Risk Management Module Of The Msc Project Management...

1 Executive Summary 1.1 Purpose and Scope This assignment is included in the 2014 session of the Risk Management module of the MSc in Project Management course at University of Aberdeen. The main purpose of the assignment is to demonstrate my understanding of the issues involved in Risk Management and how they are applied in my current Project environment. The assignment is split in to two questions as detailed below. Question 1a Explain the difference between qualitative and quantitative risk management and how each method can be used to manage a project. Describe one method of each. Question 1b Discuss the risk management process presented in the course text (Page 8 of session 1). Apply it to a specific risk present in your own workplace and pay particular attention to any secondary risks that may be introduced. 1.2 Methods and Approach In addition to reading the course notes, I also looked at what APMBOK (Association for Project Management, Body of Knowledge 2009, 6th Edition, UK) said about this critical area of Project Management. Additionally, I researched what my Company does to maximize their effectiveness in this area by studying their attitude towards Risk Management throughout the complete life-cycle of a project, and finally I drew from my own knowledge and experiences in this critical area. 1.3 Conclusions In conclusion I found my Company has a robust Risk Management system, and this is driven through the WGPSN Risk Management Procedure, which

Conscious Efforts Equate to Saving Lives Free Essays

Livery cab driver killings — the challenge that New York City had to combat and a situation that allowed authorities to prove that they were doing their job. The killing of livery cab drivers was a time that united the people of New York (Rashbaum, 2000). Livery cab driver killings had been a major problem in New York for over 30 years. We will write a custom essay sample on Conscious Efforts Equate to Saving Lives or any similar topic only for you Order Now Every year, policemen and the government had to deal with countless investigations to provide justice for dozens of killed drivers each year. Not only were the livery cab drivers killed — they were also robbed (Rashbaum, 2000). The people who had enough means and power to do something about it, like the government and the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers, did something about it, and here are as follows: The New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers led by Fernando A. Mateo employed several safety measures to reduce livery cab driver killings. Mateo and his subordinates obliged all livery cab drivers to put bulletproof partitions inside the livery cabs. Because of this, the livery cab drivers were divided into parts where the livery cab driver was protected from his passenger who may have been a potential robber or murderer, through a wall or divider. While the wall or divider, or what the federation technically terms as partition, can prevent robbery, it obviously may not keep the livery cab drivers from murder at all since bullets can pass through walls. This possibility was a major concern of the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers. To counterattack what was left of the problem, the federation ordered livery cab drivers to use bulletproof partitions. Bulletproof material prevented the livery cab drivers from getting shot. To further make this protective measure effective, livery cab drivers were ordered to close the partitions all the time. While it was true bulletproof material was used as a shield from gun shots and other means of killing, these partitions still made a driver susceptible to killing once it is left open. The use of surveillance cameras was also ordered by the city and the federation. Through this, a livery cab driver was given the chance to put another eye at the passenger’s area. The driver can readily see the potential harms a passenger may do even before he does it. A passenger, for example, who releases a gun from his bag, will be readily seen by the driver. The time the potential murderer is releasing a gun is also the time a driver can call the police or employ other preventive measures to protect his own life. That time, every time a driver became suspicious of a passenger, he can readily report it to the policemen who were monitoring him through a secret alarm system. The city’s mayor, Rudolph W. Giuliani, showed his support for these safety measures by providing each livery cab driver with enough financial assistance. The city released $5 million worth of protection equipment. Each livery cab driver in New York City was given $325. This amount of money served as an assistance to pay for the needed equipment like partitions and bulletproofing. Surveillance cameras cost $700. This means that the city paid for half the total expense of a driver for one surveillance camera. If a driver chose to put up a partition inside his livery cab, then he may put up one which cost $275 on the average. The city, together with the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers, employed other preventive and protective measures without the use of material things. The city revised its law regarding the punishment for liver cab driver killers and robbers. Tougher sanction was applied in which another two to three years were added to the years a convict will have to spend in jail. Police decoy was also widely used. This was another preventive and protective measure to investigate murder and robbery cases more efficiently. With the use of police decoy, an officer pretended to be a livery cab driver. He went around the neighborhood to get passengers and picked up their fares. This was an effective step since robbery and murder reduced from 2,000 to 455 cases. The efficient investigation allowed for this impressive change in the statistics. Aside from police decoys who served as patrols, protection was maximized especially when livery cab drivers were required to stop at areas where there were police officers. These officers obliged drivers to pull over to see their current condition. The police officers ensure the safety and protection of drivers by checking the passengers. Police officers were able to prevent 50 possible livery cab driver killings by spotting 50 passengers with guns. Such intense conscious effort caused very pronounced victory than expected. Before 2000, no single year has passed without dozens of livery cab drivers being killed. When these aforementioned measures were employed, the year came when no single case of livery cab driver killing or robbery was reported. With this change in statistics, the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers and the government of New York City proved that with efficient action, achieving a goal becomes possible. Because of this, the federation and the city became more inspired with employing more measures to totally alleviate killings so that such victory won’t last for only a year. To maintain positive changes, the federation and the government worked hand in hand to put up tracking systems for the drivers. This way, the drivers were always monitored. The police tracked down the whereabouts of every livery cab driver. Adolfo Carrion, Jr., New York City’s councilman, was willing to co-sponsor this to further improve livery cab driver killings. In 2000, statistics dramatically changed from drastic to impressive when it comes to cases of killings. Every livery cab driver did not just begin to feel safer and more secured with his job — his children and wife patiently waiting at home were finally able to sleep soundly at night. All they needed to wait for was a goodnight kiss from their father. References: Michaelluo. (2004). Police Measures Avert Livery Cab Killings. New York Times. Retrieved December 1, 2007, from http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/07/nyregion/07livery.html ?ei=5007en=f4b0e5806c7261cex=1391576400adxnnl=1partner= USERLANDadxnnlx=11143479799ScWbxozk+DIlE+9e5ddS Rashbaum, W. K. (2000). After Deaths, City Plans Millions for Livery Cab Safety. The New York Times. Retrieved December 1, 2007 from http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html ?res=950CE2DA1631F936A25757C0A9669C8B63 Â   Â   Â   How to cite Conscious Efforts Equate to Saving Lives, Essay examples

