First Keystone Bank Essay

1. Prepare a list of internal control procedures that banks and other financial institutions have implemented, or should implement, for their ATM operations. Financial institutions should implemented the following internal control procedures. The first one is Risk Assessment, which means financial institutions’ management should identifies, analyzes, and manages risks that can affect the company. The second one is Control Environment, this procedure require management of the institutions attitude toward, awareness of, and actions concerning the internal control structure to in order to reduce the fraud and error. The third one is Control Activities, which means that institutions’ management should enact specific policies and procedures to achieve the management objectives. What’s more, they should take necessary procedures to target the risks. The forth step is information and communications. Institutions should gather all necessary information to carry out internal controls. Providing, sharing and obtaining information is also very important, which is called communication. The last step is Monitoring. Which is an ongoing process to evaluate controls and determine whether all the operations are as intended. They changed when operating conditions change. 2. What general conditions or factors influence the audit approach or strategy applied to a bank client’s ATM operations by its independent auditors? The auditor should consider the nature, timing, and extent of further audit procedures to make decision. The nature of an audit procedure include its purpose and its type. So the purpose and the type of an audit procedure will influence the audit approach. The purpose of audit procedure determines whether it is a risk assessment procedure, a test of controls, or a substantive procedure. The types of audit procedures include inspection of  documentation, inspection of assets, observation , external confirmation, recalculation, reperformance, analytical procedure, scanning, and inquiry. Timing refers to when audit procedures are performed or the period or data to which the audit evidence applies. The higher the risk of material misstatement, the more likely it is that the auditor may decide it is more effective to perform substantive procedures nearer to the period end rather than at an earlier date. On the other hand performing audit procedures before the period end may assist the auditor in identifying significant matters at an early stage of the audit. Extent refers to the quantity of a specific audit procedure to be preformed. The extent of audit procedure is determined by the judgment of the auditor after considering the tolerable misstatement, the assessed risk of material misstatement, and the degree of assurance the auditor plans to obtain. 3. Identify specific audit procedures that may be applied to ATM operations. Which, if any, of these procedures might have resulted in the discovery of the embezzlement scheme at First Keystone’s Swarthmore branch? Explain. Inspection of documentation, observation, recalculation, analytical procedures, scanning, and inquiry may be applied to ATM operations. I think the following procedures can resulted in the discovery of the embezzlement scheme. The first one is inspection of documentation. Auditors can examine a client document and compare it with the exact money they save and take out from the ATM. The second one is observation. Looking the procedure of using the ATM to make sure whether it is used with authority. The third one is analytical procedures. Auditors can analyzing plausible relationships among both financial and nonfinancial data of the ATM. The forth one is scanning. Performing a type of analytical procedure which involves reviewing accounting data to identify unusual items. For example, the amount of money that put in the ATM is not match the money that actually take out by customers.

Team Discussion on App for Apple iPhone

Working for Apple the type of research one would want to see done would be a reporting study. This type of study will display data that provides statistics comparing the application to other applications that users are already using and what features of the application users are wanting. This report is the first step in determining if the application is worth moving forward with. Once the application shows to be a valuable asset for users the next step is to focus on what the users want in an applications. I would expect the proposal to demonstrate on how user-friendly the application is, and who is the target audience this application is intended for. Many users want an application easy to use that a child can figure it out in one step. Another key factor users look for is the cost of the application. Keeping the cost down at a low price that is appealing to the user but profitable to the company will make this application successful for both parties. Derek's Response to Nancy I think the reporting study would be a great way to determine whether or not to move forward with the acceptance of the App into the Apple Store. This is because the reporting study would give background information on the App study, including concrete details of the App and how it differs from other Apps in the same category. It would also give the necessary data to determine what group the App would best suit. This information would be obviously important because one would not want an App that is geared toward adults be in the viewing control of children without the proper warning labels. I think that it would have been a great way to find out if the customers would want to buy an app or not. When people are getting ready to get an app they definitely want something that is useful and they will not be disappointed with. When doing research you will be able to see if the app will do good or not. Also it will be able to decipher whether you are gearing it toward the correct audience. You do not want to just throw something out there to see if it will work without research. It is important to test your product before delivering it. If I worked for Apple, the first thing I would want to see in a proposal for a new App for the App store would be whether or not the proposal has met the policy and procedures by Apple. The reason I would do this is that if the requirements were met the App would be compatible with the requirements of Apple’s App store on so many levels. For example: If there are technical glitches or errors the App will not be approved by our technicians. I will also look for the simplicity of the App to make sure it will be user friendly. Creativity would play a big role in App approval because with more than 300,000 Apps in the App store, we would think it is important for the App to be unique. Research would be just as important as policies and procedures to gain approval for the App store. Although at times because of inappropriate research, we would have to be aware of this type of research to make sure it does not become part of the Apple App store. Inappropriate research will include anything that has any racial tones that may offend any of our customers and research must be in compliance with the law. Bottom line is, I will not except anything is unethical. User-friendly application is a function that users look for when deciding on purchasing the application or not. Statics stating what functions users are most likely to be attractive to provides insight if the product will be successful. These statics are important and presenting them in the proposal will help for determination of releasing the application. The application uniqueness is also important and knowing the competition of other application provides insight. Researching applications similar to the one in the proposal will reflect on the popularity of the new application. Following policies, procedures, compatibility, and ethical conduct are very important steps in business, but I am not sure if this information is appropriate research for a proposal. I agree with Derek on this one. You have to make sure that you can get approval from the app store before you try to finalize your product. If you were to introduce a product that was not something that the App store would not even be allowed to have in there store then you would be just wasting time. Research is the key ingredient to making sure that you are producing the right type of app or anything else. Without this we would have a lot of failed businesses. Always make sure that what we are producing is what the people want. Developers are constantly inventing and improving apps for the Apple ® iPhone ® mobile digital device. As a representative for Apple, researching the market of available apps helps take the first step into developing a successful app. A new app proposal requires a content analysis that helps educate developers on successful app designsand marketing. Proving there is a consumer interest for the app from a variety of age groups, demographics, genders, and geographical locations may help determine whether or not the app gets approved. The proposal should provide evidence regarding how the potential app meets the needs of Apple’s customer base. The proposed app plans should surpass the competition by demonstrating that it is one of a kind and has potential room for growth. The research of the app should determine its reliability and show data that ensure the app functions properly with the operating systems (OS) configurations for each device Apple offers. There are numerous apps with an exceedingly crowded market that the barrier to access is low and the barrier to attaining success is high. Offering research for an app that is difficult to duplicate but easy for customers to download will help in the approval process. However, including inappropriate research in the proposal is cause for disapproval. Technical problems like annoying bugs and constant crashes will result in disapproval from Apple. Using images, words, software, or ideas that Apple owns or information that does not pertain directly to the app and its functionality, technical content, or design criteria is inappropriate (Apple, 2012). Proposals containing explicit or offensive material such as adult material, racial slurs, and any kind of discrimination and defamation are considered inappropriate and disapproval may occur (Apple, 2012). However, there is also research that can be one of the priciest errors developers can make. Applying funds to insufficient research or researching ideas that are extensively available becomes futile for developers. They concentrate on generating original ideas and waste time as well as energy producing those apps.

