Confusion – personal writing

Rosie ran a brush through her copper-gold, long, silky hair and smiled contentedly. After a touch of lip-gloss was applied she was satisfied with her reflection, so she grabbed her jacket and bounded down to where her Mother was waiting. â€Å"Okay honey?† her Mum asked smiling. â€Å"Yes, fine thank you Mum.† Rosie replied cheerfully. Rosie was adopted as a child and lived with her mother and adoptive brother in a renovated house in Yorkshire. Her Mother was single and Rosie had never had any contact with her natural parents. Rosie loved her life, she was seeing a lovely guy and her Mum and her were just going to the local shopping center were she was going to meet up with him. Rosie and her Mum, Nicola drove down the motorway in their Renault. It was a beautiful day, Rosie thought to herself as she gazed at the deep, blue sky making shapes in her mind out of the puffy, white candyfloss like clouds. Suddenly her head was thrown sideways against the window and a loud screeching filled her ears. Then all the noise, all the visions were gone and Rosie felt strangely peaceful. Rosie opened her eyes and all she could see was white. She tried to sit up but her head hurt so much she slumped back down again. From that position she tried to figure out her surroundings. She was looking straight upwards at a plain, white ceiling without a blemish on it. She slowly and painfully turned her head and was faced with a blue curtain. To puzzled to be panicked she tried to figure out where she was. She didn't have long to wait. The blue curtain was yanked backed and an extremely harassed looking man looked in. â€Å"Let me see my daughter, where is she?† he was saying. â€Å"Please sir you're disturbing the patients,† a nurse was telling him worriedly. â€Å"Oh thank goodness!† said the strange man and started hugging Rosie. At first Rosie was to shocked to respond and then she pushed him away with all the strength she could muster. â€Å"What do you think you are doing?† Rosie spluttered. â€Å"Darling, what's the matter? What's wrong?† the man asked Rosie, and then turning to the nurse he repeated, â€Å"What's wrong? Why doesn't she recognize me?† â€Å"I'm sorry, she's been through a lot. She needs some rest, please come back later when things are a bit clearer to her.† â€Å"What do you mean?† the strange man demanded, his voice rising, â€Å"This is my only daughter lying here, I need to be with her.† † I realise you must be anxious but the best thing you can for your daughter now is to let her rest, so please I must ask you to leave.† Reasoned the nurse. The man seemed to be fighting a battle with himself to control his emotions. It looked like he won and he seemed to use a lot of self-restraint as he said, â€Å"Fine, I'll see you later Jenny, and just remember Daddy loves you.† Then he walked out. â€Å"Try and get some rest dear.† Soothed the nurse, and then she followed him, shutting the curtain as she left. Jenny lay back, a million thoughts running through her head at once.

