Obama Care Is A Controversial Issue - 1921 Words

Obama Care is a controversial issue, it is a health care policy, most people in the U.S disagree with the fact that they are forced to pay an insurance they may, or may not need. Obama Care should be an option to help others who do want insurance and can’t afford it to give them a boost letting them choose a more economic insurance, there should not be a penalty for this who do not want to purchase insurance. The United States is a world where you can choose what people want to be. The government is breaking into our lives forcing Americans to purchase insurance. Americans should not be forced to purchase something they do not wish, it should be freedom of choice and liberty to do with your money and life what you wish. â€Å"The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), informally referred as Obama Care, is a United States federal statue signed into by law by president Barak Obama on March 23, 2010†( Laxmaiah MAnchikanti,2012). Obama care assures they will provide insurance for everyone, with improvements in quality of and reduction in the cost of health care, opponents criticize it as being a massive bureaucracy laden with penalties and taxes that will ultimately eliminate personal medicine and individual practices (Laxmaiah Manchikanti, 2012). Based on these 2 years since 2010, the prognostics for interventional pain management is unclear. They may provide insurance for everyone but with cuts in Medicare to fund Obama Care. Practically limiting expansions on MedicaidShow MoreRelatedFilm Review of John Q1171 Words   |  5 PagesFilm Review: John Q Current Issues in Behavioral Health John Q is a film that addresses the highly controversial topic of health care; maximizing its focus on whether or not the quality of life is truly impacted by the quality of health care. Although this film was first released in 2002, the issue of quality health care seems to be more prominent today that it ever previously was. With the new health care system pending implementation, many individuals in today’s society wonder whether or notRead MoreBarack Obama s Presidency Of The Affordable Care Act891 Words   |  4 Pagesshould look back and ask the question, â€Å"Am I better off than I was four, or even eight years ago?† Although there are too many issues an administration faces in eight years to focus on all of them, one of President Obama’s most notable acts in his two terms in office is the passing of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), more commonly known as Obamacare. It remains a controversial law, and has already faced multiple repeal attempts, challenges in the Supreme Court, a presidential election, and continuesRead MoreA Peace Prize Award For Carrying Out1301 Words   |  6 PagesQuite a few popular, yet controversial candidates, like Barack Hussein Obama, have been presented a Nobel Peace Prize award for carrying out â€Å"peace† in especially contrasting and different ways. 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Organizational Knowles Management Practices -Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Organizational Knowles Management Practices? Answer: Introduction In a relatively small company, the role of HR is quite significant as growing nature of the company is depending on the efficient employees. There are some gap in communication noticed so managing employees in the right channel is also a concerning factor marketing organization. The roles and responsibilities of each employees needs to be declared and that is the reason performance management is introduced in that company (Van Dooren, Bouckaert Halligan, 2015). Performance management is not the way of appraisal of employees, though this section of this management section but most of the time motivates employees; implementing the innovative design to the company is the basic motive of this. Design of Performance management program The basic design that needs to be implemented for performance management is the 8-dimensional design of management. There are some influencing performance management opportunities for employees. The innovative designs like weekly performance roster and marking performance with rewards need to be implemented in this company so that better chances of development program will evolve. Performance scope of every employee will be same and deliver role and responsibilities to each employee so that they can do justice to their work (Buckingham Goodall, 2015). Efficiency is the first aspect needed by the organization and employees need to be enough efficient to deal with the organizational work (Aguinis, 2013). Monitoring is another aspect for leaders and managers. They monitor all the employees and want that employees enhance their level of performance for the development of the company. In case of a small organization, their market position is quite low and that is reasonably expected as well but in case of innovative performance evaluation better market position is expected from the organization (Pulakos et al., 2015). Properties is another aspect but as the company strength is so less, that they dont have that much of extra properties to make the vivid promotion of the company. The timing of the implementation is another prime perspective as innovative design needs to implement some time (Aguinis, 2013).The scope of better performance is another aspect that performance management can deliver for the development of the organization (Arn aboldi, Lapsley Steccolini, 2015). If there are ample amount of innovative scopes available still the company is not working over the condition then, there are lots of chances for the HR team to make use most of them and apply for the changes. Performance management cycle needs to be implemented in this kind of small-scale companies. Planning of weekly performance roster is the first thing that will be introduced in an organization. Technological systematic changes are also needed to configure for that reason. Innovative processes are not always productive for the organization. In that case, Monitoring the system and how people accounting to those new ideas are the important factors to concentrate on. Development of the factor and process the subordinates of that factor are also important (Aguinis, 2013). If there are any kind of situation happens then it is quite relevant to organize a training and development for employees. At the end of the entire process weekly rating system has been introduced, and due to training process better outcome can be expected from employees (Chowdhary et al., 2014). The rating system also determines the scale or pay band of employees and also showcase the innovative way of business work and the adopting quality of employees in the future understanding of them. The reward is the ultimate boost for employees as most of the employees looking for better products for their own monetary rewards provided by the organization (Gerrish, 2016). In most the cases, employees good performances are reflected through in companys production so performance management cycle needs to put over the company so that a productive result can be drawn and evaluation of performance engrossed through the matter. Time of implementation Performance Management Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Planning Monitoring Developing Rating Rewarding Authentication for program implementation There are some corporate authentications needed to implement new innovation in organization and there are some performance management systems also need to be introduced by the management. The employee recruitment plan and create a pool of employees is the first authorization that need to be taken from the HR manager of the company. Then only HR department can promote the advertisement that accumulates more efficient employees to come for the overall development of the organization (DeNisi Smith, 2014). A pool of employees will be selected at the initial level and then scrutinize those employees and narrow down the process to get the best employee for the organization. Authentication need from the positional head, supervisors, leaders, and managers and then interview process states the best employee through this process. Detail of new program For weekly roster system, detail planning needs to sense the new program in an effective way. A comprehensive process is needed for employee selection. A better planning is also required like merit program idea, that extracted the best employee for the organization. Providing reward and recognition to employees is another aspect of giving extra enthusiasm to do better work and for the better production employees do the same for the organization (Budworth, Latham Manroop, 2015). Monetary increment, gift cards, extra traveling allowances all these are facilities provided by this organization if production level has maintained by the employees. For the career development opportunities including transfer or job shadowing for staffs are the innovative way of learning the new concept in the organization and that somehow help in production. Steps to successful implementation Employees are doing their best to improve the position of the company but efficient employees are also needed in this organizations so the better communication and man-management can sustain in the organization and a better chance of productivity extracts through that process. There are certain steps needed to be followed: The evaluative test will be placed at the time of selection. Performance can be judged by the evaluation of every week. Better communication and interaction with employees is important. Performance can be measured by the effective production that employees invest in their organization (Aguinis, 2013). Employees need to make smart goals and try to fulfill that goal at the speculated time. Plan some innovative process that will take care of promotion of the company. In case of difficult systems, when employees do not understand the procedure to use the technology, then a special training class will be organized by the management so that improved quality and outcome can be extracted from employees (Jain Moreno, 2015). The process of reward and reorganization is a kind of mental boost that helps employees to motivate them for good works. These are the possible steps that needed to be taken by the organization for the development of performance management of the organization. Conclusion Therefore, it can be concluded that better performance and meeting strategic objectives are important for the development of the organization. Goals and objectives of the company are the main aspect and employees retention and the reviewing efficient employees is upgraded the performance of the management. Thus, it can be stated that planned functions and evaluative test at the time of interview will encourage better retention of employee and these employees are the asset of the team. References Aguinis, H. (2013). Performance management (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall Arnaboldi, M., Lapsley, I. and Steccolini, I., (2015). Performance management in the public sector: The ultimate challenge.Financial Accountability Management,31(1), pp.1-22. Buckingham, M. and Goodall, A., (2015). Reinventing performance management.Harvard Business Review,93(4), pp.40-50. Budworth, M.H., Latham, G.P. and Manroop, L., (2015). Looking forward to performance improvement: A field test of the feedforward interview for performance management.Human Resource Management,54(1), pp.45-54. Chowdhary, P.R., Pinel, F.A., Palpanas, T. and Chen, S.K., International Business Machines Corp, (2014).System and method for model-driven dashboard for business performance management. U.S. Patent 8,843,883. DeNisi, A. and Smith, C.E., (2014). Performance appraisal, performance management, and firm-level performance: A review, a proposed model, and new directions for future research.The Academy of Management Annals,8(1), pp.127-179. Gerrish, E., (2016). The Impact of Performance Management on Performance in Public operations: A Meta?Analysis.Public Administration Review,76(1), pp.48-66. Jain, A.K. and Moreno, A., (2015). Organizational learning, knowledge management practices and firms performance: an empirical study of a heavy engineering firm in India.The Learning Organization,22(1), pp.14-39. Pulakos, E.D., Hanson, R.M., Arad, S. and Moye, N., (2015). Performance management can be fixed: An on-the-job experiential learning approach for complex behavior change.Industrial and Organizational Psychology,8(1), pp.51-76. Van Dooren, W., Bouckaert, G. and Halligan, J., (2015).Performance management in the public sector. Routledge.

Balochistan Conflict - Essay free essay sample

The movement gained momentum during the 1960s, and amid consistent political disorder, the government ordered a military operation into the region in 1973, assisted by Iran, and inflicted heavy casualties on the separatists. The movement was largely quelled after the imposition of martial law in 1977, after which Baluchistan witnessed significant development. After insurgency groups again mushroomed in the 1990s and 2000s, the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan and the war in North-West Pakistan exacerbated the conflict, most recently manifested in the killings of non-Baloch settlers in the province by separatists since 2006. Background:- 1. First conflict 1948 (led by Prince Abdul Karim Khan) In April 1948, Baloch nationalists claim that the central government sent the Pakistan army, which allegedly forced Mir Ahmed Yar Khan to give up his state, Kalat. Kalat was a landlocked British protectorate that comprised roughly 22%–23% of Baluchistan. Mir Ahmed Yar Khan signed an accession agreement ending Kalats de facto independence. His brother, Prince Abdul Karim Khan, was a powerful governor of a section of Kalat, a position that he was removed from after accession. We will write a custom essay sample on Balochistan Conflict Essay or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page He decided to initiate an insurgency against Pakistan. On the night of May 16, 1948 Prince Abdul Karim Khan initiated a separatist movement against the Pakistani government. He conducted guerrilla warfare based in Afghanistan against the Pakistan army. 2. Second conflict 1958–59 (led by Nawab Nowroz Khan) Nawab Nowroz Khan took up arms in resistance to the One Unit policy, which decreased government represenation for tribal leaders. He and his followers started a guerrilla war against Pakistan. Nowroz Khan and his followers were charged with treason and arrested and confined in Hyderabad jail. Five of his family members (sons and nephews) were subsequently hanged under charges of aiding murder of Pakistani troops and treason. Nawab Nowroz Khan later died in captivity. 3. Third conflict 1963–69 (led by Nawab Khair Baksh Marri) After the second conflict, the Federal government sent the Army to build new military bases in the key conflict areas of Baluchistan in order to resist further chaos. Nawab Khair Baksh marri appointed an unknow shero marri to lead like-minded militants in guerrilla warfare by creating their own insurgent bases spread out over 45,000 miles (72,000 km) of land, from the Mengal tribal area in the south to the Marri and Bugti tribal areas in the north. Their goal was to force Pakistan to share revenue generated from the Sui gas fields with the tribal leaders. The insurgents bombed railway tracks and ambushed convoys. The Army retaliated by destroying vast areas of the Marri tribes land. This insurgency ended in 1969 and the Baloch separatists agreed to a ceasefire. Yahya Khan abolished the One Unit policy. This eventually led to the recognition of Baluchistan as the fourth province of West Pakistan (present-day Pakistan) in 1970, containing all the Baluchistani princely states, the High Commissioners Province and Gwadar, an 800 km2 coastal area purchased by the Pakistani Government from Oman. 4. Fourth conflict 1973–77 (led by Nawab Khair Baksh Marri) Citing treason, President Bhutto dismissed the provincial governments of Baluchistan and NWFP and imposed martial law in those provinces. Dismissal of the provincial governments led to armed insurgency. Khair Bakhsh Marri formed the Baluchistan People’s Liberation Front (BPLF), which led large numbers of Marri and Mengal tribesmen into guerrilla warfare against the central government. According to some authors, the Pakistani military lost 300 to 400 soldiers during the conflict with the Balochi separatists, while between 7,300 and 9,000 Balochi militants and civilians were killed. 