PUMA case study Essay

In order to arrive at the correct judgment of what will be puma’s opportunities and threats, let analyze the external environments factors affecting the company basing on the PESTEL and industrial competitive factors using five forces framework. And later when determining the company’s strengths and weakness I will look at the company’s internal capabilities by looking at its value chain, value network and any other competitive factors which gives the company more competitive advantage than rivals. By definition external environmental factors are those factors which have impact on company although the company has either very little or no control at all over those factors. Usually these factors are classified as PESTEL (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal). External Political Factors These refer to the following sub-factors:(I)Government stabilityThis has influence to any business. When the government in which Puma operates become unstable politically business will definitely be affected. For example civil wars affect both operations, leisure’s and sports events which are Puma’s business. In our case study we saw that after terrorist attacks of September, 11, 2001 and wars in Afghanstan, geopolitical uncertainty led puma to shift its production from Pakistan to China (Puma case study, 2003). (ii)Foreign Trade Regulations These includes treaties and agreements which must be respected by the member countries and Companies (Czinkota, Rivoli and Ronkainen, 1992).For example General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade(GATT),regulations in respect of monopoly and competition standards, Trade fair Act(1997), Paris conventional for the protection of industrial property, to name but a few. These have impact on Puma since wherever it operates it must adhere to. (iii) Taxation Policy These have impact on Puma’s business because are an expenses which reduce revenue but it can also be used as the barrier to entry to the targeted potential markets. Some government use to fix higher tax to incoming foreign company. Economic Factors These factors have a huge impact on Puma’s business. These are factors like cost of energy, oil, inflation, recession and recovery. For example interest rates(interest on loans and borrowings), inflation and unemployment has got negative impact on business since an increase of one or both of these factors is equivalent to the raise of business running costs at the same time will mean reducing the purchasing power(inflation and unemployment) of the people. GNP Trends can have impact on Puma’s business since a good GNP shows that the per capita income of the people is good. Positive growth trends means increases on people purchasing power which has a positive influence to Puma. People with big disposable income can spend more on the leisure like sports and also buys more of the products as oppose to the people with less disposal income. Sociocultural factors(i)Population demographic; there are arguments that the population is getting older and therefore Puma should starts to focus on the senior people segment in order to remain profitable and for business growth. (ii) Uneven income distribution means there are few people with disposable income (the rich) and the majority have very less purchasing power. It is not therefore a market puma should target. (iii) Lifestyle Changes These have the impact in business and it needs the company to be strategically innovative in order to cope with peoples’ taste/fashion changes to retain and persuade the customers. This is one of the factors making customers switch from one product to the others of the same use. (iv) Attitudes to work and leisureSince Puma operates globally it is possible to meet different societies with different attitudes to work and leisure. Negative attitude to work and leisure will have negative impact to business and positive one will have positive impact to Puma business. Technological FactorsProbably these are the most dramatic forces shaping our destiny which creates whole new markets and destroy others. These are such as;New discoveries/development and speed of technology transferThese makes the products life cycles get short and creates a fierce competition among industries and hence forcing the company to invest more on R&D so as to remain strategically innovative (cost implication to business). Technological factors can lead to both high rate of obsolescence and Increase Company’s budget (through R&D). Environmental factorsMost of the nations and international bodies have been enacting laws to protect the environment (green issues).Companies have been compulsorily required to adhere to these laws; for example the law to internalise pollution, waste remittance and all legislations regarding safety and environment issues. These have significant impact to business like Puma because it reduces revenue. Legal factorsThe company which operates globally must expect different laws in different markets place within its operations. For example employment laws, health and safety regulations and financial regulations. It will also need to know advertising and promotion regulations, pricing regulations and consumer protection legislations. (Brassgton and Pettiti, 2007). Porter’s five forces of competitive strategyWas developed as a way of assessing the attractiveness (profit potential) of different industries. It helps to identify the sources of competition in an industries or sectors (Johnson, scholes and Whittington, 2006).The focus is in the environmental factors influencing this competitiveness; which are as follows;(i) Threats of new entrantsThere are six major sources of barriers to entry which includes economies to scale, capital requirements, and control of distributition channel, customer loyalty, experience and retaliation. (Porter, 1998). To my opinions and with reference to sports industry for more than three decades, threats of entry has a very little influence to Puma. This is because to enter into sports industry you need not only heavy capital and technology but experience and knowledge together with attractive customer base which is the strong barrier to entry. Suppliers Power Suppliers can have power if;(a)There are a concentration of suppliers and they can purchase in big quantities(b)Suppliers have a wide range of customers and can easily switch from one supplier to the other(c)The cost of switching from one Supply another is very high and,(d)If they pose a credible threats of integrating forwards into the industry business. To my opinion these conditions does not apply to Puma and therefore can not be threats because Puma policy on suppliers is such that Puma have no long term relationships with supply and the fact that production, logistics, distribution have been outsourcing surely Puma will be having very few suppliers (mostly not related to production and transport departments). In addition to that it is not possible for those suppliers to integrate backward into industry’s business. Buyers bargaining power According to Johnson, Scholes and Whittington (2006) buyers are likely to have influence on industry’s business if the following condition prevails;(a)There are concentration of buyers and they purchase a big volume(b)The cost of switching a supplier is lower or involves little risks(c)The buyer pose a credible threats to integrate backwards to make the industry’s product. To my views this factor is not a threat to Puma because buyers are scattered all over the world such that they can not have collective bargaining power and the cost of switching from Puma to another suppliers is very big and risks because Puma is among reliable and paying company. The threat of substitutes Substitutes reduce demand for a particular â€Å"class† of product as customers switch to alternative even to the extend that this class of products becomes obsolete (Johnson, Scholes and Whittington, 2006).Looking at the trend of sports industry for more than 40 years you will find that there are always Puma and the big three which dominates the sport industry and each having a very attractive customer base and thus this is a justification that Substitutes is no a threats to Puma. Competitive rivalryRefers to organisations with similar products and services aimed at the same customer group; which for Puma can be Adidas, Nike and Reebok and Fila, Diesel and Prada for football, running, basketball and apparel and accessories respectively. This is not a threat at all since for this factor to be threats the following conditions must prevail; there are must be numerous competitors and are roughly have equal size and power which is not the case for sports industry(Look at Adidas,Nike, Rebook and Prada,diesel and Fila) all have different power and sizes. The other factor is that for the rivalry to take place the markets must be matured but this is not the case for Puma because although the traditional market segment were heading to mature there are several niches which offer attractive growth, and yet analysts expect growth in geographical regions for football especially Europe, Asia and Americans. Opportunities and threats Looking at the environmental factors and the five forces affecting Puma I have noted some of the opportunities and threats for the company;OpportunitiesTrends of accessories/equipments is attractiveIf accessories can be properly managed can be greater opportunity for puma to grow the business. Currently 60% of the total sales are generated from footwear division, but according to experts apparel and accessories categories are showing attractive growth rate .why not Puma utilise this opportunity by providing its customer variety of such products by focusing on both high-value and stylish product and lower priced products so that can get shares from companies like LVHM, Hugo Boss and Prada. In my opinion Puma can start focusing on virgin markets such as Racing especially Horse racing, skateboarding, snowboarding to mention but a few. Alliances and joint venture Although puma has acquired some of the largest companies such as Swedish Tretorn the European third largest manufacturer of Tennis balls, it is not enough. Alliances and joint venture is one of the major opportunities for Puma to both expand geographical markets for its products and at the same time get access to valuable technology and competences. Threats Puma faces both intertype and intertypes competitorsPuma’s internal capabilitiesIf the companies are to achieve competitive advantage by delivering value to customers, they need to understand how that value is created or lost (Johnson, Scholes and Whittington, 2006).Puma’s value Chain has been divided into two; Primary and Support activities. If you consider the primary activities side you must understand that puma is described as Virtualized Company. Its in-house resources and activities such as inbound outbound logistics, operations and Procurement have been outsourced. This gives the company to deal with its core competency more effectively. It does not mean however that the company doesn’t care for the outsourced activities but the management are very careful on the selection of suppliers, logistics providers and producers but also it has a strong information technology infrastructure which helps them to coordinate easily and efficiently. Human resources management Puma with no doubts it has a strong HR by looking at the CEO and his deputy. The CEO being graduate in international business administration and having an ample experience in international business and marketing and worked for Colgate-Palmolive. Also the deputy CEO having an extensive experience in supply chain management and strategy implementation is one of the justifications that the company have strong HR capability. Technology development Puma has a proprietary technology which helps the company in terms of innovation and designing and also in information technology. For example the company due to technological ability developed shudol shoe. One of the technological innovations can also be seen on â€Å"cell technology†. To manage its entire coordination and consolidation from all 80 countries is one of the justifications that Puma is strong technology wise. Marketing and SalesPuma’s strengths come from the best implementation of its strategies in marketing and sales. Puma’s core competencies have been divided into marketing, brand and product management. Brand ManagementOne of the major reasons for puma’s turnaround was the new  positioning of the brand itself (refer to case study).One of the strategies used is sponsorship of either individual player or teams and associated the company with charismatic personalities who proliferate the desired brand perception, recogonition and awareness It has association with biggest names in history of sports such as Pele, Maradona and Cruyff. Recently the CEO, use the technique of associating the company with entertainment professional such as Arnon Milchan (the influential film maker),David Matalon and Peter Chernim these stars making brand appears in several Hollywood production. Apart from sponsoring teams like Jamaica and Cameroon Puma has been organising several events such as Puma street soccer in 1994 and 4SOME competition in 2003 aiming at both displaying puma label and communicating Puma philosophy. By 2003 the brand was so high that super stars like Madonna were proud to wear Puma Product without any compensation. Marketing Puma’s marketing division is responsible for all Puma advertising, promotions, PR and selling. Strong promotion and advertisement helps Puma be known company globally. Management are careful to select a media of advertisement and promotions.Footbal, Basketbal and running cups have become the mega events watched by viewers from across the global. Puma has been sponsoring either individual or teams. As a result these events offer excellent marketing opportunities for the company to create awareness of its brand. It has been fine turning its marketing strategies for football cups from 1960’s when Stars like Pele, Maradona and Cuyff to recent stars like Madonna. Product management Product management at Puma concerned with designing, operating and maintaining good products. This ensures that the company doesn’t only produce but creates a product that people will want to buy. Fistly; the company has a wide range of product which help the company to easily respond to different customers with different levels and interests. For example Puma football, running and basketball and others in accessories and equipments. In terms of technology and also to ensure that it offers customers’ product of high quality Puma has association with engineers and famous designers such as Jil Sander Mihara.For instance Puma innovation was â€Å"Cell technology† which convinced famous athletes to be Puma products such Cameroon National soccer team and Jamaica running professionals. Puma is innovative in each stage of the production for example to develop the new â€Å"Shudol shoes† worked with the team of Jordan Grand prix engineers. From Puma’s internal capabilities the following strengths and weakness have been observed;StrengthsStrong brand-name image/company reputationPuma has a reputation for being a pioneer in sports and the brand has very strong heritage in world football, featuring a glittering list of past brand ambassadors which includes some of the biggest names in the history of the game such as Maradona, Pele and Cruffy.It boasts most of the exiting teams and individuals and as a result of having such sports people as customers creates good atmosphere for Puma to enjoy not only the survival but also the company growth. Attractive customer base Having the association with quality players it gives an image to most of the people that the company have quality as well. As the results puma has loyal customers worldwide. This landmark deal laid a foundation for sports marketing and PR drive which saves and strengthens Puma’s position as one of the best performers on footwear, apparel and accessories for years now. Lower cost base and marketing Focused CompanyPuma is a virtualized company because it has outsourced all production, procurement of materials, distribution and logistics making its working capital just small. This make the company not only have a lower cost base but more importantly focuses in its core competencies. Weakness(i)The virtualized company can have serious strategic weaknesses in the long runPuma mainly depends on partnerships, collaboration and networking. Although virtual can meet and satisfy its customers adequately just like other, there arguments that such an extreme form of outsourcing are likely to result in serous weakness in the longrun, as the company become devoid to core competences and cut off from the learning which can  exists through understanding these activities in house (Johnson,Scholes and Whittington,2006). (ii) PricePuma products’ prices are relatively lower than rivals. This is a weakness because price may bring implication that you product has lower quality because most of customers associates high price with high quality. Therefore if the product is priced lower to some customer it will mean that its quality is lower as well. Secondly it reduces the revenue especially if it is not accompanied by high volume of sales. To determine and propose the optimal strategies for Puma in light of the above SWOT and analysing possible change issues and challenges in implanting the strategies. Having looked at Puma’s strengths and weakness and taking into consideration opportunities and threats the company can encounter. The following are my proposal of what would be the optimal strategies for the company:-A Hybrid strategyUnder this strategy the company seeks to not only provide product or services benefits which are valued by the customers that are different from those of competitors but also provide those products at a lower price than that of competitors. It has both lower price strategy and differentiation strategy. Lower price strategyThis can be a best strategy for Puma given its financial position and market shares as compared to rivals. Also Puma has already some element of this strategy which can be a foundation for the implementation of hybrid strategy. For example Puma’s products have lower price than those of competitors, defenitely is because the company have a low cost base after outsourcing all logistics, production, procurement of materials and distribution.Without lower cost base you can not sustain this because lower price reduce margin which unless you have some where within other portfolio to subsidise your business will be very difficulty to sustain. However lower price strategy alone can not be effective and sometimes is dangerous because is can led to â€Å"price war† as your rivals imitate what you  have done. Thus to be strategically safe it should be accompanied by differentiation. Differentiation seeks to provide products that offer benefits different from that of competitors and that are valued by buyers. In this case Puma can upgrades its product’s quality and add to them appealing attributes than that of competitors. This can be achieved by Puma because the company have been in this line of business for decades now such that it clearly know its strategy customers (what they want ) and it clearly know what are the competitors(what they offer and their strengths).After upgraded the products Puma can sell them at similar price of that competitors. In this occasion Puma will be increasing its market shares as more people will go for its products. In addition to that Puma can use hybrid strategy to enter into the markets where their rivals are well established. If you look at the big three i.e. Adidas, Nike and Reebok you will note that they are more well off in terms of both financial and present in every country than Puma making it difficulty for Puma to grow the business and grab from them the market shares. But entering the market with a superior product and with lower price will help Puma to take market share, divert the attention of the competitors, and establish a foothold from which they could move further (Porter, M, 1998). It should clear however that the best results from implementation of the hybrid strategy depends on the sustainability of the strategy itself. And to achieve this Puma need to work harder in order to achieve more sales volume so that to compensate the reduced margin due to selling products at the lower price. This can be achieved by strategically driving down costs .For example Puma should encourage more e-business which will enable the company to sell more but maintain lower cost base. It will also enable the company to sell across the boundaries with very minimum resources but yet be able to achieve high volume at least cost. Also incorporating the supply chain into the system with a quick delivery time which can be a critical success factor. Change issues and possible challengesDefinitely what is behind hybrid strategy is selling at the lower price than that of competitors and at the same time seeking to provide products that offer benefits different from those of your competitors. To achieve efficiencies and productivity from hybrid strategy Puma will need to make changes on the entire staff within and around the organisation. It will need to change employees ‘attitudes so that to direct efforts and dedication to achieving of the positive results from the operations with least costs. This can only be achieved if the management will inspire the people towards Maximising output subject to minimisation of cost (cost sensitive strategy) and build and maintain the marketing and sales focused team. To achieve lower cost base require real time visibility to cost-critical information for many important decision that impact cost prior to products delivery. This visibility must be immediate available and understood to all who impact costs in the process across the enterprise. Selling at a lower price reduce margin and to compensate the lost margin you need to increase sales volume. You can achieve this by having a skilled and competent sales force because such a sales force can; †¢Effectively persuade customers to buy and hence increase market shares. †¢Reduce time and efforts necessary to sell by increasing the relationships level with customers. †¢Increase competitive ability and strengths by reducing predictability and delivery concise and consistent. Financially the good sale force can have the following positive results;†¢Good team can expand the size of each deal and close more deals. †¢Can decrease selling expenses. When the team doesn’t perform well sales cycles are extended and multiple calls are required to convince customers. †¢Lower recruitment and training cost. †¢Also if you able to sell more with fewer costs associated with sales efforts your margin increase. †¢A good team easily adapt to changesAll these can positively contribute to lowering down the cost base for the best implementation and achievement of the hybrid strategyReferencesBrassington and Pettitt (2007) Principle of MarketingCzinkota, rivoli and Ronkainen (1992) International business (2nd edition) New York, London, sydnet, Tokyo-The Dryden pressJohnson, Scholes and Whittington (2006) Exploring corporate strategy (7th edition) London Prentice Hall. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SWOT_analysishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Competitive_strategyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porter_5_forces_analysishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PESTELArmstrong. M. (2006). A handbook of Human Resource Management Practice, (10th edn), Kogan Page, LondonGrant, R.M. (2005), â€Å"Contemporary Strategy Analysis†, Blackwell Publishing Ltd., Oxford (U.K.), 2005Hunger, J. David & Wheelen, Thomas L. (2003) â€Å"Essentials of Strategic Management†. New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc.

