Project management for a building conversion Essay

Project management for a building conversion - Essay Example It has been selected to be a Grade B office building. This paper seeks to present key activities involved in conversion to Grade B office integrated in the project management perspective. We will see how activities will be schedule, resource management, and quality assurance among other fundamental principles surrounding any project. PREDECESSOR ACTIVITIES The first crucial step is to seek permission from the local authority in form of an application for change of user. This will need the approval of the local authority’s plans for the area. (IEEE, 2005).That is, whether the area is official recognized as an industrial area only or a residential area. Depending on the prevailing by-laws, the approval may be issued or not. Afterwards, we can proceed to the preliminary design of the office. That is, the floor layout of the offices required among other things. These specifications will be tailored to the client in Hong Kong. A detailed assessment of the existing building will be done to check integrity of the current building, the kind of foundation, parts of the building that are intact or need re-designing to fit in the preliminary design. ... Once the building permit is issued, the conversion works can officially commence with other revisions being made on the prior design if necessary but still approval from relevant authorities is mandatory. This is how this conversion will generally go. The detailed procedures will be modelled within the Microsoft Project 2007. KEY AREAS IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT In any project, whether product manufacturing, or service delivery, there are crucial aspects of activities that need to be addressed should we desire a successful project. These factors are necessary for the project manager. How he or she addresses these issues will show his capability and skills and project is no exception. Besides time, there are various key areas in project management (PMBOK, 2008) and these include cost management, project quality management, human resource management, project scope management, Risk management These are discussed as follows 1. Time Management Time management ensures that the project is comple ted as planned. This has an impact costs and effectiveness in running the project. This sector covers the processes required to ensure timely completion of the project (Dennis 2007).The sequencing aspects is crucial. Certain activities can only commence after predecessor activities are completed. For this project we applied the fundamental activities involved in the conversion of an industrial building to an office building. We will also cover the critical path. This is basically the path that should not be delayed as it will determine the overall project conclusion time. Milestones will help us monitor project course. From the MS Project we came

Henry James referred to TTOTS as a potboiler Essay Example for Free

Henry James referred to TTOTS as a potboiler Essay Henry James referred to ‘TTOTS’ as a potboiler. In light of this comment, explore the establishment of a simple ghost story in the prologue and first five chapters. Henry James stated that ‘TTOTS’ was a potboiler, meant only to be perceived as a simple ghost story which in the Victorian era was how it was originally accepted. However a more modern audience ay interpret the novella as something more. Relating back to the idea of a simple ghost story, the novella starts with a typical ghost story setting – ‘The story had held us, round the fire’ emphasised by the description of the house being ‘gruesome’ and it being ‘Christmas Eve’ informing us that it is night time. All are contributing factors to an ideal ghost story and all of these points start to build the tension and suspense up already within the first few lines. ‘Held us, round the fire’ tells us how they are clinging to this materialistic substance for comfort and warmth, typical connotations of fire. Use of language such as ‘dreadful’ and ‘terror’ increases this sense of a greater impending ghost story – that of which we hear about the Governess. Moreover this sets the mood and creates the atmosphere for the audience to fully appreciate the ‘horror’ of this ghost story. In addition, the idea of them telling ghost stories gives us an immediate impression that there is a ghost story awaiting the audience. The use of more dramatic language such as ‘for sheer terror?’ and ‘for dreadful – dreadfulness’ start the steep incline of suspense and tension we will feel throughout the story. The idea of authenticity throughout this novella is key for the audience to focus on. To increase this idea of the story being real, James uses a framed narrative to draw the reader in to believe that the tale is true. Overall the story could succeed without the prologue but with it, the audience is a lot more likely to proceed through the book with an idea or reality. The main character in the prologue, Douglas, tells the unnamed narrator and the rest of the group of a ghost story much worse than any that have been told. ‘If the child gives the effect of another turn of the screw, what do you say to two children ?’ Obviously hinting that his tale contains two children, increasing the horror the audience are now sure that they are reading a simple ghost story. However this idea can be argued as we continue throughout the prologue and the first chapter. We learn that about the Governess, moreover, we learn Douglas’ opinion of her. ‘Is in old faded ink and in the most beautiful hand’. From this we can interpret that Douglas’ may be fond or possibly in love with the Governess making his opinion biased thus taking away from the reliability of the story. The use of characters in the prologue almost acts as a metaphor for the reader. ‘Everybody will stay!’ and ‘I will – and I will!’ could be used to represent how James wants the reader to react to reading the actual ghost story. Straight away in the first chapter we learn about how the governess suffered ‘a succession of flights and drops’. Already we start to suspect the volatility of her and the reliability of her tale which obviously argues against the idea of it being a simple ghost story and starts to lay down the foundation for the idea that there may be undercurrents of something more suspect. However her description of Bly is incredibly positive. ‘A lovely day’, ‘summer sweetness’ and ‘a friendly surprise’ are all used in one sentence and all are incredibly optimistic, giving us the idea that the governess is a very positive person. However she does seem to be very hyperbolic, describing the first child, Flora, as ‘one of Raphael’s holy infants’. Obviously this is taking it to extremes, which hints that this might not be the only thing that she is exaggerating throughout the novella. Towards the end of chapter one, she describes parts of the house with language such as ‘empty chambers’, ‘dull corridors’ and ‘crooked staircase’ al of which are very negative descriptions, however she immediately starts to describe the house as ‘a castle of romance’ and something from a ‘story book’. Moreover, as she is peppering her negative quotes with positive and vice versa massively showing her incredible volatility. This is a major idea that the rest of the story may be exaggerated or maybe not even true. This could also foreshadow her personality later on into the novella. Throughout the chapters the language of Mrs Grose becomes increasingly questionable. As an audience we are constantly told that she is ‘simple-minded’ however she sees to know a lot more than she is letting on. ‘Are you afraid he’ll corrupt you?’ This is odd as she is talking about Miles, a ten year old boy. This make the audience think, how can a young child corrupt a fully grown woman? Leading us on to thin she may be talking about somebody else. As we progress through the story we learn about the Governess’s sexual frustration toward the master. Accompanying this idea is that she sees the apparition of Peter Quint upon the tower. This is could imply that she is projecting her sexual frustration onto an imaginary figure as a release to wanting to see the master. ‘A charming story suddenly to meet someone’ and later ‘He did stand there!’ She only sees this figure stood there when she is imagining the master, a suspicious idea that the reader may look into. ‘The man who met my eyes was not the person I precipitately supposed’. This quote backs up my previous point of the projecting this idea of meeting the master on her walks. During these first few chapters we experience a reasonable amount of religious language, ‘Raphael’s holy infants’, ‘divine’ and ‘he has red hair’ these all imply ideas of how the plot is affected by the religious aspects of the Victorian era and their views on ghosts. As they did believe in ghosts and were mainly very religious, these ideas were accepted avidly and only increased any emotions felt within the Victorian reader as they progressed through the story. Overall, my personal views are that there are underlying psychological ideas in ‘TTOTS’ and that although it can be read as a straight ghost story, to fully appreciate the novella the reader must delve deeper and retrieve any obvious ideas that suggest more than just a typical ghost story. James uses a variety of techniques which make his characters seem a lot more emotional deeper than just a person who is afraid in a big house. However the idea of authenticity throughout does back up the point of it being a straight ghost story. I do believe that it is a mazed reader and can be open to a variety of interpretations.