5. Fifth conflict 2004 – to date (led by Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti and Mir Balach Marri) In 2005, the Baluch political leaders Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti and Mir Balach Marri presented a 15-point agenda to the Pakistan government. Their stated demands included greater control of the provinces resources and a Moratorium on the construction of military bases. On 15 December 2005, Inspector-General of Frontier Corps Maj Gen Shujaat Zamir Dar and his deputy Brig Salim Nawaz (the current IGFC) were wounded after shots were fired at their helicopter in Baluchistan province. The provincial interior secretary later said that both of them were wounded in the leg but both are in stable condition. The two men had been visiting Kohlu, about 220 km (135 miles) south-east of Quetta, when their aircraft came under fire. The helicopter landed safely. In August 2006, Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, 79 years old, was killed in fighting with the Pakistan Army in which at least 60 Pakistani soldiers and 7 officers were killed. He was charged by Pakistans government of a series of bomb blasts, killings of the people he professed to protect and the rocket attack on the President Pervez Musharraf. In April 2009, Baloch National Movement president Ghulam Mohammed Baloch and two other nationalist leaders (Lala Munir and Sher Muhammad), were seized from a small legal office and were allegedly handcuffed, blindfolded and hustled into a waiting pickup truck which is in still use of intelligence forces in front of their lawyer and neighboring shopkeepers. The gunmen were allegedly speaking in Persian (a national language of neighboring Afghanistan and Iran) Five days later on April 8 their bodies, riddled with bullets were found in a commercial area. The BLA claims Pakistani forces were behind the killings, though international experts have deemed it odd that the Pakistani forces would be careless enough to allow the bodies to be found so easily and light Baluchistan on fire (Herald) if they were truly responsible. The discovery of the bodies sparked â€Å"rioting and weeks of strikes, demonstrations and civil resistance in cities and towns around Baluchistan. On August 12, 2009, Khan of Kalat Mir Suleiman Dawood declared himself ruler of Baluchistan and formally made announcement of a Council for Independent Baluchistan. The Councils claimed domain includes Baloch of Iran, as well as Pakistani Baluchistan, but does not include Afghani Baloch regions,and the Council contains all separatist leaders including Nawabzada Bramdagh Bugti. He claims that the UK had a moral responsibility to raise the issue of Baluchistan’s illegal occupation at international level. Alleged Foreign Support for Baluch rebels Pakistan has repeatedly accused India, and occasionally the U. S. , of supporting the Baluch rebels in order to destabilize the country. India has however categorically denied the allegations on its part, stating that no concrete evidence has been provided. The facts are controversial, but Pakistan still continues to insist. Iran has repeatedly accused America of supporting Jundullah. After his capture, Jundullah leader Abdulmalek Rigi confirmed these allegations. The US has however denied this. However, neutral observers have repeatedly noted that the Baloch nationalist groups are poorly-trained in military tactics and strategy, and are currently outgunned by the Pakistani state. The groups are mainly armed with small non-automatic weapons and AK-47s, which are widely available in Pakistan, and they currently are not skilled at using Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), which is seen as strong circumstantial evidence that they are not supported by outside powers, contrary to the repeated statements of the Pakistani state. Baluchi rebels in Pakistan are said to receive major support from the Taliban in Afghanistan. In the 1980s the CIA, the Iraqi Intelligence Service, Pakistani Sunni extremist group Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan and the Mujahedin e-Kalq all supported a Baluchi tribal uprising against Iran. Pakistan has also accused India of giving citizenship to senior Balouch SeparatistSelig S. Harrison of the George Soros funded Center for International Policy has been calling for dividing Pakistan and supporting an independent Baluch province as a means to thwart growing relations between Islamabad and Beijing, as Pakistan has given China a base at Gwadar. These views have been separately promoted by Ralph Peters, an zionist strategic affairs analyst and former U. S. Army officer, and an expert on the Middle East and the Islamic world. Projects in Baluchistan Saindak Copper Gold Project: Saindak Copper-Gold Mine is located in Saindak town, district Chaghi Baluchistan, Pakistan. The discovery of copper deposits at Saindak was made in the 1970s in collaboration with a Chinese engineering firm. The Saindak Copper-Gold Project was set up by Saindak Metals Ltd, a company wholly owned by the government of Pakistan, by the end of 1995 at a cost of Rs. 13. 5 billion. Pakistan and China signed a formal contract worth $350 million for development of Saindak Copper-Gold Project. The court must now haul up senior officers of the FC to explain the role it is playing in Baluchistan. However, the Supreme Court alone cannot solve Baluchistan’s problems. The utter lack of confidence the Baloch have in the army and the federal government requires much greater action. Separatist sentiment is now running deep in the province and the provincial government lacks legitimacy because most political figures have boycotted mainstream politics. Bringing them back into the fold should be an immediate priority. This would require the army to recede and take a low profile, and an accounting of all those who went missing in the province. Following that, a far greater share in the spoils of Baluchistan’s economic development needs to be given to locals. From the development of a deep-sea port in Gwadar to royalties in mining projects, the Baloch feel they have been deliberately cheated out of profits from their resources. Only after this is rectified, will the separatist parties begin to tone down their

Free Essays on Beloved Red Dress