Curriculum Development

AN OVERVIEW OF CURRICULUM Introduction Ever since the term curriculum was added to educators' vocabularies, it has seemed to convey many things to many people. To some, curriculum has denoted a specific course, while to others it has meant the entire educational environment. Whereas perceptions of the term may vary, it must be recognized that curriculum encompasses more than a simple definition. Curriculum is a key element in the educational process; its scope is extremely broad, and it touches virtually everyone who is involved with teaching and learning.Origin of Curriculum The idea of curriculum is hardly new – but the way we understand and theorize it has altered over the years – and there remains considerable dispute as to meaning. The word curriculum originated in ancient Rome as a chariot race course. Julius Caesar talked about which team of horses, driver, chariot would be able to run the curriculum fastest. It was, literally, a course. In Latin curriculum was a racing chariot; currere was to run. â€Å"Currere is derived from the Latin infinitive verb that means ‘to run the racecourse.Historical Definitions of Curriculum Historical definitions typically envision curriculum as a planned sequence of learning or instructional experiences that a student/learner is subjected to under the auspices of the school. To be sure these definitions limited the application of curricular experiences to the school setting. Emergent definitions have looked at curriculum more broadly. According to Connelly and Clandinin curriculum â€Å"can be viewed as a person's life experience. † This definition sees merit due to the change in technology.Connelly and Clandinins’ definition came several decades after Smith, Good, Taba, Foshay and Tanner. Technology has influenced the medium in which curriculum is delivered. There is no â€Å"traditional way† anymore. â€Å"One's life course of action† will determine what will be studied and how. Influences and Developments Curriculum has had strong historical roots. From before Tyler crafted the major questions that we ask about curriculum (Tyler,1949), theorists have been concerned about the ways in which teachers and schools plan learning experiences for all learners.These pre-occupations have influenced the development of Curriculum theory from the outset. Invariably, curriculum has long been influenced by factors outside of the school. Such influences include history, society, psychology and politics. Social and Political Influences and Curriculum Evolution Social and political developments have continuously contributed to ideas about the components and definitions of curriculum. At the turn of the century Franklin Bobbit constructed his definition of curriculum on the basis of objectives based on adult work life (Bobbit,1918).Social emphasis was on the advancement of science and industry this approach also influenced the curriculum theories of other thinkers o f the time. John Dewey's definition of curriculum which though a more progressive in that it focused on learning by doing rather than rote learning and dogmatic instruction also maintained some influence from this area of science and industry. In 1891 William Torrey Harris introduced the idea of organized learning and learning with text books. Has practical application of a systematization of the curriculum laid the groundwork for an industrialized model of curriculum implementation.Other societal influences to the curriculum include legal decisions and government policy. Brown v. Board of Education was a landmark case in the history of American education. The case was in response to social events which entrenched racialized schooling and curriculum in the United States. From the 1892 Plessy v. Ferguson case, the precedent of â€Å"separate but equal† was set, resulting in separate schools for white and black children. The Brown decision set the stage for more aggressive cent ralized decision- making at the Federal level with regards to public education.It set the stage for Congress to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. Furthermore, it is unlikely that the Department of Education would have been established in 1979, were it not for the Brown decision in 1954. Social and political influences have contributed to education having mandated norms. There are mandated times that are allotted for each subject as well as mandated subjects. In many sectors, such as local school districts and school boards, curriculum is considered to be the official written document from the higher authority.Such a document is seen as a mandated template that must be followed by all teachers. Technology Advances Technological change is redefining not only how we communicate, but in turn, is redefining how we need to educate. The ready availability of information has lessened the necessity for a curriculum that is teacher cente red and rooted in the aim to prepare citizens for an industrial society. The development of analytical skills and higher order thinking is increasingly an important focus of the modern curriculum.The stakeholders and interest groups in this process are many and varied, with pressure for change and reform brought from teachers, schools and school councils, government authorities, industry and students themselves. All have differing perspectives on the best curriculum planning models to deal with this change. As technology advances and the world undergoes massive changes, theorists will redefine definitions. Influences of future times will regulate new definitions. It would only make sense for the definition of curriculum to change as advances have been made in the world and will continue to be made.A true researcher or theorists will collect new data, conduct new experiments to challenge and add to the beginning founders definitions of curriculum. As you read and research you to will either create or adapt your own definition of curriculum and this definition will be a result of what is going on in the world, your economic status and your views of education. New technology based definitions would include wording to accommodate the times. In preparing for the working world, which at present is technical, curriculum would include electronic, computerized verbiage.What was once known as a textbook will become prehistoric. More and more computer based learning is occurring and curriculum will be designed to facilitate future life skills. Figure 1: source: http://en. wikibooks. org/wiki/File:Curriculum_Definitions. jpg Definitions of â€Å"Curriculum† Definitions of the curriculum varies from the simplest listing of subjects to be taken for a particular program or degree to the most complex definition as a learning experience to achieve a particular educational goal. This also suggests that there is no universally accepted definition of the term curriculum.Al lan Glatthorn (1987, p. 1) said : â€Å"Even experts can’t agree on what curriculum means. Below you will find a list of definitions of curriculum. 1. John Kerr defines curriculum as, ‘All the learning which is planned and guided by the school, whether it is carried on in groups or individually, inside or outside the school. (quoted in Kelly 1983: 10; see also, Kelly 1999). This gives us some basis to move on – and for the moment all we need to do is highlight two of the key features: a. Learning is planned and guided. We have to specify in advance what we are seeking to achieve and how we are to go about it. . The definition refers to schooling. We should recognize that our current appreciation of curriculum theory and practice emerged in the school and in relation to other schooling ideas such as subject and lesson. 2. Allan Glatthorn defines curriculum as a plan made for guiding learning in schools, usually presented in retrievable documents of several levels of generality, and the implementation of those plans in the classroom; It also includes those experiences that take place in a learning environment that also influences what is learned. Glatthorn,) According to Flordeliza Reyes, (Engineering the Curriculum) Glatthorn’s definition is very comprehensive because it covers both the curriculum plans (guides) and their implementations (instruction). Reyes also stressed that the limitation of Glatthorn’s definition is that it excludes learning experiences, which are planned by the curriculum developer or by the teacher, but are not presented in written form or documents. (P. 1) 3.Flordeliza Reyes defined curriculum as the totality of curricular content (subject matter) and learning experiences the learner goes through to achieve intended educational purposes or outcomes against which his progress will be evaluated. (Ibid. , ) Inherent in Reyes’ definition are the four basic anatomical components of the curriculum: a. Educational purposes or intended educational outcomes; b. Curricular content or subject matter covered by the curriculum; c. Learning experiences the student goes through; and d. Evaluation scheme to assess the extent to which the educational purposes or learning outcomes have been achieved. . Some authors define curriculum as the total effort of the school to bring about desired outcomes in school and out-of-school situations. It is also defined as a sequence of potential experiences set up in school for the purpose of disciplining children and youth in group ways of thinking and acting. a. Howell and Evans define curriculum a structured set of learning outcomes or tasks that educators usually call goals and objectives (1995). While other writers define curriculum as the â€Å"what of teaching†, or â€Å"listing of subjects to be taught in school. † b. a plan or program for all the experiences that the leader encounters under the direction of the school. † Peter F. Oliva (1997, p. 8) c. â€Å"Curriculum development is a process whereby the choices of designing a learning experience for students are made and then activated through a set of coordinated activities. † Wiles ; Bondi (1998, p. 3) d. â€Å"The ‘curriculum,' refers not only to the official list of courses offered by the school—we call that the ‘official curriculum'—but also to the purposes, content, activities, and organization of the educational program actually created in schools by teachers, students, and administrators. Walker & Soltis (1997, p. 1) e. Curriculum is a verb, an activity, or for William Pinar, an inward journey. The modern curriculum development rationale has truncated the etymological meaning and reduced curriculum to a noun, the racecourse itself. Thus, generations of educators have been schooled to believe that the curriculum is a tangible object, the lesson plans we implement, or the course guides we follow, rather than the p rocess of running the racecourse. † Patrick Slattery (1995, p. 56) f. The curriculum of a school, or a course, or a classroom can be conceived of as a series of planned events that are intended to have educational consequences for one or more students. † Elliot Eisner (1985, p. 45) g. â€Å"Curriculum is an explicitly and implicitly intentional set of interactions designed to facilitate learning and development and to impose meaning on experience. † Miller & Seller (1990, p. 3) Thus, it can be said that a curriculum is a document which describes a structured series of learning objectives and outcomes for a given subject matter area.It includes a specification of what should be learned, how it should be taught, and the plan for implementing/assessing the learning The Subsystems of Curriculum Inferring from the different definitions of curriculum, it can be deduced that there are three sub-systems. Garcia enumerates the following(Curriculum Design, p. 7-8) 1. The fo rmal curriculum which normally refers to the Philosophy, Mission, Vision, Objectives of the school alongside with the subjects and the activities needed deliver the instruction.Lesson plans, session guides, modules, as well as syllabi are also considered part of the formal curriculum. In short, formal curriculum is the primary focus of the curriculum. 2. The Extra Class or Curriculum Extension includes co-curricular activities like school papers, various student organizations, convocations, and the like, as well as ancillary school services such as guidance service, library service, health, canteen and the like which are primarily intended to support the formal curriculum. 3. The Hidden Curriculum is either supportive of or contradictory to the formal curriculum and the extra curriculum.The hidden curriculum includes the school policies, rules and regulations including school climate. CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT vs CURRICULUM ENGINEERING Curriculum engineering is comprised of the followi ng processes: curriculum development, (the process of improving an existing curriculum or making a new curriculum) curriculum implementation,(the process of ensuring that the planned or designed curriculum has been adapted or implemented) and curriculum evaluation (process of determining the effectiveness of the curriculum as well as the efficiency of its implementation).Hence, curriculum engineering comprises all processes and activities that are necessary to keep the school curriculum dynamic and functional. (Reyes, p. 3) Curriculum development is defined as the process of selecting, organizing, executing and evaluating the learning experiences on the basis of the needs, abilities, and interest of learners, and on the basis of the nature of the society or community. (Saguil et al, p. 15) It takes into consideration the following factors: 1.The nature of society which includes the cultural heritage, the needs and demands as well as the economic, social, political, cultural, moral a nd other concerns of the people; 2. The interest, the needs, previous experiences and problems of the learners; and 3. The educational and psychological principles based on the findings of scientific studies and experimentation. It can also be said that curriculum development is a continuous process for the possibilities of improving the teaching – learning situation.Its goal is a positive change; process; transformation in the lives of the learners based on schools mission and goals. It should be produced in coordinated program of meaningful experiences for learner’s development. (2009 Ed. ) Curriculum development is a decision-making process that involves a variety of concerns. (Bago). An ideal curriculum engineering involves different stakeholders, ranging from the School superintendent, principals, and curriculum directors. (Beauchamp, 1981).These shall be assisted by administrators and teachers who are either subject specialists, generalists, or trained curriculum specialists; experts in specific disciplines who act as consultants; a classroom teacher who is responsible for the implementation of the curriculum; lay persons who are experts from industry (industry practitioner); and students and alumni to give feedback regarding the curriculum being evaluated can be used for improvement purposes. (Reyes: p. 4) Subject or Course, Session or Lesson Plan, Syllabus, Field of Study & Program In order to have a better understanding of curriculum, the ollowing must be considered, though different from a curriculum, are related to the concept of curriculum: Subject (for Basic Education)/ Course for Tertiary and Graduate studies consists of learning content and experiences that can be completed by the learner within a school term for which a credit unit is earned. Philosophy, Philippine History, English 1, Math 1, are examples of subject or course. Session or Lesson Plan generally consists of objectives, content or subject matter, learning experience o r activities, as well as evaluation of the learning. SyllabusThe single most important instrument of structure in a course is the SYLLABUS, which outlines the goals and objectives of a course, prerequisites, the grading/evaluation scheme, materials to be used (textbooks, software), topics to be covered, a schedule, and a bibliography. Each of these components defines the nature of the learning experience. Goals and objectives identify the expected outcomes and scope of the course as determined by the instructor or course designer, restricting the domain of knowledge for the learner. Prerequisites limit the student population to those with certain kinds of learning experiences, usually other courses.The grading or evaluation scheme tells students what kind of learning activities are to be valued (e. g. , assignments, tests, papers, projects), that is, the currency of learning in this particular course. Topics to be covered specify the content that the instructor feels is important. T he schedule provides a timetable for learning, usually with milestones in the form of due dates or tests. Field of Study refers to a combination of subjects or courses comprising one of the standard disciplines that can be completed by a learner across school terms.Example, Social Science as a field of study is comprised of but not limited to History, Sociology, Economics, Psychology. Program is usually completed in more than one year. It is the most expansive example or part of curriculum. The completion of a program enables the learner to proceed to the next or higher level of schooling such as nursery to kindergarten, preparatory, elementary, secondary tertiary, graduate to post graduate studies. Other terms Related to Curriculum Engineering Curriculum Plan is the advance arrangement of learning opportunities for a particular population of learners.Curriculum Guide is the written curriculum plan. Curriculum Planning is the process whereby these arrangements of curriculum plans or learning opportunities are created. Curriculum Laboratory is a place or workshop where curriculum materials are gathered or used by teachers or learners of curriculum. Resource Unit is a collection or suggested learning activities and materials organized around a given topic or area which a teacher might utilize in planning, developing, and evaluating a learning unit. Curriculum development An Analysis of Philippine Educational Curriculum† To attain the progress of our country, the quality of education is one of the factors which contributes to the development of our economy and to have the quality of education, the national curriculum should set a clear direction and should have an empowered teaching force manned by excellent teachers that are properly guided by supervisors, and conducive learning environment that fosters learning among students that includes materials, technology. ND learning resources. In our country, it takes ten years of schooling under basic education and students armorial started going to school at the age of 6 in elementary level, starts in Grade 1 up to Grade 6. And proceeds to High School which takes 4 years and after finishing that long years, at the age of 16, they continue studying to higher education.Compared to other developed country, it takes 12 to 13 years of schooling in the basic education. As what Vive read, it says that the l onger years of schooling means more learning, more time spent to master skills and develop competencies, deepening of learning outcomes, and more opportunities to be exposed to the learning environment.

The laboratory diagnosis, monitoring and management of the diabetic Essay

The laboratory diagnosis, monitoring and management of the diabetic patient - Essay Example This disorder is known as hyperglycemia. Many other metabolic abnormalities occur, notably an increase in ketone bodies in the blood when there is severe lack of insulin (Jacobs, 1996). Glucose measurement in an accredited laboratory should be the rationale of ant diagnosis of diabetes. In the laboratory, glucose tolerance test is not norm ally required in regular clinical practice. It can only be carried out if uncertainty exists in younger patients, or to find out an exact diagnosis in pregnancy. For, results that can be counted on, glucose tolerance tests should be carried out in the morning after an overnight fast, with the patient being required to sit calmly and not smoking. In addition, the patient should have normal meals for the previous three days and should not have been dieting. Inaccurate results may be achieved if the patient has been ill recently or has had prolonged bed rest (Fine, 2008). During glucose tolerance test, blood glucose concentrations are determined and are measured fasting and then one and two hours after a drink of 75g of glucose in a volume of waster, approximately 250-350ml. it is recommended that the water be flavored, for example, with pure lemon juice. Further, urine tests should be carried out before the glucose drink and at one and two hours. According to WHO, ADA, and diabetes UK, the criteria for the diagnosis of diabetes states that: symptoms of diabetes plus casual venous plasma glucose11.1mmol/1. They define casual as any time of the day without regard to time since the last meal was taken. Some of the classic symptoms include polyuria, polydipsia, and unexplained weight loss. Secondly, fasting plasma glucose should be or whole blood. Fasting is defined as no calorie intake for at least eight hours. Another criterion for diagnosis is: 2 hour plasma glucose during oral glucose tolerance test using 75g