Good Governance Essay

Good Governance Essay Governance is the deliberate and conscious management of regime structures for enhancing the public realm. Governance can be viewed from social, political and economic perspectives. Indeed, good governance is pivotal to the development process. Development linked governance has been an issue much debated in the contemporary world. The term governance has taken a much wider meaning and is no longer restricted to rule or administration but is used in a broader sense to imply the manner in which power is exercised. Since power can be exercised in any manner as desired, certain principles would be required in order to judge whether the discourse of the power has been made as per certain standards and norms. Such judgment can be based on several criteria participation of citizens, upholding the rule of law, transparency of the system, responsiveness of the authority, consensus oriented policy, equity and inclusiveness of the policy, accountability of the system, strategic vision of the a uthority, etc. At the end of the Cold War era, the term good governance came into circulation which signified the prescriptions by donor agencies for carrying out economic and political reforms by the recipient countries. These prescriptions were presented by international donor agencies as conditionalities and were expected to be met with compliance.  [4]   The World Bank defines good governance as ..the one epitomized by predictable, open, and enlightened policy-making, a bureaucracy imbued with a professional ethos acting in furtherance of the public good, the rule of law, transparent processes, and a strong civil society participating in public affairs. Poor governance (on the other hand) is characterized by arbitrary policy making, unaccountable bureaucracies, un-enforced or unjust legal systems, the abuse of executive power, a civil society unengaged in public life and widespread corruption.  [5]   The Government of Maharashtra Report on Good Governance sought to elucidate on the concept of good governance.  [6]  At the outset in the Mission Statement of the report, it clarified that the concept of good governance was much larger than mere administrative reforms as understood in the conventional sense of the term as it covered more ground and substance. Good governance has much to do with the ethical grounding of governance and therefore must be evaluated with reference to specific norms and objectives as may be laid down. Apart from looking at the functioning of the given segment of the society from the point of view of its acknowledged stakeholders and beneficiaries and customers and incorporating these perspectives in the course of its actions, it must have firm moorings to certain moral values and principles. As a concept, good governance applies to various and distinct sections of the society; the government, legislature, judiciary, the media, the private sector, the corporate sector, the co-operatives, societies, trusts, organizations and even non-governmental organizations.  [7]  After all, public accountability and transparency are equally relevant for each one of these institutions on which the society derives pillar-strength. Furthermore, only when all these and various other sections of the society conduct their affairs in a socially responsible manner can the objective of achieving larger good for the largest number of people in the society be realized. It must also be mentioned that the foremost test of good governance is the respect for the rule of law. As the often quoted saying goes, the law is supreme and above all its subjects. Governance must always be based on rule of law. Every lawfully established government must govern according to the laws of the land and all its actions must uphold the rule of law and any effort to take the law in ones own hand or to undermine the law by anyone, howsoever high and mighty he may be, must be dealt with speedily, decisively and in an exemplary manner. The Report goes on to observe that it is a matter of great concern that despite over five decades of Independence, it cannot be said with conviction that our governance is based on the rule of law. CHAPTER 2: PRINCIPLES OF GOOD GOVERNANCE 2.1 Principles of Good Governance The pillars of governance include accountability, transparency, predictability and participation these are universally applicable regardless of economic orientation, strategic priorities, or policy choices of the government in question. However, there application must be country-specific and purely based on the economic, social and administrative capacity of the country. The universally accepted characteristics of good governance include participation, rule of law, transparency, responsiveness, equity, inclusiveness, effectiveness, efficiency and accountability.  [8]   The following text shall cover the principles which may be considered as the key principles of good governance in the opinion of the researcher. These key elements have been listed out by the researcher based on their relevance and contribution towards establishing an efficient and objective driven governing authority, covering socio-political and economic considerations. The determinative role that these principles play are supported by the various texts of international governing authorities, like the United Nations, as well as the emphasis laid upon them by the Constitutions of various countries including India. Therefore, these principles are covered not only by hard-law provisions, i.e. legislations, treaties, etc. which make the compliance to such principles mandatory, but also soft-law provisions, i.e. declarations, policies outlining desirable targets, etc. which reflect the consensus of countries and their convergence in thought process vis-à  -vis these principles. (1) Free and Fair Elections Since good governance emphasizes on the significance attached to the right people being involved in the decision making process, a democratic setup where the representatives of the people are in control of the power, ensured by free and fair elections, holds importance towards ensuring good governance. Free and fair elections ensure that the citizens are able to exercise their right to elect their leaders and hence participate in voicing their interests through these leaders. However, such an election process must be free and fair, where the voters have a choice amongst the candidates and the right to the relevant information concerning the candidates in order to elect the leader who according to them could best serve the government. Such elections are open to all persons without discriminating on sex, race or ethnicity and are without interference or coercion by the government.. The right to vote is a constitutionally safeguarded right and is the cornerstone of a democratic society. However, other factors which discussed below are essential to ensure that elections are a means to a democratic society, and not an end by themselves.  [9]   (2) Independent Judiciary The Rule of Law A crucial aspect of the constitutional mechanism is a system of checks and balances that is imposed upon the different organs of the State. While power is granted to the government, its use is overlooked and kept within acceptable limits by the constitutional limits like periodic elections, guarantees of rights, and an independent judiciary which permits the citizens to seek protection of their rights and redress against government actions. In this way, one branch of the government is able to provide accountability for the actions of another. The value attached to an independent judiciary cannot be neglected due to its role in preserving the rule of law.  [10]  The rule of law binds the branches of the government together. It also lays the foundation for the sound establishment of the healthy economic, social and political life. The Courts must uphold the rule of law in the State, fairly and without discrimination, providing equal protection for women and minorities and allow open and fair access to judicial and administrative systems. Political or civil rights must not be denied by reasons of sex, race or ethnicity. Justice should be available for all sections of the society. Good governance requires fair legal frameworks that are enforced impartially. It requires full protection of human rights, particularly those of the minorities. Impartial enforcement of laws requires an independent judiciary and an impartial and incorruptible police force.  [11]   (3) Freedom of Speech Press To function efficiently, a democratic society based on justice must not restrict the free exchange of ideas and information. To achieve this, free and open press and the freedoms of speech and expression are constitutionally safeguarded rights as well to cultivate effective governance. We live in an information driven society, and the access to information provides a vital tool to the public to make informed choices regarding their day to day lives and enables them to participate in the governance process. Such freedoms also serve as a check on the accountability for the government and lets the citizens redress the government for its actions. It facilitates the exchange of political discourse, creating a marketplace of ideas where no view is stifled and the best are chosen.  [12]   (4) Elimination of Corruption Good governance also translates into the elimination of corruption to preserve the integrity of democracy. Governments must strive to rid themselves of bribery as corruption damages economic development and reform, and is an obstacle as far as the ability of developing countries to attract foreign investment is concerned while also hindering the growth of democratic institutions, and concentrating power in the hands of a few. The best way to combat corruption is for governments to be open and transparent. While in certain cases governments have a responsibility to retain secrecy and confidentiality, democratic governments must be sensitive to the citizens right to know. Strong laws against corruption and the presence of law enforcement agencies that work against corruption demonstrate a governments commitment to this principle.  [13]   (5) Investment in People Reaping maximum benefit and managing the limited resources before the country is a task which must be performed by the administration. While following good governance practices, the government must invest in the people to cultivate a human resource base. This means that ample resources must be devoted to preserve the welfare of the citizens, without discrimination, and provide health care, education, etc., and an environment where political, economic and social well being, peace and justice can be achieved.  [14]   (6) Legitimacy Voice All citizens, men and women, must have a voice in the decision making process in good governance compliant State. This may be direct or through legitimate intermediate institutions. Such broad participation is made possible by the freedom of association and expression. Of the principles enumerated thus far, the principle of legitimacy and voice has the strongest claim to universal recognition based on over a half century of United Nations accomplishments in the field of human rights.  [15]  Another facet of good governance is the intention to act on consensus and not on the will of a few, whether strong or weak. This mediates the differing interests to reach a broad consensus on what is in the best interest of the entire society. A long term perspective giving due regard to the holistic effect on the society must be undertaken before the governing authority envisages on a path and focus on sustainable human development. This may include better understanding the historical, cultur al and social contexts of the given society.  [16]   (7) Direction The leaders in particular and the public in general should have a broad and long term perspective on good governance and human development, accompanied with a strong sense of the historical, cultural and social complexities in which that perspective is grounded.  [17]   The leaders and the public should have a broad and long-term perspective on good governance and human development, along with a sense of what is needed for such development. There is also an understanding of the historical, cultural and social complexities in which that perspective is grounded. Governance is thus a checklist of criteria of managing public affairs. As Lewis T. Preston, the World Bank president, categorically stated in hi foreword to Governance and Development, Good governance is an essential complement to sound economic policies. Efficient and accountable management by the public sector and a predictable and transparent policy framework are critical to the efficiency of markets and governments, and hence to economic development.  [18]   (8) Performance Orientation While good governance necessitates the consideration of several other factors, achieving the targets set forth by the government cannot be overlooked. These institutions and processes must attempt to serve all the stakeholders, and produce results that meet the needs while making the best use of the resources.  [19]  The work should always be oriented towards achieving optimal performance. Performance can be divided into two categories responsiveness of the government, and the effectiveness and efficiency of the government. Good governance calls for serving of the stakeholders within a reasonable timeframe which would ensure trust and acceptance of the public. Responsiveness of the government can only be tested if there exists meaningful and serious civil society engagement in the public affairs of the State.  [20]  The concept of efficiency in the context of good governance also covers the sustainable use of natural resources and the protections of the environment. (9) Accountability Information is also associated with the power government exercises. By restricting information, people within government become more powerful that those who are without it. Thus, demand for transparency and information is also about sharing of power. It is possible to misuse power when it is concentrated rather than when it is shared among a broader stream of people. As information grows, the arbitrariness of government tends to reduce.  [21]   Good governance entails the accountability of those who have been entrusted with certain duties and powers. Since the public participates in the decision making through the elected representatives and through the appointed decision makers, these decision makers are accountable to the public for the use of their powers. The level of this accountability may however differ in accordance with the organization in question and the nature of the decision. The private sector and civil society organizations must also be held accountable to the public and their institutional stakeholders. In general, an organization or an institution is accountable to those who will be affected by its decisions or actions.  [22]   Accountability cannot be enforced without transparency and the rule of law. Transparency refers to the taking decisions and enforcing them in accordance with rules and regulations and making the information with regard to such actions accessible for scrutiny by those the decisions affect. In simplistic terms, it means also that sufficient information is provided and that it is provided in easily understandable forms and mediums.  [23]  Transparency depends on the building of a free flow of information. Processes, institutions and information are directly made accessible to those concerned with them and enough information is provided to understand and monitor them.  [24]   (10) Fairness There must prevail a sense of fairness emanating from the decisions of the governing body. The members of the society should feel as equal participants in the society. All persons should be regarded as equals, and certain rights which are considered inalienable to humans must be respected. Discrimination of any kind such as race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, etc. must not be condoned. Equal opportunity must be given to everyone to improve or maintain their well being. At the same time, certain protected sections of the society must be given special attention if there exists a need for the government to help alleviate their economic, social or political standing. CHAPTER 3 Good Governance in the Indian Context Life of the law is not logic, but experience.  [25]   2.1 Good Governance: Recent Initiatives The pre dominant theme in contemporary debate over administrative reforms in India has been the target of achieving objectives under a regime of good governance. This implies a broader outlook towards management of such matters without exclusively restricting it to public administration. It is suggested that this idea stems from the concept of liberalization which places the individual over collective preferences, and the State shrinks to give place to the market that demands economic efficiency.  [26]   The contemporary efforts towards administrative reforms are not directed against an autonomous State, but instead a bureaucracy that is coming to grips with the changing role of the State. The bureaucracy is itself under an attack; on account of its inefficiency and also because of its association with a political system which has failed to perform, a system which deprived the citizens of their legitimate rights in decision making for far too long.  [27]  Another striking feature of these reforms is their tendency to be more ideologically oriented than before. This context must therefore be kept in mind while debating over the reform initiatives in recent times. The change in the context is primarily seen as an induced effect of the demand generated by the peoples struggle to make the government accountable. It is a change spearheaded by the efforts of the people. It is not a deliberate attempt by a benevolent government to come clean. Kuldeep Mathur makes an interesting observation that the government while reacting to this demand raised by the people has in fact met with resistance from within its own members.  [28]   The Conference of Chief Secretaries on effective and responsive administration in November 1996 gave birth to certain recommendations which were later converted into an Action Plan by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, which also included brainstorming by the Prime Minister, Cabinet Secretary, Chief Ministers and the Chief Secretaries. The Action Plan intends to introduce accountable administration which is effective and speedy in redressing public grievances, empowerment of local bodies, decentralized delivery system, review of laws, transparency and the right to information, code of ethics for civil servants, anti-corruption policies, etc. The central idea behind the action plan seems to be efficiency.  [29]   The Central Government had setup the Working Group on Right to Information and Promotion of Open and Transparent Government in 1997, which observed à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦democracy means choice and a sound and informed choice is possible only on the basis of knowledge. It went on to argue that transparency and openness in the functioning of the government shall have a cleansing effect on the operations of public agencies and approvingly quoted the saying that sunlight is the best disinfectant.  [30]   In May 1997, at the Conference of Chief Ministers, transparency in the government was discussed and a statement issues which provided for an Action Plan for Effective and Responsive government at the Central and State levels, while conceding that the secrecy and lack of openness in transactions had led to widespread corruption. The statement attracted much praise also because it set upon the government 3 months time to ensure easy access to information for the people vis-à  -vis information relating to government activities and decisions, except information which was sensitive in nature. Soon thereafter, political events took over and no progress was made for nearly a decade, much over the 3 month deadline that had been set.  [31]   While the Right to Information Act was introduced in 2005, continuous efforts are underway to introduce more accountability and transparency in the system. While most of the principles of good governance are found in the Indian legal framework in the form of constitutionally guaranteed safeguards, the governance needs to involve the civil society more actively in the decision making and establish the norms of redressal. The lack of transparency, prevalence of corruption, inefficient working and lack of responsiveness continue to be the grey areas. 2.2 Conclusion As a developing country emerging as an economic superpower, India needs to get its act right. Without certain optimum standards of efficiency, the principles of good governance cannot be attained. The peoples movement demanding good governance in India co-relates to the growing unrest in the civil society frustrated with the inefficiency and the opaqueness in the system. The only solution was to re-invent the government, and thus started a chain of events which included the passing of the Right to Information Act as recently as 2005. With the Indian economys growth story making headlines, the country has awakened to the need of the hour on its path to development. The insistence of international institutions like the World Bank that developing countries comply with the principles of good governance has only worked to Indias advantage. While some progress has been made, a lot more still needs to be done. Imbibing the principles of good governance shall ensure that India continues to march towards development, while effectively managing its resources and providing the socio-politico-economic rights that the citizens of this country are entitled to. However, just how effective this approach proves to be shall be determined by the response of the civil society which started this reform movement. CHAPTER 3 CONCLUSION The study of governance opens up new avenues it enables us to wander into intellectual space where we can search for solutions to the problems that have haunted us for far too long. The primary objective of governance is to discuss the role of the government in coping with the public issues and to tackle the myriad predicaments and difficulties that arise from these transactions. It teaches us that means must not be the ends, and both the means and the ends must be duly understood. The study of governance also enables us to effectively factor in the role that must be played by the other players in the arena of governance the role that must be played by the civil society groups and institutions. Governance is an exercise of economic, political and administrative authority for efficiently managing a countrys affairs, at both micro and macro levels, which includes the mechanisms, processes and institutions through which the citizens and civil society groups are able to communicate their interests, make use of their constitutional and legal rights besides meeting their obligations and mediating their differences.  [32]  It is not only desirable, but imperative that governance for development be accountable, participatory, responsive, effective and efficient for promoting the rule of law, safeguarding the interests of citizens and marching towards a holistic development. The principles of good governance are a set of principles which have gained popularity in an almost dogmatic sense. The universal applicability and acceptance of these principles have seen their application reach a new height and there is now a global pressure to conform to these common minimum standards of governance. These principles envisage a model of governance on which the developing countries, which are fast realizing the link between development and efficient governance, seek to fashion their governance on. The driving force behind this changing scenario have been the international institutions pressing for compliance, and the rising peoples movements demanding their legitimate rights to competent governance in an accountable manner. There is a growing sentiment that the convergence over these principles will result in the governments rising above the challenges before them. At the same time, there is caution in the wind. These principles must not be followed as diktats. Their application must be tailored to the specific needs of governance, sensitizing them to the local conditions. This is on account of the socio-politico-economic values that are affected by these principles. Their introduction as a localized experience prevents the alienation of the very people who must reap benefits. Practicing these principles of good and just governance results in a free and open society where people can pursue their hopes and dreams in a healthy and conducive environment. Moreover, robust and open economies would follow which can be trusted by the investors and financial institutions alike, and development shall flourish. It is a matter of strengthening what our Constitution endeavored to provide us. Respecting the human rights; a fruitful partnership between the government and the civil society; efficiency, accountability and transparency in the machinery; performance orientation with strategic vision; useful use of the human resource base and a strong and independent judiciary together they shall prove to be the desired shot in the arm for a re-invented and rejuvenated system of governance. The governance needs to be carried out in a manner that invokes trust and confidence, a manner which convinces the citizens the countrys biggest resources to come forward and fully par ticipate in an enterprise to secure the objectives of development and progress. In the light of what has been discussed above, with special focus on the realization to introduce changed governance practices and the increased restlessness amongst the people in India, it is almost as if a new governance philosophy has emerged. Unlike the traditional public administration systems that focused on bureaucracy and the delivery of public services, the governance model envisages public managers as entrepreneurs of a new, leaner and increasingly privatized government adapting to the practices and values of private businesses.  [33]  The mantra to be followed by the new governance model would be to transform civil services, underlining the reforms as means to (a) reorganize and downsize the government, (b) set-up a performance based organization, (c) adopt private sector management practices and (d) promote customer-orientation of administration.  [34]   For the developing world which is in the grip of serious debt crisis, the World Banks good governance solution with its accompanying micro and macro-accountability formula hold much promise. Institutional capacity building has been the central point of discussion and promotion of sound development management by removing, as far as possible, the possibilities of capture of benefits by the socially powerful is underway.  [35]   There is today an increasing pressure on our political system and the administrative apparatus generated by civil society organizations to share information and make the process of decision-making transparent. There is a shift towards responsive governance. This can be made practically feasible only if the mindset of the politicians and the bureaucrats undergoes a change, and they are receptive to the initiative of sharing information as well as power with the people.  [36]  