Beloved red dress Memories are a fragile thing, if you don’t grasp on to them they can be lost forever. For the past two weeks I have been packing my things and preparing to move. The house is sold, the boxes are full, and the truck has arrived. It was moving day. Upon arrival at the new house I was amazed by the amount of dust that had built up on the box tops over the past few days. It seemed like there was dust and dirt everywhere, the more I tried to clean; the more the dirt accumulated. It was the strangest thing I had ever seen. Between all the dusting, unpacking, family, school, and work I was overwhelmed. Slowly but surly the once tight string that held my sanity together began to unravel. I decided to go take a brake to gather myself back together. While resting in the living room I noticed a box in the corner that looked a little out of place. I can’t put my finger on what exactly looked out of place, but I felt the need to open the box. Inside the box, on top of some old books, was my beloved red dress. Instantly I was taken back to the last time I had worn it. September 27, 2004, it was the night Dusten proposed to me. That night was the single most wonderful night of my life to date. I remember it like it was yesterday. Dusten made reservations at the Bistro; it was our favorite restaurant in Astoria, OR. The catch however, was that he reserved the entire restaurant, so we had it all to ourselves. The smell of garlic, fresh bread, and honey over powered the sweet candy like smell of the flower arrangement he had given me. After the meal all you could smell was the hundred or so vanilla candles that lit the room giving off the most romantic glow. All these smells somehow seemed comforting and relaxing. Even the smell of the wine was delightful. I wish Glade made a plug-in scent of those perfect smells. The harmonious mixture of scents could keep my heart beating for all eternity. I remember looking deep into... Free Essays on Beloved Red Dress Free Essays on Beloved Red Dress Beloved red dress Memories are a fragile thing, if you don’t grasp on to them they can be lost forever. For the past two weeks I have been packing my things and preparing to move. The house is sold, the boxes are full, and the truck has arrived. It was moving day. Upon arrival at the new house I was amazed by the amount of dust that had built up on the box tops over the past few days. It seemed like there was dust and dirt everywhere, the more I tried to clean; the more the dirt accumulated. It was the strangest thing I had ever seen. Between all the dusting, unpacking, family, school, and work I was overwhelmed. Slowly but surly the once tight string that held my sanity together began to unravel. I decided to go take a brake to gather myself back together. While resting in the living room I noticed a box in the corner that looked a little out of place. I can’t put my finger on what exactly looked out of place, but I felt the need to open the box. Inside the box, on top of some old books, was my beloved red dress. Instantly I was taken back to the last time I had worn it. September 27, 2004, it was the night Dusten proposed to me. That night was the single most wonderful night of my life to date. I remember it like it was yesterday. Dusten made reservations at the Bistro; it was our favorite restaurant in Astoria, OR. The catch however, was that he reserved the entire restaurant, so we had it all to ourselves. The smell of garlic, fresh bread, and honey over powered the sweet candy like smell of the flower arrangement he had given me. After the meal all you could smell was the hundred or so vanilla candles that lit the room giving off the most romantic glow. All these smells somehow seemed comforting and relaxing. Even the smell of the wine was delightful. I wish Glade made a plug-in scent of those perfect smells. The harmonious mixture of scents could keep my heart beating for all eternity. I remember looking deep into...

Ethical products Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Ethical products - Case Study Example Slave trade was a trade too; it took a long struggle to fight slave trade which is still yet to be completely eliminated from the word according to the United Nations report. During the last century blacks from Africa were considered to sub human beings in the American society. In the recent there have been reports of industries releasing their waste into the rivers. Reports about nuclear waste dumping in the wrong areas have been rampant in the media especially in the last decade. From 1950s up 1970s the United States federal government was burying nuclear waste plutonium in Idaho. According to National Geographic News April 12, 2002, Snake River aquifer may be leached into by the buried plutonium waste. Snake river which is about 25000 square kilometers provides dirking and irrigation water for large population (Mayell, 2002). The diamond trade in Liberia that later turned out to be called the bloody diamonds because of fueling the civil war in Liberia and Sierra Leone during the last decade. The late Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo - DRC) was a darling of the west because of the resources that were plenty in the Great Lakes region. One component of fair trade is corporate social responsibility also called corporate citizen ship where the interests of the society take the first place by the organization taking responsibility for the impact of activities by the company or organization. on communities , customers, employees or suppliers. One of the biggest companies that has hit headlines on corporate social responsibility is the Microsoft company with the Melinda and Bill Gates foundation. The foundations' global development program has been trying to assist people get out of poverty and hunger by creating opportunities for them in Agriculture, helping small farmers to improve crop production and market access. They have been working with partners to help the poor societies get access to financial services, which are only available to only a few in African societies. While recognizing internet and computers as drivers of economic and social progress, the foundation has assisted with access to these tools and pro fessional skills, search for work, conduct business on-line, access government services and exchange ideas with others (Melinda & Bill Gates Foundation, 2008). Other areas where the banded ethical products are Not geared toward social exclusion but inclusion are the global health program of the Melinda and Bill Gates foundation whose mission is to encourage the development of life saving medical services and help in access the existing vaccines against the common deceases in developing countries. By assisting in research toward the development of drugs against malaria, tuberculoses and HIV amongst others, it shows a sure sign that it is committed to improving the quality of life for the marginalized societies and the grater society as well. It is through the development of the ethical products such as the fair trade that the organizations for preventing the exploitation of the producers for commodities like coffee emerged. A system that allowed people recognize the products that certain standards (labor or environmental) put by an independent body which issues certifications. In the United States it called Fairtrade certification. It sets

Discuss the ways the poet develops the character Phoenix. Pay Essay

Discuss the ways the poet develops the character Phoenix. Pay particular attention to the devices the poet uses in character dev - Essay Example Although Phoenix is never discussed in the epic â€Å"Iliad† save for that time when an embassy is sent to Achilles to urge him to fight along with Agamemnon’s armies against the Trojans, his character serves as a brief yet insightful look into the great warrior Achilles’ disposition, not as a warrior this time, but as a human being with a past, a future, and a present. Phoenix’s speech is filled with the Greek â€Å"eleos† or what can be termed in English as â€Å"compassionate grief† --- an emotion that does not go well for a great warrior such as Achilles. Homer shows Phoenix as appealing more towards his father-and-son relationship with Achilles, which is a refreshing characteristic amidst this story filled with greatness and lack of the â€Å"softer† emotions of the great warriors. Phoenix says: â€Å"And I made you what you are --- strong as the gods, Achilles --- / I loved you from the heart† (9.587-8), and â€Å"Oh I ha d my share of troubles for you, Achilles†¦ / great godlike Achilles --- I made you my son, I tried,† (9.595-9).