Case study accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Case study accounting - Essay Example suitable methods for maintaining an efficient accounting system for better and accurate costing, financial and operating information, she has presented comprehensive accounting and non-accounting information regarding the business operations. The following is a brief analysis of the business information provided by Wadhha. Wadhha started the boatyard business with a small amount of her savings forming her initial investment into the business. This had a dual effect i.e., on one side it increased the company’s assets being cash while on the other aspect it increased the capital invested into the company. In her quest to get on doing some business, she purchased a running boatyard business at a fair negotiable price. This entitled her the benefits of acquiring an old business and saving her the hassle of forming and establishing an entirely new business. The need for additional funds to finance the business was met by borrowing funds from a friend. It further had double effects i.e., on one side it increased the company’s assets being cash and on the other side, it increased the company’s liabilities. The wharf and store were also of attraction to the customers who were mostly the holiday makers for boating purposes and the company made the most of this attraction by offering fishing tackle, sporting goods and other refreshments. The most of the expenses incurred by company would be on the maintenance of the land, building, store, petrol and diesel pumps, work shed etc, the labour wages expenses, any interest on the borrowings etc. The company possesses great future prospects if the assets are utilised efficiently and effectively towards the generation and maximisation of revenues, so that the expenses could easily be met and the liabilities be paid off on time. The Wadhha’s boatyard owns all the fixed assets needed to run the company, however not much information is provided regarding the current assets of the company most importantly, cash. Wadhha

Literature review of Energy savings companies (ESCO) and marketing Essay

Literature review of Energy savings companies (ESCO) and marketing - Essay Example A true win-win-win if successfully implemented. As far as marketing is concerned it is a social and managerial process by which individuals and groups obtain what they need and want through creating and exchanging products and values with others. It is an integrated process through which companies create value for customers and build strong relationships with them in order to capture value from customers in return. Thus for effective functioning of ESCO it has implemented various tools and strategies of marketing. According to European Union energy services, energy services are those activities which are taken up by the companies and market actors, and which result in demonstrable and sustainable savings of supplied/delivered energy in the customer's household and which includes the option of initial investment by other than the household or property owner [1]. The energy service company (ESCO) is in the business of providing broad range of comprehensive energy solutions including the designing and implementation of energy saving projects, energy conservation, energy infrastructure outsourcing, power generation, energy supply and risk management. Sixteen companies have been grouped together in the industry structure that provides projects based on ESCO structure [2, 3, and 4]. Ameresco is the only pure-play ESCO left in the market [5]. The others are Carrier, Honeywell Building Solutions SES, Johnson Controls Government Systems, L.L.C., Siemens Government Services, Inc., TAC Americas, Inc., Trane U.S., Inc., ConEdison, Constellation, FPL Energy Services, Pepco Energy Services, The Benham Companies, LLC (SAIC Acquired), Clark Realty Builders, LLC, McKinstry, Lockheed Martin and Chevron Energy [6, 7 ,8]. The ESCO customers include [9] Working of ESCO ESCO has its own way of working it starts with analyzing the part, then designs the energy efficient solution and installs the required elements, finally maintaining the system to ensure that the energy is saved during the payback period. The savings in energy costs is often used to pay back the capital investment of the project over a five- to twenty-year period, or reinvested into the building to allow for capital raise that may otherwise be impractical. If the project does not provide returns on the investment, then ESCO is often responsible to pay the difference [10]. ESCOs structure is as follows Contract Services Customer ESCO PaymentFinancing payment Contract Bank (ESCO feasibility report. 2007) Initially ESCO installs the energy conservation measures (ECM's) and measure the energy saved resulting from the projects and presents the data to the customer. A common way to calculate energy savings is to measure the flows of energy associated with the ECM, and to apply spreadsheet calculations to determine savings. They have formed a standardized table as follows; Description Typical

See word Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

See word - Assignment Example Sharing personal details and daily agenda on their social network can be hugely dangerous for them as cyber criminals can access them through hacking and exploit the same for their vested interests. Opening emails from unknown source and downloading information from non-trusted sites could seriously threaten the information security. Most importantly, as social network sites are most vulnerable to cyber-attacks, users must avoid using them through corporate setting as important corporate information could be leaked and go to unscrupulous hands. When personal computers are turned into ‘zombie computer’ through the malicious software like malware by cyber criminals who have hacked the personal accounts of individuals, the users do not require any actions as they are unaware of the fact. This is a critical issue as users’ not being aware that they are being tracked by cyber criminals, tend to work on computer and internet as normal, using passwords to log on to their individual/ corporate accounts on corporate site or sharing personal information on their social network. Consequently, unintentionally they disclose their confidential passwords to attackers and allow them access to their private and confidential information, including corporate

Teenage pregnancy Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Teenage pregnancy - Term Paper Example According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, the United States government could save $9 billion dollars annually if teenage pregnancy were prevented. As a result of increasing cases of teenage pregnancy, most of the funds are spent primarily in foster care, health care, and incarceration costs. Teenage pregnancy is a matter of concern in the State of Mississippi, which is among the top five states with the highest number of teenage pregnancies (Klemas et al., 2009). The majority of teenagers who were pregnant are those of non-Hispanic origin. In a survey study conducted in 2006, Mississippi was the leading in teenage pregnancies amongst the 50 states (Klemas et al., 2009). Additionally, Mississippi was the leading with teen births all over the country and it has led to a loss to the State government of Mississippi due to heavy spending on various programs aimed at addressing the challenges (Klemas et al., 2009). From the above discussion, teenage pregnancy is a topic o f concern in the American society. It has attracted the attention of all the stakeholders including the health, government, and nongovernmental organizations. Additionally, the government has spent considerable millions of dollars derived from the public funds to finance the health care and other incarnations related to teenage pregnancy (Klemas et al., 2009). Teenage pregnancy affects everybody, and its a duty of everyone to rally support to stop the issue. The most important solution to the problem includes the government use of resources to offer education to the targeted group and the use of media to educate and inform on the consequences of teenage pregnancy. Teenage pregnancy can stop if the government increases awareness amongst the targeted group through the use of its resources to campaign against the vice. Many of the teenage pregnancies are unplanned for and mostly occur due to poverty and lack of

M4A2- Program Evaluation Method Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

M4A2- Program Evaluation Method - Essay Example The company uses web beacons to collect and provide data about users by clicking on banner graphics, then storing the information on remote server. They are efficient to track data across multiple domains (Boehm, 1997). The company uses â€Å"information system† which is a network of software and hardware used to collect create and distribute data. The information system used by organizations to capture, transmit, store and retrieve information for the benefit of controlling the performance of the business, and produce specific products and services for customers (Bolcer, 2009). The company’s goal is to ensure that the target growth is attained at the end of the stipulated period. The company’s mission is to bring data to the masses and making data-driven decision making a reality by building a sustainable data infrastructure and knowing where each team member fits in building an efficient organizational structure. Every serious business contains boundaries that are agreed upon by both parties, that is, stakeholders and the program evaluator. Successful business professionals constantly ask themselves â€Å"what can I do and not do about this problem†? .This is an ethical question which if not addressed by evaluators in their boundaries can lead to practical difficulties and ethical violations that can threaten the project. Stakeholders in the project include current and potential funders, community partners, professional colleagues and consumers. The stakeholders will be interested in hearing about the program to ensure they will use the evaluation results. The questions will arise out of the goals and objectives in the program description, planning and the stated needs of the stakeholders. These evaluation questions will provide the foundation and direction for the evaluation with the stakeholders. In designing questions the convergent

CNN And FOX News Essay Example for Free

CNN And FOX News Essay I chose to view CNN and Fox news to investigate the difference between how they relay information to the public. I have read that CNN publishes real news and that Fox is just an informational entertainment station filled with opinions about the news. Immediately it is seen that CNN is very detailed in their broadcasts. Upon watching several stories from both channels, I have found that they basically convey the same exact news stories, just in different ways. CNN was only a 30 minute segment but they thoroughly covered the most important world events. Fox News was an hour long segment and briefed the world news events. This is understandable since Fox news is a local station, they had to spend a majority of the air time on local news. Both stations do however relay the news in a bias manner. For example, both channels discussed the recent Teacher strike in Chicago. CNN spent about 4 or 5 minutes on the story stating that the teachers have come to an agreement and the children will be able to return to school on Wednesday. A 2 hour meeting with about 800 union officers and delegates concluded with a contractual agreement which would need to be ratified by the teachers and support staff and union members. The Chicago Mayor Emanuel was pleased with the results stating that it was an honest compromise. The students will suffer with a longer school day but they will be returning to school, which in turn will allow the parents and care givers to return to work. The coverage of this story on Fox news was minimal, lasting about 2 minutes. It was just brief details stating that the teachers and union members had reached and agreement and that the students would be returning to school after missing a full 7 days of class. Also, a topic of the news that was presented on both channels was the horrible situation in Afghanistan. CNN had an extensive small segment on the things that were transpiring as well as a short interview with some of the people in Afghanistan. The segment lasted about 5 minutes on CNN it was stated that the U.S. coalition is gradually transferring control to Afghan  authorities but as of now the war is not over. There are still tens of thousands of American forces there dealing with what they call â€Å"green† and â€Å"blue violence. There were a total of 6 U.S troops killed last week by Afghan allies. There were also 6 jets destroyed. When this story was aired on Fox News there wasn’t that much detail. The segment only lasted about 3 minutes on Fox News. It was only stated that there were four troops killed on Sunday and 2 more killed on Friday of last week. Fox also stated that there was a raid on a military base by 15 insurgents and six jets were destroyed. Four teen of those 15 insurgents were killed. President Obama’s job in the White House thus far was also a topic discussed on both channels. CNN spoke on this topic for about 9 minutes and commented on how the President is quickly making progress towards recovering the U.S., and has a big agenda for the future already planned compared with past presidents. The news reporter described this facet as â€Å"breath taking† and â€Å"stunning.† Fox news discussed the president and the upcoming election for about 5 minutes, and as could be expected, completely had the opposite view on this. They maintained that the President is taking on way too many different tasks at once per his quote, and that it is absolutely crazy for him to think he will get everything completed in two terms should he be re-elected. The news reporter said that he should stop misleading the American people and pick one or two big issues to cover in his agenda, and just maybe he will be able to address those in a believable manner. Fox News also spoke of the uproar that comments made by Romney about â€Å"47% of Americans being dependent upon the government backing the President† No comments were made about this video on CNN. I have never actually watched various news channels like this. I usually catch the local news on Fox and then the world news on ABC. I enjoyed the CNN broadcast. If was much more informative and it not only covered the large world stories but it touched on some of the smaller things happening in the world as well.

