How Farmers Are Involved in Agricultural Extension Programme Planning in Ondo State Adp Essay

HOW FARMERS ARE INVOLVED IN AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION PROGRAMME PLANNING IN ONDO STATE ADP. The Agricultural Development Projects (ADPs) were first launched as viable projects in 1972 only two years after the end of civil war, when Nigeria was facing its first food and fibre shock. It started in Northern Nigerian towns of Gombe and Gusau with two pilot projects assisted by the World Bank. The projects were to be funded under a tripartite agreement involving World Bank 66%, Federal government 20% and State government 14% in addition to payments of salaries of local staff. The two main objectives of the ADPs were to increase food production, and to raise the income of small-scale farmers. The ondo state ADP was created after the success of the three (3) pilot projects in 1975 covering an LGA in 3 States. The success of the pilot schemes lead to expansion to other LGAs and States (Ondo state inclusive) in the late 70s and by 1989, all the states of the Federation were implementing the integrated approach. The Ondo state ADP is the implementation organ of the state ministry of agriculture. Ondo State Agricultural Development Project (ODSADEP) is an institution structurally divided into two Zones, four sub-Zones, and eighteen Blocks/LGAs containing 162 cells/circles. The achievable number of farm families (FF) stood at 180,000 with EA: FF ratio of 1:1782.(ODSADEP, 2012) I. ADP ZONES: ZONE I (Northern part – covers 8 Local Governments) ZONE II (Southern part – covers 10 Local Governments) The order of hierrachy in the ODSADEP starts with The Project Manager of ADP, Mr Idowu Olabode,followed by Directors of each department, Deputy Directors, Zonal Extension officers,Area Zonal Extension Officers,Zonal WIA, Block extension supervisor, Block extension Agents, Extension agents, Radio/TV officers, audio visual technican, photographer, etc. SOME OF THE EXTENSION TRAINING PROGRAMMES CARRIED OUT BY THE ODSADEP IN THE YEAR 2012. Title | Organizers| Categories ofTrainees| Date| No. ofTrainees| Collaborators| Orientation/Review Training on FFS| ADP| Extension staffs| 23rd-24thApril, 2012| 27| FGN & AfDB| Training of Farmers ledfacilitators on FFS| ADP| Farmers | 18th-19thJuly, 2012| 34| FGN & AfDB| NPFS Women Training| ADP| Women farmers| 21st-24thAug., 2012| 268| FGN & AfDB| Sensitization of WomenFarmers Group on integratedfarming.| ADP| Womenfarmers| 26th Apr-24thMay, 2012| 1,602|Â  Ondo State Government| Demand Driven CourseTraining (NPFS)| ADP| Farmers | 14th-26thJune, 2012 | 201| FGN & AfDB| Establishment andManagement of HomeGarden Training (NPFS)| ADP| Farmers | 17th-27thJuly, 2012| 186| FGN & AfDB| (source: OSADEP, 2012) ILLUSTRATION OF HOW A SUCCESSFUL AGRIC EXTENSION PROGRAMME PLANNING IS CARRIED BY ODSADEP FOR FARMERS PROGRAMME: Farmers Training on Food Security in Bolorunduro in Ondo West Local Government Area. Writing and implementing an extension program requires planning. Extension program planning involves a process of selecting the best course of action to accomplish an objective. It deals with an individual extension worker’s decision. The precise patterns vary considerably as situations differ from one another, however, the following steps in planning should be taken into consideration: Collection of facts: . This includes facts about the village people of Bolorunduro in Ondo West Local Government Area, Ondo State. Their physical conditions, existing farm & home practices, trends & outlook. Besides, other facts about their customs, traditions, rural institutions, peoples’ organisations operating in the area, etc. should be collected. 2. Analysis of the situation – After collecting facts, they are analysed & interpreted to find out the problems & needs of the people. 3. Identification of problems- As a result of the analysis of facts the important gaps between ‘what is’ & ‘what should be’ are identified & the problems leading to such a situation are located. These gaps represent the people’s needs which is food insecurity. 4. Determination of objectives- the aim of the training was to train farmers’ groups on how to utilise the knowledge and skills which they will acquire during the training in efforts to achieve food security. to train farmers in all aspects of farming and food production, farm management and to keep the farmers’ groups alive to enable them to have some joint benefits in the project. 5. Developing the plan of work – the calendar of activities is developed Operation| Teaching objective| Teaching methods| Time table| Staff to do the job| Training on food security| 1. to train farmers in all aspects of farming and food production, farm management andto keep the farmers’ groups alive |Â  LectureVisual aids| 12th-15th April, 2012| Extension agents| 6. Execution of the plan of work – arrangement for supplying the necessary inputs, teaching aids, extension literature etc. Was being made available & the specific action was initiated. 7. Evaluation – here, measurement of the degree of success of the programme in terms of the objectives & goals are set forth. This is basically done to determine the changes in the behaviour of the people as a result of the extension programme. The evaluation is done not only of the physical achievements but also of the methods & techniques used & of the other steps in the programme-planning process, so that the strong & weak points may be identified & necessary changes made. 8. Reconsideration – The systematic & periodic evaluation of the programme will reveal the weak & strong points of the programme. Based on these points the programme is reconsidered & the necessary adjustments & changes are made in order to make it more meaningful & sound. References Ondo State Agricultural Development Programme (2012): ondo state agricultural development programme Akure, national agricultural extension review and planning Meeting report for year 2012

Human Resource Development Essay

HRD is any process or activity that either initially or over the longer term has the potential to develop adults work based knowledge, expertise, productivity and satisfaction, whether for personal or group team gains or for the benefit of an organization community , nation ultimately the whole community†. HRD beliefs:- 1- People can do better and do wonders. 2- Involve them, trust them and treat them as resource or assets. 3- Fours on strengths of people and help them overcome their weakness. 4- Integrate individual’s needs & aspiration to organization Objectives of HRD:- 1- Develop high motivation level – To strengthen superior-subordinate relationship 3- To develop a sense of team spirit, team work & inter team collaboration. 4- To develop the original health, culture & climate. 5- To generate systematic info about HR 6- To increase the capabilities of an organization to recruit, select, retain and motivate talented employees. 7- To develop construc tive mind in employees. 8- To generate info about HR for manpower planning, placement, successive planning and like. Author – Meera Sharma SCOPE: The field of HRD or Human Resource Development encompasses several aspects of enabling and empowering human resources in organization. Whereas earlier HRD was denoted as managing people in organizations with emphasis on payroll, training and other functions that were designed to keep employees happy, the current line of management thought focuses on empowering and enabling them to become employees capable of fulfilling their aspirations and actualizing their potential. This shift in the way human resources are treated has come about due to the prevailing notion that human resources are sources of competitive advantage and not merely employees fulfilling their job responsibilities. The point here is that the current paradigm in HRD treats employees as value creators and assets based on the RBV or the Resource Based View of the firm that has emerged in the SHRM (Strategic Human Resource Management) field. The field of HRD spans several functions across the organization starting with employee recruitment and training, appraisals and payroll and extending to the recreational and motivational aspects of employee development. The main functions of HRD are:- 1. Training and development Training and development is aimed at improving or changing the knowledge skills and attitudes of the employees. While training involves providing the knowledge and skills required for doing a particular job to the employees, developmental activities focus on preparing the employees for future job responsibilities by increasing the capabilities of an employee which also helps him perform his present job in a better way. These activities start when an employee joins an organization in the form of orientation and skills training. After the employee becomes proficient, the HR activities focus on the development of the employee through methods like coaching and counseling. 2 Organization development OD is the process of increasing the effectiveness of an organization along with the well being of its members with the help of planned interventions that use the concepts of behavioral science. Both micro and macro changes are implemented to achieve organization development. While the macro changes are intended to improve the overall effectiveness of the organization the micro changes are aimed at individuals of small groups. Employee involvement programmes requiring fundamental changes in work expectation, reporting, procedures and reward systems are aimed at improving the effectiveness of the organization. The human resource development professional involved in the organization development intervention acts as an agent of change. He often consults and advising the line manager in strategies that can be adopted to implement the required changes and sometimes becomes directly involve in implementing these strategies. 3. Career development It is a continuous process in which an individual progresses through different stages of career each having a relatively unique set of issues and tasks. Career development comprises of two distinct processes. Career Planning and career management. Whereas career planning involves activities to be performed by the employee, often with the help of counselor and others, to assess his capabilities and skills in order to frame realistic career plan. Career management involves the necessary steps that need to be taken to achieve that plan. Career management generally focus more on the steps that an organization that can take to foster the career development of the employees.