Healthcare Quilaty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Healthcare Quilaty - Essay Example The groups of hospitals are managed by the Central Manchester University Hospitals Trust. The hospitals specialize in different medical fields; the hospitals include Manchester Royal Infirmary, Royal Manchester Children’s hospital, Manchester Royal Eye Hospital University, Dental hospital of Manchester, Saint Mary’s Hospital and Trafford Hospitals (Gorsky, Mohan & Willis, 2006). Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital was reopened in 2009 and it provides specialist medical services for children and the young people across North West region. The medical institution caters for the national residents as well as the international people. The hospital cares for more than 200,000 patients every year. The institution specializes in a variety of medical conditions namely genetics, transplant of the bone marrow, burns, orthopaedics, oncology and haematology. The institution also provides family accommodation facilities (Shaw, 2014).   The dentistry department is among the key specialists in the hospital serving about 90,000 patients every year both children and adults. Their equipments are ultra modern offering a unique patient experience during treatment. The department caters for dental conditions and facial reconstructions. There is also an emergency unit which runs up to late in the night (Ireland, 2010).   The Manchester Royal Eye Hospital provides a wide range of eye medical services. It has a huge out-patient facility including 5 theaters, five laser rooms and two ultra sound rooms. Their services include optometry, ocular prosthetics, laser unit, emergency care services, referral centre, ultrasound center, ophthalmic imaging, electrodiagnosis and the modernized eye bank (Hoyt & Taylor, 2013).   Among the other group of hospitals, Manchester Royal Infirmary is the oldest having been formed in 1752 as a small dispensary. It is now a big teaching and specialists center for sickle

Quality management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Quality management - Essay Example Nurses and healthcare professionals should understand appropriate patient standards. They are expected to implement them in spite of their personal opinions or preferences. I believe that the quality of care is determined by finding the right balance between the possibilities realized and the existing framework of norms and values. As a result, the quality of care not only depends on the attitude of the nurse, but it is also influenced by the organizational culture in the healthcare institution (Weston & Roberts, 2013). The observation is influenced by a realization that the quality of care is determined by multiple factors such as the standards established by the healthcare industry. During my CRT clinical experience, I witnessed one example that provides an opportunity to evaluate the quality of care given in that instance. The case involved a teenage girl who had been admitted to the hospital after a failed abortion attempt. The patient was bleeding and in a lot of pain. When she arrived, the available nurses and doctors surrounded her. They administered preliminary medication to ease her pain and stop the bleeding. Then they wheeled her to an operating room where an attempt was made to save her life. The operation took about four hours. Although the doctors stated that she would not be able to have a child in the future, they had succeeded in saving her life. The patient was clearly traumatized by the whole experience. The nurse in charge tried to find information about her. She had been brought to the hospital by two female friends and a male friend. After informing her parents, the nurse called the police to report the incident. Another nurse tried to initiate a conversation with the patient when she could talk. The nurse could spend a lot of time talking to her. As time progressed, I could see that the patient was more open and smiling. The parents were asked to