High Self-esteem Essay Example for Free

High Self-esteem Essay Review Questions 1. In what areas do children and adolescents define their self-esteem?: In Self Image, and in the environment they live in. 2. What are the characteristics of a person with high self-esteem?: Ambitious, optimistic about life, good communication skills, and they are very psychologically healthy and emotionally stable. 3. What are the characteristics of a person with low self-esteem?: Fail to achieve goals, poor communication skills, Are prone to anxiety, depression, hostility, loneliness, shame, and guilt, and they form unhealthy, destructive relationships with others. 4. What can a parent do, in the first two years of their child’s life, to help the child develop good self-esteem?: The first is a sense of themselves as individuals. The child learns that he exists as an individual in the world, and that his actions have observable consequences in the surrounding environment. The child learns that he has the power to manipulate the world around him—to make things happen. The second important concept a child develops during this time is a sense of trust and love that is built upon a solid bond between the child and his caregivers. 5. What are some things that have a negative effect on a child’s self-esteem?: Their self-image, fitting in, and their parents fighting at home. Critical Thinking Questions 1. Why is it difficult to define self-esteem?: It’s difficult because people don’t always know what the exact definition for the word is. 2. Is success in life a cause of high self-esteem, an effect of high self-esteem, or neither?: In my opinion, I say an effect. I say this because if you have high self-esteem, you will accomplish a lot more. Success takes a lot of work, it’s not easy to be successful now a days. 3. What are some ways that parents can help their children develop good social self-esteem?: They could teach them appropriate vocabulary. They can also start getting their kids into speaking to people in public, if they need it. They could get them to start speaking up for themselves. 4. What are some ways that parents can help their children develop good academic self-esteem?: To help them with their school work. They could also get their child a tutor, or maybe they can let them stay after school and get tutored. They could also have standards, not too high and not too low. It depends on the child’s ability on how well they can do. 5. Children will start to exhibit gender-specific behaviors in early childhood. Boys will tend to be more active and aggressive. Girls, on average, are calmer and more agreeable. Children also start to show a preference for toys and clothing that are traditional for their gender. Why do you this is?: They are starting to get to that point where they are changing. Different feelings and hormones. Maybe something is going on in their environment that they live in. Maybe they’re just starting to grow up.