Jesus as the Founder of Christianity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Jesus as the Founder of Christianity - Essay Example In their work, there is a clear indication on the basics of Christianity, thus making it easier for students and scholars studying theology have a justified ground to base their arguments. From Sinclair & Bowman’s (2006), work, it is evident the stand they take in regard to the foundation of Christianity. Their values conform to those of other scholars and analysts who believe that the Bible is the basis of Christianity, and Jesus take the upper hand. Just like indicated in the Holy book, Sinclair & Bowman (2006), indicate that the good news has come to the human race and will be continue to prevail in order to guide Christians on the right path in life. From this indication, therefore, it is evident that the Bible indicates that Jesus is the root of Christianity through His messages to the human race. From the view that Jesus died for the sins of human kind, it is apparent how much He had and still has love for the human race. Apart from that, we are justified to argue that J esus Christ existed in the world before and from his existence, Christianity found its way into the lives of human kind. The word ‘Christians’ emanate from ‘Christ’ to mean followers of Jesus. This is the more reason why Jesus Christ is referred to as the founder of Christianity. ... 1.1. Body 1.1.1. An analysis of textual sources In an attempt to understand the foundation of Christianity, the Holy Bible cannot be alienated from the picture. As discussed earlier, the Bible is the blue print and reference to Christianity, and in this study, therefore, constant reference has to be made to the book. Sinclair & Bowman (2006), undertake a study of the Bible in an attempt to prove the view that indeed Christianity has its basis on the Bible. Sinclair & Bowman (2006) indicate that the Bible consists of both the Old and New Testaments that relate to the foundations of Christianity on Jesus. They seek to emphasize on the New Testament’s view on Christianity for its rich ideas on the theme. The books of Matthew, Luke, Mark and John emphasize on Jesus’ life while on earth. It is from these books that Christians borrow the aspect of a good life based on Christian virtues from the example of Jesus. It is justified to argue that the Bible leads to many Christians base their belief in Jesus as the founder of Christianity from the readings. It is these texts that parables are explained in broad detail. Jesus plays the role of a servant that was sent by God to save the human race. Jesus is seen more of a servant to the people that the king. According to the Christian values, humility is one of the virtues that all people must embrace. In line with this context, Jesus may be regarded as the founder of Christianity from the example that He set on the human race. In fact, studies indicate that it is from His mission on earth that many people learnt to emulate good virtues from him. Were it, not from Jesus’ mission on earth, Christianity would not have a strong foundation that it has today. At that

Tort. Causation and remoteness of damage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Tort. Causation and remoteness of damage - Essay Example The concept appears simple, but proving the chain of causation between the violation of a duty by the defendant and the resulting injury upon the claimant’s person or property can sometimes be extremely hard. Nonetheless, the fundamental test is to establish whether the harm would have taken happened without the defendant’s violation of the responsibility owed to the aggrieved party. This paper examines causation and remoteness as the primary tests for proving negligence claims. Negligence claims for tort have become increasingly common in modern societies because they safeguard the interests of parties and prevent personal injury upon other persons (Abraham, 2013). In such cases, if the negligent acts of an accused party are found to have attracted other material costs to the claimant, then the former party can be liable for the additional costs of harm as well. According to Stauch (2001), Asbestos negligence proceedings which have been instituted for many decades are based upon the concept of causation. The claims are normally interwoven with the ordinary concept of an individual or party causing injury to others through soared insurance bills, medical, or operational costs among other compensable claims. With hefty compensations for such injuries seemingly secondary losses, some defendants have been severely affected by the negative economic impacts.

Drug Behavior and Blood Brain Barrier Permeability Essay

Drug Behavior and Blood Brain Barrier Permeability - Essay Example Adolescent's innovation and curiosity can be transformed in dependence and addiction. Substance abuse is a maladaptive pattern leading to clinically significant impairment or distress. Several illicit substances produce dependence, defined as substance abuse that leads to loss of control, monopolization of time by substance use, and adverse medical, social, or emotional consequences that include tolerance and withdrawal (Gonzalez-Mayo, et al., 2005). There is a continued use in spite of knowing the problems that it causes. The mesolimbic dopamine system, particularly the nucleus accumbens, is a critical reinforcing site for drug addiction; this same pathway is believed to control drug craving and seeking behavior. It was recently proposed that addiction is a disease of learning and memory; classical conditioning describes learning in which a natural response is elicited by a conditioned, or learned, stimulus that previously was presented in conjunction with an unconditioned stimulus. Some evidence suggests that the mechanisms involved in the acute stimulant effects of cocaine and other illicit psychostimulants may be similar to the underlying features that explain chronic effects and addiction. The studies conducted in mice have allowed researchers to disclose important data regarding addiction pathways and neurotransmitter input. In humans, cocaine acute intoxication ca... On the other hand, ethanol intoxication causes disinhibition, emotional lability, slurred speech, ataxia, coma, and blackouts. Nicotine is one of the most addictive substances, and causes restlessness, insomnia, anxiety, and arrhythmias. Boudreau & Wolf (2005) define sensitization as "the augmentation of behavioral responses to drugs of abuse that occurs during their repeated administration and persists long after drug exposure is discontinued". The study conducted by Bainton, et al. is based on behavioral sensitization and the similarities between the addiction pathways of mammals and flies. By analyzing genetic features of Drosophila, the authors show that the behavioral defects observed in the mutant strains are not caused by accessibility changes of the administered drugs, but from alterations in the blood brain barrier, by means of changes in nervous system function. The Experimental Fly Since 1900, Drosophila flies have been used for genetic experiments. The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is highly accessible to genetic analyses, and has been introduced as a novel model organism to help interpret the complex foundation of drug-induced behaviors (Heberlein, 2008). In this study, flies were maintained on special agars and mutants where screened for drug sensitivity. First, researchers evaluated several fly strains that carried a mutation named EP1529, and found an increased sensitivity to both cocaine and nicotine exposures; excision of the mutation restored drug sensitivity in these flies. Additionally, the altered gene was identified as moody, which encode for a G protein-coupled receptor. In both larvae and adult flies,

Wal-Mart goes smaller Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Wal-Mart goes smaller - Essay Example Well there will be some complaints from small business owners in those towns, but they do not have the same financial might as big corporations. Bigger cities are unafraid at what a Walmart store may bring to the local market. Finally, I also think that some people in the cities are put off by Walmart because they see it as a corporate giant that does not have the best interests of the local citizens at heart. This longstanding reputation has hurt the brand image of Walmart and made city people more aware of what the company can bring to the big smoke. 2) One of the main criticisms of Walmart entering the cities was that the stores were too big for zoning requirements. In order to meet this objective, Walmart executives allowed these urban stores to be no more than 8,000 square feet. This is a huge change for Walmart because the company has been so successful with large stores of more than 42,000 square feet. It says a lot that the company was willing to change its strategy so much in order to be allowed to open stores in the big cities. It is good that Walmart has compromised and find a way to meet zoning requirements. Walmart has also changed its range of products, with customers in the big cities only able to pick up groceries from the store. All other products can be ordered online and then picked up. 3) From an operations management point of view, Walmart will not be able to use economies of scale to its advantage. Because of the limited space available in store, Walmart will have to only keep a select few products on display. This can lead to slow response times and slow down the supply chain completely. Walmart has been successful for so long due to its efficient supply chain, and by giving that away the company may lose ground to some of its competitors. The consumer will be impacted by these changes greatly. Because of the smaller amount of stock available, as well as the fact that

Observation Report On Special Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Observation Report On Special Education - Essay Example This essay covers on actual status of a special education environment. It extrapolates on observations made during learning hours within a special needs school. In order to ascertain functionality of theoretical concepts in practical settings, we will relate attributes learned in class with those observed in the field. These will include a description of physical elements of the environment, evaluation on teaching strategies employed by teachers, understanding of daily routine within the school and finally a personal reflection based on observations made within the practical context. Description of Classroom Setting The classroom is located at ground floor level together with the mainstream building, with a specially designed exit and entry doors for wheelchairs. Inside the building, I realized that it was a self-contained room with the washroom situated at the back of the room. With a population of thirteen students, one teacher and two aid workers were ready to address any kind of need required by each student. At all times, the two aids Mrs. Francisco and Mrs. Adams arrive in class on time, actually by 11 AM. The teacher, Mr. Molesan, is tasked with delivering class content to the students, who belonged to 5th and 6th grade. On the other hand, Mrs. Francisco and Mrs. Adams assist the challenged students in pushing their wheel chairs or in managing any difficulty related to their disabilities. In order to minimize disruption and inconvenience created by movements, the students are only pulled out of the classroom when necessary, for example during lunch break. Inside the class are seven learning centers each located at strategic positions. With these centers, students can conveniently move from the computers section to the arts and craft center. All the 13 students in the class have various forms of disabilities which include communication impairment, auditory impairment, mild physical challenges and a few with multiple disabilities. Based on the appearance of the classroom setting, I would say that the school has been successful in achieving the underlying objective of delivering special education. According to Smith and Tyler (2010), locating the classroom together with the mainstream building enhances inclusiveness, thus fostering a sense of acceptance among the handicapped students. In addition, locating different learning centers within a single classroom serves as an indication that teachers are committed towards enhancing learning through special approaches. As if those provisions were not enough, timely availability of the two aid workers indicates commitment towards efficiency in assisting learners with special needs. Physical Environment It is undeniable that learners with special needs require a supportive environment that will increase convenience during learning. Based on my observations, such supportive attributes were installed in various parts of the room. Students using wheelchairs were not required to use staircases but enjoyed gently sloping wheelchair case. Additionally, another physical attribute of the class involved vastness of the working space. A class which on normal occasion could accommodate 40 students only had 13 students. According to Boyle (2009), this enables creation of enough space which would allow special maneuvering of physically handicapped members of the class. Students were