The importance of keeping customers for as long as possible, in what Essay

The importance of keeping customers for as long as possible, in what is seen often as a short-term approach to sales - Essay Example This is the main concern of the so-called consumer relationship management (CRM) models today. Vogt defined CRM as a customer-focused business strategy designed to optimize profitability, revenue and customer satisfaction. (p3) Shanmugasundram (2009) also posited that it is a comprehensive strategy and process of acquiring, retaining and partnering with selective customers to create superior value for the company and the customer. (p9) Unarguably there are numerous meanings and interpretations of CRM. Nonetheless, they all agree that a CRM strategy is always characterized by a quest to establish a relationship with a client in such a way that it contributes to the competitive advantage of the organization, which ultimately results to profitability. The simple logic is to make the customer happy so that the sales keep on coming. How does it work? As previously mentioned CRM strategies are diverse and varied. Sometimes, its distinction depends on the industry using it and sometimes it depends on specific needs and market trends. However, the fundamental principle emphasizes the importance given to people - naturally, there are the consumers but also, there is an emphasis given to the employees. According to Shanmugasundram, the principle is all about building enduring relationships that can lead to a profitable business organization and that both consumers and employees are fundamental to their achievement. This is expressed in the following model. Fig. 1: CRM Model (Shanmugasundram, p9) The model is pretty much straightforward: there are four crucial elements involved: Leadership, Delight, Loyalty and People. The model, as demonstrated above, puts the People at the center, with all the rest of the elements working together seamlessly for their benefit. The model ultimately aims for customer satisfaction. This is important because it has already been proven that satisfaction and a number of resulting variables, including customer loyalty lead to the probability o f purchase at different price points. This is also highlighted by the fact that only 26 percent of purchase decisions of consumers are influenced by advertising and that factors such as personal experience and referrals are more frequently cited. (Rai 2008, p145) Francis Buttle (2008) explained that, â€Å"a satisfied customer is more profitable than a dissatisfied one. If satisfaction declines, customers become more reluctant to buy unless prices are cut. If satisfaction improves the opposite is true.† (p47) This point is further reinforced by The American Customer Satisfaction Index Model (see fig. 2). Fig. 2: The American Customer Satisfaction Index Model (Buttle, p47) CRM and Technology An important variable in CRM models and strategies is the use of technology to achieve its objectives. CRM, in this context, becomes what Foss and Stone called as the methodologies, technologies and e-commerce capabilities used by companies in managing customer relationships. (p3) The adva nces in technology, particularly in communications, transportation and logistics have empowered organization to add value to their products and services. For example, an organization can use databases as part of the wider CRM strategy to build and keep accurate and up-to-date information about its customers. (Canwell and Sutherland 2003, p249) By doing so, the organization is able to analyze customer behaviors and expectations and develop better products

Leader Ship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Leader Ship - Essay Example It is very important for any leader to understand what motivates him/her or his/her co-workers (19-21). As a leader I am privileged to poses empathy skills; the ability that helps understand other people’s perceptions and feelings by putting one ‘self in their shoes. It has also helped me understand how change will affect people, and as such helping in making informed decision before making any changes. The other strong leadership skill that I possess is social skills; a very important skill that has enabled me to socialize with other people including my colleagues. Usually, I take interest in my subject’s and colleagues interests including their loved ones and families since they are critical in their lives. There are certain sets of leadership skills that I wish to develop. First, I would wish to develop skills in teaching and coaching since it is very important for a leader to be concerned with the growth and development of his followers or subjects (Leatherman 77). I also wish to develop delegating skills which ideal in understand how to best delegate duties to my co-workers. This is important since it helps create a more confident and comfortable relationship my followers (Leatherman

Astronmy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Astronmy - Essay Example Knowledge on astronomy is also used in navigation, planting strategies, and explaining the origin of earth and its nature. The Greeks incorporated astronomy into their beliefs, mythology, religion and superstitions (Heath, 1991). One of the earliest writings on astronomy is Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, also known as the oldest-manual of astronomy. It provided information on constellations, stars, eclipses, and meteor showers. It also described how ancient people used stars in traveling both land and sea. Iliad also includes the idea that Earth is flat surfaced, an idea which is widely accepted then (Wood, 1999). It was also said that Thales, one of the Seven Sages or the Seven Wise Men of Greece, was able to predict an approximate time of an eclipse and devised a navigating system using the constellation Ursa Minor (Dreyer, 1953). Ancient Greeks used astronomy as a tool that can aid them in their everyday lives. An example of this is Solon’s calendar. The calendar, which is based mainly from his observation of the moon, which lead to the discovery and understanding of seasons provided the Greeks knowledge with better planting schemes and became vital for good food production (Ehrenberg, 1973). Aside from calendars, Greeks were also introduced to sundials by Anaximader of Miletus around 560 B.C. Although sundials are said to be originally discovered by the Babylonians, the Greeks were able to develop and make various forms of sundials (Aveni, 1989). Many people see the hands of God in studying the heavenly bodies, and the Greeks used astronomy as a means to see, understand and commune with God. As a result, astronomy and religion are closely related in Greek civilization. Names of planets are derived from Greek mythology, which is a great part of their religion (Heath, 1991). Several speculations were made by early Greek philosophers. One of them is Pythagoras, who provided the idea that

Retail Marketing Strategy Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Retail Marketing Strategy Management - Essay Example The products are completely associated with the retail stores at which they are available. Through positioning your retail store builds a certain image of your products in the minds of the people which ultimately generates the volume of customers for your retail store. Retail stores in Singapore are extremely cosmopolitan, complex and sophisticated with nearly every international retailer present there. These retail stores usually depend on high volume of customers for generating their sales. Therefore in order to position the retail store in Singapore in order to gain competitive advantage, there is a need to focus on the market niches and increase sales through regionalization. Strategic allies can also be formed with the international retailers in order to gain competitive advantage. The type of image that a retail store would project for its customers in the target segment harbor should be such that their products and not just the brand it carries should be positioned. The image of a retail store should be that of a brand that adds value to the purchase of the shoppers. Brand positioning is highly important for retail stores at Singapore because the competition is increasing and new competitors are arriving in the market with more efficient strategies. Therefore, in order to gain competitive advantage, brand positioning can be done by: The retail marketplace at Singapore is highly saturated with ... A brand adding value to the purchase of the shoppers so that they are willing to spend more A retail store selling products and not just the brand EXAM QUESTION 2: INTERNATIONAL CONSUMERS' MARKET IN SINGAPORE Introduction The retail marketplace at Singapore is highly saturated with a number of international players. The population of Singapore also consists of a number of tourists and foreigners as Singapore is one of the best tourism spot. Therefore the retail market for international consumers in Singapore is full of opportunities. Since the international consumers have high spending patterns, therefore, targeting this market niche can result in a number of prospective sales. Discussion and Analysis Singapore is a tourism spot for a number of international visitors. At every time in the year, you will find a considerable amount of international consumers in the country. Therefore, the market of the international consumers, if properly targeted and positioned, can generate great retail business and attract a high volume of consumers. The international consumers are usually unaware of the prices and therefore make purchases through the retail stores which they know of and which are mostly international retail stores. The Singaporean retail stores should also target the international consumers due to the increased competition and also because a large population in Singapore comprises of international consumers. The attractiveness of the market for international consumers is evident from the fact that the retail marketplace in Singapore is highly competitive with each retailer targeting specific market niches. Therefore, the market for international consumers is another market

For-Profit Healthcare Organization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

For-Profit Healthcare Organization - Essay Example It is good congress is now acknowledging this relation, the disclosure law thus, is an important step that congress is taking so that we track how much these physician are receiving from the companies, which supports for-profit medicine. Studies indicate that pharmaceutical spent up to 25.3 billions in form of selling prescription drugs in the year 2003, out of this a lot of many went to physicians as free samples, air fares, and meals (Frenk 1993). We fear that physicians may be guided by these gifts and monies they receive to prescribe certain drugs to their customers or patients. Probably consumers will like to be aware of what their physicians receive, if they get little money, none at all, or lots of money. The law should offer a system where by a patient can go to access information from a central online database, that will display all the monies his/her physician has received from different companies. If the consumers know, they will feel a cleansing outcome. Disclosure laws will enable patients to track their physicians' monetary ties with drug companies. Customers or patients say that, they should be strong, and identical national legislations that call for very state to enact this disclosure law. As it is now today no law gives the public easy accessibility to information about the payments that physician receives from these companies. In researcher carried out Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) it found out that public disclosure laws in Minnesota did not give the public enough access to payments paid to the doctors (Frenk1993). This is applying in all other states. We as the customer watch dog body take a stand that disclosure bill should be passed by congress in order to create transparency that is required in medical profession. Customers have a right to know how much their physicians are receiving from the profit making organizations and make their own judgments. President of Human Corporation-for profit hospital As a president of a profit making hospital, I feel that the proposed bill of physician disclosure, requiring the physician to disclose the source and amount they have received is unprofessional and ill timed. As a profit making organization, our main aim is making profit, but, at the same time we value human health and provide good and effective medicine that goes along way in providing treatment and cure to many people. It is important for the public to realize that whatever the doctors receive from these companies is something small in form of appreciation everybody needs to be appreciated and motivated. Many citizens expect the congress to come up with laws to curb medical malpractices, yet, not all laws can solve our medical issues. The stakeholders should not wait for congress to enact laws to reduce the rising medicine for profit. Coming up with this law will only provide regulations for physicians but, do not provide offer lasting solutions. The bill of disclosure is ill timed and does not enhance the market laws of free competition in our economy, as we acknowledge, that for some instances physician may receive a lot of money from for profit medicines, it is important to note that this do not influence their professional work ethics. Laws should be passed to protect all citizens but, not to target a certain group of people. The federal government should look for other ways to in trying to control this rising aspect of

