Together for Change free essay sample

â€Å"It’s a hot and humid day in Swat Valley, Pakistan A young student boards the school bus since walking is no longer safe She sits, chatting with her friends after a long day of exams A man jumps onto the bus and pulls out a gun The last thing the girl remembers is the sound of three gunshots BANG, BANG, BANG Her name is Malala and she was fourteen years old Shot for no reason other than her desire to learn We will FIGHT until girls don’t live with fear of attending school We will FIGHT until education is a freedom, a right, an expectation for everyone† This is the first stanza of a piece of slam poetry my friend and I wrote and performed at our school’s rendition of TED Talks. Over lunch one day, we discovered we shared a common passion—an insistence on equality in all forms, feminism in particular. We will write a custom essay sample on Together for Change or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page We discussed the difficulty of combating social issues, but agreed that spreading awareness was one effective method. This casual exchange evolved into a project involving weeks of collaboration. We realized that together we could make a far greater impact than we ever could have individually, so we composed a ten-minute poem aimed at inspiring people to consider important issues. We began by drafting stanzas, simultaneously editing one another’s writing, and later progressed to memorization, practicing together until our alternating lines flowed and phrases spoken together were completely synchronized. The performance was both memorable and successful, but more importantly, this collaboration motivated us to move forward to establish the Equality Club at our school. Sophomore year, our club volunteered with organizations promoting gender equality, the highlight of the year helping at a marathon for recovering abuse victims. Junior year, we met with our head of school to conv ey our goals, outline plans and gain support for the coming year, in which we held fundraisers for refugees while educating students. This year we are collaborating with the Judicial Committee to reduce the escalating use of racial slurs at school stemming from a lack of awareness within the student body. From this experience, I learned that it is possible to reach so many more people when working together rather than apart. It also taught me that the most crucial aspect of collaborating is believing in the same cause; the details will come as long as there is a shared passion.

Intermediate Level Reading Comprehension

Intermediate Level Reading Comprehension The following intermediate level reading comprehension exercise focuses on the tourism industry, in particular on vocabulary related to accommodations. Valley View Camping Ground Many seasoned tourists find they dont like staying in hotels, and that they prefer to avoid large cities. Does this description fit you? If the answer is yes, The Mountain View Camping Ground is for you. Our camping grounds overlook the spectacular Hampson Valley. We rent tents, bungalows, and roulettes. If DIY yourself is your style bring your own tents or roulettes. All guests enjoy access to cooking facilities, bathrooms with bathing facilities, and a playground for the children. Our panoramic setting offers a wide variety of recreation activities as well as inspiring views of the mountains. Chisom, a quaint summer-resort village, is just 10 minutes by car. Take advantage of the many entertainments, shopping and relaxation opportunities including fitness centers, laundry/valet services, solariums and much more. Have lunch in one of the many restaurants and savor the tasty local cuisine. Mountain View Camping Ground offers fun, relaxation and opportunities for all types of outdoor activities. Call us today to find out how we can make your next holiday perfect. Key Vocabulary Bathing facilities- a place to take a shower or a bath and washBungalow- a small, detached type of accommodationCamping grounds- an area where people can use their tents, roulettes, etc. to campCuisine- style of cookingDIY- do it yourselfFitness centers- a place to get in shapeLaundry/Valet- a shop which will clean your clothesPlayground- a place where children can playQuaint- charmingRecreation- free time activityRoulette- a camperSeasoned tourist- a tourist who has traveled a lotTasty- very good foodTent- a portable enclosure made of cloth in which people can sleepTo avoid- to try to not do somethingTo fit someone- to be appropriate for someoneTo overlook- to have a view ofTo savor- to enjoy greatly Comprehension Quiz 1. What type of tourist is described at the beginning of the reading? A first-time touristAn old touristA tourist who has traveled a lot 2. The camping grounds overlook: A tall mountainAn area between mountainsA city center 3. What type of accommodation can you not bring with you? A rouletteA tentA bungalow 4. Who cooks dinner? The guestsThe chef at the camping ground restaurantDoesnt say 5. What does Valley View offer besides the inspiring views? Laundry/valet servicesA fitness centerRecreation activities 6. Where can tourists try the local cuisine? At Valley View Camping GroundIn ChisomIn a bungalow Comprehension Quiz Answers 1. What type of tourist is described at the beginning of the reading? ANSWER: A tourist who has traveled a lot 2. The camping grounds overlook: ANSWER: An area between mountains 3. What type of accommodation can you not bring with you? ANSWER: A bungalow 4. Who cooks dinner? ANSWER: The guests 5. What does Valley View offer besides the inspiring views? ANSWER: Recreation activities 6. Where can tourists try the local cuisine? ANSWER: In Chisom