Law - Responsibility to Protect Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Law - Responsibility to Protect - Essay Example During this occasion, all member states agreed to be held accountable for crimes against humanity such as mass killings, genocide, and ethnic cleansing. The principle of R2P is anchored on the responsibility of the state to protect its population from large-scale man-made atrocities. When the state is either incapable of or unwilling to fulfil this obligation, then the responsibility passes to the international community. The latter should first explore diplomatic persuasion and other similarly peaceful avenues to avert or arrest the catastrophe. Should these means fail, then the use of coercive force is justified in order to intervene in the interest of the oppressed population (America, 2009). Since the launching of R2P, there have been instances where countries were clearly remiss in the observance of this accountability. There had been mass killings and other widespread violation of human rights, which in turn led to a decimation of a large number of the population in Bosnia, Cam bodia, Darfur, Kosovo, and in the eastern portion of the Democratic Republic of Congo (America, 2009). There have likewise been fresh initiatives in the implementation of R2P. In January 2009, the Global Civil Society Coalition on the Responsibility to Protect was launched. ... Human Rights (UDHR), which was adopted and proclaimed on December 10, 1948 by the UN General Assembly, is the founding document of the international law of human rights (Renee Cronin-Furman, 2010); the UDHR is in turn founded on the principle that â€Å"the protection of human rights knows no international boundaries† (Buergenthal, 1997:704), and therefore an obligation exists for any and all members of the international community to ascertain that governments guarantee their protection over their people. A conceptual conflict exists between the doctrine of state sovereignty and non-intervention and the doctrine of human intervention. Classical political realism stresses the dominance of the sovereign state as the principal actor by which rights are created and given effect, and human relationships regulated. Humanitarian intervention, on the other hand, is a relatively new concept, a product of normative discourse because it infuses values into the appreciation of the human c ondition, and espouses certain norms held to be morally right over that which is morally wrong. The doctrine of state sovereignty is firmly embodied as policy in the UN Charter; in contrast, the Charter made no mention of the right of humanitarian intervention in any of its provisions, although humanitarian intervention likewise poses a challenge to state sovereignty. However, despite the lack of any explicit acknowledgement of the doctrine, the Security Council had always incorporated the implicit right to intervene, even with the use of military force, for humanitarian reasons in its decision-making, such as the resolutions it adopted in the case of Korea in 1950 and the Congo in 1962. The rationale of the concept is well elucidated by Thakur (2003) when he wrote: â€Å"Intervention for human

How the Depiction of Hindu Women in the Holy Vedas affects Societys Essay

How the Depiction of Hindu Women in the Holy Vedas affects Societys View of Them - Essay Example The above statement is probably tied to the depiction in the Hindu Holy Scriptures as dependents on men and beasts of burden. Both Abdul Khasem and Col Gurnam Singh have written articles pointing out some parts of Hindu scriptures that disparage women. Moreover, they appear to have different motives for writing these articles. Col Gurnam Singh writes seeks to provide actual proof from the Vedas on how Indian women were exposed to cultural, social, and economic problems right from the Vedic age and down through the centuries. Abdul Khasem, however, seeks to address Hindu fundamentalists and show that Islam is not the only religion that has reason to draw concerns over its depiction of women and their role in society. THEMES AND CONFLICTS IN BOTH ARTICLES Singh first addresses common issues that are mostly experienced by women in Hindu society such as female infanticide, sati, dowry burning, and other types of social suppressions. Singh contends that when such disturbing incidences, wh ich the Indian government keeps alleging have been wiped out, keep taking place, it is not because of the excuses commonly offered by Indian politicians. According to Singh, in the recent past, every excuse from corruption, social degeneration, and even ‘evil’ influence by Muslim and Christian factors has been used to explain why women are often mistreated in shocking ways within Hindu society. Singh then moves on to describe special sects such as â€Å"the Digambara  sect of Jainism and its deeply held belief that no woman can enter into a state of Moksha- which essentially describes a type of ‘oneness’ with god† (Singh). Singh further uses the words of revered Hindu saints such as Sankra Deva, who allegedly lived in the fourteenth century and was recognized as a Hindu saint, Yogi Gorakh Nath, and Sant Tulsidas to depict how misogyny is actually an accepted part of the Hindu religion. These three Hindu holy men all disparaged womankind and made sl anderous statements about the role of women in the degeneration of humankind as a whole. The theme of Abdul Khasem’s article is also based on the disparagement of womanhood in the Hindu scriptures; moreover, Khasem uses actual verses from the Vedas to prove is claims. Whereas Singh addresses the issue of the Hindu religion’s belief that women have filthy souls and so can actually contaminate men and cause them to lose their focus on the path to righteousness, Khasem addresses how through the discussion of practices such as sati, the unintelligent nature of women, and unnatural acts of bestiality forced upon female figures in the Vedas, the supposedly holy Hindu scriptures appear to want to inspire in the reader a feeling a kin to revulsion at the existence of all women. Khasem also addresses the fact that Indian gods (such as Indra) have asserted â€Å"that woman has very little intelligence† (Khasem). Such statements, naturally, will be used to consign women to drudgery with the excuse that they would cause unnecessary problems if they were allowed to exercise their minds in performing more intelligent tasks. In Hindu society, motherhood is the most glorified status a woman can aspire to, according to the Veda. In modern society, most Hindu women, particularly successful business women or women who have careers outside the home, appear to be uncomfortable about challenging this belief. It is not uncommon for women to become mothers and resign from high paying jobs at the peaks of their careers. In spite of the fact that such women claim to be modernized, they are uncomfortable about speaking on the choice to resign from lucrative positions to be stay at home mothers. This is an indication that they have been indoctrinated to accept the belief that if they cannot be mothers and the primary

Contemporary HRM perspective Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Contemporary HRM perspective - Essay Example I am focusing on management’s role in initiating a change through communication. I will also identify issues faced by employees during change, which can be minimized, and in some cases be eradicated by connecting with employees by creating business intimacies and interpersonal relationships (Paton, 2008). Theoretical Overview I found an article, ‘Strategically Communicating Organizational Change’ by Phillip G. Clampitt and Laurey R. Berk, very interesting and informative. In this article, we get to know how a change can be initiated through communication by a series of plan; Contextual Analysis which identifies reasons for change, Audience Analysis on how employees perceive these changes, and Strategies and tactics to be used by managers in order to introduce a change in an organization (Clampitt & Berk, 1996). In this article, I learnt how important it is that we empower our workforce through effective communication, but I believe the role of Human Resource Depar tment is essential in every organizational setting to determine these communication gaps. The main role of Human Resource Department is to manage the manpower in the organization. ... While going through various studies I have come to notice that, if these employees are showing resistance to change then it will affect the working procedures of the organization and also have a negative influence on meeting their targets or goals. There can be many reasons for this ambivalent attitude. They maybe short of understanding the need for change; they might believe that change could violate organizational goal or working procedures. There could be a lack of trust that change would benefit the individual or organization. This may be due to the fact that most of managers are not very focused on the employee’s reaction towards a change (Burke, 2011). Hence, these fears need to be confronted to the management (Bell & Smith, 2010). Analysis of discussion from experience It is a truth that most organizations only work for their own interests without taking consideration of the behaviors of employees or taking their input or ideas into initiating a change. I believe manage rs should listen to employee grievances. The management needs to be communicative with their employees, especially if any change has to be implemented so that the ambivalent attitudes can be minimized and both parties can work together for better results (Paton, 2008). Even though, while initiating a change, a ground work needs to be done like determining the reasons of the change, the impact of it and other theoretical frameworks that determine a reaction to change but, for me, the most important aspect is being directly involved with the individuals, building a strategy through which both, the management and the employee can attain their maximum potential (Clampitt & Berk,

Facilitating the Project Lifecycle the Skills & Tools to Accelerate Progress for Project Managers, Facilitators, and Six Sigma Project Teams Essay Example for Free