Learning Activities Essay Example for Free

Learning Activities Essay Think about your own organization and the people related records that it stores Identify five records that would fit within any of the identified reasons for keeping records outlined above (you will find more information on these on p278 –p280 of the course textbook). Explain why your organization needs to maintain and use these records (provide examples of how they are actually used where you can). Training Records – At Enterprise we have a spreadsheet called â€Å"The Matrix†, this stores each employed persons training records. It is a basic excel spreadsheet with a column for names and a list of each of the available courses within Enterprise along the top. As soon as an employee has been on a course this will be inputted on to the spreadsheet along with the expiry date (if there is one) so we can ensure all personnel have valid records. Having this information available is very important, due to the nature of our work we need to show that we are keeping our employees safe by having valid training records. For example if there is an accident on site and an employee has hit an underground cable, we would need to be able to show that the person has valid training records for â€Å"safe digging† to our Health and Safety officer otherwise we as a company could be seeing as being negligent when we have a duty of care towards our employees, this could result in claims against the organization. Invoice Tracker – Every week invoices are sent in from our DSP’s to each of our contracts within the Trowbridge office. I am the project manager of shrouding and have 2 invoices sent in from each of the companies working for me. Leven’s MOYAD construction. Once these invoices are emailed to me I will copy and record the information on to my â€Å"surveying† spreadsheet. This spreadsheet contains all site numbers ever worked on by each of my sub contractors and to what percentage that they were done on which day. Having  this information is vital to my contract I need to be able to check that each site is not being invoiced on more than one occasion as well as to the percentage that is required. Also on this spreadsheet it shows how much money will be due to be paid to both the contractor and Enterprise. Showing weekly turn over information and that we are hitting profit margins are essential on monthly meetings. Also if there was ever a dispute of pay, being able to refer to this information is important. Employee personnel Files – Each employee of Enterprise has their own personnel file. This file contains full name, address, date of birth, bank details, sickness and holiday absence details as well as written warnings (if they have any) and their signed Enterprise contract stating what their job role is and salary. These files are used when appropriate, usually when employees details need updating or they have booked holiday. Online Time Sheets – Every week every employee within Enterprise must fill out an online time sheet in order to be paid. The guys on site bring in a written version of this for the person who deals with time sheets to update their online version. This is so that any absence is recorded whether it be for half an hour or for an hour, this provides accurate attendance percentages and highlights regular patterns of absence. Curriculum Vitae – For every Job advertisement that is put on the job websites a large number of CV’s from potential applicants. These are all then filtered down to persons with most experience and knowledge of the role that we are looking to fill. These persons will then be asked to interview, if they are not successful we will still store there CV on file for six months. This is a helpful system and saves re advertising for the same job if a vacancy arose for that position. Learning activity two Again think about your own organization. For the five records you have identified above, identify and describe how the records are stored. Explain the rationale for this. Training Records – These records are stored on Microsoft Excel, this system allows us to filter out what’s relevant and what isn’t depending on the persons records we are searching. As soon as a course is booked for an employee the date of the course is put on the system till the certificate is received, at which point the expiry date ( if there is one) will then be entered in it’s place. Invoice Tracker – The invoice surveying data sheet is in Microsoft Excel, this allows easy copy and pasting of data from spreadsheet to spreadsheet. Once an invoice has been received all data from the invoice will be extracted by copying and recorded on to the surveying form by pasting in to the relevant columns. Employee Personnel Files – These are all held in a locked filing cabinet in alphabetical order. Any new employee will have an personnel file created on their day of induction. All of their personal information will be stored in here and updated when necessary. Online Time Sheet – The online time sheet is kept on our internal server database, It is a case of simply going in to â€Å"online time sheet† on the server, clicking on last weeks week, and inputting the hours worked during that day. CV’s – All CV’s received from suitable job applicants will be stored in a file on the computer. They will be copied from the Enterprise email inbox and pasted in to the file, or scanned if received through the post. Learning activity three Take one of the examples of areas of organizational activity that require accurate information to facilitate decision making. For this example: Identify and describe how the data is gathered Provide at least three examples of the sort of information that is derived and why it is useful Describe how the information is used to inform the decision making process Describe how and to whom the information is presented Draw up a list of these. Curriculum Vitea when advertising a vacancy: Once Enterprise have advertised a vacancy on the system, this will be logged on to the job centre website and other job search sites. With an Enterprise email to send all Cv’s too, there is also an address for those who are unable to send via email. All CV’s are automatically filtered in to a separate email inbox, and posted CV’S are scanned in to the system as well and will wait for review by the relevant persons. Once a significant amount of CV’s have been sent in the filtering process will begin, for example if we were advertising a Data input/Administration role we would look for experience in those titles from previous roles. Or a qualification in business administration. Filtering through this information is important so as to find the right person for employment. Once the CV’s have been filtered through they will be passed on to the office manager for review. They will then pick names from the persons filtered and make an appointment for interview. The interview is carried out by our office manager and a member of staff who will be training the potential candidate. The candidate will be asked a series of questions relating to their working background and what their skills are as well as a question on Enterprise this usually tells us straight away whether they had made the effort to do some research. This goes down very well with the office manager. Once all interviews have been carried out they will be filtered down to three potential employees who will go to the final stage of the Interview process which is a trial half day. The people who were not successful will be sent a standard letter telling them that their CV will be kept on file for 6 months. Trial half day consists of a member of staff who has a good knowledge of the role being taken on, And the potential employee. They will be shown what to  do and given tasks to get on with. Once all three candidates have been in for this, the office manager, the trainee and and a member of office staff will sit down and make a decision based on how well they got on, how quickly they learned the tasks and general attitude within the workplace. This person would then be informed of their success and will be given a start date. The two other candidates will be sent a standard letter informing them that they were unsuccessful on this occasion and that their CV will be kept on file. The short listed CV’s will be kept in a separate folder to the other batch of CV’s. Learning activity four Consider what data gathering methods you might use for a particular information gathering requirement. Cover: The specifics of the requirement The method(s) used Reason for using that particular method Any considerations in using the particular method Interviews – Potential employees, this method is perfect for getting to know the candidate, asking any questions not answered in their CV. Consider writing down all questions you are thinking of asking to avoid forgetting to ask. Surveys Surveys are a good way to gather data from a large number of people when it’s impractical to meet them face to face, it is a good method of getting an opinion on a product, service or company. Surverys can be both formal where the results are due to statistical, reliability and validity. And informal where the results are anecdotal – Anecdotal The definition of anecdotal is something that is story-like or something that is based on stories and retellings, not based on provable facts. Observations – Direct observations are a good way of recording data, especially in a working environment, they are often done in conjunction with  another data gathering method that is used to fill in the gaps and answer questions. Observations must be arranged with plenty notice to the person you are observing and the permission from management. Consider getting someone who can tell you what to look for with regards to what you are observing, for example the use of a new mechanical device in a warehouse. Learning activity five Explore the information under the link above, then tackle the following: List the eight principles of the DPA with a brief explanation of each What does the DPA say about the rights of individuals to access to data kept on them? List at least five measures you might take to protect personnel information The eight principles of the DPA Data Protection act are the following: 1: Processing personal data fairly and lawfully, It means that you must have legitimate reason for collecting and using personal data, you must not use the data in way that have unjustified adverse effects on the individual concerned, be clear on how you intend to use the data, handle the personal data in ways they would expect and make sure you do not do anything unlawful with the data. 2: Processing personal data for specified purposes, meaning you must be clear from the offset as to why you require the information and what you are going to do with it, comply with the acts fair processing requirements – including the duty to give privacy notices to individuals when collecting their personal data. You must also comply with what the act says about notifying the information commissioner and ensure that if you wish to use or disclose the personal data for any purpose that is additional to or different from the originally specified purpose, the new use or disclosure is fair. 3: The Amount of personal data you hold; Personal data should be adequate, relevant and not excessive in relation to the purpose or purposes for which they are processed. Meaning that you hold personal data about an individual that is sufficient for the purpose you are holding it for in relation to  that individual and you do not hold more information that you need for that purpose. 4: Keeping personal data accurate and up to date; personal data shall be accurate and when necessary up to date, to comply with this you should take reasonable steps to ensure the accuracy of any personal data you obtain, ensure that the source of any personal data is clear, carefully consider any challenges to the accuracy of the information, and consider whether it is necessary to update the information. 5: Retaining personal data; personal data processed or any purpose shall not be kept for loner than is necessary for that purpose or those purposes. Meaning review the length of time you keep personal data, consider the purpose or purposes you hold the information for in deciding whether and how long for to retain it, securely delete information that is no longer needed for this purpose or these purposes; and update, archive or securely delete information that goes out of date. 6: The rights of individuals; Personal data shall be processed in accordance with the rights of data subjects under this act; the rights of access to copy the information compromised in their personal data; a right to object to processing that is likely to cause or is cause damage or distress, a right to prevent processing for direct marketing, a right to object to decisions being taken by automated means, a right in certain circumstances to have accurate personal data rectified, blocked, erased or destroyed, and a right to claim compensation for damages caused by a breach of the act. 7: information security; appropriate technical and organizational measures shall be taken against unauthorized or unlawful processing of personal data and against accidental loss or destruction of, or damage to, personal data. It means you will need to design and organize your security to fit the nature of the personal data you hold and the harm that may result from a security breach; be clear about who in your organization is responsible for ensuring information security; make sure that you have the right physical and technical security, back up by robust policies and procedures and  reliable, well trained staff as well as being ready to respond to any breach of security swiftly and effectively. 