Do Chagalls Depictions of David Reflect His Intense Religiosity Essay

Do Chagalls Depictions of David Reflect His Intense Religiosity - Essay Example Interestingly, David is one of the Biblical characters who are often depicted in Chagall's paintings. Throughout his works, Chagall was able to incorporate David's stories, as stated in the Jewish Bible, with his own interpretation of David. Chagall's understanding of David, which is influenced by his intense religiosity according to Friedman (1984, p.376), is shown by comparing the implications of his paintings to the Hebrew scripts. Hence, Chagall's depictions of David in his paintings, which is a juxtaposition of his own interpretation and David's stories in the Bible, reflect his own intense religiosity. Marc Chagall is an artist famous for his etchings which reflect interpretations of Biblical stories. He admitted the his viewing of the Bible was less as a religious text and more as an interpretation of the nature of humans and the divinity inherent in them as well as their flaws (Amishai-Meisels, 1996, p. 72). Also, he confessed that his artworks represent his effort in transmitting to canvas the echo of nature portrayed by the Bible. Hence, he chose to focus on the love the Bible tries to foster, rather than on the punitive aspect of it. The aim is to strive for that perfect love, forgiveness and mercy, without letting the retribution to be the focus of the stories. This view of Chagall... This is evident in his approach to his artworks, where he uses abstractive figures supporting a central subject. This type of painting originated from Jews (Saltman, 1981, p.44). However, the way he views the Bible is influenced by his Christian background. This can be seen in the implications of his paintings depicting stories of David, among other Biblical stories, which focuses on the themes of love and forgiveness while ignoring the themes of punishment and discipline. In this regard, the Christian influence is clear. Although the Jewish Bible is the same as the Old Testament of the Christian Bible, the emphasis on the Christian Bible represented by the New Testament is on love and forgiveness, which is amply demonstrated through Chagall's work. Chagall's painting "David and Bathsheba" depicts the affair which was shared by David and Bathsheba. The painting itself covers David's lust for a married woman named Bathsheba and this woman's conception of their child. In the Bible, the affair started when David sends for her and " she came to him, and he lay with her The woman conceived; and she sent and told David, 'I am pregnant'" (Holy Bible, 2 Samuel 11:4-5). Knowing that his act of adultery was sinful, he initially tries to cover it up by sending for her husband Uriah on the excuse of wanting news of the battle and then sending him home so that he may sleep with his wife and, therefore, claim the child as his own. When that fails, he engineers Uriah's death in order to marry Bathsheba. In doing so, he has fallen short of every standard set by God, and later God punishes him by refusing to cure the child conceived by Bathsheba, allowing it to die. The central subject of the painting "David and Bathsheba"

International strategic management ( answer the 2 exam questions) Essay

International strategic management ( answer the 2 exam questions) - Essay Example da Motor Company, it seems that the company had been following a â€Å"glocalisation† strategy since mid 1980s in order to internationalise its business segments giving more focus on local markets. However, the company has recently brought a strategic change in its global market operations, according to which the Honda sets up its own wholly owned subsidiaries across the globe. To illustrate, referring to Aylward (2003), Honda established its wholly owned subsidiary in India in 1999 under the name Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India and announced plans on cancelling the joint venture with its Indian partner Hero. This strategic change is supported by the performance comparison framework, which tells that stockholders expect more revenues as time goes by (Lecture note). In addition, the company has abandoned its traditional manufacturing policies, and adapted to a new manufacturing policy called ‘Lean manufacturing system’ by the end of the 20th century. The lean manu facturing strategy would produce maximum level of output with minimum level of inventory. Also, this strategy would avoid production waste. Strategic change approaches illustrate that a change process involves three phases including strategic planning, project management, and operationalistion. Today, governments worldwide encourage foreign direct investments as it is one of the best measures to promote economic growth. This trend is particularly seen in emerging economies like India and China. Since Honda is a globally recognised company and a potential employment provider, governments tend to welcome the organisation on the belief that Honda can add value to the nation’s industrial and economic status. In addition, since globalisation has eliminated cross border trade barriers, organisations enjoy easy access to foreign markets. At this juncture, the Honda management thinks that the strategic change would provide them with more operating freedom and innovation capabilities. While analysing the

Descriptive Statistics Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Descriptive Statistics - Case Study Example To this extent, there is not aspect of descriptive statistics that is missing since both measures of central tendency and spread are used in the study (Dellinger & Kresnow, 2010). The minorities who are included in the study are defined by their age. The study accommodated views of minors up to a minimal age of 5 years. This was based on the realization that a child of age 5 would be informed on how to wear and use a helmet when cycling. The demographic data to this effect is available in the study given that an estimated 1,725 (75%) of the children had ridden on a bicycle. Descriptive statistics is essential in this study as it allows for the summary of the data using techniques such as tables and graphical representations; thus, allowing for easy statistical commentary (Dellinger & Kresnow, 2010). The inferential statistics of the study are test of hypotheses in which the study’s hypothesis was that bicycle-related injuries among children between 5-14 years can be condensed by the usage of helmets. Subsequently, the study uses sample statistics as an inferential test to sample out a representative number of respondents for the study. This is done through the estimation of the parameters of the study. Standard t-tests are also used to examine the differences in behavior of children in wearing helmets. The p-values identified in the study are correspondent to the objectives of the study. At p