Socrates Has Undoubtedly Had A Major Impact Upon Western Philosophy An

Socrates has undoubtedly had a major impact upon western philosophy and society in general. Plato, whose work is essentially an elaboration and expansion upon that of Socrates, has had a similar effect. Naturally, these two philosophers have been subjects of immense academic interest for over two thousand years. With this great interest comes both praise and criticism. One of the most critical writers to attack these legendary philosophers was Friedrich Nietzsche. Here I will examine Nietzsche's arguments, draw evidence to support such arguments, and discuss his notion of Christianity as an extension of such philosophy. From Nietzsche's viewpoint, Socrates and Plato were to Greek society symptoms of societal decay, or as Nietzsche usually puts it "decadence" (Nietzsche 39). In his attack on Western Philosophy throughout Twilight of the Idols, he purports the main weakness of Socrates to be evident in the delivery of his philosophy, or more specifically dialectics. Socrates was never a rich man and belonged to the lowest of the socioeconomic classes in Athens. Nietzsche claims that, "With dialectics the rabble gets on top", the rabble in this case being Socrates (Nietzsche 41). Socrates repeatedly takes on the government in various matters such as the weakness of democracy the connection of justice and holiness. He uses dialectics with such techniques as elenchus to use complex arguments to loosely back up his statements or to confuse his opponent into submission. Before Socrates, the dialectical manner of argument was widely looked down upon. The "good society" considered dialectics as bad manners. Parents warned their children against such arguments purporting that such arguments were not to be trusted. Nietzsche's rationale for this mistrust was that honest things should be able to stand alone as honest without the implication of a complex argument. In Athens, where authority lay primarily in commands as opposed to reason and discussion, the dialectician is not usually taken seriously (Nietzsche 41). According to Nietzsche, dialectics are such cowardly weapons that they should be used only as a last resort. He believes this cowardice to lie in the way the opponent must prove he was an idiot rather than the dialectician proving his wisdom (Nietzsche 42). Socrates used dialectics as a substitute for true superiority over his stronger opponents, and thus made his way to the forefront of Greek philosophy. Nietzsche asserts that Socrates' ideas, rather than working toward their intended purpose of developing thought and bringing wisdom to a new level, instead worked against the progress of society. This problem stems from Socrates' equation of reason with virtue with happiness. By this, Socrates was merely trying to suppress his dark desires by producing a so-called "permanent daylight of reason" (Nietzsche 44). He, as well as many other philosophers of his time, believed that in attacking that which was commonly thought to be this moral decadence, he could somehow elude such decadence himself. The way in which he combats the decadence is simply another, disguised expression of decadence. He seemed to bask in a sort of "rational daylight" in a "bright, circumspect, life" (Nietzsche 44). He believed himself to be living without instinct and in opposition therein. This rationalism at any cost was simply another sickness, and certainly not a path, as it was intended to be, back to health and happiness. Socrates even seems to realize this in retrospect towards the end of his life: "Socrates is no physician...Death alone is the physician here...Socrates has been a long time sick" (Nietzsche 44). Socrates may have finally realized that, as Nietzsche believes, "As long as life is ascending, happiness and instinct are one" (Nietzsche 44). Socrates endeavors to escape basic human instinct, as it could easily be labeled as the root of societal decay towards a more barbaric society. However, Nietzsche believes that one must accept and embrace this intrinsically influential element of the human psyche to be able to deal realistically with the rest of one's self and one's peers before societal advancement can occur (Nietzsche 49). For someone, such as Socrates, to acknowledge and hope for another higher world (e.g. the afterlife) does nothing but brings about decadence in the tangible, more important world by trying to escape it. Socrates declares in section 41c of Plato's "Apology": You too, gentleman of