Facilitating the Project Lifecycle the Skills Tools to Accelerate Progress for Project Managers, Facilitators, and Six Sigma Project Teams Essay One of the most important aspects to put into consideration when taking up a project is project risk management. A project risk is an event / condition, which is uncertain that, upon it occurrence brings either a positive or a negative impact on the project. A positive manager should consider this as one of the ten knowledge areas where competence is highly regarded. Risk management is critical, especially to organizations working I multi-project environments and the maturity for risk is high. A wide range of risks is apparent when working in projects involving construction among other engineering work. These risks are mostly attributed to government policy, diversity in stakeholders’ aspirations and the challenges of adding multiple projects. For a good risk management process, there must be a clear statement and understanding of roles and responsibilities, proper skills on technical analysis and the prevailing organizational factors should support the project. Project risk management involves identifying, assessing and prioritizing of risks: and thereafter putting resources to use in order to reduce, monitor and control those risks that could affect the project negatively and increase realizing of opportunities. This report seeks to outline the knowledge acquired on management of risk in projects. Discussion               All organizations exist for their own different purposes, and that of public engineering organizations in the construction business, the purpose is to deliver a service, which brings a beneficial result in the public/ stakeholders interest. Decisions to pump resources into investments on capital infrastructure are prompted by needs that are meant to enhance the achievement of the major purpose. According to Flanagan and Norman (1993), the benefits of efficient risk management are evident especially in projects involving capital infrastructure because they are dynamic in nature and bring positive cost implications from the construction related decisions. Risk management should be taken as an intrinsic part of capital infrastructure investment decisions mainly because, as project ventures get more elaborate, the role of risk management is exemplified. In regard to this realization, some countries have enacted government policies on constructors emphasizing on th e need to incorporate risk management in capital infrastructure schemes. Risk is therefore, in many occasions, viewed as a condition or event whose occurrence will have adverse effects on the project and may hinder the attainment of set objectives. Hence, risk management relates decisions to such probable harmful effects.                  This philosophical approach to risk management enables the process to be broken down into four fundamental sub-processes. These involve identification, analysis, response and monitoring. The former step of identification is the most critical step because it has the biggest effect on decisions emanating from the process of risk management. Reviewing risk management, in his article, Williams (1995), notes that there is little structured work in publication about typical risks. According to Chapman (1998), as much as risk identification is critical on the risk assessment and response phases, very little empirical evidence is available at this early phase. The heavier task in risk management remains in the analysis and response to the risk, yet the reasoning stands that unless the risks are identified, they cannot be analyzed and responded to.                  For most engineers, the need to have a set out program is critical for it provides an umbrella under which all current projects fall so that an outcome can be delivered massively in general, and greater than the total sum of all others. A program is usually temporary, and flexible; created to direct and oversee the implementation of a set of related projects and activities for the deliverance of beneficial outcomes that relate to the organization’s strategic objectives. Several projects are undertaken under this umbrella. This explicitly differentiates between program management outcomes and project management outputs. However, there is a link between projects and strategy through the program. Risk management is becoming an increasingly important process due to external pressures in existence. However, good risk management is seen as a critical attribute of organizational success in the field of engineering. The assumption that programs are merely extensions of projects should cease to exist because many will tend to reflect program risk management to project risk management (Allan, 2008). Program management is a broad extension of the varied, yet related, projects.                  On projects, it is important to define one or more objective functions like capital expenditure and completion time to represent it to measure the probability of achieving the set targets. Risk management then goes on to model the project’s objectives against the projects variables like costs and the quantity of inputs. These variables are usually uncertain as time goes on, hence the uncertainty of a hundred percent achievement of the objectives set. The most ideal situation would be identifying and characterizing the variables in advance providing that they will remain unchanged by time. This would make it easy to estimate the possible risks and the consequent variance of the project’s objective(s). However, not all project variables can be identified as new variables might surface as the project goes on while the probability of occurrence of the initial variables may vary. The impacts of the initial variables, both positive and negative, m ay change too hence making risk management even more hard (Drummond, 1999).                     Certainty and uncertainty of realizing a project’s objectives are measurable, only ideally. The possibility of a project not breaking even could be considered as a representative of the whole project, and then used in turn to evaluate against variable and try and reduce the risks involved as well as become a basis for decision-making. Some projects may proceed normally in a stable environment, hence making the uncertainty high at the time it is conceptualized. Pro-active planning and making prudent decisions will see the uncertainty reduce. However, uncertainty in complex projects within a changing environment will not necessarily reduce/ diminish as time goes by Chapman (1998). It is necessary to keep on checking on the project’s variables and re-evaluating of the objective function’s status to facilitate adjustments in the project’s strategies. Uncertainty surrounds many parts of a project; hence early resolution of vari ables may not be possible always. Variables change over time leading to exposure to new threats and risks along the way. This fact should not be refuted and a lot of work is required in the planning evaluating phases, where most of the critical work is done. In spite of all the uncertainty and complexity surrounding risk management and project management, it is important to seek methods of improving the project’s base value (Drummond, 1999).                  Conceptualization, planning, and implementation of a project is a complex process that requires management based on set strategic objectives, which vary from time to time. The objectives should be integrative and holistic in the sense that it caters for social, political, environmental, and community aspects. Traditionally, planning in project management should form the basis of planning, alongside other functions of project management including; human resource, time, scope, integration, quality and procurement. These should be the fundamental factors f consideration along each phase. A variety of guidebooks, protocols and codes of practice in the engineering field have been made available for use in risk management in project management. In the United Kingdom, the ‘Orange book’ is a framework that is set to offer guidance on basic risk management concepts and as a resource for developing risk management processes and implementing them I the public sector. It is also aimed at using a risk based decision-making on investment. There have been many more publications and publications aimed at dictating hoe risk management should look like. These guidelines have offered a basis upon which projects are appraised and their investment viability tested. This has enhanced the process and shifted its reception and perception from project risk management to a risk management strategic level (Melton, 2011).                  In engineering and construction professions, program management and project management came to existence due to the changing procurement environment. In the United Kingdom, procurement of infrastructural assets was done in a sequential manner, which involved a clear differentiation in the project life cycle phases. Currently there are three major procurement systems, that is; prime contracting, Design and Build procurement and Private Finance Initiative. These methods were because of the need to adopt integrative and collaborative project delivery methods. The procurement systems have features like framework agreements, the use of specifications that are output based, and more importantly, emphasis on the lifelong value of the structures (Shehu and Akintoye, 2009). The office of Government Commerce has facilitated the change in construction procurement in the public sector too. The agency’s main agenda is to ensure that policies are followed and en hancing promotion of the best performance practices. These systems ensure that the project undertaken are of high quality and are in regard to the set policies and guidelines. These sanctions in the public works and construction sector have acted as strategic risk management tools for they ensure quality assurance as well as proper quality management.                  Project management should incorporate the use of a strategy-based management approach. This will facilitate the integration of planning, risk management and decision-making hence ensuring real time real time realization of an optimum of the project’s strategic objective against its variables. The project’s promoters are not always the investors. Investors are not always actively involved in the management of the project, but invest resources into the project hoping to get dividends. The promoters’ objective, on the other hand, is to deliver a facility that will ensure a long term balanced and financially viable business entity. The project is therefore a compromise between the attainment of investors’ interests and that of the community. Project development should be based on a set of strategic objectives, which stamp the project as a business and entwining project decisions to strategic business decisions. Amid all risks, the project should be planned proactively with regards to its variables and with a focus on the life cycle objective functions (Westland, 2007).                  The life cycle objective functions are functions such as: financially related functions- such as the project’s net worth, satisfaction of customers- those affected by aspects such as safety, project utility, operability, and quality, lastly, due diligence must be adhered to- that is, statutory concerns and policies should be observed especially when the project is located in highly populated areas or is adjacent or near ecological systems deemed to be sensitive (Janet Tammy, 2005). This factor also goes hand in hand with the ethical code that is supposed to guide the execution of projects. Proactive planning of the project ensures that project uncertainty is minimized in real time. Effective risk management ensures that there is typical conceptualization of projects and their subsequent implementation using strategic objectives. It also ensures any further variables are assessed and managed accordingly to optimize the project’s strategic ou tcome, that which of a business entity. Since projects are subjected to changes in objectives and variables due to external factors, it is important to incorporate a continuous risk management process that involves continuous risk and uncertainty management process conducted in real time to bring value to the project manager. Strategies made from risk analysis should be seen as a basis upon which decisions are made going forward. Objectives of the life cycle should be used as the vessel for analysis. Reflective assessment                  Engaging in exhaustive personal research and involvement of the same with groups has incapacitated adequately with sufficient knowledge on managing projects as an engineer. I have come to evolve from a mediocre project manager, thinking that technicalities were all I needed, to a project under-taker equipped with the relevant skills. Undertaking projects with my group and alone was not like undertaking them with my professor. Comparing personal projects and those done in groups, with those guided by the professor, flaws are clear to point out. In my first group project, our then project leader, whose name I will not disclose for discretion purposes, was too impulsive at times and objectives were not achieved as expected because of poor decision-making, even on the most obvious issues. The project resulted in high costs in execution unlike what had been anticipated and took longer. However, it is from the mistakes that my group and I learnt the importance of risk management in project management as an important tool to facilitate proactive planning, rather than responding to results. Another lesson learnt from that experience was the need to incorporate continuous analysis as a way of implementing risk management to ensure real time solutions. However, it is through solving these and other hurdles that the learning process in the field has been enhanced and increased my knowledge. The short yet detailed experience coupled with the many articles and critiques I have encountered have inspired me to get to want to explore more on the field by undertaking and managing more projects to experience more than I have. By initiating and overseeing projects as well as assuming responsibility for achievement of objectives and integration will boost my intuition and judgment on decision-making for future projects and for professional expertise. I know trying to venture into projects of high magnitude is a risk, but the ability to tackle the risk itself is way beyond the risk management of the process and a success would ultimately mean victory on both ends. References Allan, N., Davis, J., 2006. Strategic risks — thinking about them differently. Proceedings of ICE 159 Drummond H 1999. Are we any closer to the end Escalation and the case of Taurus? International Journal of Project Management Flanagan, R., Norman, G. (1996). Risk management and construction. Oxford [u.a.], Blackwell Science.Means, J. A., Adams, T. (2005). Facilitating the Project Lifecycle the Skills Tools to Accelerate Progress for Project Managers, Facilitators, and Six Sigma Project Teams. Hoboken, John Wiley Sons. http://www.123library.org/book_details/?id=9130. Melton, T. (2008). Real project planning developing a project delivery strategy. Amsterdam, Butterworth-Heinemann. Shehu, Z., Akintove, A., 2010. Major challenges to the successful implementation and practice of programme management in the construction environment: a critical analysis. International journal of project management Westland, J. (2007). The project management life cycle: a complete step-by-step methodology for initiating, planning, executing closing a project successfully. Williams, T., 1995. A classified bibliography of recent research relating to project risk management. European Journal of Operational Research Source document

