and – in a decision that Fraser stated ‘beggars belief' – without asking Ministers to approve it. † (Isobel White; Iqwinder Sidhu, 2005). This was one of the two most flawed decisions which the report singled out.The other was the insistence on a rigid programme: officials decided that rapid delivery of the new building was to be the priority, but that quality should be maintained. It was therefore inevitable that the cost would suffer. â€Å"In the Holyrood project the general approach was to accept cost increases and include them in the forecasts as the risks materialised. Since there was no agreed planned budget after June 2001, there was little evidence that forceful action was taken to prevent or reduce the increases in cost.Project management could have taken more action at an earlier stage to control expenditure on consultants. † (Audit Scotland, 2004). Before having consultants appointed, management of the project could have explore d alternative fee arrangements more carefully including financial incentives linked to delivering value for money. There was a limit placed on increases in consultants’ fees in 2003, but this was very late in the programme, after the fees had increased significantly. The agreement to the fee capping at this late stage in the project did not provide a timely incentive to onsultants to control costs and programme. Prior to fee capping in July and August 2003, there was no regular reporting of the significant expenditure on the Holyrood project. 4. 2 Time management Time management is also known as project planning and scheduling. Haugan (2002) defines this term as the planed date for performing activities, organized chronologically according to the phases of the project and with start and completion date established. He also states that it is not possible to control costs if the schedule is not met, which was a serious problem in the Holyrood project.According to BBC (2004) the initial estimative of cost and time for the construction of the Scottish Parliament at Edinburgh took place in 1997 with delivery estimate for 2001, even without a project or defined location. However, in 1998 the Holyrood site was chosen to be the actual location and a designer competition was opened based on the criteria of quality, time and cost, after which the Spanish architect Enric Miralles in conjunction with the Scottish company RMJM were chosen to design the parliament. With the delay in such definition, the time factor had become an even greater limitation for the execution of the project.According to White & Sidhu (2005) the president of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS), Mr George Wren, even wrote to the Prime Minister Donald Dewar calling attention to this issue and the consequences of this reduction in availability of design time and in the final product quality, besides the need for faster methods of construction. He also suggested the extensi on of the deadline to complete the building and later, RIAS published a note considering that the process was being quite rushed.Also in 1998, Mr. Armstrong, project manager at this time, established the project schedule, where the construction of the building would start in July 1999 and the initial deadline at autumn 2001 was kept (Lord Fraser, 2004). Lord Fraser, responsible for the inquiry, also commented in his report that it was ironic that factors such as sufficient time for the phases of planning and design were not included in the timeline because of political objectives to meet the deadline.Besides, he also highlighted, in a workshop of risk management conducted by the company Davis, Langdon and Everest (DLE), that the design of the parliament was considered affordable despite of its complexity. Such issues, along the differences between Enric Miralles and the RMJM and the archaeology work at the location were the main causes of delay in progress of the project at its begi nning. Therewith, Mr. Armstrong resigned from his position and a construction management company was hired in his place.White & Sidhu (2005) described that in 1999, after controversies concerning the project and its handover by the former Scottish Office to the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB), it was decided by the parliament that the current project would continue, increasing costs and maintaining the deadline for autumn 2001. Although at that point it had been suggested to pursue the project more slowly due to time constraints, it was alleged by Donald Dewar that delays of around two months could raise the cost of construction in about ? 2 to ? 