8: Sending personal data outside the European Economic Area; personal data should not be transferred to a country or territory outside the #EEA unless that country or territory ensures an adequate level od protection for the rights and freedoms od data subjects in relation to the processing of personal data. Individuals who wish to access personal data on themselves commonly known as subject access; Can do so by writing a request to the company with possibly paying a fee, this entitles them to be told whether their personal data is being processed, they can request that they are given a description of the personal data, the reasons it is being processed and whether it will be given to any other organizations or people. The individual can also be given a copy of the information compromising the data and be given details of the source of the data. An individual can also request the reasons as to why any automated decisions are made for example a computer generated decision on credit. Whether to allow or deny. The individual is entitled only to their own personal data and not to information relating to other people. If I was running my own company the five measures I would put in place to protect the personal data are the following: Install a fire wall, anti spy ware and virus checking on all computers, this is a very common security implication, this would protect my computers from viruses which have the potential to download information from my computers to theirs. Anti spyware provides a monitoring service which stops programs being installed that can read passwords, bank details and other sensitive data. Protect computer files with passwords: Protecting files with passwords is a good way of keeping data restricted; I would ensure that only a few members of staff have the password and that it is changed on a regular basis. Disposing of computers; All old computers should be destroyed correctly, by using a recognized computer disposal service or by destroying the hard disk. Any old computers despite deleting the data, can still be accessed. Email information securely: Consider whether the email should be password protected. Learning activity six Look at the information provided under the link above, then tackle the following: What are the two ways that public authorities are obliged to provide information? What is the public interest test? What is a vexatious request? Try to interpret your answers using your own words Public authorities are obliged to publish information about their activities, as well as members of the public are entitled to request information from them. Public authorities must publish information proactively; The freedom of Information act requires every public authority to have a publication scheme. A publication scheme is a commitment by the council to make information available routinely, without waiting for someone specifically to request it. The publication scheme must state a promise to make certain levels of information routinely available such as who you are and what you do, the services you offer, organizational structure, policies and procedures, Contracts and reports, minutes of meetings, annual requests and financial information. Once the publication has been created it must first be approved by The Information Commissions Office ICO. Information in the publication scheme represents the minimum that must be shown, if a member of the public wants information that is not on this, they can still ask for it. Members of the publican request information from public authority and they have two separate ways in which they can respond: 1: Tell the applicant whether you hold any information that matches the criteria of what they have requested. 2: to provide them with the requested information Usually the request should be responded to within 20 working days. When receiving a request it must be in the form of a letter of email to be valid under The Freedom Of Information Act, the request must include their name, address and a description of the information requested, the act covered information not specific documents. The public interest test is a guidance document provided by The Information Commissioners Office,he has produced this series of good practice guidance designed to aid understanding and application of the FOIA The aim is to show some of the key areas of the freedom of information act and to help guide on how to respond to information requests. The guidance provided by the ICO is only a starting point going from research I found: section 1 of FOIA sets out the right to any person making a request for information to a public authority these are: The right to be informed Whether the information is held or not by the authority and if so then The right to have that information communicated to them. In principle it states that both these rights need to be treated separately. When applying the public interest test, consideration should be given first to whether it is right to confirm or deny whether the information is held and secondly whether the information should be supplied. To decide whether a request is vexatious you would need to look at the following: Can the request be seen as obsessive Is the request harassing the authority or causing distress to staff Would complying with the request impose significant burden in terms of expense and distraction ( with regards to employees) Is the request designed to cause disruption or annoyance Does the request lack any serious purpose or value You should be able to decipher whether the request is vexatious by looking at  these headings. Learning activity seven There are many methods of keeping records or information, some of which are computerized. Identify three types of records or information that relate to an area of business and inform decision making in that area. For each of the three types: Describe how the information/record is stored How reason for storing the information/record in this way How the storage method meets the requirements of the DPA Keeping records of employees sickness and absence, we keep his electronically on the system in a password secured file. Each person has there own line on a spread sheet and each day they are off that date will be marked in red, with a comment attached to it stating why the person was off sick. Any sick notes will be scanned in to the system and stored within that persons file. We ensure that this file is secure at all time and only management have access to it. Reasons for this is that we want to ensure other employees cant see other peoples absence and reasons for being off sick as that is private and confidential. The DPA states the following: obtained only for one or more specified and lawful purposes adequate, relevant and not excessive to the purpose for which the data are required accurate and, where necessary, kept up-to-date kept secure against unlawful or unauthorised processing, or accidental loss or erasure This is compliant with the Data protection act as we have only managers who have access to the file. We must keep this information as up to date as possible as absence and sickness in the work place can highlight problem areas that need to be looked at and resolved. Keeping CV’s These are all stored in a file on the main system, these can be accessed by the nominated filter processors who are usally a member of the team which the vacancy is for, and the manager of that dept. This is so  they can access them when needed. CV’s are usually kept for a year and then disposed of. This is compliant with the DPA’s standards as we don’t keep information longer than we need to as well as having only a select few people who are able to access the information. Training certificate records – All certificates are kept in our personnel files, however our training dept at head office also holds a copy as when the training is carried out a copy of the cert is sent to them also. This information is recorded on our training matrix and updated accordingly. We store the certificates in this way so that we can see who requires training and when. Also if anything happens on site and our health and safety officer needs to see what training they have in place we can have it available as soon as possible for him. Our storage methods meet the requirements of the DPA by keeping the information secure, all our employees have access to their records when required. We do advise that when we receive a certificate that they come in for a copy to put in their own records at home. Learning activity eight Take one example from the context of your organisation where information has been sourced, collected, analysed and then interpreted to inform decision making. For this example: State why the information was needed (how was it intended to support decision making?) How was it sourced? What method of data gathering was used and why? Show an output from the analysis of the data (example: pie chart, bar chart) Sickness and Absence – The information is gathered from employees time sheets which are handed in weekly to the office manager the time sheet consists of a basic table on an A4 piece of paper that requires the employees to input their hours. This will then be handed in and inputted manually. This can then be printed off and used. Sickness and absence information is required once a month at the operations meetings, the operations manager will go through with the contracts manager as to why someone was off for a period of time whether it was due to sickness, was a doctors note provided or whether it is a reoccurring unauthorized absence. If it is an re occurring unauthorized absence; this will be highlighted with our HR Department at head office. Once this happens our HR representative Jo Betts will arrange an interview with the person to get to the bottom of why they are having this time off and whether an improvement program can be put in place. Usually they will be issued with a warning and put on an attendance watch if they cannot give a valid reason as to why they aren’t coming in to work. This bar chart is in my Evidence folder 02.07 document Learning activity nine Look at the example above – and considering the broad principles of a dashboard – describe how you might create a dashboard (or describe an existing dashboard What areas of information would/does it contain? From where would you source the data to populate the dashboard? Who would use the dashboard and why? I would create a dashboard based on training record information; it would show what percentage of employees had valid training records and what percentage have them but they are out of date.. I would also have an accident chart, we have a few accidents a month relating from hitting underground BT cables and water pipes, as well as employees having accidents from climbing electric poles. Due to the fact most of our accidents are fairly similar, I would be able to group them easily by title. We provide training courses for all of these incidents such as â€Å"pole top rescue† and â€Å"Safe digging practices†, so where an employee may not have a valid training record for this, and that employee was involved in the accident this would be a good way of highlighting why the accident happened in the first place and that he should not be carrying out that particular job without undergoing training. I would source the training data from the Training Matrix file system. This  information is kept up to date at all times and is readily available to me when I need it. The accident data is kept with our Health and Safety manager, I would request the information from him. The dashboard would be a great tool to take to Operations meetings where our health and safety manager goes over the level of accidents and training carried out for that month. He can then compare using a bar chart whether there are a higher percentage of valid training records for that month in comparison to others. Learning activity ten Read the information contained under the link above, then tackle the following: A Balanced Scorecard approach generally has four perspectives – what are they? What are the potential benefits of using a balanced scorecard? Why is feedback essential? A balanced score card is defined as â€Å" a strategic planning and management system used to align business activities to the vision statement of an organization† in more simple and realistic terms a balance score card attempts to translate the sometimes vague, hopes of a companies mission statement in to the practicalities od managing the business better at every level. To produce your own balance score card you must know and understand: The companies mission statement The companies strategic plan/vision The financial status or the company How the organization is currently structured and operating The level of expertise of their employees Customer satisfaction level. The four perspectives that the Balanced score card generally has are that of: Finance – in which covers the following areas: Return on investment Cash flow Return on capital employed Financial results Quarterly/Yearly Internal Business processes – which covers the following areas: Number of activities per year Function Duplicate activities across functions Process alignment (is the process in the right dept.)(When the organizations business processes, quality definitions and measures are aligned to the strategy) Process bottlenecks Process automation (A general technology term that is used to describe any process being automated through the use of computers and computer software. Processes that have been automated require less human intervention and less human time to deliver) Learning and Growth – which covers the following areas: Is there the correct level of expertise for the job Employee turnover Job Satisfacti0on Training/Learning opportunities Customer – Which covers the following areas: Delivery performance to customer Quality performance for customer Customer satisfaction rate Customer percentage of market Customer retention rate. The benefits of using a balanced score card are that it enables you to see a mixture of financial and non financial measures each compared to a target value within a single concise ( expressing alot of detail in a few words†¦) report. Once the Balanced score card is implemented within the organization you should see improved processes. Motivated educated employees Enhances information systems Monitored progress Greater customer satisfaction Increased financial usage. However for any software to work effectively it should be: Compliant with your current technology platform Always accessible to everyone – Everywhere Easy to understand/update/communicate The balanced score card is only of good use when available to everyone, not by keeping it hidden. Feedback is essential and should be contributed to by everyone within the business Carol do I need to go on to discuss the 360 degree feedback here?