Comparing the Love in Beloved and Secrets and Lies :: Movie Film comparison compare contrast

Overbearing Love in Beloved and Secrets and Lies Children are protected from the evil in the world from their parents, especially their mothers. An excerpt written by Kahilil Girbran, The Prophet, explains one view of the parent/child relationship. "And a women who held a baby against her bosom said, Speak to us of Children. And he said: Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself. They come through you but not from you, And though they are with you yet they belong not to you. You may give them your love but not your thoughts, For they have their own thoughts. You may house their bodies but not their souls, For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams. You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you. For life goes not backward nor carries with yesterday. You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth. The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far. Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness; For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.† -Kahlil Girbran (17-18) Girbran’s view of childhood is very well written. It explain to parents what place their children have their own thoughts and feelings. Their children are with them throughout life, but the children belong to their own life. Throughout childhood the love in the family can be very strong. The bond between a mother and child is almost unbreakable. It is amazing that a person was produced and lived inside a body for nine months. Parents are described as â€Å"the bows from which your children as living arrows are set forth.† (Gibran, 17) Their job is to raise their children to the best of their ability until they are old enough to be on their own. Mothers never want anything bad to happen to their own kids. Sometimes they are not able to let their children grow up like others. They are very overprotective, wanting to seclude their child from danger. In both the movie Secrets and Lies and in Toni Morrison’s book, Beloved, overprotective mothers are key characters .