Nascot and Park Essay Example for Free

Nascot and Park Essay How do the land use, housing and environmental quality in Tudor, Callowland, Nascot and Park wards of Watford affect the relative desirability of the wards? I will now discuss primary data regarding the four wards, and not to include any secondary data, including census data or researched data from the Internet. A colour coded map will provide an easy visual report of the distribution and separation of various housing types, as well a where forests and parks are laid out, and link that to the environmental quality of each of the four wards. I will discus each ward separately and then conclude it in a final paragraph at the end of this section. The concluding paragraph will contain graphs and charts to help enhance the comparisons. Of course when discussing the desirability of somewhere, you have to take into account who it is for. For example, a student would not live in a 5 bedroom detached house. PARK WARD This was the first ward visited and due to the fact that this was the first time I had visited these wards, this ward has left an indentation in my mind of my first impression of Watford. We commenced north up Hempstead road and took a left into Stratford way, where our fieldwork began. Small detached housing covered this area. The field sketch below shows you how close the houses boundaries are, as well as the style and age of the houses. When we were at the junction of Stratford Way and Parkside Drive, the first environmental quality survey was taken. The results have been tabulated within the comparison and concluding paragraph at the end of this section. We then took a right, and headed up Parkside Drive, taking into account that we were on the boundary of detached housing and the Cassiobury Park. As we continued up Parkside Drive, we were confronted with semi-detached housing immediately after Richmond Drive on the right hand side. Semi-Detached housing could now be seen on either side of the road. We were due to take the next turning on the right which led us into Langley Way. On the junction of Langley Way and Parkside Drive, the second environmental quality survey was taken. As we turned up into Langley Way, we noticed semi-detached housing on either side of the road until Richmond road on the right, and until Bellmount Wood Avenue on the left. The stream of detached housing continued from there onwards. We carried on up Langley Way, until we met a roundabout which split Langley Way and Cassiobury Drive. Our first sighting of local shops were seen on the opposite side of the roundabout, this is coloured in RED on the colour-coded map. Besides these few shops and a pub on the left hand side, detached housing was all around us. We contined up Langley Way until Devereux Drive was seen at a 90 angle to Langley Way. We proceeded left and were still surrounded by detached housing. At the top of Devereux Drive, we could see that the further up we went, the more trees and greenery were to be seen behind the houses, and at the top of the road, we took a footpath left which led us into Rough Wood. We followed the footpath round until we came into Glen Way, which was where we came across our first sightings of terraced houses. The third and final environmental quality survey for this ward was taken here. We followed Glen Way round to the right and hit the main road called Hempstead Road where we crossed onto the other side and took a left until we came across Rosecroft Drive on the right hand side. Where we left Glen Way and entered Hempstead Road, was the border between the two wards, Park and Nascot. So in summary, Park ward contains small detached houses in a calm atmosphere and well kept away from the busy Hempstead Road. Even though Cassiobury Drive, Parkside Drive and Woodland Drive are the three main roads of Park ward, they do not encounter problems of traffic which leaves Park ward as a calm and family-friendly area. The large park within the ward will indefinitely contribute to the property prices as property prices are strongly based on location, location, location, and due to the fact that they are detached, this leaves a good image in my mind of my first impression of Watford. Nascot Ward As we commenced our journey down Hempstead Road and into Rosecroft Drive, we noticed that although Hempstead Road is very busy, the houses within Rosecroft Drive and the surrounding road were fairly large detached houses. At the junction of The Ridgeway, and Rosecroft Drive, the first environmental quality survey of this ward was taken, which received high marks when taking into account its location next to an extremely busy road. We then took a right down The Ridgeway, and noticed how the houses were in good keep and fairly big. The road we were in (The Ridgeway) was fairly quiet and in good condition due to the fact that off road/private parking was available. The field sketch below, shows a typical house within Nascot ward.