Class Consciousness in Workers in Nineteenth-century Europe

Class Consciousness in Workers in Nineteenth-century Europe Account for the emergence of class consciousness amongst workers in nineteenth-century Europe. INTRODUCTION The standard of living could account for the emergence of class consciousness amongst workers in nineteenth century Europe. More specifically the food that was needed but they didnt have enough of. Food was withheld from people due to food shortages. In Anthology document 5.13c French Minister of Interior to Louis XVIII, 1817 Laine puts the blame of food shortages to rain which spoilt the harvest. This has led to a lack of food for everyone. Anthology Document 5.13a, a Cornish letter, 1795. Which describes this food crisis saying that (CIT) Many farmers refuse to sell it in small quantities to the poor, which causes a great murmuring. This meant that it was increasingly more difficult to buy food to sustain them. Workers needed their daily bread to work and bread was an essential for a working family. With farmers refusing to sell food to the poor working families, it was becoming increasingly clear that there was a divide between people who could buy the food in large quantities and the poor. Also Document 5.13b, a letter Revd A.B Haden to the home secretary, 1800 who writes about the withholding of corn and that it is not right. (CIT) I have too high a respect for a British parliament even to suspect that it was ever intended that protection should extend to the withholding of corn. If the idea of farmers withholding food from certain types of people wasnt making it difficult enough for the workers in the nineteenth century, the price of food itself was. This made the workers self-aware of the divide between those who could and couldnt afford food. Anthology Document 5.13c tells us the rise in price of corn rose from (CIT) 28 francs 50 centimes to 31 francs 51 centimes. These living standards for workers and poorer families account for the emergence of class consciousness as people had begun to see a difference in living standards for workers and others. Revolution amongst workers can account for the emergence of class consciousness amongst workers in the nineteenth century Europe. There was many who were not happy with their current situation. And these people were in different social groups. Businessmen wanted to reduce the authority of the vestiges of feudalism. Peasants refused to pay tax. The biggest group was the workers whose revolution led to a class consciousness is workers. who saw themselves apart from the rest, and fought to protect their jobs from industrialisation, to improve the working conditions and to put them equally standing with their superiors. Anthology Document 5.17 Decrees of the French provisional government, 25 February 1848 is a result of workers revolution. They are public documents which promise workers (CIT) The right to work and that the Tuileries will serve as a hospital for workers injured in industry. These decrees came from the provisional government which was created after the revolutionary action brought about the abdication of the king. This revolutionary action taken by the workers suggests that it can account for the emergence of class consciousness amongst workers. They now see themselves apart from the rest of society and demand to have rights to things others already have. To illustrate this further Anthology Document 5.18 Manifesto of the Delegates of the Corporations to the workers of the department of the seine. In this they refer to the workers as (CIT) Producer. They argue that the producer is essential to society. With this, the workers are separating themselves from the rest of society, thus gaining class consciousness. They now saw themselves as separate, and important enough that they seemingly unknowingly formed into a separate class or group. Therefore, the emergence of a class consciousness in workers in nineteenth-century Europe was because of revolutionary action taken. Political print by influential individuals can account for the emergence of class consciousness amongst workers in nineteenth century Europe. Print was used to make workers more aware of a class divide. The first example of this encourages an awareness of a class divide, Anthology Document 5.16 The Communist Manifesto, 1848. Karl Marx wrote this. The aim of this manifesto is to (CIT) spell out the league principles based on the Scientific Socialism'. Scientific Socialism is a term to describe social-political-economic theory. The first mention of the development of a new class is where it states (CIT) It has established new classes, new conditions of oppression, new forms of struggle in place of the old ones. If a worker was to read this, it could prompt the emergence of class consciousness amongst workers. Someone is literally telling them that there is a new class. The manifesto then goes on to say (CIT) the place of manufacture was taken by the giant modern industry, the place of the industrial middle class, by industrial millionaires. This quote from the manifesto introduces what middle class is. They are the ones who own the factories and have all the money. Just reading this, workers start to have a class consciousness. That there is a huge political and economic difference between them. Therefore, political print such as The communist manifesto can account for the emergence of class consciousness amongst workers in nineteenth century Europe. Another important piece of print is Anthology Document 5.15 The prospectus for LArtisan, journal de la classe ouuriere, 1830. This was founded by printing workers and was essentially a newspaper to make people aware of what the working class was and how it was important to society. It states (CIT) the most numerous and the most useful class in society, without tradition, is the working class. The newspaper then goes on to promote the need for change for the working class. (CIT) to publish a special journal focussed o n their needs and interestsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ where they can expose their grievances and their complaints. With the spread of this type of political print, it can account for the emergence of class consciousness amongst workers in nineteenth century Europe. The workforce themselves and the unfair conditions which they worked in can also account for the emergence of class consciousness amongst workers in nineteenth century Europe. And the main example of this is women and children workers. The illustration (CIT) Figure 19.6 clearly shows the divide between the middle class man in charge of the factory workforce and the women and children doing the work. It is a true depiction of how factories ran. We know this as we can compare it to (CIT) Figure 19.7 a drawing of power loom weaving which shows a similar scene to the first illustration. It would be obvious to those factory workers that there was a difference in the workers and the foreman. Therefore, it could account for the emergence of class consciousness amongst workers in nineteenth century Europe. If this is not enough to spark the emergence of class consciousness, then the unfair working conditions might. Anthology Document 5.20, A Letter by Richard Oastler to the Leeds Mercury, 18 39 explains this in more detail (CIT) Thousands of little childrenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦are daily compelled to labour from six oclock in the morning to seven in the evening with only-Britons, blush while you read it! with only thirty minutes allowed for eating and recreation in this letter Oastler is trying to highlight the working conditions and it is not clear if he is intentionally encouraging a class consciousness but this could be the outcome of his letter to the Leeds mercury. This also links back to the earlier point of the use of print accounting for the emergence of class consciousness amongst workers in nineteenth century Europe. Print. Especially in the newspaper was very influential to those few workers who could read. Reading that every worker is going through the same thing would spur on revolutions and lead to the emergence of class consciousness amongst workers in nineteenth century Europe.