3 million yet this deadline remained the same.Thus, the construction started in July 1999 and after this, many design changes were required in that year, which further delayed the progress of the project. In 2000, finally, as Lord Fraser (2004) mentioned, after a lot of reports pointing to the necessity of a new estimate of cos ts and time, an amendment presented by Gordon Jackson MSP was accepted by the parliament and the delivery of the building was rescheduled to the end of 2002. However, other factors slowed the work even more in that year, such as the illness and subsequent death of the architect Enric Miralles and then Donald Dewar.In the end of that year, the Audit Committee published a report, where it was highlighted that the building could only be occupied in April 2003, extrapolating the deadline again. As published in the newspaper Scotsman (2004), the year of 2001 was marked by problems in construction, and security issues delayed the progress, hence the delivery of the parliament in May, 2003 became a priority over costs and the construction was accelerated. However in 2002, the deadline was extended again to September 2003 due to further delays, among the causes were cited bomb proofing measures and even the Inquiry of Lord Fraser.Later on, because of problems in the construction of the inte rior and the most complex parts of the project, the deadline was changed to August 2004. The building was eventually delivered in October 2004, with a time span of three years from the initial deadline. On that note, considering the time management in this project, it is possible to highlight that the main problems were the non-inclusion of enough time to design and plan in the first schedules. This was due to the rush to deliver the building for political reasons and the insistence on keeping the deadline even with the problems faced.The failure to analyse the very high degree of complexity of the chosen design therefore resulted in the project running over schedule. Such factors are mentioned in the Holyrood Inquiry as well. 4. 3 Project management tools Project management tools assist in keeping track of all components of a project, ensuring each stage runs smoothly and is completed on time. As well as the smooth running and time keeping of a project, management tools also help m onitor the projects progress against planned budget. Every project is unique, encompassing all the stakeholders and the internal and external influences.Effective project management should include elements of PESTLE analysis including, Political, economic, sociological, technological and environmental, as a method of identifying potential pitfalls in the process. A SWOT analysis is typically completed in the primary stages of a project. This would be carried out during the planning phase and revisited when any complications arise in a project such as; budget or time management. In turn this would allow the project manager to ensure the project is being completed effectively.A SWOT analysis takes into account the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. These are then used to control areas of planning and risk management in a project. A SWOT analysis may also be used to highlight particular areas within the project which could be maximised to result in a benefit to either th e project as a whole, or certain areas of the project. A project manager could implement a SWOT analysis to evaluate certain activities within their project to analyse their progress or determine if they could improve such activities to expand their potential.A SWOT analysis may also be used to evaluate any risks in a project or particular areas of a project and therefore define the most appropriate and effective way of controlling and mitigating any risk which may negatively affect the project’s completion (Project Smart, 2013). Henry Laurence Gantt was an American mechanical engineer, recognised for the development of the Gantt chart in 1017. A Gantt chart is a type of bar chart showing the starting and finishing dates of the different stages of a project. They are a method of tracking tasks across time and also show the elationship between the different stages. Haughey, D. (2013) describes Gantt charts as, â€Å"an important project management tool used for showing the ph ases, tasks, milestones and resources needed as part of a project. † Gantt charts have become an industry standard since their first use in the Hoover Dam project of 1931. They can be useful in planning a time frame of a project and help by categorising events and organising them into an order in which they have to be completed. They also work by showing the tasks which are to be completed on the vertical axis, with the time scale on the horizontal axis.Each task then has a bar showing the time required for each task and a percentage of how complete each task is. Critical Path Analysis (CPA) is a project management technique similar to Gantt charts in the way that it lays out the activities needed to complete a task, the time it will take to complete each activity and the relationship between these activities. CPA is a planning and managing tool, its purpose is to help predict whether or not a project can be completed on time. It is a way of managing a project and ensuring the project timing is on track and that things are completed on time.Santiago, J. and Magallon, D. (2009) state that, â€Å"The Critical Method or Critical Path Analysis, is a mathematically based algorithm for scheduling a set of project activities. † And, â€Å"is an important tool for effective project management. † Therefore this would be a necessary tool to use in project management as it allows activities to be planned so that the job can be completed in the shortest time and allows project managers to see if remedial action is necessary to place a project back on course. Another tool used in project management is the Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT).Haughey, D. (2013) describes this as, â€Å"a method for analysing the tasks involved in completing a given project, especially the time needed to complete each task and identifying the minimum time needed to complete the total project. † Pert charts are usually used alongside Gantt charts. However, Rouse, M. (2007) argues that, â€Å"The PERT chart is sometimes preferred over the Gantt chart, because it clearly illustrates task dependencies. On the other hand, the PERT chart can be much more difficult to interpret, especially on complex projects.Frequently, project managers use both techniques. † Therefore, by using a wide range of tools such as PERT charts, Critical Path Analysis and Gantt charts a project can be better monitored ensuring that all activities are running smoothly, according to schedule. 