Healthcare Industry: IT Systems

Healthcare Industry: IT Systems Healthcare services have seen several changes throughout the years to respond to changing demands of the population. The present key drivers and issues that stakeholders (patients, healthcare providers, vendors and government) in the healthcare sector face are ageing population, increased burden of chronic conditions, rising public demand/expectation for quality healthcare, fragmented and uncoordinated healthcare services and rapid advances in information technology. At present, information technology is considered a strategic necessity by world class organizations instead of just a supporting tool. To obtain a competitive advantage in an environment with intense competition, it is vital for organisations to use more sophisticated information technology tools to address the challenges of building and deploying system in the short term and the identification, research and design of future system. Information technology (IT) is rapidly becoming integrated with healthcare to improve processes and communications, support decision making, reduce inaccuracies, and improve patient safety. The advancement of medical science through the years has made possible the use of more expensive equipment and the latest technology. This will allow healthcare providers and patients to gain access to health information easily and thus has the potential to improve the quality, safety, and efficiency of health care. As the healthcare industry is information intensive and knowledge intensive, there is also a need to publish health care information and knowledge. Healthcare systems vary from country to country but they all have a common aim that is to meet the healthcare needs of target populations. In this report, I will be focusing on healthcare IT in Singapore context. Healthcare System in Singapore Singapore has a dual health care system where individuals can choose between public and private providers. The government through Ministry of Health (MOH) manages the public healthcare system. MOH plays a major role in formulating national health policies, coordinating the improvement and planning of the public and private healthcare sectors and regulating health standards. MOHs mission is to promote good health and reduce illness, to ensure Singaporeans have access to good and affordable healthcare and to pursue medical excellence (Ministry of Health, 2007). MOHs vision is to develop the worlds most cost-effective healthcare system to keep Singaporeans good health. Delivery Structure Healthcare services in Singapore are provided by different types of providers from primary care to tertiary care and to step-down care. Primary Care Primary care includes primary medical treatment, preventive healthcare and health education (Info-communications Development Authority of Singapore, 2009). In Singapore, primary health care is provided through outpatient polyclinics and private medical practitioners clinics. 80% of the services are provided by private practitioners while the remaining 20% by government polyclinics. Conveniently located in town centres all over the island, polyclinics are one stop health centres which offered services such as outpatient medical care, maternal and child care health. Secondary and Tertiary Care For the secondary and tertiary care, 80% of the hospital care being provided by the public sector and the remaining 20% by the private sector. This public sector is organised into two vertically integrated delivery networks, National Healthcare Group (NHG) and Singapore Health Services (SingHealth) that operate as not-for-profit private companies. Having these two groups enable more integrated and better quality healthcare services through greater cooperation and collaboration among public sector health care providers. Each cluster consists of both general hospitals that provide multi-disciplinary healthcare services and specialised hospitals in various disciplines e.g. obstetrics and gynaecology and ophthalmology. The private sector provides similar specialist disciplines and comparable facilities to the public clusters. The two main providers are Raffles Medical Group and Parkway Group Healthcare (Info-communications Development Authority of Singapore, 2009). Step-Down Care Voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs) provide most of the step-down care services. They run nursing homes, inpatient hospices, community hospitals and chronic sick hospitals. Four of the public acute hospitals also provide geriatric units (Info-communications Development Authority of Singapore, 2009). Public Healthcare Delivery Structure One of the objectives of forming the two clusters is to facilitate integration of healthcare services at the various levels. The clusters have begun introducing measures to integrate primary healthcare at the polyclinics and secondary care at the hospitals. A Vision for 21st Century Healthcare Intelligent Nation 2015 (iN2015) is a 10-year masterplan to help Singapore realise the potential of infocomm. The vision of iN2015 is An Intelligent Nation, a Global City, powered by Infocomm. The goal for the Healthcare and Biomedical Sciences sectors is To accelerate sectoral transformation through an infocomm-enabled personalised healthcare delivery system to achieve high quality clinical care, service excellence, cost-effectiveness and strong clinical research. (IDA, 2006) Refer to Figure 1 in Appendix to see how it will look like. Key drivers of change in Singapores healthcare sector were identified and a number of likely shifts and changes to the system were predicted (IDA, 2006). Key Drivers Shifts/Changes Ageing population of chronic conditions Focus on prevention, health promotion and wellness care Rising public expectations of healthcare services Integrated and patient-centred system of delivery Fragmented and relatively uncoordinated healthcare services Consistent widespread application of evidence-based medicine Very rapid advances in infocomm, medical science and technologies and biomedical research Greater role of members of the public in managing their own health Greater facilitation of data flows between healthcare sector and biomedical sciences Strategies and Programmes (IDA, 2006) The targeted outcome is a well-integrated quality healthcare, cost effective healthcare services and greater ability of public to manage their health. To bring about successful business change using IT, healthcare providers should ensure that IT works in performance with meaningful changes in organisational functions and processes (Rothenberg, 1995). How IT can be used? In the healthcare industry, one suite solution is not common because certain user departments will need to have more in-depth functionalities than others. A more common approach in the industry is best of breed where it attempts to give full equal weight in terms of functionalities and features to individual user departments. Some considerations for best of breed approach are: It deals with more than one vendor A need to connect or interface the different applications to provide a fully integrated solution Future upgrades issues. Therefore, there is a need to strike a balance between having too many application platforms and departmental requirements or functionalities (Online Consultant Software). IT Infrastructure for the Healthcare Industry Functional interoperability is needed in order for computers to be able to share clinical data with one another. Computers must have functions to be able to physically communicate, send and receive documents and data files, share data and information. Therefore, there is a need for integration, standards and interface engines to build the healthcare industry infrastructure. MediNet MediNet forms the backbone of medical system in Singapore (IDA, 2006). It is Singapores nationwide computer network for medical and health care community that focuses on five components (Lim, 1990): Central Claim Processing System(CCPS) processing of claims in hospital bills National Patient Master Index (NPMI) consists of patients risk factors, drug allergies and demographic data Procurement Electronic procurement of medical and surgical supplies Notification Transmission of notifications to government agencies Information Services Access to local and foreign databases MediNet links up computer systems of all participants (MOH, Central Provident Fund Board (CPFB), Government Bodies, restructured hospitals, private hospitals, general practice clinics) in the healthcare delivery system so that they will be able to communicate, exchange data and access common applications on the network (ANNEX C: FACTSHEET: Infocomm Milestones, 2006). Health Level 7 A group of healthcare computer systems users who founded the Health Level 7 organization in 1987 started developing the HL7 protocol to create that common language that allows healthcare applications to share clinical data with each another. Over time the HL7 interoperability protocol became a nationally, internationally and globally accredited standard (HL7 Singapore). Health Level Sevens domain is clinical and administrative data. Interface Engine Interface engine is a software program intended to simplify the creation and management of interfaces between separate applications and systems, either within the organization or with other affiliated organisation (McLeod CG, Inc., 2006). It carries out messaging between systems and usually handles any mapping, translation and data modification required to ensure the effective exchange of data. Examples of common interface engines used in the healthcare industry are Cloverleaf, Datagate and Openlink (MDI Solutions, 2009). Imagine in a hospital where there are different departments needing different functionalities and features, different applications might be running. It would be very complex and technically difficult to maintain separate interfaces between them. Healthcare Applications Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) The public healthcare sector uses SAP industry solution for hospital (IS-H) (SAP, 2008). It supports patient management, medical and nursing documentation, and patient accounting, and integrates these with financial accounting, controlling and materials management. The information system contains evaluations of patient and hospital data that can be used both internally and externally. It also contains a communication component that enables data transfer both within the hospital and to external parties. The picture below shows the SAP footprint in Singapore Healthcare Industry. Only Parkway Health (Private Sector) and Republic Polytechnic (for educational purpose) are not under the public healthcare sector. Source: (SAP, 2008) Case Study: Hospital Information System at St Andrews Community Hospital (InfoComm Singapore Portal, 2008) St Andrews Community Hospital was relocated in April 2005 to a larger premise in Simei. The change in hospital and care processes was the drive to upgrade the Hospital Information System (HIS) at St Andrews Community Hospital from its manual administrative system and record stock which require tedious work to a more efficient way to process information by technology. The project team were focused on being user-centric rather than IT-centric in the choice of an HIS. User departments were pro-active and committed during the pre-selection brainstorming and consultancy and during the implementation stages of the new system. The VESALIUS, a complete HIS provided NovaHealth which covers front-end modules such as Appointments, Registrations, ADT and billing and ancillary support modules such as Pharmacy, Medical Records, back-end Inventory and integration to the Financial System. The benefits of the system are: Assisting management to track costs down to the minute details Increasing efficiency as manual and administrative work are being minimised Enabling links to the MOHs Elderly and Continuing Care system for online submission of information to receive government subsidies; and the CCPS for automated submission for Medisave claims Serving as a check and balance for inventory audit and reducing waste. As a result, there is no need for Pharmacy staff to spend time physically checking stock levels when transferring items from the various stores in St Andrews Community Hospital. Having a lean and efficient team complemented by the HIS, paperwork is also minimised. An Integrated Electronic Medical Database Electronic medical record (EMR) stores patients medical information through IT to enable sharing across healthcare institutions (MOH; SingHealth; NHG, 2004). It can be made more secure through appropriate IT access and security safeguards. The MOH holds the vision of One Singaporean, One Family Physician, One Medical Record to improve long term care. EMR provides medical staff involved in patient treatment with quick and accurate access to patients essential medical information (Yong, 2007). The integrated patient database system was thus vital in Singapore as there is a need to get the right information to the right people especially in an industry where a second could mean a difference between a life and death situation. EMR Adoption Model The EMR Adoption Model is devised by HIMSS Analytics to track the progress of hospitals towards creating a paperless patient record system. It is based on an eight-stage scale which starts at zero (HIMSS Analytics). The EMR Adoption Model Structure ensures all application capabilities must be operational before that stage can be achieved as it sets a foundation for subsequent stages. Refer to Figure 2 in Appendix for the EMR Adoption Model. Electronic Medical Record Exchange (EMRX) EMRX is an initiative by MOH and the two public healthcare clusters (SingHealth NHG) to share electronic medical record across all public hospitals and polyclinics in Singapore. The EMRX will have the following information (MOH; SingHealth; NHG, 2004): Discharge summary which summarises recent hospitalization records including the treatment received and clinical course; Operation reports and laboratory results, including radiology images and scanned medical records Medicines prescribed with drug allergy history It was launched in April 2004 to focus on the improvement of patient care outcomes. It is a pragmatic and incremental implementation where SingHealth and NHG first developed the key systems within selected institutions and then replicate in other institution within the cluster and eventually across clusters and where practical with the private sector. The benefits of EMRX are (MOH; SingHealth; NHG, 2004): Better coordinated care for patients moving across different providers and improved levels of healthcare delivery. Better clinical decisions, with access to complete and legible clinical histories, and updated test results at the providers fingertips. Reduce the risks of transcription errors and missing records. Save cost through the avoidance of unnecessary repeat tests and investigations Better distribution of care Facilitation and follow up of other IT based applications such electronic prescriptions and clinical decision support systems Potential for 24 hour access to real-time data for up to date results reporting Provision for data security and audit features to be built into the system. Current EMRX Implementation The aim of the clusters is to implement the EMR in all institutions within each cluster incrementally. SingHealth and NHG manage their clusters EMR independently. SingHealth started using an EMR system in SGH in year 2000. The main application SingHealth has used to develop its EMR system is iSOFTs iClinical Manager Solution (E-HEALTH-MEDIA LTD, 2004). Similarly, the National Healthcare group has also started using EMR systems in Tan Tock Seng Hospital and National University Hospital. EMRX was developed to enable secure cross-cluster exchange of patient information. This is to ensure that a patients record can be retrieved regardless where he or she seeks treatment. EMRX was later extended to healthcare partners, providing a central capability for effortless movement or records across the public healthcare clusters, community hospitals and Ministry of Defence (MINDEF), facilitating care delivery. SAF Electronic Medical Records The SAF healthcare system is centred on the SAF EMR system which is known as Patient Care Enhancement System 2 (PACES 2). It has clinical data repository, administrative function for manpower and logistics and also has the feature for research or analysis (Wong, 2009). The system connects all SAF medical centres across Singapore to allow for online and real time medical info retrieval and simultaneous viewing. Figure 3 in Appendix shows how it is connected. NHG Polyclinic Bukit Batok Polyclinic was the first to adopt the electronic medical records system. With paperless medical records, patients medical records can now be retrieved while diagnoses are entered into the system (Hoe, 2009). This move is part of MOH vision of integrating services between the healthcare providers. Benefits to Patients: Enhanced safety as there is a reduced patient risk through improved legibility of orders. Reduced waiting times due to the improved process Better care coordination and disease management through sharing of medical records Benefits to the polyclinic: Quality: Continuous improvement of quality care and patient service through error monitoring and elimination of unnecessary procedures Productivity: Saving time and effort that would otherwise be spent on correcting lost and illegible orders. Furthermore, there is no longer need to go to the records office, retrieve the physical paper records and bring it up to either the doctors or nurses room which can take up to 20 minutes or half an hour. Access: More readily available information and data of patients for healthcare professionals to make faster critical decisions Future Outlook National Electronic Health Record (NEHR) The next phase of electronic health record is moving towards creating a health record that is in fact personalised and accessible everywhere to be implemented by April 2011 (ChannelNewsAsia, 2010). With NEHR, all key information such as a patients demographics, allergies, clinical diagnoses, medication history, X-rays, laboratory investigations and discharge summaries will be fully exchangeable between various healthcare providers. Due to the costly implementation, only a number of primary and step-down care providers, including GPs, polyclinics and a community hospital will be linked up first (ChannelNewsAsia, 2010). The full implementation of NEHR will take many years as it has to cover the entire healthcare ecosystem and not just the public sector. The decision on whether to implement each phase will have to be justified on cost-benefit analysis. Refer to Appendix for an attached article on What could healthcare in Singapore look like in 2020? (Ministry of Health, 2008). Medical Information Services IT is also widely used as an information tool by both medical professional and the public. Several government and privately initiated websites provide information for health care services and databases for medical related issues. Web portals provide the following services: Searching for medical professionals within Singapore The MOH has a list of online resources to search for healthcare professionals in Singapore (MOH, 2007) Online pharmacies For example, Changi General Hospital myPharmacy is the first online hospital pharmacy in Singapore (Changi General Hospital, 2004). Medical publications One example of medical publications is PubMed (PubMed). Health related publications Some examples of health related publications from SingHealth (SingHealth Academy ). Health service reports Queue watch provide patients with timely information to arrange their visit. The number of patients waiting for registration and consultation, live webcam images showing the waiting areas for registration, consultation and pharmacy/payment and peak non-peak periods are displayed online (Government of Singapore, 2007). Medical schemes such as Medifund, Medisave MediShield Information regarding these schemes can be found in CPF Board website (Central Provident Fund Board, 2009). Competitive Advantages The growth and survival in the healthcare industry depends on how well Singapore is able to compete in this highly and competitive market. With the integration of the healthcare infrastructure, the advanced medical technology and the highly skilled professionals, Singapore has managed to establish a reputation of being a world class healthcare hub, the ability to deliver innovative healthcare solutions, a complete range of services and quality healthcare providers (EDB, 2009). There will be a strong demand from the population for quality healthcare and value added services with rising economic affluence and longer lifespan. Thus, there is a need to ensure that healthcare research and development continues to be supported so that Singapore healthcare services sector can excel and be a source of competitive advantage. To sustain the competitive advantages, Singapore should be aware of their strengths and weaknesses and also of their competitors. The approach for the future must be one that focuses on possible improvements, supporting innovations and facilitating changes. The focus will have increasingly to be on openness to new influences, a willingness to recognize different schools of thought and methods of training and a search for the best available expertise from around the world (Desker, 1991). Innovation is needed to overcome the future challenges ahead to maximise Singapores competitive advantage. Healthcare providers should enhance their medical and service offerings, develop new healthcare products, and promote a pioneering spirit that will help in dealing with evolving patients needs, and in creating holistic and flawless experiences for patients (Tan, 2009). Thomson Medical Centre The Business Times reported that Thomson Medical is leading the healthcare sector (Ramchandani, 2010). Focusing on three core areas patient expectations, perceived quality and perceived value to improve patient satisfaction, Thomson Medical Centre has been continuously innovating to provide greater value-added services to its patients. Their redesigned patient-centric workflow had helped them gain a competitive advantage over their rivals: Use of technology and raise in service and product standards has improved patient care and satisfaction Improve in-patient , out-patient and administrative processes by using touch screen billing in place of a key-in method, which has halved the time spent on billing and has resulted in cost savings of $2000 a month. Reduce waiting time for admission and discharges with express check outs, direct admissions and courtesy and in-room discharges. Act on service recovery. When there is an unhappy patient with service, they move fast to resolve the problem. Train front line staff to raise service standards which resulted in an increase in the number of compliments as compared to complaints (4.9:1 to 9.2:1). Create a positive patient experience by having a resort style ambience, offering concierge service, a welcome drink and, in the case of premier rooms, luxurious dà ©cor and relaxing spa music. Introduce value added services such as the interactive website ThomsonBaby.com to help new mothers prepare for the parenthood journey and save them time and money. The hospitals efforts in cultivating lasting relationships have also led to an increase in patient loyalty. 