Free Narrative Essays - I Was Poor, Not Low Class :: Example Personal Narratives

I Was Poor, Not Low Class Remember as a child people would tell you, "You are what you eat." When you are fed fat, you will become fat. When fed violence, you become violent. A diet of anger will make you hate. Hunger will make you hungrier, or so it would seem. I think it is ironic that we teach children at a young age to judge people by means other than the content of their character. Then, we expect children to be honest and loving after being labeled by how others view them. After all, how many people, besides your closest friends and family, can walk into your room and point to items that give a reflection of who you really are? The thought of being that shallow and simple is unthinkable for most of the human species. Instead of being labeled by the world as it sees me, I plan to introduce myself to the world for who I really am. I have eaten from the plate of materialism, only to find that it tasted foul in my mouth. I bought the high-end stereo and the large television. I soon realized these possessions made me feel guilty because I was ignoring my upbringing. I was betraying all of the feelings that I felt as a child in a poor family. Now, my walls are bare because I do not like to surround myself with propaganda. The same propaganda advertisers flaunted in front of me while I was growing up in a lower income family, not lower class. The notion that the country's population is separated into classes by wealth, with the least wealthy deemed the lower class, is repulsive to me. I refuse to conform to the typical American consumer stereotype who needs material possessions to feel validated, ever again. My dorm room is highlighted by a loft I built myself. The loft was not purchased from a hardware store or from a designer catalog. I used my carpentry knowledge and my own two hands to carefully construct the perfect loft. The loft does not symbolize convenience or organization as most may think. It is a symbol of my incredible independence, even to a fault.

Elementary School-based HIV prevention education Essay

HIV-prevention is important if the global efforts to eradicate AIDS epidemic will be realistic. A school based programme is also essential as most school age children are adolescents and new HIV infection (incidence) is common among adolescents of school age and providing such with prevention education empowers them towards personal protection. Furthermore, it is important as school students are more eager to learn new information and the school is a veritable avenue to reach large population of young people (Wilson, 2010). There are two major packages involved in HIV prevention education in schools namely the abstinence and comprehensive packages. The abstinence package is limited in that it only emphasises benefits of delaying sex till marriage without emphasis on how to protect students if he or she chooses to have sex. The comprehensive approach promotes delayed sex initiation while it also educates on significance of condom use. There are various ways a teacher can add HIV education to health classroom curriculum. Consideration in adding HIV education to health classroom curriculum Adding an HIV prevention school curriculum demands a consideration of existing local guidelines and legislation that directs the type and scope of HIV prevention or sex education that can be given in that locality. The cultural consideration is also important as there are usually cultural differences regarding issues that can be compulsorily part of HIV prevention education, for instance, human sexuality. A sound awareness of prevailing cultural and religious beliefs allows HIV prevention education to sensitively, yet efficiently handle issues in such a manner that does not contradict or conflict the existing values of young school age learners. There is also need to consider state of students as some students in endemic areas are already infected with HIV and this will influence the approach adopted. Family life and sexuality of students is another issue. HIV prevention education should address individuals of all sexualities. Starting point The starting point is talking to the students and allowing them to ask questions. It is important to ask them what they expect from the programme and assess their present knowledge so as to know where to concentrate and where their present knowledge is limited. (Wilson, 2010). Cross curricular approach This ensures that it is not only the scientific basis of HIV transmission that is integrated into the curriculum but also the social aspect of HIV/AIDS . The curriculum should involve real life situation including AIDS awareness and not just biological and medical facts about HIV virus. Take for instance the biological knowledge of the disease will not assist the student to negotiate condom use and hence the need to discuss vital issues likes sexuality and drug use as well as relationships in the curriculum (Danny etal, 2009). Active learning approach This implies students are allowed to participate, involve and use the given information as well as apply them. Providing information about HIV prevention alone is not effective. Active participation can be via role play and group work . This allows for skill building such as how to say ‘No’ to Sex. Here, the teacher may explain how HIV is transmitted, the various signs and symptoms and how HIV is not transmitted. A medical specialist may also be invited to give health talk on the subject matter. The teacher may demonstrate these by showing pictures of those already infected, the various means of transmission and non-transmission. Films and posters of those infected can also be shown in class. Teachers also gives examples of high risk behaviour using charts and students are later asked to give examples (Danny etal, 2009). Active learning is a useful means of imparting young people and inculcating in them HIV prevention and social skills. Take for instance the teacher gives behavioural cards to students having divided them into groups of 5s and ask students to assign the behavioural cards to the corresponding risk sign and discuss just like the teacher had earlier explained . Active learning makes HIV prevention education to be fun and enjoyable. On a discussion of abstinence for instance, after the teacher might have defined the concept and the associated myths and facts, students then discuss why young people may want to have sex (Wilson, 2010) The use of quizzes, drama and AIDS games This allows for assessment of what students have learned and gives them opportunity to put into practice, the information given to them. In HIV prevention game, colored pebbles are given to students with more colours given to a student than the other and the students are subsequently asked to trade the colored pebbles with one another. At the end of the game, those with more of red pebbles are regarded as HIV infected and those with more of blue have used condom while those with more of yellow are regarded to have abstained. This whole exercise makes the process a fun and enjoyable. References Wilson, S. N (2010). Sexuality Education: Our Current Status, and an Agenda for 2010 Family Planning Perspectives Volume 32, Number 5, September/October 2000 Retrieved on August 20, 2010 from http://alanguttmacherinstitute. com/pubs/journals/3225200. html Danny etal (2009). AIDS/HIV Education for Preservice Elementary Teachers Journal of School Health Volume 60, Issue 6, pages 262–265, August 1990 Retrieved on August 20, 2010 from http://onlinelibrary. wiley. com/doi/10. 1111/j. 1746-1561. 1990. tb05930. x/abstract