Importance of Personal Responsibility

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary personal means relating to the person or body and responsibility means the quality or state of being responsible such as a moral, legal, or mental accountability. Fritz Perls, the father of gestalt therapy, said that, â€Å"responsibility meant that we all have the ability to personally respond – â€Å"response-ability†. Perls also referred responsibility to the ability to move, feel, live, and change you. So, to my understanding, personal responsibility is one’s ability to care for what has been entrusted to them.It is when an individual accepts the outcome of whatever actions or decisions he/or she makes, instead of blaming other people for what did not turn out right. Personal Responsibility is important to me because it is something that I am supposed to have as a child of the Most High God. In this essay, it is my goal to define what personal responsibility is and what it means to me, explain the relationship betw een personal responsibility and college success, and give an example of how I plan to practice personal responsibility in my education. Personal Responsibility in everyday life.What do you think of when you hear these words? For me it means putting God first in all that I do and trusting Him to keep all of His promises to me. Scripture tells us that it we are to accept personal responsibility for ourselves (Galatians. 6:5) and our own actions (2 Corinthians 5:10), for widows and orphans, (James 1:27) for our relatives (1 Timothy 5:8), and for those in need (Deuteronomy 15: 7-11). I have learned to accept personal responsibility more so when I am wrong than when I am right. Why? Because it teaches me and others how to become mature.When we accept our personal responsibilities, it takes the load off of others. Now, there are some who would argue with me saying that it is not their responsibility to take care the widows, orphans, those in need. All I have to say to those individuals is whose responsibility will it be when you are down and out? Social Security? Unemployment? Department of Health and Human Resources? Once again I will refer to scripture by saying that we are all helpers of one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11). When we graduate from High School and attend college,it is our personal responsibility to purchase our books and supplies, show up for class, take notes, study, and make good grades. No one else can do this for us. Oddly enough, this is a time when most of learn that we are on our own. Instead of a â€Å"teacher†, we have an â€Å"instructor†. My wife was once told by a college professor that he was an instructor, not a teacher. He was there to give the assignment and grade it. The students were supposed to have already learned most everything prior to that particular college course, therefore it would be their personal responsibility to be on time for class, take notes, and turn in their assignments.In our careers our personal re sponsibilities may come with a little more authority. We become responsible for employers, employees, clients, and/or customers. Making sure that everyone is well taken care of and provided for becomes our number one priority. It does not matter what field of work one goes into, we are always going to have to deal with others, putting them before ourselves. Once again I refer to scripture when it talks about â€Å"esteeming others more highly than ourselves† (Philippians 2:3). Failing to accept one’s responsibilities here could result in losing their job.The relationship between personal responsibility and college success and closely related. In order to be successful in college, one must be willing to accept responsibility for every action they take and thought they make. College is not easy and therefore will take a lot of hard work, effort, the ability to handle diverse situations, and maturity. I believe that it should be mandatory for juniors and seniors in high s chool to take at least one college course before graduation in preparation for college. This would give them a taste of the level of personal responsibility they have ahead of them.It has been my experience that the older or more mature the college student, the more apt he/she is to accept the personal responsibilities that come with college. With all of this being said, it is my plan to practice personal responsibility in my education by helping others who are new to online classes, making sure that my assignments are complete and turned in on time, showing courtesy and respect to my classmates and my teammates, and asking questions when I do not understand something. Some people would not view asking questions as a personal responsibility, but it is. It is our responsibility to ask for ourselves and for others.If we do not ask and our work is incomplete, we have no one to blame but ourselves. This is what I believe the instructors are here for, to instruct us into the right direct ion with the right information. I hope that the points I have made about the importance of personal responsibility in everyday life, college, and our careers was both interesting and able help others see things a little different than before. For myself, I have learned even more about the importance of not only taking care of myself but also for those around me. This to me is what personal responsibility is all about.

Free Essays on Evolution Of Hip-hop

When you hear the phrase â€Å"hip-hop† often music, dancing and rapping come to mind. Hip-hop is all of that and much more. Hip-hop is a culture. When you look up culture in the dictionary it is defined as â€Å"the concepts, skills, arts, instruments, etc. of a given people in a given period.† To be more specific hip-hop is a combination of graffiti, break dancing, DJing, and rapping (also known as MCing) that creates its own lifestyle and is continuously evolving. Most of these forms of art were originated in New York City. In the early 1970’s hip-hop was born on the crime-ridden streets of south Bronx. Gifted teenagers with plenty of imagination but little money began to forge a new style. Hip-hop back then was a product of pure ingenuity; extracting rhythms and melodies from existing records and mixing them up with poetry chronicling life in the â€Å"hood.† Major credit is given to Kool DJ Herc, who along with others started the hip-hop cult ure in the south Bronx. Kool DJ Herc moved from Jamaica to the west Bronx area of New York. Herc’s initial style had a lot of Jamaican style with it, but people in New York were not into reggae yet. Kool DJ Herc then changed his style by chanting over the instrumental portion of songs. From the housing projects in south Bronx hip-hop poured onto the streets and subways, taking over in Bronx clubs like Savoy Manor Ballroom, Ecstasy Garage, Club 371, The Disco Fever, and the T-Connection. From there it spread downtown to the Renaissance Ballroom, Hotel Diplomat, the Roxy, and The Fun House. It migrated to Los Angeles, where a whole West Coast hip-hop scene developed, sporting its own musical fad, its own wild style.... Free Essays on Evolution Of Hip-hop Free Essays on Evolution Of Hip-hop When you hear the phrase â€Å"hip-hop† often music, dancing and rapping come to mind. Hip-hop is all of that and much more. Hip-hop is a culture. When you look up culture in the dictionary it is defined as â€Å"the concepts, skills, arts, instruments, etc. of a given people in a given period.† To be more specific hip-hop is a combination of graffiti, break dancing, DJing, and rapping (also known as MCing) that creates its own lifestyle and is continuously evolving. Most of these forms of art were originated in New York City. In the early 1970’s hip-hop was born on the crime-ridden streets of south Bronx. Gifted teenagers with plenty of imagination but little money began to forge a new style. Hip-hop back then was a product of pure ingenuity; extracting rhythms and melodies from existing records and mixing them up with poetry chronicling life in the â€Å"hood.† Major credit is given to Kool DJ Herc, who along with others started the hip-hop cult ure in the south Bronx. Kool DJ Herc moved from Jamaica to the west Bronx area of New York. Herc’s initial style had a lot of Jamaican style with it, but people in New York were not into reggae yet. Kool DJ Herc then changed his style by chanting over the instrumental portion of songs. From the housing projects in south Bronx hip-hop poured onto the streets and subways, taking over in Bronx clubs like Savoy Manor Ballroom, Ecstasy Garage, Club 371, The Disco Fever, and the T-Connection. From there it spread downtown to the Renaissance Ballroom, Hotel Diplomat, the Roxy, and The Fun House. It migrated to Los Angeles, where a whole West Coast hip-hop scene developed, sporting its own musical fad, its own wild style....

How to Conjugate Raser (to Shave)

How to Conjugate Raser (to Shave) The French verb raser means to shave, but it specifically refers to shaving someone else. To say youre shaving yourself, youd use the reflexive se raser. How to Conjugate Raser Raser is a regular -er verb, which makes learning to conjugate it very simple. Remove the infinitive ending from the verb to determine the stem, which in this case is ras-. You complete the conjugation by adding the ending appropriate of the subject pronoun and the tense in use. See the tables below for simple conjugations of raser. Present Future Imperfect Present participle je rase raserai rasais rasant tu rases raseras rasais il rase rasera rasait nous rasons raserons rasions vous rasez raserez rasiez ils rasent raseront rasaient Subjunctive Conditional Pass simple Imperfect subjunctive je rase raserais rasai rasasse tu rases raserais rasas rasasses il rase raserait rasa rast nous rasions raserions rasmes rasassions vous rasiez raseriez rastes rasassiez ils rasent raseraient rasrent rasassent Imperative (tu) rase (nous) rasons (vous) rasez How to Use Raser in the Past Tense The most common way to use a verb in the past tense is to use the passà © composà ©. This compound tense requires an auxiliary verb and a past participle to form the conjugation. Raser requires the auxiliary verb avoir and the past participle rasà ©. However, when using the reflexive se raser, the auxiliary verb is à ªtre (all reflexive verbs use à ªtre when forming the passà © composà ©). For example: Linfirmià ¨re lui a rasà ©.The nurse shaved him. Il sest rasà © avant le diner.He shaved before dinner.

A Mexican American Cultural Experience

A Mexican American Cultural Experience America is the melting pot of the world. One can encounter many different cultures within a community. As a result, there are several options for cultural experiences available. One particular event that occurred within my community was a Mexican American Festival.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on A Mexican American Cultural Experience specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This was a festival acknowledging the Day of Dead which was celebrated throughout Mexico on November 1. At first, I thought it was another Halloween party, but it turned out to be something completely different. In Mexico, the Day of Dead (Dà ­a de Muertos) is a traditional holiday to remember all of ones family members and friends who have passed away. As tradition goes, families will visit the cemetery and decorate the graves with colorful flowers, candles, and other little adornments. At home, the memorial continues as the families create an alter wi th a picture of the person who has passed away and they decorate this alter with things that were of interest to the deceased when they were alive. This is followed by a huge family gathering including music, food, and fun for everyone. The belief is that during the Day of the Dead, the deceased love will return and visit their alter. There were several people from the Mexican culture at the Mexican American Festival. There were several families with many children, seniors, and groups of friends. Many of the Hispanic people were dressed in authentic Mexican clothes including sombreros and boots for the men and large colorful, flowing dresses for the women. Others were dressed like the current fad. There was a mixture of different clothing, but one could tell it was a Mexican celebration because many had authentic wear or things one would not normally see in the American culture. The entire hall was decorated with skeletons and skulls which is a traditional Day of the Dead decoration in Mexico. There were also pià ±atas hanging from the ceiling and the lights were lowered with some disco lights. Each table was nicely decorated with small skulls of many different colors.Advertising Looking for essay on cultural studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More There was a huge dance floor in the middle of the hall and a food buffet in the back of the hall. All of the deco rations were symbolistic of the Mexican culture and were very colorful and festive. It was hard to believe that this was a celebration of death. On the largest wall in the hall was a huge piece of while bulletin board paper with some pens where many of the Mexican people wrote the names of the their deceased family members and friends. This paper was full of name. A form of Mariachi music or salsa music was playing and many people were dancing and having a good time. For awhile, they had a live Mexican band and other times, they had a D J who played discs. The form of dance was very different from the American way of dancing. It seemed that all of the couples were dancing in a similar 1-2 step fashion. At times it was a salsa dance and other times it was a cumbia or a bachata dance. Some were dancing as a couple and others were dancing in a circle of friends. The music upbeat and lively throughout the entire party. There was also a lot of traditional Mexican food that would be eaten during the Day of the Dead in Mexico. One thing that stood out were the sugar skulls. There were little skulls made out of marzipan. In addition, there were also several skulls shaped cookies and cakes. All of the pastries were in the form of skeleton and skulls just as it is done in Mexico. Dinner was also available for those who were hungry. The menu consisted of tamales, tacos, beans, rice, chicken mole, pozole, and corn on the cob. All meals were served with warm corn tortillas. The food was free with paid admission and there was mo re than plenty to go around. Plenty of hot sauce was also available. As for drinks, there were Coca Colas, fruit juices, tea, and of course, Corona, the most famous beer of Mexico. Even though people were drinking alcohol, it was a family event and all was very well-controlled. The Day of the Day is a very festive day that is celebrated in all parts of Mexico. The Mexican people who live here in the United States continue to celebrate their tradition. I enjoyed the festival and I learned a lot about the Mexican culture. The food, the dance, the decorations and the symbolism behind the reason for the festival was very culturally oriented, educational, and entertaining.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on A Mexican American Cultural Experience specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It gave me an entire new respect in the Mexican culture. By attending festivals such as this one, I feel that I better understand a small part of th e Mexican culture and it was an honor to be apart of such a sentimental memorial. It was a very important event for each and every participant and their Mexican pride was very evident. I believe that if more people could attend festivals such as this one; not only from the Mexican culture, but also from other cultures, much of the worlds racism might be eliminated. Racism stems from a lack of understand, and when one is offered opportunities such as this one, an opportunity for understanding the culture is available. Although I did not understand the language, I still had fun and for the most part, understood everything that was going on. Viva Mexico!