32.2% of its patients were repeat patients in 2009, compared to 26.8% in 2008. Besides that, there was an increase in the number of babies born. Thomson Medical Centres dedication in understanding patient needs and receiving feedback on their stay and their expectations at key hospital touch points has thus improved patient satisfaction level. Challenges The vision for an integrated and continued patient- centric healthcare system requires interoperable IT systems, active engagement of patients and suitably aligned financial framework. In the development of the Singapore healthcare system, there are some issues that hinder the implementation of healthcare integration due to unique specificities. In general, the problems faced by the players involved can be classified into five categories: Clinical and medical practices: Often built around specialization but could be better oriented towards integrated care Financing framework: GPs, Specialist Outpatient Clinics (SOCs) and patients does not see the incentive for integration of care Establishment of a new idea mindset towards integration of care for players involved Organizational processes: Enhanced by bridging communication and IT gaps, coordinating across sectors and defining workflows for the smooth move of patients between caregivers IT systems: Better connected across sectors and allow for the transferability of patient records. As shown in Figure 4 in the Appendix, these challenges have over the years led to ingrained mindsets and behavioural practices of parties at multiple levels of the system, further hindering the integration of care (Ministry of Health, 2008). The various challenges and loophole that currently exist are the result of institution-centric and tertiary-centric system of healthcare. As EMRX becomes widely accessible, there are concerns over patient confidentiality and privacy. For instance, legal implications of providing EMRs beyond cluster boundaries were considerable and attaining consent from individual patients would have been burdensome and stalled widespread accessibility of EMRs (MOH; SingHealth; NHG, 2004). This shows that there are vital ethical concerns over the privacy of personal medical records. Furthermore, the infrastructure for data standardisation needed to achieve this integrated healthcare system is getting more intricate and costly due to the vast amount of data involved from different independent systems. Despite SingHealth and NHG adoption of the HL7 v2.3, data exchange could not be easily achieved in spite of HL7 v2.3. This is because the standard was open to variations that hampered direct interoperability. Moreover, modification of systems to enable data interoperability would have been costly, without direct benefits to the clusters (Lee, Lim, Tan). Conclusion Previously, healthcare sector has lagged behind other sectors in the adoption of IT for its key process. Healthcare providers need to review the way businesses are conducted. IT can be a powerful enabler for an information intensive industry like healthcare through automation, knowledge management, business process reengineering, and even artificial intelligence. A pragmatic approach should be adopted to consider the current status and to focus on implementing immediate goals that would bring about meaningful changes in organisational functions and processes within a reasonable time frame. The use of IT to create value in a patient-centric approach to care is likely to contribute significantly to the overall level of care that patients can benefit from. Innovation can help healthcare providers to gain a competitive advantage. The success of some healthcare provider as mention above has shown that IT can help in the healthcare sector to improve healthcare quality, reduce costs and to meet some of todays trends in demographics and disease burden. This quote which is published in NHG annual review 2007-2008 shows the importance of IT, Technology is our enabler. We use technology to record and disseminate information with higher precision, accuracy and safety. More importantly, it allows healthcare to be delivered safer, faster and better. (National Healthcare Group Polyclinics, 2008) In the enthusiasm to adopt and invest in IT, it is important to note that there are some barriers in the move toward an integrated healthcare system as stated in the abovementioned section. Addressing and overcoming these challenges will involve the collaboration and cooperation of players at all levels of the system, across both the public and private sectors. Learning points / Opinions Strategy Technology should be used as a supporting tool not to steer health care reform. To transform Singapores health care system into a modern and responsive 21st-century health care system, a practical IT strategy which is consumer-focused is needed. In particular, it needs to be competitive in terms of price and quality because that is what consumers look for. A tripartite model of health care regulation, involving the active participation of empowered consumers, is Singapores best hope for containing costs and ensuring quality of care. What is done well? A committee to plan for the future development in healthcare iN2015 Healthcare and Sub-Committee came out with strategies and programmes to help address todays challenge and support the developmental opportunities. It aims to achieve high quality clinical care, service excellence, cost-effectiveness and strong clinical research. Improve business process with IT IT has played an important role in the delivery and development of healthcare services in this information age with applications ranging from finance and personnel administration to medical equipment operations. Healthcare service administrations have become more efficient and responsive, reducing patient waiting time and paper work. Medical equipments have become more accurate, laboratory results can be processed more quickly and effective communication among medical staff in Singapore and those overseas has become easier. What more can be done User Involvement IT investment decisions must serve the best interests of the key players involved. It is important to understand the users and their work flow and requirements as a one size or solution may not fit all. Flexibility is needed as each department requires different functionalities. Express clearly the benefits and value for the change Users involved need to understand the strategic goals of the organization and understand how IT, from technical and managerial perspectives, can help to achieve them. The success of IT investments is to ensure users see the benefit and value of IT so that they will be motivated to make the change. Limitations of IT Healthcare providers should be mindful of the limitations of technology and have a deep understanding of the information search behaviours of their target audience. Health care is still a hi Are Consumers Central to Marketing Activities? Are Consumers Central to Marketing Activities? In view of the dynamic nature of the marketing environment, to what extent do you consider consumers to be, in practice, central to marketing activities? Words count: 1621 words Marketing is the analyzing, organizing, planning, and controlling of the firms customer-impinging resources, policies, and activities with a view to satisfying the needs and wants of chosen customer groups at a profit. (Kotler and Keller, 1967) [1] The main purpose of any business is to make profit. To do so, their customers are necessary. The role of marketing is to anticipate and identify consumers needs and wants, in order to satisfy them efficiently and profitably.2 In view of the dynamic nature of the marketing environment, to what extent are consumers, in practice, central to marketing activities? First of all, it is necessary to define what characterizes the marketing environment, and in what way this environment is dynamic. Secondly, we will see how the consumer is central to marketing activities. Finally, we will discuss about the relative importance of the consumers in these activities and the other factors that can also influence them. The marketing environment consists of external factors that affect the companies and their ability to satisfy customers.[2] There are two aspects to this marketing environment: the macro-environment, and the micro-environment. The PESTEL factors are the factors found in the macro-environment: political, environmental, social/cultural, technological, economical and legal.[3] They are societal factors, thus not controllable; and the companies need to adapt to these factors. In the macro-environment is included the demographical factor. The study of the demographic environment can help predict the size of the market of a certain product. For example if the number of elderly people is going to rise, the potential market for retirement homes will grow. The same goes for a change in the number of children, which could impact the number of schools and teachers needed.[4] Companies need to adapt to changes in the micro-environment as well. The factors in the micro-environment are the ones close to the company, making them easier to control: customers, competitors, distributors, suppliers, and other departments within the company.For example, if a company has competitors satisfying the same needs with a similar product but at a lower price, it wont be able to sell its product and make profit out of it. Companies make use of marketing research and marketing intelligence to collect information about the marketing environment in order to adapt their marketing strategies. Marketing takes place in a dynamic environment: these external factors change constantly, and companies need to be aware of these changes taking place in the marketing environment in order to adapt themselves efficiently and effectively, and be able to keep on answering consumers needs and wants.[5] To satisfy their target consumers, marketers need to understand them. They need to study the existing and potential markets. Resources need to be efficiently managed in order to meet the identified needs in these markets.2 Marketing orientation is important because different customers have different needs. In order to meet the specific needs of each customer, firms have to adapt. Answering everyones needs is not a realistic thing, which is why segmentation is used. Segmentation is the method used to separate the population into specific segments, which contains customers with similar needs. Understanding the needs of these segments of population will allow the determination of the marketing strategy that will be used in a specific business plan.[6] The marketing strategy determines the actions that will be taken over time to achieve the objectives of the company. Marketing decisions are based on the 4Ps, also called marketing mix: Product, Price, Place and Promotion. The four components of this marketing mix are determined by the target consumers.[7] As said before, the purpose of any business is to make profit, and it needs to satisfy the consumers for that to happen. The product needs to fulfil the customers need of course, but not only. The product also has to be at an acceptable price in the eyes of the consumers for them to buy it. The price is what makes money for the company, it is determined by the production costs and the competition, as well as by how much the customers are willing to pay for the product. On the one hand, if the price is too high, consumers wont buy, which means the company wont achieve its sales target. On the other hand, if it is too low, the target will be achieved but there will be no profit made out of it. 4 Price has to be chosen accordingly as well as place. Different types of consumers will need the product to be available at specific places. A very expensive product, such as a luxury item, will not necessarily be available at the local supermarket for example, but most certainly in a specific shop or place. Consumers also prefer to buy products when they are located close to their homes and workplaces.[8] In order to answer consumers needs profitably, marketers have to use segmentation to target their market, and match their marketing strategy to their target consumers needs.4 Thus making the consumers central to the companys marketing activities. Lets take Microsoft as an evolutionary example of changes in the marketing environment with the technological factor (macro-environment) and the companys competition (micro-environment).9 Recently, Microsoft has struggled to find its place in a fast changing digital and technological environment. Microsoft was and still is in consumers mind the leader in Personal Computers. They are now lagging behind competitors like Apple or Samsung, and are trying to develop other devices like tablets, smartphones, consoles, etc. They even acquired Nokias smartphone business in order to do so. They developed a new version of their operating system that works on every platform, including their console Xbox; which provides a cloud based connectivity that consumers are looking for. Their change in strategy to provide consumers what they need in this era of technological improvements has paid off: Microsofts sales are trending upward since the past few years.[9] In order to keep his place in the market, Microsoft had to change its strategy to improve its solutions to satisfy todays consumers after being left behind by competitors and technological advances. To this point, we can affirm that consumers are indeed essential and central to marketing activities. Marketing is all about satisfying consumers profitably, and marketing research and marketing strategies are calculated around them. Despite their importance, consumers are only one of the forces in the marketing environment. Changes in the marketing landscape are so fast that it is now more and more difficult for companies to adapt. One of the most influential factors of marketing activities is technology: 40% of the worlds population now has access to the Internet, compared to 1% in 1995.[10] The vast majority owns a smartphone that also has access to the Internet. The Internet and social media are thus also used for marketing purposes as well[11]: websites, adverts, e-mails, videos, etc. Influencers on the Internet are also important for marketing research; they can be people who have blogs and websites for example, and are useful to marketers for them to better understand current trends and interests.[12] Companies can also sponsor people such as bloggers and video makers (YouTube in particular) by making them review products and/or services online.[13] Globalization is another factor that influences marketing activities. Lots of companies now face global competition. Also, when a company decides to sell its products abroad, it has to take into account the tastes and habits of the selected country. For example, for the French market, Nutella is manufactured to be more spreadable, due to the fact that French people mostly eat it on baguettes, making it more difficult to spread.[14] Nowadays, companies also need to take into account the environmental aspect for their marketing activities. They have to be environmentally responsible, to be more sustainable in their practices than in the past. These are a few other examples of factors, apart from the consumers, that can have an influence on the marketing activities of businesses. To conclude, consumers are indeed central to marketing activities, but are only one of the many factors that have an influence on them: notably changes in the marketing environments factors; the technological factor in particular, which is probably the fastest changing factor as of now. References Berthon, P., Pitt, L., Plangger, K. and Shapiro, D. (2012). Marketing meets Web 2.0, social media, and creative consumers: Implications for international marketing strategy. Business Horizons, 55(3). Ça mintà ©resse La curiosità © en continu. (2017). Pourquoi le Nutella nest pas le mà ªme en France quen Allemagne ? Ça mintà ©resse. [online] Available at: http://www.caminteresse.fr/economie-societe/pourquoi-ne-mange-t-on-pas-le-meme-nutella-en-france-quen-allemagne-1129354/ [Accessed 26 Mar. 2017]. Corcoran, C. (2017). Marketings New Rage: Brands Sponsoring Influential Bloggers. [online] WWD. Available at: http://wwd.com/business-news/marketing-promotion/marketings-new-rage-brands-sponsor-influential-bloggers-3230386/ [Accessed 26 Mar. 2017]. Goi, C. (2009). A Review of Marketing Mix: 4Ps or More?. International Journal of Marketing Studies, 1(1). Internetlivestats.com. (2017). Number of Internet Users (2016) Internet Live Stats. [online] Available at: http://www.internetlivestats.com/internet-users/ [Accessed 26 Mar. 2017]. Kotler, P. and Armstrong, G. (2016). Principles of marketing. 16th ed. Harlow: Pearson. Kotler, P. and Keller, K. (1967). Marketing management. 1st ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. Li, Y., Lai, C. and Chen, C. (2011). Discovering influencers for marketing in the blogosphere. Information Sciences, 181(23). Palmer, A. and Worthington, I. (1992). The business and marketing environment. 1st ed. New York [etc.]: McGraw-Hill Book Co.. Richardson, M. and Evans, C. (2007). Assessing the Environment. British Journal of Administrative Management. Smallbusiness.chron.com. (2017). What Are the Four Types of Utility Marketing?. [online] Available at: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/four-types-utility-marketing-24420.html [Accessed 26 Mar. 2017]. [1] Kotler, P. and Keller, K. (1967). Marketing management. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, p.12. [2] Palmer, A. and Worthington, I. (1992). The business and marketing environment. New York [etc.]: McGraw-Hill Book Co., pp.1-6. [3] Richardson, M. and Evans, C. (2007). Assessing the Environment. British Journal of Administrative Management. [4] Palmer, A. and Worthington, I. (1992). The business and marketing environment. New York [etc.]: McGraw-Hill Book Co., p.167. [5] Kotler, P. and Armstrong, G. (2016). Principles of marketing. 16th ed. Harlow: Pearson, pp.94-95. [6] Palmer, A. and Worthington, I. (1992). The business and marketing environment. New York [etc.]: McGraw-Hill Book Co., pp.10-17. [7] Goi, C. (2009). A Review of Marketing Mix: 4Ps or More?. International Journal of Marketing Studies, 1(1). [8] Smallbusiness.chron.com. (2017). What Are the Four Types of Utility Marketing?. [online] Available at: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/four-types-utility-marketing-24420.html [Accessed 26 Mar. 2017]. [9] Kotler, P. and Armstrong, G. (2016). Principles of marketing. 16th ed. Harlow: Pearson, pp.92-94. [10] Internetlivestats.com. (2017). Number of Internet Users (2016) Internet Live Stats. [online] Available at: http://www.internetlivestats.com/internet-users/ [Accessed 26 Mar. 2017]. [11] Berthon, P., Pitt, L., Plangger, K. and Shapiro, D. (2012). Marketing meets Web 2.0, social media, and creative consumers: Implications for international marketing strategy. Business Horizons, 55(3), pp.261-271. [12] Li, Y., Lai, C. and Chen, C. (2011). Discovering influencers for marketing in the blogosphere. Information Sciences, 181(23), pp.5143-5157. [13] Corcoran, C. (2017). Marketings New Rage: Brands Sponsoring Influential Bloggers. [online] WWD. Available at: http://wwd.com/business-news/marketing-promotion/marketings-new-rage-brands-sponsor-influential-bloggers-3230386/ [Accessed 26 Mar. 2017]. [14] Ça mintà ©resse La curiosità © en continu. (2017). Pourquoi le Nutella nest pas le mà ªme en France quen Allemagne ? Ça mintà ©resse. [online] Available at: http://www.caminteresse.fr/economie-societe/pourquoi-ne-mange-t-on-pas-le-meme-nutella-en-france-quen-allemagne-1129354/ [Accessed 26 Mar. 2017].