Free Essays on Proclamation Line

Proclamation of 1763 The end of the French and Indian War in 1763 was a cause for great celebration in the colonies, for it removed several ominous barriers and opened up a host of new opportunities for the colonists. The French had effectively hemmed in the British settlers and had, from the perspective of the settlers, played the "Indians" against them. The first thing on the minds of colonists was the great western frontier that had opened to them when the French ceded that contested territory to the British. The royal proclamation of 1763 did much to dampen that celebration. The proclamation, in effect, closed off the frontier to colonial expansion. The King and his council presented the proclamation as a measure to calm the fears of the Indians, who felt that the colonists would drive them from their lands as they expanded westward. Many in the colonies felt that the object was to pen them in along the Atlantic seaboard where they would be easier to regulate. No doubt there was a large measure of tr uth in both of these positions. However the colonists could not help but feel a strong resentment when what they perceived to be their prize was snatched away from them. The proclamation provided that all lands west of the heads of all rivers which flowed into the Atlantic Ocean from the west or northwest were off-limits to the colonists. This excluded the rich Ohio Valley and all territory from the Ohio to the Mississippi rivers from settlement. The proclamation also established or defined four new colonies, three of them on the continent proper. Quebec, which was of course already well settled, two colonies to be called East Florida and West Florida- and off the continent, Grenada. These facts were established immediately, but most of the proclamation is devoted to the subject of Indians and Indian lands. It asserted that all of the Indian peoples were thereafter under the protection of the King. It required that all lands within t... Free Essays on Proclamation Line Free Essays on Proclamation Line Proclamation of 1763 The end of the French and Indian War in 1763 was a cause for great celebration in the colonies, for it removed several ominous barriers and opened up a host of new opportunities for the colonists. The French had effectively hemmed in the British settlers and had, from the perspective of the settlers, played the "Indians" against them. The first thing on the minds of colonists was the great western frontier that had opened to them when the French ceded that contested territory to the British. The royal proclamation of 1763 did much to dampen that celebration. The proclamation, in effect, closed off the frontier to colonial expansion. The King and his council presented the proclamation as a measure to calm the fears of the Indians, who felt that the colonists would drive them from their lands as they expanded westward. Many in the colonies felt that the object was to pen them in along the Atlantic seaboard where they would be easier to regulate. No doubt there was a large measure of tr uth in both of these positions. However the colonists could not help but feel a strong resentment when what they perceived to be their prize was snatched away from them. The proclamation provided that all lands west of the heads of all rivers which flowed into the Atlantic Ocean from the west or northwest were off-limits to the colonists. This excluded the rich Ohio Valley and all territory from the Ohio to the Mississippi rivers from settlement. The proclamation also established or defined four new colonies, three of them on the continent proper. Quebec, which was of course already well settled, two colonies to be called East Florida and West Florida- and off the continent, Grenada. These facts were established immediately, but most of the proclamation is devoted to the subject of Indians and Indian lands. It asserted that all of the Indian peoples were thereafter under the protection of the King. It required that all lands within t...