5. Stakeholder management Stakeholders are the individuals who are involved in a project and are affected by its activities. Essentially, stakeholders cover everyone: project sponsors, project managers, the project team, support staff, customers, users and even suppliers and opponents to the project.Understanding the needs of each of these stakeholders is vital; each of the stakeholders have different needs and expectations which have to be met. In order to do this, nee ds and expectations must firstly be identified. Exceeding these needs involves balancing competing demands to ensure the smooth running of a project. Stakeholder management is a process by which a positive relationship is created between the stakeholders and project managers of a project, through the appropriate management of expectations and agreed objectives. Kangas, P. 2011) states that: â€Å"Stakeholder management begins by identifying individuals and groups the project affects. To identify a comprehensive list of stakeholders, the project team should evaluate individuals or groups who contribute to or receive value from the project. The team should assess stakeholders for their influence, the extent to which they are affected and their attitudes toward the project. † Therefore it is clear that for a project to run smoothly a good stakeholder relationship is vital. Thompson, R. (2012) refers to stakeholder management as being, â€Å"critical to the success of every proj ect in every organisation. Before the establishment of any project, one of the most important starting points is to have full commitment of all management and stakeholders as these are the people who will benefit from the completed project. If there is not full commitment, this increases the probability of project failure. Lawlor, J. (2010) states that for the completion of an effective project, an organisation must: â€Å"Have a strong sponsor, someone who is sufficiently high up in the organisation to sustain commitment to the project and who will fight for it at senior management level.It is not enough simply to gain management and stakeholder commitment at the start of a project, they must work to sustain it throughout. † This can be achieved by keeping the sponsor firmly in the communication loop and continuously update them on all major developments, successes and all potential issues and risks that may be faced in any upcoming projects. Due to stakeholders including ev eryone involved in the project such as suppliers, sub-contractors and other external resources this introduces further risks.To overcome the majority of these risks, organisations must clearly communicate to the stakeholder exactly what is expected of them. Clear instructions should be set out along with an expected time scale that these activities should be completed by. Lawlor, J. (2010) suggests that to avoid certain risks an organisation should, â€Å"Base agreements with suppliers and other external parties on clearly specified requirements that identify the performance standards expected and the products or systems to be designed, developed, and delivered. Regular meetings with these suppliers and sub-contractors are an essential part to the on-going project, for project managers to ensure stakeholders are performing as expected. When looking at the construction of the Holyrood building, it is clear that problems occurred. A possible reason for this was the vast amount of dif ferent stakeholders who were involved in the construction of the project. Due to the numbers of different contractors and subcontractors, communication and coordination was one of the main issues which added to problems associated with the time issues.Fraser (2004) reported, â€Å"there was a lack of communication, coordination and understanding between stakeholders, for example, resolution of many design issues was delayed due to misunderstanding and lack of communication between RMJM & EMBT. † Therefore, delays occurred in the project from bad stakeholder relationships and poor communication. 