Teaching Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Teaching Plan - Essay Example On the other hand, bacterial infection is indicated by a purulent discharge (Gigliotti 354). Allergic conjunctivitis in late childhood and adolescence is considered a symptom of eczema, asthma or rhinitis. Treatment of conjunctivitis starts with identification of the root cause of the infection to ensure that effective medication is administered. In addition , treatment of infants depends on the time the child develops the infection. For instance, if the infection develops within the first 24 hours it is considered to have been caused by chemical reaction with the drugs that were used (Gigliotti 356). Teaching goal The long term goal is to develop awareness among parents to be bale to identify the symptoms early enough and seek medical attention to prevent the negative effects of conjunctivitis. The goal will be achieved by: Seeking medical attention To relieve symptoms and ensure treatment of the infection Ensure that the infant is not at risk of more serious infections Preventing s pread of the disease to other people Preventing the complications associated with conjunctivitis Home remedies Compress the eyelids with cool or warm water for 15 minutes Maintain body hygiene through washing hands and avoiding the sharing face cloths and towels Pharmacological interventions Ensure that drugs are administered effectively depending on the age of the child Advise the parents not to use steroid eye drops because they may cause permanent damage of the infant Bacterial conjunctivitis is treated through topical antibiotic ointment Viral conjunctivitis symptoms can be relieved through saline washes Allergic irritating symptoms can be relieved through saline washes and cool compresses If the symptoms are persistent and severe, oral antihistamines can be administered to the infant Population demography A study to compare the prevalence of conjunctivitis between Asian and White patients was carried out from pediatric records from a health center in the city of Bradford. The p atients chosen for the study had symptoms of chronic conjunctivitis to eliminate the possibility of inclusion of patients suffering from allergic irritations. The study considered medical records of 43 patients, 11 Whites and 24 Asians under the age of four years. The study indicated that conjunctivitis affected 59 of every 100, 000 Asians and 12 of every 100,000 Whites. Although the prevalence in sex in both groups was small, male children were two times more likely to be infected. Two Asian children lost their sight upon developing chronic conjunctivitis. According to Spraul and Lang (23), conjunctivitis is more prevalent in the Asian population as compared to the Whites probably because of environmental and genetic factors. The blindness threat indicates that Asians are more likely to require steroid topical treatment as compared to their white counterparts. Primary care setting Anticipated client outcomes 1. Parents should seek advice on the condition upon noticing conjunctiviti s symptoms on their infants 2. Upon the diagnosis, parents should be aware of the period of treatment and expected changes in the course of treatment 3. Caregivers should adhere to physician's advice on dosage and frequency to ensure medication effectiveness 4. Caregivers should maintain hygiene to avoid contamination of medication tubes and bottles 5. There should be no sharing of eye ointments and medications 6. Measures should be put

Sex Trafficking Of Women in the United States (New York Metro Area) Research Paper

Sex Trafficking Of Women in the United States (New York Metro Area) - Research Paper Example Each year, numerous individuals inadvertently fall for the traffickers’ hands, either in their local regions, or while abroad. The United Nations, through their protocol for the prevention, suppression, and the punishing of trafficking offenders, describes human trafficking aptly. It refers to the act as the conscription, transmission, harboring, or receipt of individuals, through using force, fraud, or deception, in order to exploit them by giving others control over them in return for fiscal gains. It defines exploitation as, at the least, to include the mistreatment of the prostitution of the individuals, forced toil, slavery, and related practices. Thesis statement: this paper seeks to explore the situation regarding the women trafficking for sexual purposes in the New York City in America, and the steps that the relevant administrations are implementing in order to combat the vice. Definition Human trafficking is one of the main predicaments in America as in many other co untries. Human being trafficking is defined as trafficking people from one nation to another, or also from region to region, and even from residence to residence. Trafficking in personnel is the current type of slavery (Miko 1). This offense involves sufferers who are compelled to toil, or are exploited for sexual purposes. ... A number of them are bodily forced, while others fall to false promises that include promises of improved occupations or marriages (Kathyrin 59). The act whereby citizens get transported to go to engage in forced employment in other regions is termed as employment trafficking. In labor-related trafficking, the employers exploit the people that get compelled to go to toil for them. Immigrants are one kind of the clusters that get forced to embark on such types of work, while others are just common people. The females, including women and teenage girls, are made household servants, and are frequently sexually maltreated. Forced labor is a variety of human trafficking, and can be harder to spot and estimate. It is usually harder to deal with than normal sex trafficking, despite the fact that it deals with the identical kinds of maltreatment that sex trafficking entails (Miko 1). The perpetrators Through the use of negotiators and brokers who organize the travel and employment placements , women are accompanied to their destinations and taken to the employers. On arriving at their destinations, a number of the women discover that they have been misled about the type of the work they will embark on. Most have been ill-advised about the fiscal arrangements and terms of their employment. Inevitably, all of them find themselves in forced and abusive circumstances from which flight is both difficult and hazardous. The main reason of a woman or a girl to agree to an offer from a trafficker is enhanced monetary opportunities for herself or her folks (Miko 2). In numerous cases traffickers primarily proffer ‘legitimate’ work or the pledge of an opportunity to learn. The main kinds of work offered are in the food

Menkiti Group Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Menkiti Group - Term Paper Example The use of company’s assets and supplies are restricted only for the means of conducting its business. Additionally, the use of its equipments shall strictly be in accordance to the company guidelines (W P Carey, 2008). Protecting proprietary and confidentiality information Information generated in the business is regarded as an important asset and are confidential for the company’s use. All the management staffs are therefore coded to maintain this information and its confidentiality entrusted upon them by the stakeholders (W P Carey, 2008). Complying with laws, regulations, policies and procedures The company intends to follow all the rules and regulations of the state. It is further coded as the personal responsibility of all the company officials to follow and maintain the legal specifications dictated by country’s law and order in regard to the company’s mode of operations. If any legal query of civil or criminal nature arises, the employees are direc ted by its code of conduct to cooperate fully to such issues (W P Carey, 2008). ... All business issues identified must be communicated by the employees to the responsible personnel only through the means of company communication system. Employees shall not use the means for their personal purpose. Users are also directed to safeguard all the confidential information generated from such communication (Brookfield, 2013). Responding to media, public and other inquiries Under this provision, employees are restricted to address any issue on behalf of the company unless permitted to do so. Hence, if there is any request from the media for any information pertaining to the company, the employees are directed to refer the same to the company’s communication department. Employees are also restricted from disclosing or commenting to any matter related to the company website on any of the social networking sites (Brookfield, 2013). Discrimination and harassment-free environment Through this code, the company discourages any discrimination on the basis of age, colour, r ace and gender. Such matters are provisioned to be thoroughly investigated and addressed to encourage employees in maintaining a hospitable working environment (Brookfield, 2013). Codes of conduct of Catullus Development Corporation Accounting and reporting Catullus provides fair, accurate and timely disclosure of reports and documents to Security and Exchange Commission (SEC). All employees are therefore expected to comply with the advised accounting procedures when maintaining company’s accounting, corporate books records and reports as well as financial statements. This code also directs that such data must not be inaccurate or altered. Hiding any important information is also discouraged through this code of conduct (Catullus, 2004). Corporate opportunities This code directs that