An Evaluation of the Use of the PRINCE2 Project Management Methodology

An Evaluation of the Use of the PRINCE2 Project Management Methodology Introduction PRINCE2 is an acronym standing for PRojects, IN Controlled Environments. It is a method that is used by project managers in managing projects. This method is commonly used by the UK government, although it is also used in other countries. It covers both the organization and management of a project. PRINCE2 can be defined as a method used by project managers to manage projects.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on An Evaluation of the Use of the PRINCE2 Project Management Methodology specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It helps them to decide who should be concerned with certain projects and what is expected of them, that is, the project team and its responsibilities. PRINCE2 gives a set of processes that should be adopted in a project and explains the kind of information that should be incorporated in a given project. Nonetheless, it is important to understand that the method does not perform any task and will never give an assurance of a project success. It just gives a guideline of what should or should not be involved in a project and leaves the project managers to make their own decisions. A triumphant project, that is, one that delivers quality results within the set budget and on time depends on the eminence of people who are concerned in its execution. This includes project board and the project team which does most of the work. Today, projects engross different groups of people including but not limited to the clients, contractors, and the users. The most important objective behind the use of PRINCE2 is to make sure that there is a universal language amongst the concerned parties. Customers and suppliers are brought together by contracts, whereas the project team and the project board are brought together by the responsibilities expected of them by the customers and or the users of the project. By using PRINCE2 project managers have been able to manage projects more easily and thi s ensures that the products that are delivered from the project are of the right quality. This paper looks at the history of PRINCE2 as a project management method, its relationship with project management and programme management, some of the advantages of using this method to the project managers, and the disadvantages. It also looks at the processes, components and techniques of PRINCE2. Brief History of PRINCE2 PRINCE2 was derived from PROMPTII and PRINCE project management method that was discovered in 1989 by the government of UK. It was discovered in 1996 as a more efficient management method than PROMP TII and since then, it has become a popular method and it is increasingly being used for managing project in the UK (Haughey 1).Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It has now become a common method used by project managers, not only in the UK but in 50 other co untries. The most recent version of PRINCE2 was released in 2009 by OGC, although the name did not change to PRINCE3 as it would have been expected, was an indication that the method is still faithful to its ideologies. However, it had been going through a series of revisions since 1996 in order to be compatible to the present global business environment. The major dissimilarity between PRINCE2:2009 and the previous version is that, the 2009 version entails the use of two instruction manuals; one for the management victorious projects and the other for directing projects. Pass mark has been increased to 55 per cent (for the practitioner assessment) but that of foundation examination stays. Further, the practitioner exam will not take 3 hours as it used to but 2 and a half hours (Haughey 5) Project Management The work of a project manager is to organize and control a project within an organization. To do this, he selects human resources who are competent enough to work on the project and it is his responsibility to supervise their work to ensure that it done timely and according to laid down standards. The project administrator proposes the project arrangements that spell out the task of the project as well as its duration. A client pays for the project whilst the user is the individual who employs the results of the project or rather one who the product impacts on. However, in some cases, the consumer and the client can be the same person and the person whose proficiency is being used on the project is known as a consultant. For the project to deliver the expected results, these people have to co-ordinate with each other. They have to ensure that, the project does to exceed the set budget, it is of the right quality and it is delivered on time. Each PRINCE2 must have a project panel composed of the client, the user (or his delegate), and the consultant or purveyor (Anon. â€Å"PRINCE2 methodology overview† 4). In PRINCE2, these people are known as the c lient, senior consumer, and the superior contractor. It remains the duty of the project manager to report to the project panel on the development of the project and any foreseeable challenges or predicaments. In return, the project board provides the project manager with appropriate decisions on how to handle the project and how to overcome any challenges that comes his way.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on An Evaluation of the Use of the PRINCE2 Project Management Methodology specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More PRINCE2 is a knowledge-based approach that covers a wide area in project management. It provides a process model composed of eight processes that act as a guide to a project manager in planning and managing projects. PRINCE2 project management method can be applied to a vast number of projects and in a wide range of intricacy. Moreover, the PRINCE2 instruction manual on the management of unbeaten projects gives a number of mechanisms that help a project manager in using the process model. One advantage of PRINCE2 is that, it helps to standardize the activities in an organization while allowing project managers to adopt a range of products using the same processes and terminology. The major constraint is that, it limits the level of creativity in the methods applied by managers in managing projects (Anon. â€Å"PRINCE2 methodology overview† 5). Programme Management Programme management involves managing groups of projects for a desired benefit. It involves structuring and controlling projects in a group so that they give effective results. Large and complex projects are normally broken down into small and inter-related projects for easy management. In doing this, one has to take into consideration, the time and the budget allocated to the specific projects. The importance of using PRINCE2 in programme management is that, it helps in grouping of projects according to their purpose an d urgency. Just like in project management, PRINCE2 assist programme managers in setting a procedure that has to be followed in seeing that all projects yield the expected results. It helps them to set the roles and responsibilities of the different people involved in programming and also give a guideline to be followed in supervising projects. Advantages of using PRINCE2 to both project managers and programme managers Risk Management Many people take about risk management but rarely do they do anything in connection to it. The major problem is that many people do not know whose responsibility it is to manage risk. PRINCE2 provides a solution to this since it defines the method of handling risk. The latest version PRINCE2:2009 which was released in June 2009 provides a strategy for managing risk.