Reflective Essay Essay Example for Free

Reflective Essay Essay This essay aims to critically review my strengths and weaknesses as a self-regulated learner, in relation to key skills which demonstrate my ability to use reflective practice. Also, the essay will identify and implement the learning skills required to complete the modules in Year 2 of the programme. It will produce and make use of individual learning plans that reflect how I could improve upon my interpersonal skills and implement a personal development plan. Furthermore, a demonstration of application of key skills together with learning and interpersonal skills in a variety of settings will be made. The framework this reflective essay will follow has been adapted from the work of Borton (1970) Reach, Teach and Touch; along with Boud et al (1985) Turning Experience into Learning. A reflective essay is a piece of writing that basically involves your views and feelings about a particular subject. The goal of a reflective essay is to not only discuss what you learned, but to convey the personal experiences and findings that have resulted, Spinello (2012). However in order to critically evaluate and reflect the individual, must become a self-regulated learner. Students who are self-regulated learners collaborate with other students in exchanging ideas, eliciting assistance when needed, and providing support to their peers. They see the connection between their efforts and learning success, Trejos (2010). Zimmerman (2000) points out that, self-regulation is not a mental ability or an academic performance skill; rather it is the self-directive process by which learners transform their mental abilities into academic skills. These learners will monitor their behaviors in terms of their goals and self-reflect in order to increase their effectiveness. Self-regulation is important because a major function of education is the development of life-long learning skills, Zimmerman (2002, p. 66). In relation to the following key skills of, communication, numeracy, use of information technology, learning to learn and working with others, I have been able to identify my strengths and weaknesses. One of the areas in which I considered to be competent in was written communication, as I could  express myself more openly and creatively, this has been evident by the use blackboard discussions, emails and academic writing. Linked to this, my IT skills are also one of my biggest strengths, as I am able to utilize these skills to support and further develop communication, interpersonal and academic skills. My empathetic listening skill enables me to gain mutual understanding and supports me to work with others, where new knowledge and experience can be exchanged, which contribute to my ongoing learning. On the other hand, the identified areas that I need improvement in are my confidence in verbal communication, although one to one communication is not a problem, but communicating and presenting to larger groups is where I feel nervous. Building up confidence in this area is vital, as it is a key component of nursing practice, to ensure effective communication between patients, team members and multidisciplinary teams. From year one of the nursing programme to year two; I have seen an improvement in my general math’s skill, however I required further practice in this area, which will supported me to pass my drugs calculation exam for year 2. Additionally, exam preparation and revision techniques were another area which I needed to work on, as a result it facilitated towards preparing me for module 6 – immediate and continuing care examination. Last but not least, my academic writing skills which also required to be developed so that I would be able to produce work at level 5 standard, for additional module two – examining health and social care needs of vulnerable adults and module five understanding evidence-based nursing. Once I identified my strengths and weaknesses, I was able to set three goals for the academic year and produce an action plan for each goal, which was implemented in a personal development plan. A personal development plan is described as â€Å"a structured and supported process undertaken by an individual to reflect upon their own learning, performance and/or achievement and to plan for their personal, educational and career development†, (LMU, 2001). The three chosen goals for year 2 of my nursing programme were specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely (S.M. A. R. T). Goal one, was set out to help me become competent in critically appraising evidence and literature, which supports the learning skills of being able to produce academic work at level 5 standards. This goal required gaining understanding and knowledge of critical appraisal, as well as thoroughly comprehending the elements of critical appraisal and correctly identifying and using tool, frameworks and guidelines to critically appraise evidence and literature. The significance of achieving this goal was to help me complete year 2 modules of understanding evidence-based nursing and examining health and social care needs of vulnerable adults and achieving an overall good grade in both modules. What I generally thought was, for the understanding evidence based nursing essay I did not perform well with my critical appraisal, as most of my time was spent on formulating a PICO question and did not have sufficient time to write a powerful essay. However results showed that I gained an overall 55% mark, and comments that were given by the moderator were as follows ‘Critical appraisal You have identified the framework and the article for critical appraisal. In this part you have detailed the research process as reported in the article; although you have attempted to analyse the research validity and reliability but they should have been further developed. You should have critically analysed the quantitative research rigor validity, reliability and generalisability of the study findings supported with relevant literature’. So the importance of having constructive feedback is to make sure that I know which areas that I am potent in and which areas that I need to improve for the next essay, in order for me to critically appraise more coherently. As a result of this, for my examining health and social care needs of vulnerable adults module essay; which also involved critically appraising three research articles, I received an overall mark of 66%. The moderator’s comments for analysis and synthesis were that ‘You have made a good critique of the limitations of the studies. ’ And the quality of expression was indicated as ‘generally good. ’ Now I feel more confident in my critical appraisal skills, I believe with further practice I will be able to appraise articles and gain higher marks to help me progress on to year three. Goal two was aimed at preparing and passing module 6 – immediate and continuing care unseen examination, based on three patient journeys of diabetes, coronary heart disease and rheumatoid arthritis. This goal was linked to learning skills of exam preparation and revision techniques. The  steps that were taken in achieving this goal were to create a revision timetable to manage time; to use different revision and rehearsal techniques i. e. flow charts, mind-maps, revision cards, rehearsing exam papers in timed condition and having a study buddy. Combined with this, whilst reading literature and gathering information, I collected relevant references to create a reference list for the examination. What I thought was the daunting part of this goal was practicing exam papers in timed condition, as three hours seemed like a long time. What was interesting is that once I had all the suitable materials and information and began to do a timed essay, three hours seemed shorter than expected; with continuous practice this helped me to pick up my writing speed and also managing time per essay. With the use of mind maps and flow charts I was able to access information quick and easy, rather than going back to textbooks and online resources. Having prepared in this way prior to the exam made me feel confident and relaxed and I was able to manage my time efficiently. So the significance of preparing ahead is that it helps me to become proactive; managing time helps me to prioritise what is important and what needs to be attended in sequence. And using relevant resources is essential for learning success and achievement. Now I feel that I have generally performed well in my exam, as much of what I revised came up and I was prepared. Although time felt like an issue, I was able to use my time productively and efficiently. What I think I could improve for next time, is begin planning and revision sooner and rehearse more timed essay as practice makes perfect. Additionally, what I have learnt throughout this module I will be able to apply to clinical practice, and as an individual be prepared and have the ability to act accordingly when foreseen and unforeseen circumstances arise. Goal three demonstrates my ability to use my existing general maths skills with further practise, to pass drugs calculation examination for year 2. For this goal, the steps that were taken in order to achieve the goals were to use Authentic World (SafeMedicate) to revise for the exam, to do online mock exams in timed condition, and revise on general maths skills. What I didn’t realise was that the drugs examination was compulsory for every year throughout the nursing degree programme. However, as I had already passed my year one drugs calculation exam with full marks of 90/90, I didn’t find year two to be too difficult as it was on three areas from the previous year of tablets capsules, liquid medication and Injections. I found that accessing authentic world and revising the areas and completing the mock exams were easily within the comfort of home. I was able to revise where I wanted and when I wanted, support was available from other maths revision sites. So after revising the key areas and doing timed questions, I felt confident in sitting the actual exam. I completed the exam within the time limit, reviewed my questions and answer and received my final mark of 90/90 on first attempt, which I was very pleased with. Now that I have achieved full marks on my first attempt I am able use this knowledge of drug management to aid my drugs administrative skills whilst on second year placement. What I will aim to do for year three drugs calculation exam is to refresh and revise over previous areas, and also read ahead on the additional section that will be added to year three exam. On achievement of these three developmental goal, I have been able to make connection between the learning and interpersonal skills to a variety of settings. From goal one I understand being able to critically appraise in nursing practice means that patients can benefit from the best possible outcome with backup from reliable and valid researches that have been carried out. Thus, as a healthcare professional I am able to gain knowledge to ensure and/or provide effective and dynamic care. From goal two of understanding long-term illness of coronary heart disease, diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis from journeys of simulation patients. I have been able to prepare myself to have knowledge and have the ability to cooperate in a situation where I will work with real patients with these types of conditions. Long-term illnesses and conditions affects vast majority of the population and therefore keeping knowledge update is an essential way to promote health and provide information to others. With support from goal three of safely calculating drug dosages for supporting drug administrative skills, is essential part of nurse training. To ensure that the right patients receive the right dose of the right medication, at the right time, through the right route, as drug errors can be fatal to the outcomes of the patient. In conclusion, this module has helped me to develop from being an independent learner to a self-regulated learner. Where I am able to identify my strengths and weaknesses in relations to key skills; and critique my competency and incompetency towards creating goals, and reflect upon the process in achieving these goals. Overall for year two of this programme I have achieved my set goals, and I have developed the ability to use key skills along with learning and interpersonal skills in providing best judgement in different settings. References: Borton, T (1970) Reach, Teach and Touch. McGraw Hill, London Boud D, Keogh R Walker D. (1985) Reflection: Turning Experience into Learning. Kogan Page, London. London Metropolitan University (LMU) (2001) Personal development planning (Online) available at: www. londonmet. ac. uk/library/z62053_24. doc. [Accessed last: 11 January 2012] Spinello, S. (2012) what is a reflective essay? (Online) available at: http://www. ehow. com/about_4576779_reflective-essay-paper_. html. [Accessed: 09 February 2012] Trejos, C. M. A. (2008) Using journals for learners’ reflection and self-assessment. The internet TESL journal. 14 (10). (Online) available at: http://iteslj. org/Techniques/Arciniegas-LearnersJournals. html. [Accessed last: 10 February 2012] Zimmerman, B. J. (2000). Attainment of self-regulation: A social cognitive perspective. In M. Boekaerts, P. R. Pintrich, M. Zeidner (Eds. ), Handbook of self-regulation (pp. 13-39). San Diego, CA: AcademicPress. Zimmerman, B. J. (2002). Becoming a self-regulated learner: an overview. Theory into practice, 41 (2), p. 64-70.