Korea impacted by cold war, changes of the country 1991-2014 Assignment

Korea impacted by cold war, changes of the country 1991-2014 - Assignment Example In terms of economics, the greatest change was that South Korea came to integrate with the global economy to a more full and complete degree. As a result of the continual threat of invasion and the protective shield the United States provided, South Korean markets were almost entirely restricted to US export. Although this was not based on extant treaty obligations, it is clear and apparent that the United States sought to defray the massive cost of having a military presence in South Korea by essentially creating a captive market for American products and a captive market for most exports (Ginsberg, 2014). Societal changes that have taken place within Korea are mainly contingent on the societal changes that globalization has provided over the past several decades. Essentially, recognition of the fact that Korean culture is unique but not the only means by which social norms should be constructed has come to play a primary role with respect to the way in which individuals live their lives, order their families, and seek to deport themselves (Dong-Hoon & Jungmin, 2014). Changes to expectations of morality and other issues pertaining to the way in which the average Korean lives their lives have also fundamentally changed as a result of the fact that after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War there has been a much lower focus on the need for upholding existing tradition. Whereas this is not to say that tradition does not play a valuable role in the life of the average Korean, its prominence now as compared to 20-30 years ago is most demonstrably diminished. Of all of the changes that have been effected, the area of gender roles are likely the most recognizable shift that has taken place since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War. With the impact of globalization and western norms that flooded South Korea as a result of this geo-political shift and the increased

Corporate Social Responsibility and Ethics Essay - 3

Corporate Social Responsibility and Ethics - Essay Example In its effort to ensure the entrusted corporate social responsibility a modern day corporate must ensure fulfillment of its duties towards the social, moral and environmental aspects of its surroundings. The chances of a possible gas disaster at Bhopal that ultimately broke out during December the 2nd and 3rd 1984 were rooted long back in the early half of the 1970s. In those eras India was a country dying for foreign investment as with its infrastructure of that time it managed little of it and that mostly owing to Soviet Friendship. To attain this much-awaited foreign investment goal the Indian government approached Union Carbide to set a plant at Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh that will be producing pesticides such as Sevin. Sevin was certainly to have an intermediate product Methyl Isocyanide (MIC) that was immensely toxic. The possibility of a disaster owing to the production of such a toxic material was overlooked. The Union Carbide considered two potentials of the place, cheap labor and lands the most helpful input a chemical company can hope for to start with. What the eminent strategists of the concerned company overlooked was whether the place is ready enough for such a plant. The answer to this question was a certain no and that owing to a couple of factors. First of all cheap labor does not always translate to skilled labor rather mostly stands for the opposite and Madhya Pradesh was one of the backward states of India in terms of technical know how. Both of these together had sown a seed that eventually became a poisonous tree; swallowing millions of lives. In simple terms, corporate balance sheet emerged victorious over the social accounts and that one-day yielded poisonous gas in a huge amount that shocked millions of innocent inhabitants of Bhopal and almost no one was held accountable for that. 1) Mr. Warren Anderson: the puppet master.  When a business body unleashes a catastrophe then the topmost officials or authorities are bound to be held responsible. This was no exception for Union Carbide as well.

Case Study - Homeland Security Issue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Case Study - Homeland Security Issue - Essay Example The suspected terrorist group is Al-Qaeda. The Anthrax terrorist attack occurred during 2001’s October and November months. Similarly, the airplane hijackings and murder of New York civilians occurred on September 11, 2001. Bin Laden announced to the world that he personally orchestrated the September 11, 2001 airplane attacks on two New York buildings. The problem includes the responsibility of the United States’ Homeland Security Agency to thwart future terrorist attacks, especially the biological weapon attacks. Description of the Subject. The subject focuses on the intricacies of the 2001 Anthrax biological attack. The 2001 Anthrax letter attacks included sending letters to the intended terror victims. The letters targeted individuals to create a statement. In turn, the subject includes the United States Homeland Security Agency’s role in reducing or stopping all future Anthrax and other biology-based attacks on the American people. Chronology of th e Case Study. Barry Schneider emphasized the United States Homeland Security Agency had to resolve the 2001 Anthrax bioterrorism attack (2004, p.2). After the recent September airline hijacking and attack, the Anthrax letters incident cropped up. The terrorist sent several letters to several intended victims within the United States. The letter senders sent the deadly envelopes through the United States post office. The letters contained a deadly chemical, Anthrax. Anthrax can easily kill the person opening the Anthrax-containing letters. Lynn Davis theorized â€Å"The September 11 attacks and the anthrax incidents that occurred in autumn 2001 clearly demonstrated to Americans that the possibility of becoming a victim of terrorism is very real. This new awareness has generated

Korea impacted by cold war, changes of the country 1991-2014 Assignment

Korea impacted by cold war, changes of the country 1991-2014 - Assignment Example In terms of economics, the greatest change was that South Korea came to integrate with the global economy to a more full and complete degree. As a result of the continual threat of invasion and the protective shield the United States provided, South Korean markets were almost entirely restricted to US export. Although this was not based on extant treaty obligations, it is clear and apparent that the United States sought to defray the massive cost of having a military presence in South Korea by essentially creating a captive market for American products and a captive market for most exports (Ginsberg, 2014). Societal changes that have taken place within Korea are mainly contingent on the societal changes that globalization has provided over the past several decades. Essentially, recognition of the fact that Korean culture is unique but not the only means by which social norms should be constructed has come to play a primary role with respect to the way in which individuals live their lives, order their families, and seek to deport themselves (Dong-Hoon & Jungmin, 2014). Changes to expectations of morality and other issues pertaining to the way in which the average Korean lives their lives have also fundamentally changed as a result of the fact that after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War there has been a much lower focus on the need for upholding existing tradition. Whereas this is not to say that tradition does not play a valuable role in the life of the average Korean, its prominence now as compared to 20-30 years ago is most demonstrably diminished. Of all of the changes that have been effected, the area of gender roles are likely the most recognizable shift that has taken place since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War. With the impact of globalization and western norms that flooded South Korea as a result of this geo-political shift and the increased

Case Study - Homeland Security Issue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Case Study - Homeland Security Issue - Essay Example The suspected terrorist group is Al-Qaeda. The Anthrax terrorist attack occurred during 2001’s October and November months. Similarly, the airplane hijackings and murder of New York civilians occurred on September 11, 2001. Bin Laden announced to the world that he personally orchestrated the September 11, 2001 airplane attacks on two New York buildings. The problem includes the responsibility of the United States’ Homeland Security Agency to thwart future terrorist attacks, especially the biological weapon attacks. Description of the Subject. The subject focuses on the intricacies of the 2001 Anthrax biological attack. The 2001 Anthrax letter attacks included sending letters to the intended terror victims. The letters targeted individuals to create a statement. In turn, the subject includes the United States Homeland Security Agency’s role in reducing or stopping all future Anthrax and other biology-based attacks on the American people. Chronology of th e Case Study. Barry Schneider emphasized the United States Homeland Security Agency had to resolve the 2001 Anthrax bioterrorism attack (2004, p.2). After the recent September airline hijacking and attack, the Anthrax letters incident cropped up. The terrorist sent several letters to several intended victims within the United States. The letter senders sent the deadly envelopes through the United States post office. The letters contained a deadly chemical, Anthrax. Anthrax can easily kill the person opening the Anthrax-containing letters. Lynn Davis theorized â€Å"The September 11 attacks and the anthrax incidents that occurred in autumn 2001 clearly demonstrated to Americans that the possibility of becoming a victim of terrorism is very real. This new awareness has generated