6. Conclusion With an unrealistic estimated budget, the Holyrood project was destined to fail from the beginning. Despite this, and the many challenges the team faced, it can be argued that the completion of the building has been a major success.Therefore, it is evident that there are many factors that contribute to the success of a project. Undoubtedly, this depends on how efficiently the given task was managed, measured against time and budget. Failure to meet any pre-determined deadlines or budgets would indicate significant problems in the management and structure of initial plans. Achievement of projects strategic objectives is crucial to its success. This should be supported by a realistic plan that identifies critical success factors.An effective project risk management strategy should be embedded in the project lifecycle and provide a degree of certainty to all stakeholders involved. The effectiveness of this strategy should be regularly monitored alongside the other elements of the project in order to ensure total control. The grounds of project failure have been identified as running over budget, over schedule or lack of engagement with stakeholders to meet desired goal. Unrealistic timescales, poor leadership and poor communication also lead to project failure, which highlights the value that efficient project management has on the running of a project . . Recommendations The following recommendations should be considered by senior management when seeking to improve the effectiveness of project management. * Set realistic objectives, including a clearly defined scope, time and budgetary requirements * Consider the complexity and constraints of the project before implementation * Incorporate appropriate time management, allocating time for disruption * Ensuring effective communication between stakeholders at all times * Make appropriate use of all management tools in the planning and development stage 8. ReferencesAPM. 2013. Association for Project Management: What is risk management [online] Available at: http://www. apm. org. uk/WhatIsPM [Accessed 9 March 2013] Audit Scotland, 2004. Management of the Holyrood building project [pdf] Available at: http://www. audit-scotland. gov. uk/docs/central/2004/nr_040629_holyrood_project. pdf> [Accessed 3 March 2013] BBC News. Timeline. ,2004. Holyrood. news. bbc. co. uk. [online] Available a t : http://news. bbc. co. uk/1/hi/scotland/3210729. stm [Accessed on 10th March 2013] Fraser, R. H. L. , 2004. Construction Management. Available at: http://www. cottish. parliament. uk/vli/holyrood/inquiry/sp205-07. htm [Accessed 13th March 2013] Haugan, Gregory T. , 2002. Project Planning and Scheduling. Vienna: Management Concepts. [online] Available at: http://books. google. co. uk/books? id=evSThe6mUkMC&printsec=frontcover&dq=project+planning&hl=en&sa=X&ei=GMQ_UbbzCsqb0QW-4YDQDQ&sqi=2&ved=0CEkQ6AEwAw [Accessed on 1 March 2013] Haughey, D. , 2013. Project Management Tools [online] Available at: http://www. projectsmart. co. uk/project-management-tools. html . [Accessed 13th March 2013] HSE, 2013.Health and Safety Executive: Five steps to risk assessment [online] Available at: http://www. hse. gov. uk/risk/fivesteps. htm [Accessed 9 March 2013] Isobel White; Iqwinder Sidhu, 2005. Building the Scottish Parliament, The Holyrood Project [pdf] Available at: < http://www. parliament. uk/commons/lib/research/briefings/snpc-03357. pdf> [Accessed 27 February 2013] John J. Lawlor. , 2010. Successful Project Management: Eight Simple Steps to Follow. Available at: http://www. projectsmart. co. uk/successful-project-management-eight-simple-steps-to-follow. html. Accessed 12 March 2013] Lord Fraser. ,2004. Holyrood Inquiry. [online]. Available at: http://www. holyroodinquiry. org/FINAL_report/report. htm [Accessed on 11 March 2013] Philip J. Kangas. , 2011. Back To Basics Stakeholder Management. [online] Available at: http://asq. org/quality-progress/2011/03/back-to-basics/stakeholder-management-101. html [Accessed 13 March 2013] Project Smart. 2013. Swot Analysis in Project Management [online] Available at: http://www. projectsmart. co. uk/swot-analysis-in-project-management. html [Accessed 10 March 2013] Thompson, R. 2012.Stakeholder Management Planning Stakeholder Communication. Available at: http://www. mindtools. com/pages/article/newPPM_08. htm . [Accessed 12 Marc h 2013] Rouse, M . 2007. PERT chart (Program Evaluation Review Technique) Available at: http://searchsoftwarequality. techtarget. com/definition/PERT-chart. [Accessed 13 March 2013] Santiago, J. , Magallon, D. 2009. Critical Path Method. [online] Available at: http://www. stanford. edu/class/cee320/CEE320B/CPM. pdf. [Accessed 13 March 2013] Scotsman. 2004. Holyrood timeline. news. scotsman. com. [online]. Available at: http://www. cotsman. com/news/scottish-news/top-stories/holyrood-timeline-1-464525 [Accessed on 10th March 2013] Well-Stam, D. , Lindenaar, F. , Van Kindere, F. ,2004. Pg3-4 Project Risk Management: An Essential Tool For Managing And Controlling Project. s. White, Isobel and Sidhu, Iqwinder. , 2005. House of Commons Research Paper – Building the Scottish Parliament, The Holyrood Project. House of Commons Library, 2005-01-12. Retrieved 2006-10-29. [online]. Available from: http://www. parliament. uk/commons/lib/research/briefings/snpc-03357. pdf [Accessed on 10 March 2013]

Free Essays on Joseph Kallinger