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This involves identification of risks, evaluation, and how to deal with identified risk within a project. It also gives an idea of who is accountable for carrying out the diverse roles implicated in risk management. It sets out the number and types of risks that an organization can be able to bear within a project. The first step in risk management is to identify the risks in a project; this can be done by following the approaches given in the new manual (Hinde, â€Å"Better Risk management with PRINCE2† 1). Some of these approaches are: reviewing critical issues from previous projects, conducting a risk brainstorming session, and establishing a structure for breaking down risks. A risk structure is a diagram that resembles an organization chart but it is divided into different ways, for instance by the use of the PESTEL analysis. Risks can also be identified by reviewing the different aspects of a project, such as percentage of approvals, issues raised regarding the project, defects captured in the projects, just to name but a few. After identifying the possible risks in a project, the next step is to assess the risk exposure. In this progression, each threat is measured in terms of percentage and the pecuniary impact it can generate in case it happen to occur. The fraction of incidence is multiplied by the pecuniary impact to arrive at the supposed value in case the risk takes place. By adding up the expected values of the all the expected risks, we get a monetary value that represent the risk exposure of the project in question. PRINCE2 recommends that, each risk should be recorded when they are expected to occur in order to give the proximity of the risk. It also suggests that the possibility and the impact of a risk ought to be put into consideration to establish whether this show a discrepancy over time. Apart from just considering when a risk may or may not occur, PRINCE2 considers the causes of risks. This gives a deeper analysis in identifying and assessing risks thereby providing a better approach to the process of risk management. Not all risks results in negative impacts; some risks are opportunities. According to PRINCE2, there are three approaches to an opportunity: exploitation of the opportunity by ensuring that it occurs, increasing its probability of occurrence, or rejecting the opportunity (Hinde, â€Å"Better Risk management with PRINCE2† 5). The responsibility of a project manager entails searching for more prospects that would make a project better, by making this a component of the process of managing risks; the project manager are in a position to recognize more risks Project Assurance Normally, the work of project assurance is to provide independent views on the progress of the project. In PRINCE2, the scrutiny of project reassurance is divided into three; client, organization, and the specialist. Project assurance is all about checking the progress of the project to ensure that it remains within th e budget and that it is cost effective, this is referred to as business assurance. User assurance entails examining whether the consumer’s requirements are being offered whilst specialist reassurance involves inspecting whether the project is offering the anticipated solution. In the majority projects, assurance is carried out by a self-regulating panel (referred to as the â€Å"project assurance team†), although in other assignments, it is the panel in the project board that carries out the assurance (Anon. â€Å"PRINCE2 methodology overview† 3). Project Support Projects involve a lot of administrative work, everyone has to be informed about the progress, meetings have to be arranged, plans have to be updated, and files have to be kept properly, among other activities. In small projects, the project managers do most of this work, but if the project is big, they delegate some of these duties to members of the project team. PRINCE2 recommends that a project suppo rt office should be set up to help the project manager carry out his duties effectively and also gives a guideline of how some of the responsibilities should be delegated to the project team members. Controlling Change PRINCE2 involves more than just describing and analyzing the responsibilities required of each member. It also explains how risk can be managed, how to achieve quality results, and how to control the project. Management of risk involves forecasting on the future and determining the problems that can be encountered in the process of the project and designing appropriate mechanisms to tackle such challenges. On the other hand, the management (quality) is all about probing the value of the work done through appraising or re-examining it (Office of Government Commerce 342). During the project’s life-cycle, many alterations take place, for instance, members from the team may well change their mind, the client or user possibly will change some of the given instructio ns, or other things may perhaps take place, which may possibly affect the value of the project. PRINCE2 has a unique technique that enables project managers to control the changes that may take place in the execution of a project in order to ensure that such changes do not impact the project negatively. Disadvantages At times, PRINCE2 is regarded as unsuitable and unproductive for small projects, because of the work implicated in preserving and generating documents, and lists. This time and again results in a misinterpretation of which parts of PRINCE2 should be useful. PRINCE2 does not take into consideration the size of the projects but assume all projects are the same and that they should follow the same procedure. However, this may be quite ineffective for small projects which have a smaller budget. Creating and maintaining some of the documents and lists is an expensive process which can not be done by the project manager alone. He has to hire an additional employee which may n ot be possible according to the budget. PRINCE2 provides many ideas for the management of projects. However, the quality approach can sometimes be entirely inappropriate because it redefines the original meaning of quality. According to the dictionary, the word quality means standard of excellence. On the other hand, PRINCE2 defines quality as something fit for the purpose, which it can be designed without taking into consideration the standards of excellence. This re-definition of quality creates a lot of controversies in the application of PRINCE2 to many project managers (Hinde, â€Å"Why PRINCE2’s approach to quality is flawed† 2). At the start of PRINCE2 project, the project manager agrees with the customer about the attributes to be created from the project, in other terms known as the acceptance criteria. After the products have been delivered to the customer, he will only sigh against them if they fulfil the acceptance criteria. However, this is under the assum ption that, the customer understands what they want, but in most cases, the do not. This is a problem in PRINCE2 projects which assumes that users know the quality of the products that they want. PRINCE2 defines a project according to its uniqueness and the more unique a project is, the harder it becomes to specify what is required of the end product. PRINCE2 Processes PRINCE2 process that was revised in 2009 takes place in almost 40 separate activities which are organized further into seven processes. This can be summarized in following chart. [from: aipm.com.au/resource/PRINCE2%20Overview%20-%20AIPM%20v1.pdf} Starting Up a Project The first process is the start up of a new project. A project team is appointed in this process, and the purpose of the project including the expected outcome is prepared. It is in this process that decisions regarding the approach to be adopted are made and the next process is discussed and planned for. After doing this, the project board authorizes th e stage that follows, that is, the initiation of the project. Key activities in the start up process include but not limited to selection of the project manager and a supervisory member, management panel selection, project brief preparation among others (Anon. â€Å"PRINCE2 processes, components, and techniques† 2). Initiation Stage Main activities involved in this stage include planning for a quality approach, planning for the project, redefining project brief into business case, creating project files, creating project controls, and bringing together a project instigation document. This process continues with the work instigated in the start-up stage and augments the brief into a business case. The executive, project manager, and project management team work together to define an approach for testing quality of the project with a general objective of controlling the entire project. This stage involves the creation of project files which act as a general plan for the entire project. The next stage is also created and all information resulting from this stage is forwarded to the project board for the purpose of authorization. Directing a Project The main activities in this stage include but not limited to authorization of project initiation, authorization of projects, authorization of a stage plan, giving of direction, and project closure conformation. In this process, the roles and responsibilities of the project board are stipulated; the main role of this board is to control the entire project. As seen earlier, it is the work of the project board to authorize the initiation stage as well as the project itself. The directing stage stipulates how the project board is supposed to approve a stage plan, and other plans that are designed to replace the stage plan due to unforeseen conditions (Murray 2). This stage also gives an overview of how the project board is expected to direct the project including the activities involved in closing down a project. Co ntrolling a Stage According to PRINCE2, projects should be divided into processes and sub-processes dictating how each phase ought to be monitored and controlled. This includes the method of authorizing and receiving work packages. It also explains how the progress of a project ought to be monitored and how major outcomes of the project ought to be reported to the board. The controlling stage also puts forward the technique to be espoused in capturing and gauging issues