Challenges for Construction Project Planning

Challenges for Construction Project Planning 2.1 Introduction This chapter will review the literature which has been used for this dissertation. A number of important aspects will be covered , including an overview of Construction Planning as well as determining what challenges are faced on a daily basis by construction planners. This chapter will also review research relating to Planning techniques used and software packages available within the Construction industry. 2.2 Construction Project Planning Project Management can be seen as the application of tools and techniques utilised to guide the use of resources towards achieving a n intricate task within the const raint s of time, cost and quality. From conception to completion, a mixture of these tools techniques is necessary to fit the task environment and project life cycle. The British Standard for project management (BS6079 1996) defined project management as, â€Å"The planning, monitoring and control of all aspects of a project and the motivation of all those involved in it to achieve the project objectives on time and to the specified cost, quality and performance.† The UK association of Project Management (APM) have produced a UK body of knowledge UK (BoK) which also provides a definition for project management as â€Å"The planning, organisation, monitoring and control of all aspects of a project and the motivation of all involved to achieve the project objectives safely and within agreed time, cost and performance criteria. The project manager is the single point of responsibility for achieving this.† Project Management as we know today has evolved in order to plan, coordinate and control the complex and diverse activities of modern industrial, commercial and management change projects. (Lock 2007) To allow for effective planning and control of projects, a requirement for systematic and logical methods should be applied along with proven techniques, thus ensuring a successful project outcome for all concerned parties, particularly the client. Without planning it is difficult to envisage the successful conclusion of any project or the effective control of time, money or resources. Planning is also essential in order to deal with construction risks and devise safe working methods. (Cooke 2008) Project Planning is defined as the establishment of a set of directions in sufficient detail to tell the project team exactly what must be done, when it must be done and what resources to use in order to produce the deliverables of the project successfully. (Zwikael 2008). Construction planning is an essential and challenging activity in the management and implementation of construction projects. It occupies the choice of technology, the description of work tasks, the estimation of the necessary resources and durations for individual tasks, and the identification of any interactions among the different work tasks. Hendrickson (1998) believes a good construction plan is the basis for developing the budget and the schedule for work. It is therefore common to adopt a conspicuous importance on either cost control or on schedule control as illustrated in Figure 2.1. Walker (2007) considers that by having a project schedule to work to and sticking to it, you will well be on your way to delivering successful projects. This would be dependant on effective communic ation and efficiency at all stages of the project and with an aim to reducing risk, time and cost. 2.3 The Construction Planner Construction project planning is receiving growing attention as the limitations of formal deterministic planning are becoming more widely recognised. (Winch, Kelsey 2004). There is growing concern over the failure of construction planning to achieve its goals in spite of the considerable resources allocated to it. Deficient planning techniques are commonly blamed for this state. (Laufer, Tucker, 1987) There has been considerable debate over the last decade or so on the effectiveness of construction project planning. However, there is remarkably little research into what construction project planners actually do. Laufer and Tucker provide a critique of construction planning. They protest that:- the planning and evaluation of planning processes are non-existent there is over-emphasis on critical path methods planners lack construction experience planners have poor information gathering methods planning is control-oriented instead of action-oriented Plans are been poorly presented with overly-complex information. In a subsequent paper (1994) Laufer and his colleagues look at the definition and allocation of planning work. They found that there was no clear system at work and planning was done in a multiplicity of ways. They call for the process to be properly co-ordinated by a single individual who will own the planning process and improve communication. Winch and Kelsey (2005) believe the specialist planner has the time to do the work but incomplete practical knowledge. The line manager has the practical knowledge but does not have the quality time to carry out the task. The specialist planner has better strategic decision-making skills than the short-term decision-making focus of the line manager. They then go on to say â€Å"Line managers see the delegation of key decision-making to another as a threat to their position†. These problems are confirmed in Laufer (1992) wider project management study and can result in: The planner preparing a plan which has incomplete information and in-adequate decision making authority. The line manager treating such plans as merely an irrelevant forecast prepared by another. Allen Smallwood (2008) believe Construction planners and the role they perform are little understood both within the construction industry and the wider environment where construction has a daily impact. Planning occupies a central position in the functions of the manager. His responsibilities may vary with organisational philosophy and contingency but planning invariably remains an essential ingredient of his duties. (Steiner, 1979). Much Research and Development effort has been made during the last three decades but progress with techniques has not removed the dissatisfaction with the application and results of construction planning (Choudhury 1981, Mason 1984, Morton 1983). Effective construction planning demands that it is carried out by competent and experienced personnel. While the estimator must remain in charge or pricing the work, most contracts, today, are too complex for the estimator to handle the technical content of pre-tender appraisal. It is here that the construction planner has a major function. 