Credit appraisel literature review Essay Example for Free

Credit appraisel literature review Essay This chapter is an elucidation of literature relating to the flow of credit from various organised and unorganised sources of housing and real estate finance. The aim of such a perusal is to have a birds eye view of the concurrent and corresponding issues and problems related to the present study. The first part deals with the flow of credit from organised institutions to various sectors like manufacturing industry, private corporate sector and various other industrial concerns. Studies on the institutional flow of credit in Kerala are also discussed. The unorganised sector consisting of indigenous financial agencies is enumerated in the next part. Understanding the operation of and the potential for housing finance is important, since in many developing countries housing policy is about establishing new and more innovative finance policies. 4. 1. 1 The banking system in India comprises of the Reserve Bank of India, Commercial banks and cooperative banks and credit societies. The commercial banks are the premier institutional structure of the 104 banking system. The principal function of these institutions is to satisfy simultaneously the portfolio preferences of the borrowers on one side and the lenders on the other. They mobilise resources from the savers in the form of deposits and extend credit facilities to borrowers in the form of loans, advances and securities. Loans and advances provided by these institutions can be categorised into short-term funds and long-term funds. The latter are advanced for purchase of plant and machinery while the former are provided for purchase of raw materials, stores, spare parts and the like. However following the traditional British banking practice, commercial banks provide more short term funds to the investors in industry and trade than long term loans. The pattern of credit disbursement has undergone substantial changes since 1950. 4. 1. 2 Commercial banks extended credit to commerce and trade to a larger extend than to manufacturing industry until 1958. Since the commencement of the second five Year Plan, which laid emphasis on rapid industrialisation, the pattern of credit flow took a new turn in favour of medium and large industry. As a result, the share of industry, in public and private sectors in total bank credit increased from 34. 8% to 67. 5% during the period 1954 to 1968. Since nationalisation of 14 major commercial banks in July 1969, the Government of India assigned new priorities to commercial banks with regard to the flow of credit to hitherto neglected sectors, called 105 priority sectors. The emphasis thus shifted from industry to the priority sectors. Further the supply of credit was controlled through statutory regulations and monetary regulations. On the other hand the demand for bank credit has also  undergone substantial increase. Factors such as, large growth in the number of industrial units, diversification of existing units, increase in industrial and agricultural production, increasing needs of short and long-term funds to maintain the increased levels of production, pushed up the demand for bank credit. 4. 1. 4 ~ u ~ t and ~ m b e ~ e o k aobserved that the use of funds from a r* banks by the private corporate sector had exceeded its inventory formation. Gupta, has argued that a small portion of such finance should have gone to meet fixed investment. Further, he found the growth rate of physical assets to be more directly and closely related to security issues than bank credit. Hence, he argued that the fast growing firms relied heavily on security issues than the use of bank credit. Arnbegeokar found that the rate of rise in bank credit exceeded that of inventory, sales and output. Further he observed 1 L . S . Gupta (1969). Changing Structure of Industrial Finance in India, The Impoct ojlnstitutional Finance, Clarendon Press: Oxford. 2 N. Ambegaokar (1969). Working Capital Requirement and Availability o f Bank Credit: Indian Processing and Manufacturing Industries, Reserve Bank of India Bulletin Vol XXIII. No:lO. 106 that its dependence on banks for working capital had increased, accompanied by a decline in reliance on other financial institutions. 4. 2 shetty3 assessed the dimensional changes in credit deployment during the first five years of nationalisation in relation to changes in output and prices. The rationale for his analysis was the fact that, in any accepted model of demand for money, one common variable is the gross national product or some other  variant of it in real terms. Consequently, he hypothesised that credit for any sector or industry over a period has to have some relationship with its performance in real terms, particularly output. He observed a declining trend in the credit extended by banks to industries since nationalisation, though it was higher than other sectors. On finding that the share of manufacturing sector in bank credit is higher than its share in Net Domestic Product (NDP) he concludes that increase in bank credit has occurred far in excess of increase in output during the years 1968169 to 1973174. In his other paper, shetty4 observed that the share of medium and large industry in total bank credit had declined due to priority S . L . Shetty (1976). Deployment of Commercial Bank and other lnstitutio~lalCredit: A note on Structure changes. Economic and Political Weekly, Vol XI No: 11, M a y 8th . pp. 696-705. S L Shetty (1978). Performance of Con~mercial Banks since N a t ~ o n a l ~ s a t ~ofn Major Banks: Promises and Realty. Economic and Political o Weekly, Vol. XI1 No. 31, 32 34, August, pp. 1407-1451. sector lending. Another observation in line with his earlier finding was that growth in bank credit had always been disproportionate to growth of their physical output, especially in industries like cotton textiles. His observation particularly for the years 1975-76 and 1976-77 revealed: (a) Increase in average bank credit had been higher than the growth of NDP originating in registered manufacturing sector even at current prices (b) An appreciable increase in the rate of short-term bank credit to inventories; and (c) Relatively higher reliance on trade credit. In line with these observations, he suggested policies to scrutinise credit claims vigorously and relate credit to the genuine production requirements so that funds are not tied up with these large borrowers. 4. 2. 2 K. S. R. ~ a o carried out an econometric exercise on the determinants of demand for bank credit of some selected industries for the period between 1970-71 and 1984-85. He observed that output of these industries was the most important factor in determining its demand for bank credit whereas, interest rate of K S . R . Rao (1988). Demand for Commercial Bank Credit 1970-71 t o A Study Thiruvananthapuram 1984-85: of Selected Indian Industries. M. Phil Thesis, CDS 108 banks and relative rate of interest of other sources of borrowing played only a secondary role. Price of output was also found to have affected the demand for credit significantly. The relative interest rate variable was significant with respect to industries like textiles, engineering and total manufacturing, while it was not significant for industries like sugar and other food products and chemicals. Divatia and shankar6 in their paper discussed the role of  internal and external sources of funds and their components in financing capital formation of the private corporate sector. The study was based on the RBI company finance studies relating to medium and large public and private limited companies and covered the period 1961-76. They also discussed the trends and patterns of financing for four individual industries, viz, cotton textiles, jute, sugar and cement. 4. 4 S. ~ d v e had some interesting findings in his article Financial Practices in Indian Corporate Sector, based on the RBI company finance data. He underlined the rising dependence on borrowed capital in relation to the total capital employed in the 6 V. V. Divat~a a1 (1979). Capital Formation and its Financing in the et Private Corporate Sector 1961-62 t o 1975-76. The Journal of Income ; Wealth, April 118-152. 7 S. Adve (1980). Financial Practices in Indian Corporate Sector, Inter-Group and Inter-Size Differences, Economic and Political Weekly, Feb. 23. 109 Indian corporate sector. Trade credit was pointed out to be important sources of capital when the bank credit was squeezed. Making an industry-wise analysis, the author came to  the conclusion that the industries with large profit margins and those with large depreciation and development rebate reserves had a relatively lower order of overall indebtedness and many of them also had a lower order of bank borrowings in relation to overall indebtedness. Industries with high profit margin such as silk and rayon textiles, aluminium, basic industrial chemicals and medicine and pharmaceutical preparations had lower proportion of borrowed funds as compared to the average of the medium and large public Ltd. companies. The extensive study viewed that the growth  from of institutional finance emerged in lndia due to structural change for industrial financing system with wide change of socio-political situations in lndia. He attempted to measure overall impact of financial institutions on capital formation in the organised private sector as also the allocative efficiency of financial system. He observed that during the first pla? financial assistance rendered by special institutions represented only 4. 1 per cent of gross fixed investment in private industry, which rose to 7. 9 per cent in the second plan and further to 18.1% in the third plan period. He also 8 L . S . Gupta ( 1 9 6 9 ) . Changing Structure of Industrial Finance in Indra, The Impacr ~flnstrtutronalFinance, Clarendon Press: Oxford. 110 found that commercial banks remained the most important single agency for financing the private corporate industry and LIC was the single largest purchaser of industrial securities and the underwriter of new issues of large and established companies. 4. 6 M. S. ~ o s h examined the role of financial intermediaries in i~ providing finance to large-scale industries in the private sector. After analysing the contribution of each important intermediary towards industrial development in India, he estimated that these intermediaries have participated with 17% of investment in various industries against 39% in share capital of public Ltd. companies. 4. 7 Studies on Institutional Credit in Kerala Among the studies on the state of Kerala, few have looked at the inter regional development of banking. The study conducted by the Travancore-Cochin banking enquiry c ~ r n m i t t e ewas the first of ~ its kind in the post-Independence era. The report traced the development of banking in the two regions of Travancore and Cochin. It noted that in terms of the average number of people per bank office, they had the smallest figure in the whole of lndia. It was noted that the expansion of commercial banks in the rural areas is more pronounced than in any other state. 9 M. S. Joshi (1965). Financial Intermediaries in India. Makhanlal ; Sons Pvt. Ltd, Bombay. 10 Gok (Various Years) Kerala Economic Review, Thimvananthapuram. 111 4. 7. 1 M. A. Oornrnenl historically reviewed the expansion of commercial banking in the Travancore-Cochin region prior to the period of planning. He noted some of the salient features of banking in Kerala: their community or sectarian origin and ownership, the rural areas bias, over extension of credit and predominance of small accounts. He noted the presence of a special concentration of banking in Tiruvalla and Trichur. 4. 7. 2 The Kerala Planning Board (1982) too made an effort to understand the performance of commercial banks in Kerala after nationalisation. This study was confined only to a quantitative assessment of the performance of nationalised banks and looked at the mobilisation of deposits, trend in credit expansion and the sectoral distribution of bank advances. Even though the number of bank offices in the state is more than that of other states, some districts like Malappuram and ldukki lacked banking infrastructure. Ernakulam was found to be the best-banked district in the state followed closely by Trivandrum. It accounted for 22 per cent of the deposits and 30 per cent of the credit disbursed in the state. Idukki, Malapuram and Palghat were way behind. ~-. II M A . Oommen (1976). Rise and Growth of Banking In Kerala. Social . Scieflt~. sl. Vol 5 . 8 0 3 112 4. 7. 3 Among the more recent studies, Sunandas study of institutional agricultural credit in Kerala highlights the inter district disparity. She reviews the socio-economic background for the origin and growth of banks in Kerala (performance of commercial banks and co-operatives only) and concentrates on the agricultural credit disbursed by them. In credit per hectare, Ernakulam and Trichur stood highest while Palghat ranked the lowest. Regional disparity of agricultural credit from commercial banks decreased between 1974175 and 1985186 while that of co-operatives increased. She has used Principal Component Analysis to explain the variation. Three sets of variables are used for explaining the variation of credit co-operatives viz, per hectare from commercial banks and Banking variables, Asset variables and Productivity variables. 