On January 8th, 1975, Joseph Kallinger and his thirteen year old son Michael from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania set out to go hunting. Seems normal enough, but just what they were hunting is what makes for a perverse story. Kallinger and son were hunting for young, attractive women with children, to rape and kill. On the morning of January 8th, 1975, Kallinger and his son took a bus ride from their home in Philadelphia to the New York City area. They arrived in Fort Lee, New Jersey. The two walked around for a while but were not impressed with the pray they found in the town. They then moved on to the small town of Leonia, New Jersey. The first victim was Didi Romaine-Wiseman, a twenty eight year old woman with two children. Didi was at her mother’s house visiting when Joseph and Michael arrived at the house. When Didi confronted the Kallingers, Joseph then stated that he was a â€Å"John Hancock† salesman. When Didi told them to leave the property Kallinger Sr. then seized her and forced his way into the house. Didi fought back before Joseph pulled a revolver on her. Her son Robert, hearing all the commotion, came into the room and screamed in horror by the event that was taking place. Kallinger then pointed the gun at him, stated that this was a robbery and if they did as he said no one would be harmed. He then proceeded to put the gun back into his pocket and then he took out a knife, ordered Didi not to look at him, and then asked if anyone else was in the house. Kallinger then learned about her grandmother and pushed Robert and Didi upstairs to her grandmother’s bedroom. He then saw an empty bedroom pushed Didi in and told her to take off her clothes. She refused, Joseph then stripped her clothes off, removed her jewelry and tied her elbows and ankles together with electrical cord. He then did the same to Robert and then lied him down next to his mother on the bed. Joseph then raped Didi... Free Essays on Joseph Kallinger Free Essays on Joseph Kallinger On January 8th, 1975, Joseph Kallinger and his thirteen year old son Michael from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania set out to go hunting. Seems normal enough, but just what they were hunting is what makes for a perverse story. Kallinger and son were hunting for young, attractive women with children, to rape and kill. On the morning of January 8th, 1975, Kallinger and his son took a bus ride from their home in Philadelphia to the New York City area. They arrived in Fort Lee, New Jersey. The two walked around for a while but were not impressed with the pray they found in the town. They then moved on to the small town of Leonia, New Jersey. The first victim was Didi Romaine-Wiseman, a twenty eight year old woman with two children. Didi was at her mother’s house visiting when Joseph and Michael arrived at the house. When Didi confronted the Kallingers, Joseph then stated that he was a â€Å"John Hancock† salesman. When Didi told them to leave the property Kallinger Sr. then seized her and forced his way into the house. Didi fought back before Joseph pulled a revolver on her. Her son Robert, hearing all the commotion, came into the room and screamed in horror by the event that was taking place. Kallinger then pointed the gun at him, stated that this was a robbery and if they did as he said no one would be harmed. He then proceeded to put the gun back into his pocket and then he took out a knife, ordered Didi not to look at him, and then asked if anyone else was in the house. Kallinger then learned about her grandmother and pushed Robert and Didi upstairs to her grandmother’s bedroom. He then saw an empty bedroom pushed Didi in and told her to take off her clothes. She refused, Joseph then stripped her clothes off, removed her jewelry and tied her elbows and ankles together with electrical cord. He then did the same to Robert and then lied him down next to his mother on the bed. Joseph then raped Didi...

5 Hacks to Improve Your Home Office Productivity

5 Hacks to Improve Your Home Office Productivity The experts at GlassDoor.com have put together a list of suggestions to improve your working-from-home productivity! The independence is priceless but the distractions are endless- these tips will help you make the most out of working from the couch or coffee shop in your sweats.1. Have an Office SpaceThe couch is your enemy when youre working from home. No, hear me out! The couch is where you watch TV, read, snooze, cuddle with loved ones, put your feet up. Your brain is wired to unspool when you feel its comfy embrace.Even if its just a basic dining room chair and a laptop desk, try to carve out a dedicated office space in your home. My husband and I each have ownership of a corner of the living room, and I rearrange my desk and bookcase configuration every 6 months or so to keep it fresh since I get tired of staring at the same walls all day.2. Schedule Your Work WeekThis one has been huge for me as I start a full-time freelance and teaching  schedule- I have to plot out deadlin es for my classes and fit freelance writing and editing projects in around those. If I dont know whats coming, I wont know when I need to pull a late night and when its okay to knock off early.Every week, take a few minutes to plan ahead- its vital time well-spent that will save you stress and scrambling down the line.3. Have a Regular RoutineThe beauty of working at home is that if I wanted, I could work from noon to 8 p.m. and lounge around every morning. But  Ive found that while I am the worlds crankiest morning person, getting up early, walking the dog, having breakfast and coffee, working diligently from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., and then doing smaller, less demanding projects in the afternoon hours is the way to go.Come up with some rituals that replace the morning commute (mine is an extra long shower), and reward yourself with a trip to the kitchen or the corner store when youve accomplished your goals for the day.4. Know Your MotivationThere is something about noise-canceling he adphones that immediately puts me in a