The Organisational Structure Of Jaguar Management Essay

The Organisational Structure Of Jaguar Management Essay Jaguar over the last decade has been over taken by Ford, who have invested considerable in to to the Jaguar / Ford strategy to become the number one automative company in the world. Jaguar used WCT (world class timing) or WCP (world class process) but now have invested considerable in FPDS (Ford Product Development System). Which will reduce the time from concept to the customer. With the advent of the supplier development and closer relationship between the supplier and the customer, it has resulted in more suitable and cost effective processes and materials been selected early on in the programme, which is resulting in Jaguar investing in more techniques and processes to maintain its competitive edge and maintain existing hold in certain markets. In this report I will be discussing the corporate level, business level and manufacturing level strategy used within Jaguar/Ford. I will also be addressing the following questions : Current and Future impact on the organisation Tools and tecniques used to analysy the various strategies used How these strategies affect the upstream and downstream customer or supplier within the supplier chain What actual part my colleagues and I play in formulating and achieing the company goals and objectives Possible improvements in the implemtation or formulation of any ofthe companies strategies  £10000 would I i What is the organisational structure of Jaguar ? I will also discuss the possibility of investing  £10,000 in to the company, look into the future trends and analyse the methods employed at Jaguar. I will conclude by reviewing my findings. 1.2 Background To illustrate the principles of Manufacturing Strategy. I have selected the Jaguar Cars Limited, for which I am project engineer in Electrical Engineering. As Project engineer of the security system team in the body systems department at Jaguar Cars Limited, Whitley, Coventry. My role and responsibility as Project engineer, consist of various task and project every year. One of many projects under my control is the security system project. This consists of selecting new suppliers, working out roles and responsibilities, setting up meetings/presentations, liaisons with various tier one and tier two suppliers, setting targets for various attributes and setting up training for staff in my team. The current security system products are supplied by Megamos. Jaguar and Megamos relationship first started in 1982, when Megamos supplied Jaguar with a security system for the XJS vehicle. This consisted of a security ECU, remote transmitters and security sounders. Megamos headquarters is based in Germany but they have set up a site close to Jaguar cars to build on this close relationship as required in a supplier development programme. Megamos are a subsidiary of a larger group called Delphi and Textron. In November 1989, Ford acquired Jaguar cars Ltd. This has helped Jaguar to reduce its number of 1st tier supplier from 420 to 350, with the Ford 2000 initiative this will be reduced further, this has also helped in more common product and processes being used on both Jaguar and Ford car lines. The FPDS process is the first all new common process to be used at Jaguar and Ford simultaneously, this will help Jaguar and Ford to reduce the development cycle from concept to customer. Ford 2000 means that we need to invest in initiative that will reduce development cycle time, to increase productivity and variability of our product range. This should result in more common parts, product and processes being used across the works, with the implementation of FPDS we have started to see the results. CHAPTER TWO 2.1 Objective Ford / Jaguar Stratgies : The objective of the reprt is to evaluate FORD / JAGUAR strategy. I will be evaluating the company Mission Sttement and Comany Histiory as an overview. Tis will then be followed by a critical analysis using the SWOT matrix, PORTERs five factors and other Hills 5 step approach showinfg the inter-relationship between stratgies. FORD / JAGUAR VISION CHANGES GOING ON THROUGHOUT THE COMPANY: Each of you, have the means and opportunity to positively impact Fords quest for world-wide leadership. Our goal is to be the worlds leading automotive company. We at Ford face a challenging and exciting future. In the fall of 1994, we began a dramatic global reorganization called Ford 2000. Since that time, we have changed our structure and processes to become more efficient and responsive to the customer globally, and will continue to do so into the future. FORD 2000 STRATEGIES When we launched Ford 2000, we developed 7 strategies that are key to our success. It should be noted that, empowered people is at the top. We believe empowered employees, making decisions every day are instrumental in achieving our goals. GLOBALIZATION Ford Automotive Operations (FAO), developed as part of Ford 2000 combines our operations around the world into a single, global structure. FAO was established by combining north american automotive operations, Ford of europe, international automotive operations and the automotive components group. At the heart of FAO are the 3 vehicle centers. These centers each have worldwide responsibility for the processes and systems that contribute to a vehicles product development, manufacturing, supply and sales activities. While design and manufacturing are centralized, marketing and sales operations will remain localized locally managed, sensitive and responsive to the needs of customers and dealers. We will become a global organization for collecting the voice of the customer from various markets and sources, to ensure that voice is well-represented within the vehicle centers. ALEX TROTMAN QUOTE Alex trotman, our C.E.O. and clearly the leader of the companys globalization initiative, has said, to survive and prosper in the future, we cannot maintain the status quowe want to be the best in the world; not second best, not third best, the best. Our Ford 2000 reorganization strategies will make us the worlds leading automotive company. FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE DIVISION The Ford customer service division are shaping themslves to become the customer service satisfaction leaders. FPSD TO FCSD Several years ago we transformed the Ford Parts Service Division (FPSD) into the activity it is today, the Ford Customer Service Division (FCSD), the companys voice of the customer. Notice the subtle but obvious change? The word customer. We took a look at ourselves and asked where we wanted to focus our efforts and resources over the long term. We decided we wanted to be recognized as a leader in customer satisfaction. However; before we could start on this change journey, we had to develop a vision of what we wanted to be and a mission which would help us get there. VISION AND MISSION OUR VISION IS: To provide owners of Ford motor company vehicles or Jaguar Cars Limited an ownership experience that is so good, they will buy again and tell others how great it is to own a Ford or Jaguar product. OUR MISSION IS: We are the companys principal source of customer support and vehicle service. Our mission, in partnership with related company activities, is to improve continuously both our own and Ford and Jaguar dealers ability and commitment to provide superior customer service. The owners of our vehicles will determine our success. Simple statements, challenging tasks. Do you agree? DRIVERS OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION In order to help us focus our attack, we comissioned extensive research and determined that the drivers of customer satisfaction came down to three elements: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 58% of a customers total satisfaction is related to the vehicle itself. Interestingly, our research pointed out that FCSD can affect 18% points of that number because of our involvement with providing quality parts for the vehicle; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 21% of customer satisfaction is influenced by the sales experience, and. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ the final 21% is influenced by the service experience. Within the service sector, repairing the vehicle correctly on the first visit, termed fix-it-right-the-first-time contributed to 42% of the customers service satisfaction while customer handling practices accounted for 40%. So, in total, we established that FCSD contributes to 39% of the factors that drive customer satisfaction. KEY STRATEGIES There are 4 key strategies that support our strategic thrusts: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Working With Dealers To Improve Fix-It-Right-The-First-Time-On-Time Capabilities (FIRFTOT). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Maintaining a field focus (dealer support customer handling) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Support of the upstream engineering process à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ maintaining a focus on a quicker service fix process FIRFTOT AND FIELD FOCUS INITIATIVES Improving dealer firtftot capabilities field focus As I mentioned earlier, repairing a vehicle correctly on the first visit is the primary driver of service satisfaction. The rapid advancement of technology incorporated into our vehicles has improved our quality and reliability but has challenged the dealers ability to keep up. Providing ongoing support as it relates to training employees, attracting and retaining quality personnel and establishing sound business practices to better handle customers are among the dealers priorities. Several recent initiatives have been launched that will mutually benefit the dealer and customer base simultaneously: The FCSD field reorganization, completed last year, revolutionized the level of support afforded dealers. The MARKET AREA TEAM APPROACH PROVIDES THE DEALER WITH MORE DIRECT COMPANY SUPPORT BY: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Placing a larger percentage (82%) of our field office personnel in dealer contact roles; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ establishing specialized dealer contact teams with defined roles; and. . . à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ placing our most experienced managers in consultative, leadership roles (doms) to improve dealer operations. REGION TO DEALER SURVEY RESULTS Our dealers have recognized this effort by showing significant increases in satisfaction with Ford customer satisfaction support. Another milestone accomplishment involving dealer support is the fordstar distance learning system. Currently, we are approaching 100% participation. The entire dealership network, 5000 dealers in the united states will be fordstar capable. We have committed to regular programming to support their technical and non-technical training needs. This initiative has been greeted with strong dealer support since dealers can now receive interactive training (sales, service, technical) and communicate with the company without leaving the dealership. Long-term, these initiatives will undoubtedly have a continuous and positive impact on customer satisfaction and owner loyalty. UPSTREAM ENGINEERING QUICKER SERVICE FIX I will now discuss an area where we have made significant improvement, upstream engineering and establishing a quicker service fix process. The upstream engineering process will prove to be a competitive advantage in that it allows us to build quality into future designs. As part of the upstream engineering process at Ford: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Fcsd personnel have been co-located on forward -year design teams where they interpret field data, serve as the voice of the customer and have a measurable impact on overall quality; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ we also assigned these co-located employees with the task of developing an affordable service structure while improving the field serviceability of our product. Thereby, holding technology in check. While upstream is proactive, we must still be positioned to react to problems as they occur. Thats where quicker service fix initiatives come into play. Our goal is to resolve service problems within 90 days of their assignment to engineering. We currently achieve this standard around 72% of the time, but we are trending in the right direction. We will accept nothing short of 100% on this important area. Last year, in support of this standard, we added fcsd members to each of the plant vehicle teams to improve resolution time and become more proactive: the role of pvt members involves: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Analysis of current vehicles and identification of component problems à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ interpretation of quality to promote quick problem resolution à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ representation of the voice of the customer at the production level Each strategy and initiative I discussed with you will contribute to quality improvements. But no more than fcs 2000 and policy deployment combined. Fcs 2000 contains the infrastructure which will allow us to align with the objectives of Ford 2000, while policy deployment will align objectives toward common goals and promote focus throughout the organization. Most of you have heard or read about Ford 2000, the largest reengineering project ever undertaken by a major corporation. Im pleased to say that we are beginning to see the results of this important initiative with products like the expedition where the use of common components (54%) control cost, quality levels are world class and it was designed and delivered in 37 months. This is only a start, now let me show you how our globalization initiative, known as fcs 2000 aligns with Ford 2000. FORD 2000 ENTERPRIZE MODEL On the Ford 2000 enterprize model, after sales service is the term that relates to fcs 2000. Let me start out by defining what aftersales service means to us. . . It is not about repairing problems on vehicles after they are sold, it is about designing quality and serviceability into our vehciles upstream so the problems never occur in the first place. However, this is where the real work begins. Once the majority of reactionary problems have been eliminated, we must then provide each of our customers , world wide, with consistent, world class service experience so they remain loyal to us long-term. When i refer to consistency, I like to use an analogy which relates to mcdonalds restaurants. . . [add lib mcdonalds consitent quality from chicago to cologn] FCS 2000 MANAGEMENT SYSTEM This model displays the four process groups which make up the global and regional organizations under fcs 2000. Briefly. . . Business development will focus on working with dealers to improve competitiveness and customer focused practices in order to capture a higher percentage of the service business. Parts supply and logistics will consistently deliver the right part to the dealership, on time and at a price the customer is willing to pay. Technical support will provide a single, accurate, timely and common technical information process worldwide. Vehicle service and programs will be developing upstream engineering processes which will consistently design quality and serviceability into the vehicle and when a problem occurs, it will be handled in a timely and customer driven manner. This global structure I just reviewed will impact the 5 regions which make up the global fcsd. They include north america, europe, south america, asia-pacific, and export. This structure will allow us to think globally, but act locally. Much of what we still must achieve requires extensive cultural change throughout fcsd. CUSTOMER SERVICE CULTURE INITIATIVE By benchmarking industry leaders in customer satisfaction the customer assistance center has developed a customer service culture initiative. There are three key areas to this initiative: Customer service philosophy transform customer service from a department to an attitude, embraced by all employees! Revised new employee orientation stress the importance of customer service on day one with you our new employees. Continuous reinforcement daily team meetings focusing on the importance of customer service and best practices. By establishing customer service as a way of life, the customer assistance center will help drive our goal to be the worlds leading automotive company. Additional details of this important initiative will be covered later this afternoon. DIVERSITY AWARENESS A key driver in culture transformation is diversity! What is diversity in the work place? It includes all the differences that define us as unique individuals. Differences such as: culture, ethnicity, race, gender, nationality, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, education, experiences, opinions, and beliefs are just some of the distinctions that each of us bring to the workplace. By understanding, respecting and valuing these differences, we can capitalize on the benefits that diversity brings to the company. The entire staff within the customer assistance center have attended a diversity awareness session. Eeryone in the organisation has attended a session during there level 1 training process. The company wide roll-out was completed by the end of 1997. By valuing diversity, we will be better equiped to meet the challenges presented by global competition. This challenge seems to have been embraced by most of the employees within the organisation. We must also work together as a team to achieve and sustain a competitive advantage that will make us rise above our competition. PLAYING TO WIN That means having a playing to win versus playing not to lose attitude. when you play to win: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ you are focused on being number 1, not number 2 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ you are willing to take risks, try new things that will yield the big rewards On the other hand, people who play not to lose are: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ satisfied with being the close follower à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ focused on playing it safe à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Reliant on what you know worked before We, at Ford customer service division, are definitely playing to win! We have embraced that winning philosophy and developed the Ford corporate culture, known as winning together. Ford places a premium on sharing best practices, recognition of effort, and the setting of stretch targets. All are required to foster a winning together culture within an organization. You are joining Ford motor company at one of the most exciting times in history. As you move through your career, you will be influenced by its history, but you dont have to be constrained by it. JACK WELCH  [1]   Id like to believe we are practicing what Jack Welch, chairman of General Electric and the dynamic force behind General Electrics renewal, has been preaching. His 3 operating principles sum up what we are trying to achieve with our entire strategic change and reorganization process: STRETCH Using dreams to set business targets with no real idea of how to get there. If you know how to get there, its not a stretch target. SPEED Allowing us to shift the center of gravity of the company. only the most productive companies are going to win SHARED VALUES- Piercing the walls of 100-year-old fiefdoms and empires called finance, engineering, marketing, and gathering teams from all those functions in one room, with one shared coffee pot, one shared vision, and one consuming passion As the leaders of tomorrow, you must embrace stretch, speed and shared values. All three will be critical in our fast-paced global marketplace. I talked a great deal about change. And you will hear even more about the importance of change, embracing change and leading change as globalization progresses. Why is all of this so important? DR. GOLDSBERRY QUOTE  [2]   Because our future is not secured by what we did in the past, or even what we are doing at the presentno matter how great that was or is. We have to change strategically and continuously if we are to be a global leader. Without strategic change, we will only be able to watch our competitors achieve the goals and rewards that we seek. I challenge each of you to value our customers and think strategically, to stretch your thinking and goals, and to be proud that you are an employee of Ford motor company. 2.2 Mission Statements Fords Mission Stement Jaguars Mission Staements Which Corporate strategy is right for Jaguar Cars Limited ? There are five possible steady state (that is, non -emergency) corporate strategies. Strategic Thinkers ANSOFF, H. IGOR Russian American engineer, mathematician, military strategist and operations researcher. The model assumes that the purpose of a firm is to maximise long term profitability (return on investment) and then gives a host of checklists and charts for deriving objectives, assessing SYNERGY between different parts of the firm (functions and businesses), appraising the firms COMPETENCE profile and deciding how to expand ( how to diversify, how to assess whether entry to an industry likely to give the desired ROI, whether to acquire or go for organic growth, and how to weight alternatives taking into account a large number of highlighted factors. He stresses the need for a common thread for all a companys businesses if it is to add value to them. The ANSOFF MATRIX is definitely a useful framework for considering expansion into new areas. The ANSOFF MATRIX shown below gives 4 options for increasing sales. The Ansoff Matrix for business development 4 3 New Market 2 1 Existing Existing New Product Arrow indicates increasing risk BOX 1, selling more of existing products in existing markets, is a low risk, market share gain strategy. To be useful, this must specify how this objective is to be attained, for example by enlarging the sales force, increasing advertising or cutting price. The XK8 / XKR was the first times in over a decade Jaguar started to advertise its product range, it increased its sales force in all the markets especially in Germany and the United states. BOX 2, implies product development to sell new (or modified) products to existing customers : fine as long as the firm has a good track record of product development and provided the new product share enough costs and skills with the existing products, and do not face a very strong incumbent competitor ( see also adjacent segment). This is when Jaguar introduced the XKR the supercharged version of the XK8, the sales plan predicted sales of up to 15000 units per annum but it sold in excess of 5000 units, due to our track record and existing products sharing cost. BOX 3, takes existing products and sells them to new markets or customers. This is clearly sensible if the new markets can be cultivated at relatively little extra cost, but can be risky if a new market requires investment in fixed cost (for example, a new salesforce), if the customers have different requirements, or if there are entrenched competitors. BOX 4, new products to new markets is the highest risk strategy : the segments being entered are not adjacent to the existing business and it is almost like starting a new business from scratch. The presumptions that Box 4 strategies are inherently unsound and should only be taken either in desperation or because there is a compelling short term opportunity not being exploited by others. PORTER, MICHAEL Porter defines two kinds of competitive advantages : Low cost, or differentiation. He places a firm in the context of its industry (see PORTERS FIVE COMPETITIVE FORCES) and identifies the firms own value chain (all the ways it adds value from start to finish by activity) systematically. Porter Competitive strategy codified how to gain competitive advantage. His analysis suggests four diagnostic components of looking at any specific competitor : (1) Future Goals: what are they trying to achieve, including their ambitions in terms of market leadership and technology : (2) Assumptions : how does the competitor perceive himself, and what assumptions does he make about the industry and his competition ? (3) Current Strategy ; and (4) Opportunities : what do they think they have ? Armed with this framework, one can then construct scenarios about competitors possible reactions to any action by ones firm. Porters five competitive forces Porter was an innovator in structural analysis of markets, which previously, even with BCG (Boston Consulting Group) , tended to focus largely on direct competition in the industry, without looking systematically at the context in other stages of the industry VALUE CHAIN. Porters five forces to analyse are : Threat of potential new entrants Threat from substitutes using different technology Bargaining power of customers Bargaining power of suppliers Competition amongst existing suppliers. The interactions amongst the five forces are shown below. From this porter builds a useful model of industry attractiveness and how this might change over time, both because of objective economic changes and also because of the ambitions of the players themselves. Michael Porters Five Competitive Forces Potential New entrants Threat from new entrants Competitors in the industry Bargaining Power Suppliers Bargaining Power Customers Competition among exising companies Threat from substitutes Substitutes Jaguar History .. .. . .. .. .. . . .. . . Within the automotive industry there is a trend towards, only five six major players within this field. The customers voice is been heard and been acted upon. There has been a tread towards more customers wanting luxury vehicles and this segment is growing very fast and all projected figures show that this tread will continue. This is one of the drives behind the set up of the new Luxury vehicle team Premier automotive Group being set up by Ford and Jaguar. The premier automotive group is made up of Jaguar, Aston Martin, Volvo and Lincoln. It is envisaged that together, these four brands will ensure that Ford will progressively become a leading force in the global luxury car market. This is being headed by Dr Wolfgang Reitzle, who was previously the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at BMW. A key qualifier and undoubtedly an order winner for Jaguar is the brand image, the image of quality , wood finish and leather seats. Dr Reitzle stated we need to continue our commitment to become th e worlds leading consumer company for automotive products and services  [3]  and Jaguar, Aston Martin, Lincoln and Volvo are powerful brands and by grouping them in this way it allows us to bring a laser-like focus to these products and also allows us to preserve the diversity of these vehicles in terms of customer appeal and cultural heritage. The objective of the Premier Automotive Group will be to develop strategies to leverage and grow our premium and global brands. Driven by the statement .. to always meet or exceed the customers needs Jaguars strategy has been geared towards providing the customer with surprise and delight features. This direction is a major contributor to higher gross sales and profit. This is clearly shown in Jaguar sales as it reached 50,000 units for the first time in its history. How will this strategy affect downstream and upstream companies in the supply chain ? Jaguar strategy in terms of offering a vehicle with individual style and elegance is the way forward in the luxury market segment. A supercharged Jaguar is one vehicle that was under estimated by sales and market and the press, but as soon as it hit the market it was such a success Jaguars downstream supplier were unable to keep up with the demand. It was predicted to sale only 1500 units but it actual sold in excess of 5000 units. In order to implement this strategy greater investment is required along with training and developing the skill base, the core competence both from within the group and buying in expertise. A recent example of this has been expanding the veneer workshop and carrying out all the work in-house, were as at one stage this work was going to be out sourced for the S-type. Down stream the subcontractors reaction has been understandably negative. Jaguar and Ford only use Q1, QS9000, ISO14001 approved supplier for all its components and parts. This will no doubt result in larger price increases as supplier try and achieve there customers goals. SWOT Analysis STRENGTHS Good training / education programmes Good communication : weekly or daily feedback Broad customer base Brand image nd heritage High quality Potential for Growth internally and externally Good team work and support from other platforms or car lines WEAKNESSES Loss of customer goodwill low resale value Under resourced Information systems weak too many new electronic process that have not been fully de-bug Limited product range Delivery times gon average >90 days OPPORTUNITIES Expansion of core business Many more product lines (e.g. X400, X350 etc.) Joint customer supplier development New territory For more X-car line features or functions THREATS Mergers Premim Automative Group BMW Globalisation strategy of customers, especially customer wants and needs Shorter times from concept to market from our competitors. The SWOT analysis clearly highlights the overall position of the company in the market place. Jaguars future strategy can clearly derived from the strengths and opportunities available. Jaguars long history for providing the customers with a vehicle with an individual style, quality wood finish and leather and at a price a customer is willing to pay is defiantly a strength that will lead it to achieve or exceed it corporate strategiy for the future and meet all the future business plans (business strategies) for the next decade. The opportunities that are available to Jaguar suggest that heavy investment and process competence would allow it to focus on its customer base also allow for the provision of supplying more variety of vehicles to the customers. Although this clearly highlights w