interrelated to the project and how counteractive action should be implemented. It suggests the method to be adopted in delivering project issues to the project board. The key activities in this stage include authorization of work packages, reviewing progress, investigating project issues, assessing the stage of the project, report major events to the board, taking remedial action, and rising project issues. Managing Stage Boundaries As seen above, the controlling process suggests what must be done in a given stage. On the other hand, the managing stage boundaries suggest what have to to be prepared when a stage is near completion. This phase also states what ought to be done if a stage is going through difficulties or of it has gone ahead of those levels that can be tolerated, and how the finishing point of the project have to be reported to the panel. The core actions in this phase include: bringing up to date the plan for a project, business case, and the risk record, setting up a stage, reporting the end of a project, and creation of elimination plan. Managing Product Delivery The purpose of this stage is to ensure that, there is co- ordination between the project team and the project manager. Main objectives are; To make certain that the project manager consents to the work of the group and that it is decided upon by the panel members To certify that the panel members, the project administrator, and suppliers comprehend the anticipated result, and that they are able to work within the set time limit, and cost to produce outstanding results (Watling 2) To ensure delivery of every products as per the project’s arrangement and within the financial plan To make sure that the project director is provided with truthful information on a habitual basis as regards to the development of the venture in order to deal with the expectations satisfactorily In summary, the core activities involved in this phase include: recognition, implementation, and work-package delivery. Closing a Project This comprises of the actions that have to be completed just before the end of a project. In this stage, the project is officially de-commissioned and resources distributed to other activities. Then the project is evaluated and follows on actions identified. The key activities in this stage include: project decommissioning, project evaluation, and identification of the follow-on actions (Watling 4). PRINCE2 techniques Quality Review The purpose of this technique is to ensure that, the products resulting from a project are of good standard, that is, they meet the quality criteria. More often than not, this is done in a quality reassess meeting in which inaccuracies in products are recognized. It is worth noting that the quality review meeting is not under any obligation to resolve the errors identified in products, its work is to bring the interested people together and to help the project team in addressing the identified issues (Anon. â€Å"PRINCE2 processes, components, and techniques† 3). Product Based Planning This technique defines a project according to the output and not its activities. Before a project is initiated, the project managers have to understand the products required by the users. This helps them in planning for the activities that should be incorporated in the project but it is not the activities that determine the end product (Murray 4). Change Control This technique gives a procedure on how to log and assess the impacts of a project, h ow to escalate issues to the board, and how to manage changes. PRINCE2 Components The components of PRINCE2 are given in the outer part of the chart below [From: aipm.com.au/resource/PRINCE2%20Overview%20-%20AIPM%20v1.pdf] PRINCE2 has eight main components, these are: Business case- This is a justification for a project Organization- This gives an overview of the roles and responsibilities of all the people involved in a project, this includes project managers, project team, and the project board. Plans- This gives a definition of products expected from a project, how work is shared and carried out among the parties involved. This includes; timescale of the project, budget, and when to make frequent reports to the project board (Anon. Managing and Directing Successful Projects with PRINCE2 3). Controls- This component gives an overview of the procedure to be followed by project managers and the board in controlling the activities of a project Management of risk- Every undertaking involves taking risks; this component explains the approach to be adopted in managing risks in a project. Quality in a project Environment- This explains how quality products are ensured within a project and how such products are delivered Configuration management- This gives an explanation how to identify and track the products of a project Change control- It is common for changes to occur in the process of execution of a project. Change control explains how such changes should to be managed to ensure that, the quality of the end products are not compromised. Conclusion PRINCE2 has made Project management easy since it contains well defined framework. It provides a clear procedure on how to coordinate activities and the project team members, how to plan for the project, how to supervise it, and how to handle the challenges that comes along the execution of the project. PRINCE2 defines all the processes involved in a project with specifications on key inputs, output, goals, and act ivities to be undertaken. This helps project managers to control any deviations that may occur in the plan. It also ensures that all available resources are controlled efficiently, projects are carried out in an organized manner and they are easily monitored in an organized way. PRINCE2 is a well structured method that is widely acknowledged and understood by many project managers who have done either the foundation or practitioner examinations. It provides a basis for communication where all participants are able to communicate in a common language. Major tasks and duties concerned in the managing of a project are illustrated without a doubt and are well-matched to the proficiency of a firm and the complexity of the project. PRINCE2 also helps project managers in indentifying risks, evaluating the risk exposures and how to exploit risks into opportunities. Many people just talk about risks but hardly do anything to mitigate them. Others think that it is not their responsibilities t o manage risks and just sit down and watch things go out of hand. According PRINCE2, it is the work of the project manager to manage risks although he can delegate the same to a member of the project team who he feels is in a position to do the work. This management method provides a guideline on how to indentify risks, assess them, or even turn them into opportunities. Management of risk involves forecasting on the future and determining the problems that can be encountered in the process of the project and designing appropriate mechanisms to tackle such challenges. Some of the major shortcomings of PRINCE2 are: it assumes all projects to be the same and does not give a separate procedure for smaller projects and also it re-defines the meaning of quality by assuming that users are knowledgeable of the quality of the products they are requesting for. PRINCE2 method involves different processes, components and techniques. The processes include: start-up of project, initiation stage, directing a project, and controlling a project. Some of the components are: plans, organization, controls, business case, and change control. It has only three techniques; quality control, product-based planning, and change control Anon. Managing and Directing Successful Projects with PRINCE2. Press release, June 2009. Web. best-management-practice.com/gempdf/PRINCE2_2009_Overview_Brochure_June2009.pdf. Anon. â€Å"PRINCE2 methodology overview.† ILX Group plc, 2010. Web. PRINCE2.com/prince2-structure.asp Anon. â€Å"PRINCE2 Processes, Components, and Techniques.† Aipm, 2010. Web. aipm.com.au/resource/PRINCE2%20Overview%20-%20AIPM%20v1.pdf Haughey, Duncan. â€Å"The History of PRINCE2.† Project Smart, 2010. Web.. projectsmart.co.uk/history-of-prince2.html Hinde, David. â€Å"Better Risk Management with PRINCE2.† Project Smart, 2010. Web.. projectsmart.co.uk/better-risk-management-with-prince2.html Hinde, David. â€Å"Why PRINCE2’s Approach to Qu ality is flawed.† Project Smart, 2010. Web.. projectsmart.co.uk/why-prince2s-approach-to-quality-is-flawed.html Murray, Andy. â€Å"Best Management Practice for Project, Programme, and Risk Management.† White paper, 2007. Web. best-management-practice.com/gempdf/PRINCE2_White_Paper_v3.pdf Office of Government Commerce. Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE2 (5th ed.). The Stationery Office, 2009. ISBN 978-0113310593. Watling, Shaun. â€Å"A Procedural Worksheet on PRINCE2 Project Management.† Project Smart, 2010. Web.. projectsmart.co.uk/procedural-worksheet-on-prince2-project-management.html

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