2.4 Planning Techniques Most planning techniques aim to express the work to be done, to a time-scale; some also include resources, and perhaps cost and value. In simple terms, they intend to help control time and cost. The other major factor in project control, quality, is controlled by its own family of control techniques; and quality is related to time and cost through the skill and judgement of the project management team. Neale (1989) believes the major components of planning techniques are: Activities: literally, being busy, expending energy, consuming resources, taking time; in construction planning, this means a job to be done; for example preparing a drawing, an order to be places, a hole to be dug, bricks to be laid in a wall, a flow of water to be diverted. Activity durations: the time required for the completion of each activity Project time-scale: the time structure of the project; it is usual to give each week in the project a number (this makes calculation easier), and these then have to be related to calendar dates, holidays, etc. Event: an occurrence at a specific point in time; for example, the granting of planning consent, of the start or end of a traffic diversion. Work method: the plan must be expressed in some logical way, indicating the sequence of operations, and which activities and events are interrelated; this may be implicit (as with bar charts) or exlicit (in network analysis, where work method is usually called logic.) Resources: often called the four Ms (men, machines, materials and money) but can include overheads (for example, site accommodation), and even such essentials as managerial skill. Costs: what the work has or will cost, often derived directly from the unit costs of the individual resources. Value: what has or can be earned by payment for work done derived from the bill of quantities, the estimate or an internal budget. The calculation of value-to-date can be used as an overall measure of project progress. 2.5 Four techniques are often used in construction planning Bar charts, Network analysis, Line-of-balance Linear programmes. 2.5.1 The bar chart/ Gantt Chart Drafting of a bar chart is popular because it produces results which are easy to understand and not too searching of the planner. Its use is limited to planning straightforward work with simple relationships between the activities. This graphical technique still forms the foundation for most resource scheduling. Its major drawback is that even minor deviations from it require extensive redrafting as a result making it more difficult to having to hand a contemporaneous bar chart that is a reliable indicator of future events. The main features of the bar chart are as follows: The activities are listed on the vertical axis Time is shown on the horizontal axis. This may be an appropriate time unit, such as months or days. Each bar is divided horizontally into two, with the top half representing when the activity is planned to take place, and the bottom shared in, as proportions of the activity are completed. A vertical movable marker line indicates the current time, thus enabling the observer to note if any activities are behind programme, and to what extent. Refer to Figure 2.2 for additional information. The format of the bar chart presumes that the end user (client) can involve the same judgment that was in the mind of the planner when he was compiling it. In highly repetitive or simple work it can be implied that the users will better understand the thought process of the planner. However as project complexity increases the user’s ability to monitor the project in relation to the programme is reduced unless it is understood: What work is important to progress? Of the activities currently behind programme what, if any, effect do they have on overall progress? On the contrary, if most of the actual work is ahead of programme, does this mean that the current prediction is that the project will be complete in advance of the targeted completion date? The answer is definitely not an automatic yes. To provide an informed response, an understanding of the relationships between programme activities is crucial. Neale (1989) consider these deceivingly simple questions contradict issues which are at the heart of many construction disputes, namely considerations for extension of time. 2.5.2 Network Analysis Unlike a bar chart, activities are not shown on an axis of time. What the network portrays is the logical relationship between activities. Network analysis is a powerful, logical and analytical technique. It is most effective when used for complicated projects, especially those with external constraints and complex interrelationships. The technique is based on drawing the logical relationships between construction operations, and from an analysis of the relative durations, establishing which operations have the most crucial effect on the project duration. It can be drawn in a number of ways, the most well-known in the UK being the arrow diagram. The technique is sometimes known as the critical path method (CPM), and critical path analysis (CPA). A version which incorporates a statistical method for calculating the probability that a project will be completed on a specific date is called the programme evaluation and review technique. (PERT) The identification of a â€Å"critical path† focuses the attention of the individuals managing the project and highlights to clients and their advisors the tasks that require to be particularly well managed with regard to time. The duration of critical path represents the shortest duration in which the project can be completed. Delays to activities on the critical path transmit directly through to extend the project completion date. This provides advanced warning of the pending delay to completion and enables the contractor (or employer) to invoke recovery action at a useful point in time rather than waiting until it is manifestly obvious that the completion date is threatened. If the employer or his Architect/Engineer (A/E) instructs additional work which affects the activities on the critical path then the contractor has grounds for a claim for an extension of time. The term critical path is widely used in the construction industry; what is not fully appreciated is how easily the critical path can change. Network analysis has a good and inclusive logical basis, lends itself easily to computer processing, and can be used as an effective control tool. These exceptional characteristics are also known to be its principal weakness as it is easier for the planner to be drawn into a level of planning and analysis that is much to detailed and advanced for most construction projects. 2.5.3 Line of Balance Line of balance is a specialised technique used for repetitive work. It derived from the manufacturing industry and has been found to be effective in planning work truly repetitive. Examples of success applications include planning the construction of identical floors in high rise construction, and large housing developments. Line of balance has been found to be difficult to use on projects which have a high demand for trades or operations to construct each identical unit. The problems arise not from the technique itself, but from the difficult of showing all the information on one chart, particularly when using the technique to monitor progress. When used to plan, it can be an excellent means of relating resources, activity durations and the general pace of work on site. Neale (1989). Illingworth (1993) considers the line of balance approach has largely fallen out of use in today’s industry due to the fact it was designed primarily for housing and did not readily provide clear visual appreciation of the situation at a glance. 