ready-to-work mindset. Even if the apartment is quiet, confining my senses to my immediate surroundings helps me zero in on the work at hand.Figure out what motivates you to buckle down. Is it consistency? Variety? Do you need a different coffee shop table every day of the week or are you better off wearing a groove in your home office floor from sitting in the same spot?5. Get in a Working MindsetA tricky part about the omnipresence of Gchat or texting when you work from home is that you can actually stay just as connected to your friends at work as you could when you shared office space. Sometimes my husband works from home and I wind up relocating to the bedroom because Ive gotten so used to the empty space around me.Figure out how to filter out the distractions that might derail you- and remember, you are the only one responsible for getting your work done! Be gentle with yourself as you adjust, be realistic about what you can take on, and dont be afraid to draw firm work-life boundaries. Just because your home office is right next to your couch station is no reason you have to be on call 24/7!And truthfully, working from home isnt for everyone. There are likely co-working spaces near you where you can set up shop on a weekly or monthly basis if you find you need a background hum of things happening.

Change management principles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Change management principles - Essay Example Emmerichs et al (2004) provides a sound definition of workforce planning stating that it is â€Å"an organizational activity intended to ensure that investment in human capital results in the timely capability to effectively carry out the organization’s strategic intent.† (Emmerichs et al, 2004, p. ix) Workforce planning is an active phenomenon in Australian corporation, both in governmental and private-sector organizations. In particular, the Australian health workforce is facing a period of major reform with active participation from various national health workforce advisory committees. The best part is that the Australian government provides full support to the health workforce planning and research activities both at the national and state/territory levels. This paper addresses issues relating to the significant reform the workforce planning is going through and what kind of impact it has on the organizational operations. Besides the issue of organizational behavior is also discussed in the paper. Before going into further details, it is important first to look at the strategic planning objectives and the impacts it has on the organization. Strategic workforce planning can be considered as a recent approach in comparison to traditional human resource planning in an organization. The primary objective of a workforce planning is to analyze as well as forecast workforce skills required by the organization to achieve its relevant business strategies. It is important to mention that a workforce planning benefits extensively from the active participation as well as input of different business units within the organization. To be a successful workforce planning, Emmerichs et al (2004) talk about the inclusion of three important factors in the plan: a) active participation of managers, b) accurate and relevant data, and c) appropriate workload and inventory projection models for the effectiveness of

Epiphany Trigger and or contrast Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Epiphany Trigger and or contrast - Essay Example This paper compares what caused my epiphany and what triggered Gabriel to have his epiphany in â€Å"the dead† James Joyce. My epiphany was brought about by a discussion held with some of my friends. This discussion evolved around the matters that are affecting the country today. The matters ranged from war to the resent attacks on gay rights. My stand on these matters seems always to be in contrast to what my friends seem to believe in or think this is right and ethical. The discussion had me thinking a lot about my views on these matters. I saw the overwhelming evidence that was against me, yet I maintained my stand. One of my friends talked to me and advised that I deeply reflect on my life and what I stand and believe in. He said that somewhere inside me there is a position, which is same views as the rest of my friends’ and I just had to go and think critically regarding the matter. This point provided my turning point and thus triggered my epiphany (Klein 22). Gabriel’s epiphany in â€Å"the dead† by James Joyce occurs when he and his wife attend a dinner party, which results in an epiphany for both Gabriel and his wife. The main character, James, at the end of the story, experience epiphany or a self-realization, the set of the external circumstances at the party manage to focus attention on his futility and the meaningless of his life. At the very end of the story, Gabriel’s epiphany takes place Greta tells him about the boy that she fell in love with; who died from pneumonia after a long wait in the snow so that the boy could see her for one last time. The story touches him greatly and manages to open his mind as he contemplates about himself, his behavior, and his words. He conceptualizes the past, and the future all within that moment he even sees his wife differently (Klein 23). In both cases, the epiphany is brought or triggered by people close to the