Bush v Gore :: essays research papers

Bush v. Gore Bush v. Gore was a controversial case that was heard on December 11, 2000. This case decided the outcome of the 2000 presidential election between Vice President Gore and Texas Governor George W. Bush.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The election took place on Nov 7, 2000. Under our electoral college system each state votes for our new president separately, a winner is then declared in each state and is awarded â€Å"electoral votes† that is equal to the states number of representatives in the House and Senate. Gore led Bush 266-246 and 270 votes are required for victory. Florida with 25 electoral votes did not have an official winner because the result was inside of the margin of error for machine counting.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Gore knew the only way to figure this out was to have a manual recount of several counties ballots. As Palm Beach County was recounting its ballots Florida Secretary Harris, a Republican and co-chair of the Florida Bush campaign, officially certified the election for Bush. In reaction to this decision Gore and Palm Beach filed suit against Bush and Harris in Florida Supreme court demanding that the recount should go on. On November 22, Bush appealed to the United States Supreme Court against Palm Beach County Canvassing Board stating the decision was in violation of a federal statute requiring electors to be finished at a given point before the Electoral College met. After many more suits were filed oral arguments in Bush v. Gore were brought before the US Supreme Court on December 11, 2000 by lawyers representing both sides. Due to the nature of the case the court gave its opinion in only 16 hours after hearing the arguments. Bush’s representation questioned that, Does recounts in Florida violate the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th amendment to the United States Constitution? Because all the votes were being counted unevenly, with standards varying from county to county, where recounts in counties where he could have majority were not being conducted. Bush Argued the decision went against the Constitution stating â€Å"nor shall any State†¦. Deny to any person within the equal protection of the laws.† Gore’s representation responded that the Florida Supreme court hade done everything it could to establish equal treatment of both parties, and that requiring all ballots to be treated in the same manner would require a new federal standard for counting votes. Gore also claimed that ending recounts was not a good way to settle this extraordinary dispute.