Cable Television Essays -- Technology Media Papers

Cable Television The word technology has meant a number of different things throughout the span of time and culture. From the beginning of the stone tablet to the introduction of cyberspace there has been technology; something that has enhance our literacy and improved our detail of life and knowledge. The development of the personal computer seems to be somewhat elementary to all of use now. Technology has made its way into our homes and is continuing to make our lives interactive with those around the world. ?Before the advent of the PC, the television and satellites brought the world into the living rooms of many homes Pictures of life beyond the boundaries of one's own community or neighborhood were made accessible every night through local broadcasting and eventually cable television. Kubey and Csikszentmihalyi find that, "Today, the thing hundreds of millions of humans most have in common with one another, aside from their humanity, is television. It has become our culture’s dominant form of leisure and its most powerful means of mass communication. In four short decades it has become the primary channel for the information that we share as a nation and as a world" (24). The use of cable television is not something that seems that entirely revolutionary to us all now. It is the one thing that most Americans relax to every night and look to every morning to find out the weather for the day. It is said, "one third of waking time that is free, the single activity that clearly abs orbs the most time in modern societies is watching television (Kubey and Csikszentmihalyi 12). TARGET TECHNOLOGY : CABLE TELEVISION Description: ?This page will discuss and explore the implications of one of the greatest technologies ... ...EPRI_Journal/jan_feb97/telecom.html. MCM Telecom selects Lucent Technologies to Build Broadband Local Network in Mexico. Online. Internet. 12 Apr 1999. Available. http://wwwlucent.com/press/1098/981015.nsb.html. National Cable Television Association. Online. Internet. 12 Apr 1999. Available. http://www.ncta.com. Ragdoll. Online. Internet. 12 Apr 1999. Available. http://www.ragdoll.it/10fpen.htm. Segal, Sheryl. Telecommunications Act of 1996. 25 Sep 1998. Online. Internet. 12 Apr 1999.Available. http://www.fcc.gov/telecom.html. Schaeffer, Lee. Western Pennsylvania Television and Video Teachers Consortium. 1 Jan 1999. Online. Internet. 12 Apr 1999. Available. http://www.nb.net/~schaefer/tvt.html. Telewest and NCI Announce Plans For Interactive Cable Television. Online. Internet. 12 Apr 1999. Available. http://wwwnavio.com/news/releases/telewest.html.