2.5.4 Linear Programme (or time-chainage chart) Linear programming is a specialised technique for linear work. This is a basic tool of UK road contractors. Other successful applications include the construction of a large canal in a developing country, and it is especially useful in tunnelling. Illingworth (1993). Similar to line of balance, this is a simple two- dimensional graphical technique and can show clearly only a limited amount of information and limited degree of complexity. Figure 2.6 – Linear Programme (Neale 1989) Linear Programme Activities (Neale 1989) 2.6 Which technique? The experienced planner in construction needs to be aware of the techniques available, together with the value of each, both in the planning analysis role and how then can be applied to give effective control and communication to management on site. Illingworth (1993). Like any other professional, the planner has to select the right tool for the job. To make the correct decision, it is therefore a requirement to examine what is wanted in a particular situation programme. Illingworth (1993) believes the main points of this choice are as follows: Does the method aid initial analysis of the situation and especially in establishing the best sequence of events? Are deficiencies in progress shown up as the work proceeds? Can visiting management obtain and immediate view of the contract situation on arrival on site? With the preponderance of subcontractors on site today, does the programme method give assistance in cash flow control? According to Illingworth, from these questions it is unlikely to be the answer to all desires. Therefore it is said to be better to consider the situation in two stages – tender planning on the one hand and the operational planning after the contract has been won, on the other. 2.7 Planning Practice In order to explore further the reality of construction project planning semi-structured interviews were conducted between July and December 2000 with 18 experienced planners from five leading UK construction firms. Most of the planners interviewed were currently involved in planning at the tender stage including assembly and presentation of the tender documentation. About half of those were also involved at the tender/ pre-construction stage. Only a few were further involved during the site works. (Refer to figure 2.7). Generally, although a number of the interviewed planners had on-site experience the typical pattern is that a planner works either at the pre-tender, pre-execution stages or on site but not simultaneously. The exceptions tend to be where planners work for some time on a single large project. In such cases it may make sense (from the employer’s point of view) for their work to carry on to the execution stage. 2.8 Programming Considerations at the Tender Stage Upon receipt of tender documentation, the contractor will appoint human resources tasked with compiling a tender submission based upon the tender enquiry. One of the main individual in this team is the person accountable for producing the tender programme, the construction planner. Whether or not the contractual terms require a programme to be produced or not should be irrelevant at this stage. The tender programme is an important document produced by the contractor which is used for measuring many risk and cost related issues. In particular, the assessment of cost of the contractor’s time related preliminary items as drawn off the content of the tender programme. For example, the anticipated on site durations for different members of staff, periods of scaffold hire and duration for site accommodation are items that cannot be priced by the estimator without reference to the tender programme. When compiling the tender programme, the construction planner must incorporate the information supplied with the enquiry noting any specified constraints contained in either the contract bills, specification or drawings. Conflict between documents often exists and a view had to be taken on how to proceed. Clarification may be sought from the employer or his agents, assumptions made and stated along with the submission or the conflict may be ignored and the information that best suits the contractor is assumed without qualification or statement. It is accepted in the industry that many bids are won or lost on the programme duration alone. This happens frequently where a bill of quantities is being priced and the experienced contractors tend towards similar prime cost for similar items. On completion of reviewing tender documents, drawings, specification and bills, which may be typically done over a period of one or two weeks, the construction planner will establish the work scope which will be addressed in the creation of a tender programme. The main objective is to be aware of the specified period for construction. Additional to the completed programme should be a schedule of resources which corresponds with the programme and a series of method statements signifying construction techniques and equipment to be employed in carrying out the work. 2.9 Programming on Site When the contract is won, the site planning is equally important. It is usually at this point that the site manager will have his first chance to examine the methods on which the job was priced. What is important to recognise, at this point, is that planning must be seen as an addition to management. Thus the site manager must have the right to question the planning methods on which the contract was priced. To do so, site manager’s require the technical expertise to assess what has been put forward. In so doing, the manager concerned must, for his part, accept that if he wants to change the method from that in the priced tender, he must demonstrate that his alternative is obviously cheaper, or at least as cheap, as that priced in the tender submission. When final agreement has been reached, the planning function can be established on site and develop the final method to be adopted. This, in turn, will lead to the contract master programme and such subsidiary programmes as may be necessary. On completion of all methods being confirmed the construction planner continues to have a significant role on site. First, in developing control and short-term programmes for all organisations contributing to the contract under the main or managing contractor. Second, the construction planner’s cherished knowledge of how the work was originally planned makes him uniquely placed to examine the potential consequences of alterations to what has to be built. In this area he is a valuable source of information to the site quantity surveyor when assessing where possible contractural claims may arise. Today, with the ever increasing use of trade sub-contractors as well as specialist service contractors, the experienced construction planner has the option of either seeing the role as satisfying its own right, or as an essential ingredient of experience for becoming a successful site manager. Illingworth (1993). 2.10 Purpose of a Programme The values applicable to the mechanics of construction planning are similar whether you are a main contractor submitting a quotation to an employer, a sub-contractor quoting to the main contractor, or even a construction manager providing programme assist to an employer. Common principles apply when compiling a construction programme, that of methodical analysis. The contractor’s construction programme is an important common reference. It shows how the planner they have interpreted the contract documents and other information from which the statement of intent for construction is issued. As the key programme for the construction work, its content is of the utmost significance to all parties charged with handing over to the employer a building fit for purpose within the contract time stated. A well prepared programme is vital to every construction project. Many activities have to be cautiously defined and given a time scale, and it necessary not only to assemble and list the information but also to display it visually in terms of the contract’s objectives and the calendar. The working sequences and the relationships between individual activities must be clearly conveyed in this visual presentation.