Juhani Pallasmaa, Short Bio of the Finnish Architect

Juhani Pallasmaa, Short Bio of the Finnish Architect During his wildly prolific career, Juhani Pallasmaa has designed more than buildings. Through books, essays, and lectures, Pallasmaa has created an empire of ideas. How many young architects have been inspired by Pallasmaas teaching and his classic text, The Eyes of the Skin, about architecture and the senses? Architecture is a craft and an art to Pallasmaa. It has to be both, which makes architecture an impure or messy discipline. The soft-spoken  Juhani Pallasmaa has formulated and described the essence of architecture all of his life. Background Born: September 14, 1936 in Hmeenlinna, FinlandFull Name: Juhani Uolevi PallasmaaEducation: 1966: Helsinki University of Technology, Master of Science in Architecture Selected Projects In Finland, Juhani Pallasmaa is known as a Constructivist. His work has been inspired by the simplicity of Japanese architecture and the abstraction of modern Deconstructivism. His only work in the US is the arrival plaza at Cranbrook Academy of Art (1994). 2003 to 2006: Kamppi Centre, Helsinki.2004: Snow Show (with Rachel Whiteread), Lapland2002 to 2003: Bank of Finland Museum, Helsinki2002: Pedestrian and cycle bridge, Viikki Eco-village, Helsinki1989 to 1991 Major extensions to Itkeskus Shopping Centre, Helsinki1990 to 1991: Outdoor spaces for Ruoholahti Residential Area, Helsinki1986 to 1991: Institut Finlandais (with Roland Schweitzer), Paris1987: Phone Booth Design for Helsinki Telephone Association1986: Renovation of Helsinki Old Market Hall, Helsinki1984 to 1986: Renovation of the Art Museum in Rovaniemi1970: Summer atelier of artist Tor Arne, Vnà ¶ Island About Juhani Pallasmaa He promotes a back-to-basics, evolutionary approach to architecture that has become revolutionary in the 21st century. He told interviewer Rachel Hurst that computers have been misused to replace human thought and imagination: The computer has no capacity for empathy, for compassion. The computer cannot imagine the use of space. But the most important thing is that the computer cannot hesitate. Working between the mind and the hand we often hesitate, and we reveal our own answers in our hesitations. Pallasmaa also suggests that architects and designers read novels and poetry to better understand architecture.  Juhani Pallasmaa’s Book List is an eclectic mix of unexpected titles: In my view, literature and the arts provide deep lessons on the essences of the world and life. Because architecture is fundamentally about life, I find the literary classics, or any fine novels and poems, to be essential books on architecture. Writings and Teaching In spite of the many architecture projects he has completed, Pallasmaa may be best-known as a theorist and educator. He has taught at universities all over the world, including Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. He has written and lectured extensively on cultural philosophy, environmental psychology, and architectural theory. His works are read in many architecture classrooms around the world: Questions of Perception: Phenomenology of Architecture by Steven Holl, Juhani Pallasmaa, and Alberto Perez-GomezThe Embodied Image: Imagination and Imagery in Architecture by Juhani Pallasmaa, Wiley, 2011The Thinking Hand by Juhani Pallasmaa, Wiley, 2009The Eyes of the Skin: Architecture and the Senses (1996) by Juhani Pallasmaa, Wiley, 2012Encounters: Architectural Essays by Juhani Pallasmaa, Peter MacKeith, editor, 2006Encounters 2 - Architectural Essays by Juhani Pallasmaa,  Peter MacKeith, editor, 2012Archipelago: Essays on Architecture by Juhani Pallasmaa, Peter MacKeith, editorUnderstanding Architecture by Robert McCarter and Juhani Pallasmaa, Phaidon, 2012