Shakespeares Othello - Iago as Good Strategician and Lucky Opportunist

Iago - Good Strategician and Lucky Opportunist      Ã‚  Ã‚   Like with many evil personalities in history and literature the question is always asked did he really plan to make this happen or was it just luck and convenient circumstances, was it intentional or just circumstantial. To determine how good Iago really is at plotting and whether it is really his own influence or just lucky circumstances that cause events I will examine his asides, soliloquies and interaction with key characters because they give an extra insight into his character.    In the first scene we are thrown right into the action with the argument between Iago and Roderigo. This first argument shows us how Iago is cunning and sly because he has already manipulated a weak Roderigo into paying him for something he hasn't even done yet. Roderigo who is obviously weak and simple has asked Iago to help him woo Desdemona in exchange for money, he thinks Iago has not done this because Desdemona is now at this moment marrying the moor. Yet Iago manages to convince Roderigo of his sheer hatred for Othello and swindle him out of his money. As he later exerts in his soliloquy at the end of Act I.3   ' thus do I ever make my fool my purse' this shows his attitude to Roderigo he is just money for Iago a pawn in his plan. This attitude shows how to a certain extent Iago primes the character he will use later in his plan showing a consistent strategy, he knows he can use Roderigo in the future so keeps him on his side instead of being rude and sharp with h im. You can see that Iago finds Roderigo tedious but keeps him a friend for his money and possible use in the future.    As he goes on to speak he shows his jealousy and frustration, which ... ... still no closer to finding out. Similarly with Iago there is no doubt that he is intelligent and quick-witted and his bitterness and jealousy fuels his plans but to an extent the circumstances played as big a role as the character. Shakespeare created Iago and the circumstances because they reacted well together and made an interesting and exciting plot. So I believe it is fair to say that Iago, as a character is both a good strategician and a lucky opportunist in equal measures.    Works Consulted: Muir, Kenneth. Introduction. William Shakespeare: Othello. New York: Penguin Books, 1968. Shakespeare, William. "The Tragedy of Othello the Moor of Venice" The Norton Shakespeare. Ed. Stanley Wells & |Gary Taylor. New York/London, W.W. Norton Company,1997. 2100-2174 Wain, John. Shakespeare's Othello - A Casebook. London: MacMillan Press. 1994