International Organisation Food And Agriculture Organisation Politics Essay

International Organisation Food And Agriculture Organisation Politics Essay The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO, or ONUAA for its French equivalent Organisation des Nations Unies pour lalimentation et lagriculture is a specialised agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. FAO acts as a neutral forum, serving both developed and developing economies, where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and debate policy. FAO is a source of information and knowledge, and helps developing countries/ countries in transition to modernise and improve agriculture, forestry and fisheries practices, ensuring adequate nutritional bal. Its Latin motto, fiat panis, translates into English as let there be bread. As of 8 August 2008[update], FAO has 191 members states along with the European Union and the Faroe Islands, which are associate members. 2. The Food and Agriculture Organization  [1]  of the United Nations leads international efforts to defeat hunger. During its last summit in 2009, plan of action including seven commitments was drawn out. First of it is to ensure an enabling political, social and economic environment for eradication of poverty, most conducive to achieving food security for all. The importance of basic human right to food and sustainable agriculture was acknowledged by the summit. FAO has a special programme for food security which is country based steering committee. Another programme, food security and vulnerability information and mapping system (FIVIMS) is established at world food summit and is monitoring undernourished people and issues of food access. United Nations Development Programme 3. The United Nations Development Programme is concerned with integrating human rights in all global development activity, such as democratic governance, poverty reduction, crisis prevention and recovery, energy and environment  [2]  . Export Credit Agencies (ECA) Watch 4. ECA Watch is an outreach mechanism of a larger international campaign to reform Export Credit Agencies (ECAs). Non-governmental organisations working on issues related to the environment, development, human rights and anti-corruption participating in this campaign lobby national and global ECAs to improve their environmental policies and practices. World Agro forestry Centre 5. The World Agro forestry Centre is an autonomous, not-for-profit research and development institution supported by nearly 60 different governments, private foundations regional development banks and the World Bank whose primary mission is to improve food and nutritional security and enhance environmental resilience in the tropics  [3]  . International Food Policy Research Institute(IFPRI) 6. Aimed at identifying and analysing policies for sustain ably meeting the food needs of the developing world. The research at IFPRI focuses on economic growth and poverty alleviation in low income countries and the sound management of the natural resource base that supports agriculture  [4]  . IFPRI seeks to make its research results available to all those in a position to use them and to strengthen institutions in developing countries that conduct research relevant to its mandate. Consultative Group on Agricultural Research 7. CGIAR is a strategic alliance of countries, global and regional organisations and private foundations supporting 15 international agricultural centers. It works with national agricultural research systems and civil society organisations to achieve sustainable food security and reduce poverty in developing countries through scientific research and research-related activities in the fields of agriculture, forestry, fisheries, policy and the environment  [5]  . Harvest Plus 8. Harvest Plus, one of the CGIARs Global Challenge Programs, seeks to reduce the effects of micronutrient malnutrition by harnessing the power of plant breeding to develop staple food crops that are rich in micronutrients, a process called Bio fortification  [6]  . International Rice Research Institute 9. The International Rice Research Institute, an autonomous, non profit agricultural research and training organisation with offices in more than ten nations aims to find sustainable ways to improve the well-being of poor rice farmers and consumers while protecting the environment  [7]  . International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) 10. IIED is a London-based independent, non-profit organisation that promotes sustainable patterns of development through collaborative research, policy studies, networking and knowledge dissemination. It works to address global issues like mining, paper industry and food systems. A 34 year-old organisation with a presence in 18 countries, IIED was the first recipient of the Blue Planet Prize (1992) for outstanding contributions to environmental policy and action  [8]  . Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) 11. CIFOR is an international research and global knowledge institution committed to conserving forests and improving the livelihoods of people in the tropics. CIFORs high impact research in 40 countries helps local communities and small farmers gain their rightful share of forest resources, while increasing the production and value of forest products  [9]  . International Water Management Institute 12. IWMI is a non-profit scientific research organization specialising in water use in agriculture and integrated management of water and land resources. The institute works with partners in the developing world to develop tools and methods to help these countries eradicate poverty and ensure food security through more effective management of their water and land resources  [10]  . World Health Organisation 13. The worlds foremost health agency, the World Health Organisation is the United Nations specialised agency for health, established with the objective is to achieve attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health  [11]  . The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) 14. A research institute with five Indian centers and four overseas affiliates, TERI is committed to every finding innovative solutions to critical energy and environment related issues and the challenges posed by sustainable development from providing environment-friendly solutions to rural energy problems to helping shape the development of the Indian oil and gas sector and from tackling global climate change issues across continents to enhancing forest conservation efforts among local communities  [12]   United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) 15. Established in 1972, United Nations Environment Programme acts as a catalyst, advocate, educator and facilitator to promote the wise use and sustainable development of the global environment. To accomplish this, UNEP works with a wide range of partners, including United Nations entities, international organisations, governments, non-governmental organisations, the private sector and civil society  [13]  . United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) 16. Located in New York. It has separate divisions called sustainable Energy and Environmental division (SEED) and Sustainable Lively hoods unit of poverty. The former focus on food security research and monitoring technical and policy issues e.g. food security action plans and the later focus on field and policy work having direct relevance to food security and emphasis on capacity building  [14]  . Centre for Science and Environment 17. Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) is an independent, public interest organisation which aims to increase public awareness on science, technology, environment and development  [15]  . Environment News Service 18. The Environment News Service provides daily international news updates on the environment  [16]  . World Bank 19. World Bank is the major founder for Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) which conducts much of Green Revolution related R D. Adequacy Of Role/Contribution Of International Organisation 20. As per UN convention, Industrialised and developed countries are required to spend 0.7 percent of their national income on international aid. However, except Norway, Sweden, Luxemburg, Netherlands and Denmark, no other developed nation is meeting the target. (Data fact Map of UN). Lack of political consensus among developed countries on food security related issues and non implementation of UN convention in terms of national contribution towards aid has further weakened UN standing. Organisation of economic co-operation and development data mentions reduction of aid by 5.1 percent with effect from 2005 to economic crisis looming those countries. A mere scrutiny of mother organisation of world in respect of Global food security i.e Food And agriculture Organisation of United Nation enunciates the level of inadequacy of international agencies dealing with the crisis. 21. There has been severe public criticism  [17]  of FAO performance for the last 30 years. After the 1974 World Food Conference, due to dissatisfaction with the FAOs performance two new organizations ie World Food Council (WFC) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD were created. World Food Programme, which was started as an experimental 3-year programme under FAO, grew in size and independence, with the directors of FAO and WFP struggling for power. Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank based in Washington, D.C. wrote that the sad fact is that presently, the FAO has become essentially irrelevant in combating global hunger. In recent years, bloated bureaucracy known for mediocrity of its work and the inefficiency of FAO staff, the FAO has become increasingly politicised. In the same year, the Society journal published a series of articles about FAOs inefficiency and lack of transparency. 22, US State Department expressed the view that The Food and Agriculture Organization has lagged behind other UN organizations in responding to US desires for improvements in program and budget processes to enhance value for money spent. In 1991, The Ecologist magazine produced a special issue written by experts such as Helena Norberg-Hodge, Vandana Shiva, Edward Goldsmith, Miguel A. Altieri and Barbara Dinham under the heading The UN Food and Agriculture Organization: Promoting World Hunger and questioned FAOs policies and practices in forestry, fisheries, aquaculture, and pest control. 23. In 1996, World Food Summit organised by FAO was attended by 112 Heads or Deputy Heads of State and Government and concluded with the signing of the Rome Declaration, which established the goal of halving the number of people who suffer from hunger by the year 2015. In the meantime, 1,200 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) from 80 countries participated in an NGO forum. The forum was critical of the growing industrialisation of agriculture and called upon governments and FAO to do more to protect the Right to Food of the poor. Although some progress has been made during the last twenty years, the future is not bright. At the World Food Summit in 1996, high-level policy makers from more than 112 countries agreed to the goal of reducing the number of food-insecure people by half, to 400 million, between 1990 and 2015. At the follow-up Summit in 2002, policy makers from the same countries reaffirmed the same goal. Unfortunately, action does not seem to follow rhetoric. Even after ten years of first summit less than one third of the countries managed to reduce the number of food-insecure people, while one half experienced an increase. 24. To reach this target of world food summit, 22 million people need to escape from food insecurity every year. But only 6 million have been fortunate enough to do so. Given the progress, this commitment seems to have been mere lip service. Till date the countries who undertook this commitment have made choices each year about how to spend money and expend effort and policy goals to pursue. But for the vast majority, food security has never made it near the top of the agenda. With the present policies and approaches now being pursued in most countries and international organizations, there is no possibility of achieving sustainable food security for all in next decade. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations projects that even the more limited WFS goal will be met not by 2015, but by 2050.