† The Chartered Institute of Building (2001). They consider the construction programme to be a statement of intended actions, which when properly used provides management with its plan of campaign. It should communicate with ease, providing the common reference for the timing of all activities related to the project. 2.11 Construction Planning Software An expert planner faced with the task of producing and analysing a network for a project containing only few activities will undoubtedly produce the fastest results by drawing a freehand arrow diagram and analysing it mentally. Lock (2007). He believes it is likely to take longer when using a computer because of the formalities needed to set up the new project files in the system and enter the data. David Arditi and Ann Rackas compiled a short report in May of 1986 with an aim in ascertaining the need for computer software to assist is construction planning and scheduling. This report concluded, the individual needs of a given construction company are the primary reasons for choosing a particular software package. For example, one of the participating general contractor’s basic requirements was to have a 40-character activity description field: â€Å"a particularly individual need†. They continued to suggest if a program is to survive the inevitable shakeout that occurs after the initial development and interest have peaked; it must offer the features and capacities that are required by the user. In addition, every effort should be made to make computers less mysterious and confusing as they will be dealing with the construction market. Today there are many planning software packages available to the construction industry. Asta Powerproject, Microsoft Project, Primavera, PERT Master to name a few. Each package is commonly suited to the individual needs of the planner. Some programs present a blank Gantt chart on the screen as soon as they are booted up, and it is apparent to the user that task data can be typed in immediately. Most programs allow the user/ planner to establish project durations, critical path network, allocate resources, assign costs to tasks and monitor progress throughout the project. As a result, most construction planning professionals use such packages daily. 2.12 Construction Planning Challenges Lock (2007) considers anyone planning a project of significant size will soon find out that there are a number of factors, both inside and outside the project organisation that can have an effect on the planner’s intentions. These are as follows: 2.12.1 External Factors All projects are subject to risk, many of which can have an enormous impact on plans. Lock (2007) deems the following are just four from the long catalogue of happenings that can be categorised as Acts of God: An earthquake devastates a project organisations headquarters. A hurricane and flood put a project site under a metre of water and delay the start or ruin the work in progress. An influenza epidemic puts half the project workforce out of action. (Swine flu outbreak 2008 recorded thousands of people off work for over 5 days.) The project manager (a keen golfer) is struck by lightning. The national government can play an important part on the smooth running of a project. E.g. the project could be government-funded and is cancelled or abandoned through a political decision. Lock (2007) also considers less immediate concerns which are the wider and longer-term economic consequences of government policy leading to downscaling of projects, delays and cancellations in all sectors of industry. Decisions made outside the project team can also have an affect on many characteristics of planning. E.g. a decision is made at directorate level to carry out a project in a different company within the group from that initially anticipated or a strategic decision is made to cut short all new staff recruitment resulting in a lower number of available resources formerly expected to be available for projects. 2.12.2 Working Factors Lock (2007) These are items which are likely to affect the project team on a daily basis. Examples include availability of resources, materials etc. People are believed to be a construction organisations greatest resource. â€Å"Construction operations depend on the knowledge and skills of people planning and executing the work†. Muir (2005.) Research has been carried out to reveal that the construction industry is typically viewed as being one of the least attractive industries in which to work. Safety plays an important part in the running of a project. Construction by nature is unsurprisingly dangerous with a high degree of hazard and risk. The Health Safety Executive believe each year: Over 1 million injuries and 2.3 million cases of ill-health are experienced by workers; Around 40 million working days are to lost; and Over 25000 individuals are forced to give up work because of injury or ill health. These cost British employers on average  £3.3 to  £6.5 billion each year. Most organisations are oblivious of these figures and are often astonished to find out what the actual costs are. Recent HSE Examples (2009) An injury to a worker using an unguarded drill cost a small engineering company  £45,000. And that was not all. The managing director was prosecuted from which two employees had to be made redundant to  keep the company afloat. At the other end of the scale the Piper Alpha explosion killed 167  people and incurred estimated costs of over  £2 billion. Accidents in construction can account for 3 6 % of total project costs. 2.12.3 Contribution of effective Planning Effective Planning and scheduling influences the results of a project as is promotes well-organised working. Personnel who are not trying continually to overcome crises caused by bad planning can dedicate more time to achieving high quality standards. A well-planned project stands more chance of being completed on time and on budget. 2.13 Chapter Summary Description Author Source To allow for effective planning and control of projects, a requirement for systematic and logical methods should be applied along with proven techniques. Cooke 2008 Improving Construction planning through 4d Planning Project Planning is defined as the establishment of a set of directions Zwikael 2008 Critical Planning Processes in Construction Projects A good Construction plan is the basis for developing the budget and the schedule for work Henrickson 1998 Construction Planning Techniques Having a project schedule to work to and sticking to it, you will be well on your way to delivering successful projects Walker 2007 Project Management in Construction, (5th edition) Construction Planners and the olr they perform are little understood both within the Construction industry and the wider environment Allan Smallwood 2008 Improving Construction planning through 4d Planning Major Components of planning techniques are: Activities, Activity durations, Project time-scale, Event, Work method, Resources, Costs Value Neale 1989 Engineering Management. Construction Planning Four techniques often used; Bar chart, Network analysis, Line-of-balance, Linear programmes Neale 1989 Engineering Management. Construction Planning Experienced planner in construction needs to be aware of the techniques available Illingworth 1993 Construction Methods and Planning Likely to take longer when using construction planning software Lock 2007 Project Management, 9th edition, Planning a project of significant size will soon find that there a number