Maternal Mortality in Somalia

II. Global Public Health Issue Somalia is a country that has suffered from many issues since the collapse of any sort of centralized government. The Somali people have suffered from countless diseases, poverty, conflict, environmental disasters, and constant displacement. For almost an entire generation the country has been without an effective central government, which in turn had major effects on the country’s health system. The Somali health system consists primarily of fragmented and privatized services that are insufficient and unequally distributed. The country’s public health system has very little central governance or management.Due to these factors most of the population do not have access to the most basic health services and definitely do not have access to higher level of services if needs arises. The lack of an overall adequate health system that is controlled by a centralized government has crippled the progress of reproductive health. Giving birth in Som alia is extremely dangerous and very unpredictable. Somali woman are among the highest risk women in the world with a Maternal Mortality (MMR) of 1,044-1,400 per 100,000 live births compared to a 12 per 100,000 in the United States. Even after a mother survives all these risks and delivers her baby, both mother and child continue to face constant risks. The under-five infant mortality rate is 225 per 1,000 live births2 compared to 8 per 1,000 live births in the US3, putting infants in Somalia in the highest risk category worldwide. A woman’s health and behavior during pregnancy affects the health of her unborn baby. A poor diet, certain environmental exposures, illnesses, medication, and other factors affect the baby’s development. Prenatal and antenatal care is extremely important in order to ensure the health of the baby and the mother.In Somalia only one out of every four pregnant woman gets antenatal care and for those lucky few that do, the service isn’t ev en good enough and they do not receive vital interventions. 4This missed opportunity to catch any complications that would arise contributes to the high MMR and IMR in Somalia. The lack of adequate antenatal care also increases the chances of pregnant women developing eclampsia during their pregnancy, a complication that is one of the major causes of maternal mortality in the country and could be easily prevented with a simple blood or urine test.Interestingly the amount of women that receive antenatal care differs across the region. Somaliland, a northwestern region of Somalia that has declared itself a sovereign state and enjoys a higher level of stability and governance, has the highest antenatal care coverage percentage according to the last survey done by MICS in 2006. Somaliland had 32% of its population receiving at least four antenatal visits, followed by Puntland that has 26% of antenatal care coverage. The lowest coverage in the country was recorded in the central south re gion, a pattern that is the same for most other health disparities in the country. Aside from the lack of proper antenatal care during pregnancy, traditional beliefs that are held by the Somali population affects the maternal mortality rate in the country. Most Somali mothers do not believe in prenatal health precautions, such as taking vitamins and attending checkups. They take on the motto of, â€Å"if one isn’t experiencing pain or bleeding there is no need to see a doctor until birth. The rest should be left to god†. This type of behavior greatly contributes to the high MMR. Infections due to unattended and unhygienic deliveries also contribute to the high maternal mortality rate in the country.For all the births that take place in Somalia only a mere 2% of births take place in a health care facility that is attended by skilled staff6. Most rural women do not have the resources or access to deliver in facilities with staff that are trained in child delivery. By the time they go into labor most are alone or with untrained family members and neighbors. They resort to unsafe traditional methods of delivery, using equipment that is unsanitary or harmful to the mother and child. These methods mostly result in postpartum hemorrhaging; a major cause of maternal mortality in Somalia.Also with the high number of deliveries outside of maternal facilities, the attentions that mothers would have received if complications arise are not available. Prolonged and obstructed labor leads to the death of the mother or infant, and in some cases the death of both. Aside from those mothers who do not deliver in health facilities, the few that do are not that much better off. Due to the high personal risk in Somalia aggravated by the violence, most hospital staff do not come to work in fear for their own personal safety. The health care system in the country uffers from poor healthcare workers retention, lack of medical supplies, lack of neonatal facilities, and ex treme lack of trained personnel on duty. For those mothers that do give birth at a facility most do not have access to an emergency obstetric referral care. A pregnancy complication called postpartum hemorrhaging is treated in emergency obstetric referral care. Most mothers that are suffering from this excessive bleeding only have a one to two hour window to be treated or else they die due to blood loss. Unfortunately many mothers lose their life in this timeframe in Somalia.Some other factors that also contribute to maternal mortality is a custom practiced by many Somali woman in the country. Female genital mutilation (FGM) is the process of partial or total removal of the external female genitalia for whatever purpose that is not a medically prescribed surgery. It is a painful process that many young girls go through and most experience infections and in some worse cases death. During pregnancy women that went through FGM experience complications and have to go through a de-infibu lation process in order for her to even deliver vaginally.If this process of infibulation is not done properly and the woman attempts to do it without specific precaution, the death of the baby and the mother can easily results. Many young mothers, especially those that live in rural and nomadic areas, do not have access to health care facilities that can do this procedure and they are forced to do this procedure with unsanitary equipment and methods. Moving beyond the pregnancy and birth, mothers and children that survive this risky situation, have to deal with a lot more.According to the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) that was taken in 2006 the infant mortality rate (IMR) is at 86 per 1,000 live births. A survey collected by UNICEF in 2008 calculated the under five child mortality rate (U-5MR) to be at 135 per 1,000 live births. The lack of proper supplies and vaccination contributes to infants passing away due to polio or malaria. Subsequently since most mothers do not give birth in facilities and opt to delivering at home, infants do not receive postnatal care at all, exposing them to a deadly world with no defense mechanisms.Diarrhoea, disease-related dehydration, and respiratory infections are also the highest reason for more than half of infant death. The major reason for the contraction of Diarrhoea being the lack of safe water and poor food hygiene a child experiences during pregnancy or after birth. The countries harsh weather conditions and natural disasters in Somalia also affect maternal mortality rates and infant mortality rates in the country. Harsh famines that occur leave pregnant mothers and infants extremely malnourished with no access to food, clean water, or medication.Pregnant woman sometimes have to deal with no food or water for many days while they walked in the harsh weather to the nearest shelter. This results in miscarriages and stillbirths. Infants that are born into these situations mostly die of malnutrition and disease since they have no access to food, water, or medicine. Subsequently environmental health in Somalia is extremely lacking and services are concentrated in small towns and wherever security conditions allow. After the collapse of a centralized government, public health and environmental health services became almost non-existent.Due to the lack of regulation and monitoring by a strong government, the environmental and public health situation has declined tremendously. Somaliland and Puntland seem to have at least some adequate levels of public health and environmental services, but they too are only focused on small densely populated areas. As you travel out into the rural parts of these regions, any sort of health services becomes minimal. South and Central Somalia seems to be suffering the most, with large populations going without much health care and environmental services.One of the biggest environmental risks in Somalia is access to safe drinkable water. Only 29% of the populat ion has access to safe drinking water7. In the urban areas people depend on wells that are located on private property and are dependent on the purchase of water. In the villages people and animals use the same water source, sometimes causing the water to become contaminated. The situation has been worsened with the constant and massive movement of the population from rural areas to more stable cities, cities that do not have the capacity to provide safe water for their steady population rise.To aggravate the situation even more, due to the lack of national environmental services, most Somali households live in a situation where they do not have proper means to dispose of waste and excreta. This is felt more in places where people live close to one another and have their waste near where they dwell. Due to the poor hygiene and sanitary precautions, outbreaks such as cholera between woman and children become extremely common. Lack of a garbage collection system also affects environme ntal health and contributes to water pollution.Since there is not regulation to where garbage is dumped or any garbage collection system, it is normal to see trash everywhere. Whether it is the streets, inside buildings, or even in bodies of water, it is not uncommon to see garbage lying around. The smell that neglected garbage emits and the health risk it brings, not to mention the unsafe animals it attracts, is something that the population is left to deal with. III. Public Health Impact and Policy Reducing maternal mortality rates in Somalia has had a global affect on the public health world. Many campaigns were launched in order to reduce this staggering high MMR in the country.Whether big or small, each campaign primarily focuses on ways to support the pregnant women during pregnancy and transition her and her newborn into the world. One of the larger and more global campaigns Somalia is a part of is the launch of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). At a sit down that occu rred at the end of he 20th century, governments from across the world came up with a set of goals for all developing countries known as the MDGs. These goals, which would be completed by the year 2015, would help cut world poverty in half, improve health standards across the world, and save millions of lives.The MDGs are time sensitive and have a set and pre-determined outcome. With connection to the MDGs pertaining to Somalia’s maternal issues, MDG1, 2,3,and 7 are closely related to reproductive health. While some progress has been made with some of the goals, most of the goals pertaining to maternal and infant health have seen little to no progress thus far. Somalia has shown a commitment to achieve all the MDGs, and has submitted the first report this year on the status of the MDGs since the campaign was launched.Although it is recognized that the progress reached is not as high as expected, with a country like Somalia that is extremely suffering in all categories, any pro gress is welcomed. In order to fully reach all the goals set by the MDGs, a commitment by the government to create a strong national health system with strong policies that will lead stakeholders in providing quality services is needed. Globally the MDGs pertaining to maternal health are showing a positive result. According to a report produced by the United Nations, the number of woman dying during pregnancy or childbirth has halved in the twenty years this program was launched.The report they submitted, called Trends in Maternal Mortality: 1990 to 2010, show that between 1990 and 2010 the number of maternal deaths decline 47% annually. Even though progress has been made, many countries that are mostly in sub-Saharan Africa will not make the MDG goal of minimizing maternal death by 75% at the end of 2015. Thirty-six of the forty countries that have the highest maternal death rate are in sub-Saharan Africa. Ten countries have already reached the MDG goal of 75% reduction in maternal mortality. Those countries are Belarus, Bhutan, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Iran, Lithuania, Maldives, Nepal, Romania, and Viet Nam. Recently in 2010 at a UN Leaders Summit for the Millennium Development Goals, a Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health was launched with a total of US 40 billion for funding. The MDGs that are at target are MDGs 4 & 5; those that are aimed to reduce child mortality and improve maternal health. In Somalia the National Reproductive Health Strategy is aimed to reach the highest possible reproductive health for Somalis and reduce the amount of women and children that die from easily preventable diseases and complications. With just three years left till 2015, initiatives have to intensify in order to reach satisfactory progress.Malaysia and Sri Lanka are an example of successful implementation of the policies set by the MDGs. Both countries have succeeded in reducing maternal mortality to levels that are comparable to industrial c ountries. In Sri Lanka female literacy was expanded and with Malaysia’s strong economic performance, both succeeded in a steady decline of their MMR. All it took from them was a steady and modest investment in poverty reduction, providing maternal health services that were accessible, and improving access to quality emergency obstetric care. Both countries took step to remove inancial obstacles that pregnant woman face in order to receive maternal care. Both countries success was also aided with their increased skilled birth attendants that were vigorously trained in the art of child delivery. The more accessible skilled birth attendants and emergency obstetric care that a country has, the more chances for pregnant woman to have successful deliveries. Culture can either take on a role of aiding or impeding the implementation of public health practices. In the case of Somalia, the widespread practice of FGM in the past has caused great harms to public health practices.The repe rcussion FGM has caused to woman health is immeasurable. Even though FGM is so deeply woven into the Somali culture and has been practiced almost since the establishment of the Somali people, Somali woman have been working hard to eradicate it as early as 1977. The Somali Women’s Democratic Organization (SWDO) was formed in 1977, to become the implementation agency for the eradication of FGM. In 1988 a campaign was launched to eliminate the practice of FGM under the premise that it was unhealthy and completely unreligious.Shortly after a research center was opened solely to focus on the harmful affects of FGM and ways to eradicate this practice. Unfortunately, the fall of Siad Barre’s regime and the countries collapse in 1991 halted all progress made. Since 1996 UNICEF in Somalia funded series of awareness seminars attended by women organizations, religious leaders, government officials, and health professionals. In 1997, Somaliland’s government with the help of UNICEF organized a national seminar on FGM and established committee to develop policies in order to eliminate this practice.UNICEF also sponsored workshops in Mogadishu, Galgaddud, and Mudug regions in 1999-2000. Religious leaders have also been doing their own work informing the public that FGM is not a religious practice and is in fact prohibited by Islam. On November 1999, the Parliament of the Puntland administration approved legislation making the practice of FGM completely illegal. Since then there is no real evidence that this law is being enforced 9. Through many campaigns and initiative people across Somalia are actively talking about the discontinuation of FGM. More and more women are joining he fight against this practice, a feat that in of itself is huge. Talking about this topic publicly was a taboo for such a long time, and it is a huge progress for people to just be talking about it. Changes are gradually being seen in the Somali community. Recently, with the collab oration of an NGO called TOSTAN, UNICEF, and Somali community leaders, an awareness programme was launched in Somalia. This programme is aimed to create community awareness around many issues including FGM. So far a total of eighty-four communities already have been engaged and of those eighty-four, twenty-eight have declared abandonment of FGM10.IV. Costs: Economic and Societal â€Å"There is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women. † This quote was said by the former General Secretary of the United Nations, Kofi Annan. In this simple sentence Kofi Annan explained the importance of women in our society. Women play a key role in improving the health, education, and economic productivities of their families and communities. Yet strangely, even though the health of woman is so essential to the wellbeing our society, they are the poorest and most vulnerable people in the world. out of every 10 women dies in childbirth. All public health professionals and frankly everyone around the world should be very concerned about maternal mortality. When a mother dies she most likely leaves behind children. Those children become neglected because it is the mother who really takes care of the kids, ensures they are fed, well educated, and medically well. If those children lose their mother they either pass away themselves, or become unfit members of their community. A child that could have become a positive asset to his or her community is now part of the chain of poverty.Keeping mothers alive is essential part of helping end the chain of poverty. Most mothers that die during pregnancy or childbirth die due to an easily preventable disease or complication. In the case of Somalia where maternal mortality rate is at an all time high, most complications could have been easily preventable. Mothers face economic hardship, no access to healthcare services, and face harsh environmental risks. Also due to the lack of stability and a strong central government that has equally strong public health policies and procedures, their chances of survival while pregnant or giving birth is very slim.Major stakeholders on this public health issue in Somalia are: private sectors, NGOs, United Nations, Ministry of Health of Somalia, and Regional Ministry of Health in Puntland and Somaliland. Unfortunately, the Ministry of Health of Somalia has no real power due to lack of financing and resources. Its regional counterparts (Somaliland & Puntland) may fare a little better by they too have no major resources. That leaves this issue to heavily depend on private sector and Non Governmental Organizations. Groups such as UNICEF and WHO have launched many great campaigns, but the greatest challenge they face is in security.Due to the threat posed by Al-Shabaab and its terroristic activities, aid worker’s lives are at a constant risk when performing within the country. This forces these organizations to either work outside the country or wai t until conditions become more favorable. Working outside the country entails using local leaders an workers to implement projects, and due to the chaos in governance, corruption is inevitable. V. Proposed Resolutions In order to reduce MMR in Somalia there has to be many steps taken.Somalia must first develop and maintain a strong healthcare system that supports maternal health. There must be universal access to antenatal and prenatal care by every pregnant woman, with consistent checkups. These facilities should also be created in rural and urban areas where there is little to none in order to ensure the health of pregnant woman in those areas. Abundant supply of Trained Birthing Attendants need to be established that are skilled and have gone through training in safe and sanity birthing, and are equipped with all the supplies they need to carry out this procedure.Emergency Obstetric Referral Care must be developed and made accessible. Programme in family planning, use of contrace ptives, and reproductive health should be developed for woman and families to go through. Policies should be implemented for families that cannot afford maternal care, through free services or vouchers. Vaccinations and other preventatives measure must be taken during and after pregnancy to ensure the health of both mother and child. Campaign to eliminate cultural practices that bring harm to mothers must be created and advanced.Sexual health education programme should be provided to young girls in order to prevent young pregnancies. Somalia is a war torn country with little no to none stable governmental structure, and lacking in a strong health care system. All proposed solutions require a functioning government to implement and monitor these solutions. Until Somalia can develop this, it will be extremely hard to lower the maternal mortality rate. 1 http://www. unicef. org/somalia/health_53. html 2 http://www. unicef. org/infobycountry/somalia_865. html 3 http://www. unicef. rg/in fobycountry/usa_statistics. html 4 http://www. unicef. org/somalia/SOM_ReproductiveHealthReport-WEB. pdf 5 http://www. childinfo. org/mics/mics3/archives/somalia/survey0/outputInformation/reports. html 6 http://ethnomed. org/clinical/mother-and-infant-care/perinatal-profile-for-patients-from-somalia 7 http://intersos. org/en/countries/africa/somalia/somalia? page=1 8 http://www. un. org/apps/news/story. asp? NewsID=42013&Cr=maternal&Cr1= 9 http://www. asylumlaw. org/docs/somalia/usdos01_fgm_Somalia. pdf 10 http://www. unicef. org/somalia/reallives_7723. html