4. 7. 4 The book Reminiscences, written by Shri. K. C. Mammen ~ a ~ ~ i throws ~ l a i some light on the banking developments that took place in Kerala prior to independence and also the role played by the Christian community in developing the banking system in the state. It also contains the history of the National Quilon Bank, which was the premier bank at that time and explains the reasons for its failure. S. Sunanda (1991). Institutional Credit for Agriculture in Kerala-A Disaggregated Analysis, M. Phil dissertation, CDS, Thiruvananthapuram. K. C. Mammen Mappilai (1959). Reminiscences, Malayala Manorama Printing and Publishing Co. Kottayam, Kerala. 113 4. 7. 5 Shri. A. K. Seshadris A Swadeshi Bank from South lndial4 gives an account of the banking crisis that occurred in the state in 1930 due to the failure of the National Quilon Bank and that in 1960 consequent upon the liquidation of the Palai central Bank, Palai. 4. 7. 6 The Indian Banks ~ s s o c i a t i o n ~ , Bombay published a book Keralas Banking Profile in 1987. This book contains a quick review on the banking and the economic scenario in Kerala from 1969 to 1987 and also has dealt with the impact of the non-banking private financial institutions on the banking system in the state. It also contains a quick analysis of the role of the NRI sector in the growth of the commercial banks in Kerala. Though the book contains information regarding deposits, advances, number of branches, net state domestic product, per capita income, per capita deposits etc, it does not make any attempt to analyse these factors and to find out whether any relation exists between these factors. In 1992 Canara Bank, the convener of State Level Bankers Committee Kerala had brought out a brochure on Keralas banking profile. This book contains a review of the district and state wise performance of the commercial banks during the 3 year period from 1989 to 1992. But this does not contain certain vital information like I4 AK Seshadrl (1982). A Swadeshi Bank,from South India, Indian Bank, Madras. I I n d ~ a nBanks Association (1987). Kerala: A Banking Profile, Bombay. 114 classification of deposits and advances according to population group wise, a review on the productivity of banks in Kerala etc. Indigenous Financial Agencies The availability of literature on indigenous financial system is scarce. The Central and Provincial Banking Enquiry Committee Reports give comprehensive information regarding the working of the agencies. But even such information appears to have become outdated in many respects as the enquiry was conducted more than 55 years ago. The Rural credit survey and Central banking Enquiry Committee attempted to obtain quantitative information, including capital invested in the business from the agencies but failed in their task. Hence as far as the quantitative aspect is concerned, i t is impossible to collect correct information from these agencies as their nature of business is selective and also as their exact number is not known. 4. 8. 1 G. ~ a r k a l brings out some of the problems of indigenous banking in India in the present context of economic development. He attempts a scientific definition of the term agencies and points out how the earlier definitions were defective. Karkals book estimates the magnitude of capital involved in the unorganised G Karkal ( 1 967). Unorganised Money Market in India. Lalvani Publishing House Bombay. 115 market through the help of data regarding Hundi sales. With the help of available data the study points out the nature of the interest rate in the various rural-urban regions. It indicates the trend of and effect of the contact between the two markets viz. , the organised money market and unorganised financial sector. Again the study discusses the methods of strengthening the Agencies. Here it pleads for the recognition of the hundi as a liquid asset at least in the case of trusted indigenous bankers, thereby giving an impetus to the unorganised sector to encourage the bill business. Provides an interesting account of the functioning of private financing firms in Kerala. The study based on a survey of the private financing firms in Trichur town seeks to examine the factors, which contributed to the emergence of these institutions, the method of their functioning and their importance as a parallel banking system. However he is silent on questions such as types of borrowers, total amount of uncounted money generated by the private financing firms, safety of depositors money and so on. 4. 8. 3 D. ~ a j a s e k h a r based on a survey of 8 private financing  firms in Bellary town in Karnataka tries to probe the factors B A Prakash (1984). Private Financing firms in Kerala, Economic and Political Weekly. Vol X I X . Dec. 15. D Rajasckhar (1988). Private Financing Firms in Karnataka: A boom for tax dodgcrs W o r k ~ n g Paper No: 228. CDS, Thil-uvananthapuram. 116 responsible for the growth of private financing firms. It also documents and analyses the functioning of private financing firms and critically examines the type of borrowers, the use pattern of the borrowings and also tries to estimate the black money generated by the private financing firms. 4. 9 H o u s i n g Finance A strong relationship between levels of urbanisation and wealth has been demonstrated both theoretically and empirically in numerous s t u d i e ~ . Traditionally, faced with other development ~,~~ priorities, governments and international agencies have been reluctant to encourage investment in housing, which has often been seen as an item of consumption (UNCHS 1991). ~Moreover, many of the first waves of housing finance institutions were poorly managed and contributed to macro-economic disruption. Even by the late 1980s en and^^ was able to observe that few aspects S . Malpezz~ (1990). Urban Housing and financial markets: Some ~nternationnlCo~iiparisons,(Jrhnn Studies, 27, 6 : 971-1022. World Bank (1993). Housing: Enabling Markets t o Work, W o r l d Bank iolic), Pnper Washtngton D C : World Bank. U n ~ t e d Nations Centrc for Human Settlements (1991). Integrating Housing Finance into the National Finance Systems of Developing Countries: Exploring the Potentials and the Problems, Nairobi: UNCHS. R. M. Buckley er a / . (1989). Housi~ig policy in developing economies: evaluating thc macroeconomic impacts, Review uf Urban ; Regional llevelopmenr Studies. 2: 27-47. B. Renand (1987). Financing Shelter in L. Rodwin (ed) Shelter, Settlement nnd I l e v e i o p m e n f Boston: Allen and Unwin. 117 of economic development remain as unexplored and poorly analysed as the potential to induce financial development and ways to improve the financing of housing. These practical and conceptual difficulties notwithstanding, during the 1990s housing finance moved to the top of the urban agenda. Under pressure to reform urban management, governments have made important legislative and institutional reforms to enable private institutions and non-governmental organisations (NGOS) to have a greater role in the provision of housing finance. The lead of the World Bank has been especially important in making the shift from housing projects towards the delivery of housing financez4 from 1983 to 1988. Bank lending for housing finance exceeded the total for sites and services from 1972 to 1988, and by 1989 almost one-half of all Bank urban lending was for housing finance programmes. z5This reorientation went beyond the need to deliver more and better housing, to make urban policy compatible with macro-economic management, particularly in the context of structural adjustment programmes in which control of foreign exchange risks and fiscal policy have been paramount. World Bank (1993). The Housing Indicators program: Preliminary Result, Washington, DC World Bank. R. M. Buckley el a ! . (1989). Housing policy in developing economies: evaluating the macroeconomic impacts, Review of Urban d; Regional llevelopment S t u d i e . ~2: 2 7 4 7 . . 4. 9. 1 S. chantz6;K. ~ a t t a and ~ i r a f f a b argue that formal finance ~ institutions are rarely willing to assist with the purchase of land, especially where the tenure, is insecure, to provide assistance with improvements to the rental housing stock or to support nonconventional household arrangements such as sharing of multiplefamily  compounds. These limitations have implicit gendered consequences, as rental and shared housing are of particular importance to low income women who often lack the means to become homeowners. 4. 9. 2 M. M. valeneaZ9summarizes the conditions of Brazils housing finance system by the 1980s as one of crisis, chaos and apathy. Notoriously inadequate fund collection and loan enforcement rates exemplified housing these finance conditions. This condition of public-sector institutions accentuated by was political manipulations that passed these institutions from one ministry to another at short intervals. Valenea points out that as the economic crisis of the 1980s deepened, the fall in the real value of payroll S Chant ( 1997). Women headed Households: Diversity and Dynamics in [he l l e v e l o p i n ~ i+orld. Basingstoke: Macmillan. K. ~ a t t a (1995). Strategies for urban survival? ; Women landlords in Gabocomc Bots ana, Habitat International, 19,1: 1 12. 2X F. Miraftab (1994). Housing Preferences of Female headed Households of Low Income Families in Guadalajara, Mexico: paper presented a t the International semlnar on Gender, Urbanisation and the Environment, Nairobi. The inevitable crisis of the Brazilian housing finance s!. stem. IJrhan Sttrdies, 29,1:39-56. 119 deductions with rising unemployment, the diversion of revenue sources to fund higher priority areas of the government budget and the withdrawal of savings from negative interest rate bearing accounts left many public sector housing finance institutions short of capital. 4. 9. 3 David lsaac3 provides an introduction to property finance, bringing together the professional disciplines related to finance and property investment and development. The book establishes the basic concept of finance, examines the applications of these concepts in practice and gives an overview of the market, its history and position as of 1993. 4. 9. 4 R . M . ~ u c k l e ~ ~ ; ~ i m and N. ~ u n j e have pointed out K. H. ~ e ~ ~ that the declining effectiveness of housing finance institutions coupled with economic and fiscal crises, have made governments more aware of the need to promote savings, reduce subsidies and mobilize domestic resources and motivate the involvement of 3, David Isaac (1994): Property Finance, Macmillan Press Ltd. , London. R . M . Buckley (1996). Housing Finance in Developing Countries. Bas~ngstokc. Macmillan. K. H. Kim (1997). Housing finance and urban infrastructure finance, Urban . stl~d~r. s. 10: 1597-620. 34, 11 N Munjec (1994). Housing finance in development: is there an cmerglng paradigm for developing countries in Asia: Housing Finance I n t e r n a t i o n n l . 8. 4 6-10 11 120 private financial institutions. Many of the most restrictive practices operating in housing finance markets, such as institutional entry requirements and liquidity limits, have been lowered, loanlvalue ratio made more flexible and a wider definition given to the terms of collateral. The optimistic view was that private institutions would be able to deliver larger quantities of finance more efficiently and with a greater chance of sustainability. 4. 9. 5 T. H. ~ a l i argues that even though new private finance c ~ ~ companies have been set up, a few lower-income households qualify for loans because the eligibility criteria require proof of five years full employment, imposing a start-up fee equivalent to three months salary and taxes to approximately 25% of the loan value. Similarly US AID^^ points out that in Eastern Europe despite the establishment of DIMS i n Poland, building certificates in Russia and indexed credit systems in Bulgaria, the bottom 80 per cent of the income profile has not been reached. T. H. Malik (1994). Recent development in housing finance policy in Pakistan paper presented at 2nd symposium Housing for the Urban Poor, Birmingham. Ull~tcd States Agency for International Development (USAID) (1997). Building on progress: The Future of Housing Finance in Poland. Warsaw: USAID. 121 4. 9. 6 Thomas Klak and Marlen Economy explore Housing of the Formal Sector organisation Trust in their article. The Political (NHT), the and Housing Finance performance  states main of in Jamaica the National housing agency in distributing finance in the context of the struggle for basic needs such as shelter, state socio-economic interventions. By examining the NHTs funding base, expenditures and beneficiaries they outline the scale of the financial resource diversions that effectively restrict low-income households from obtaining NHT housing assistance. They point out that a greater share of NHTs massive financial assets could be directed towards serving the housing needs of lowincome people if the Trust were organised differently.