How Graduate School Is Different From College

How Graduate School Is Different From College The first days of graduate school go by in a blur for most new students. Even if you attend the same university as you did as an undergraduate, the graduate school experience is very different from being an undergrad. Is grad school harder than college? Definitely. Coursework Is Just the Beginning Classes are a big part of masters programs and the first couple of years of doctoral programs. But grad school entails more than completing a series of classes. You will take courses during the first couple of years of your Ph.D. program, but your later years will emphasize research (and you probably wont take any courses during those later years). The purpose of grad school is to develop a professional understanding of your discipline through independent reading and study. The Apprenticeship Model Most of what you learn in grad school will not come from classes, but from other activities such as  conducting research and attending conferences. Youll choose  and work closely with a faculty member on his or her research. As an apprentice of sorts, youll learn how to define research problems, design and carry out research projects to test your hypotheses and disseminate your results. The end goal is to become an independent scholar and devise your own research program.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Graduate School Is a Job Approach grad school as a full-time job; its not school in the undergraduate sense. If you soared through college with little studying, youre in for a big culture shock as a grad student  The reading lists will be longer and more extensive than youve encountered in college. More importantly, youll be expected to read and be prepared to critically evaluate and discuss it all. Most grad programs require that you take initiative for your learning and demonstrate a commitment to your career.   Graduate School Is a Socializing Agent Why is graduate school so different from undergrad? Graduate training teaches you the information and skills that you need to be a professional. However, being a professional requires more than coursework and experiences. In graduate school, you will be socialized into your profession. In other words, you will learn the norms and values of your field. Relationships with faculty members  and other students are important to your career, and youll make them in grad school. Most importantly, you will learn to think like a professional in your field. Graduate school shapes the mind and leads students to think in new ways. You will learn to think like a professional in your field, whether a scientist, historian, educator, philosopher or practitioner. It truly prepares you to immerse yourself in a specific field - especially if you choose to become an academic professional in the long run.

Financial Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Financial Management - Case Study Example Every foreign exchange market is in a position to mitigate the risk of uncertainty occurred due to the variations in the exchange rates on cash flows of both payables and receivables. â€Å"Under the hypothesis of efficient foreign exchange markets, the validity of the Purchasing Power Parity theorem may take care of the company’s uncertainty with respect to the mean value of its foreign currency portfolio. The remaining uncertainty, i.e. the variance of the value of the foreign currency portfolio around its mean, can be reduced by hedging† (Soenon 2006). Under this kind of marketing, generally, there should be equilibrium between the estimated cost of hedging and the actual cost. In addition, the chances of risks and uncertainty will be higher in case of exchange rates and its variations. It is necessary to consider the uncertainty caused by fluctuating exchange rates on cash flows both payable and receivable. This is due to the fact that one of the important tools with the finance manager to determine the changes in cash in hand and at bank is the cash flow statement. The statement of cash flows, both inflows and outflows can be analyzed to reveal significant relationships. Cash generating efficiency is the ability of an organization or a company to generate cash from its current or continuing operations. To evaluate this, fundamentally, certain ratios are used. Similarly, free cash flow is significant in this regard. It is the amount of cash that remains after deducting funds a company must commit to continue operating as its planned level. Such commitments must cover current continuing operations, interest, income tax, dividend, and net capital expenditures. When the free cash flow is positive, it means that the company has met all its planned commitments and has cash available to reduce debt or expand. A negative free cash flow would mean that the company needs to sell investments, borrow money or issue stock, in a short term, to carry on its finance at the planned levels. Besides measuring the cash efficiency and free cash flow with the help of cash flow statement, the financial analyst also calculates various ratios on cash figures rather than the earnings of the company. Such major ratios are- 1. Price per share/free cash flow per share 2. Operating cash flow/Operating profit 3. Self financing investment ratio, which is the internal funding/ Investment activities (net). It helps to indicates how much of the funds generated by the business are reinvested in assets. It is evident that the concepts of investment and risk are related to each other. Every business entity aims to maximize its returns. The business that deals with the investment in different securities by the investors is beneficial to a great extend but at the same time is quiet risky. More

Research Support for the Project Proposal of Smoking Cessation Among Paper

Support for the Project Proposal of Smoking Cessation Among Nurses - Research Paper Example Keywords: smoking, cessation, nurses. Research Support for the Project Proposal of Smoking Cessation among Nurses Smoking is a serious problem among nurses. Much has been written and said about the role and importance of smoking cessation programs in clinical settings. Smoking causes profound impacts on the quality of nursing care. In some instances, smoking among nurses is justified by the amount of stress they constantly experience in the workplace: Tagliacozzo and Vaughn (1986) established a direct relation between work-related stresses and smoking among nurses. This however does not mean that nurses are secured from the risks and negative consequences of smoking. A facility-based smoking cessation program has the potential to reduce smoking among nurses, through counseling support, monetary incentives, nicotine-replacement therapies, and Cognitive-Behavioral therapy. The role and significance of counseling support in smoking cessation was discussed in abundance. Individual, group , or telephone counseling was extensively used to raise smoking cessation rates in various population groups. Lancaster and Stead (2008) reviewed previous studies and concluded that individual counseling increased the likelihood of smoking cessation. ... Those results were also supported by Stead, Perrera and Lancaster (2009), who found that both reactive and proactive telephone counseling was responsible for increased rates of smoking cessation among individuals. The rationale behind telephone counseling and its efficacy in smoking cessation are difficult to explain: most probably, smokers perceive telephone support as both reliable and anonymous, and which gives them a sense of confidence in dealing with the problem of smoking. It is also possible that telephone lines provide that assistance which smokers really need in their long and troublesome way to cessation. Whatever the rationale, individual counseling, either personal or telephone, can benefit nurses who are willing to quit smoking. Unfortunately, individual counseling is always associated with additional costs (Lichtenstein et al, 1996). New technologies provide the flexibility and communication opportunities required to reduce smoking among nurses. Yet, they also add to t he burden of financial and technical expenses on hospitals. This is why individual counseling can give place to group counseling strategies. Group counseling is believed to be a better alternative to individual smoking cessation counseling. The current state of literature suggests that individual counseling alone cannot increase smoking cessation rates (Stead & Lancaster, 2009). Unfortunately, evaluating the benefits and outcomes of group counseling interventions is not possible, due to the heterogeneity of subjects involved in study samples (Stead & Lancaster, 2009). Moreover, group counseling is by itself not without controversy, since groups demonstrate limited reach to smoking populations and are characterized by low participation rates (Stead &