The Reflective Practitioner Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The Reflective Practitioner - Essay Example Since its debut, the social site has grown exponentially, becoming the model for many other social sites. A week after the billion dollar winner was released; three other Harvard students proclaimed thefacebook.com was a joint venture. However, by then, the ingenious internet site could not be detonated. FaceBook had become one of the largest social media sites in the world. By 2010, the site traffic was in the millions and still growing (Carlson, 2010). The United States courts would have to decide who had a right to rake in the huge profits. Until Facebook, the most sophisticated social websites were chat rooms running blogs in real time. The only personal space for users was an inbox and a small picture profile. Zuckerberg introduced a ‘wall’ concept, where users were represented in a much larger space. News feeds were added to traditional inboxes and favorites links. As the concept grew socially, naturally, businesses began to take notice. The extra room made it poss ible for businesses to build virtual billboards. Today, businesses capitalize on the massive connections obtained through a Facebook business page. If a 24 hour connection to billions of people around the world will build your business; climb aboard and build a Facebook business page, too. 1. Facebook for Small Business At least one billion people log on and interact through FaceBook, every day, all day, over the world. That’s over one billion reasons why your business should have a Facebook page. Everyone from recording artists to cooking gurus have packed up and moved into the world’s largest Internet community. The website continues to grow exponentially, connecting people and businesses. Even non-profit organizations have jumped on board to gain more exposure. Retailers of both products and services instantly become global by obtaining a website address and providing product, service, and contact information. In 2010, FaceBook launched the Small Business Saturday F acebook page, which pronounces the first Saturday following Thanksgiving as a special day for shoppers. Partnering with Twitter and American Express, the application was developed to draw shoppers and to polish small businesses with awesome applications and tools designed for eCommerce. The occasion is to encourage ‘small shopping’. Today, the the Small Business Saturday Page has received almost 3 million ‘likes’. Although nothing can guarantee 100% success or increased activity consistently for a long period of time, a FaceBook business page comes pretty close. Smart entrepreneurs know that capitalizing on massive Internet traffic and superior marketing tools is a formula for success. When you register your small business with FaceBook, the high traffic is already established and marketing tools are already in place to guide you. And the beauty of the entire concept is: it’s free. 2. Setting up Your Business Page Resist the urge to hire a contractor to build your Page. Building it yourself is simple and will reflect your personality, rather than that of a contractor. FaceBook Pages may be embedded with photos, videos, flash presentations and graphs, and direct links to other sites. Much like building a traditional web site, Facebook software and the help centre provide steps to build a business page that will grab the interest of many (FB, 2012). You may always revise your Page by omitting or adding items to improve appearance and make it more practical. As your business changes, so will

Ariel case study Essay Example for Free

Ariel case study Essay Case analysis: Statement of problem: 1. First of all Martin have to find out if the company should improve the equipment. 2. If they decide to improve, then, which currency should they make the purchase in? 3. How can they calculate what their expected rate of return at the most certainty? Analysis: The general question is if the company should make the improvement or not, and if they do (assuming the project is beneficial) which currency will give the highest profit? Since it is calculated that the cost will drop when implementing the new equipment, we assumed that the cash flow equals the difference between the two figures. The NVP is 2,960,532 pesos, but Martin wanted to know whether to make the investment in Euros or Pesos. When we calculated the NPV in euros we can use two different approaches. You can find the NPV (Euro) by either translate NPV (Peso) by dividing it by 15,99. However, the better solution is to use the expected future spot rate on every cash flow, because this estimate is more accurate. Inflation rate is important to look at because, if the inflation rate changes, the NPV also changes and that will effect their decision. So, they have to consider the risk of inflation changes. If the inflation rate drops to 3% in Mexico, the purchase in Euros is more profitable, because the Peso is strengthened. Another variable to consider when deciding between Euros and Pesos is the risks concerning prediction of future currency rates. The short-term exposure, long-term exposure, the political risk and translation exposure could all affect the inflation. Recomendations : The company should go through with the project, because the net present value is positive. However, they should choose which currency to purchase the equipment in carefully, due to the uncertainty of the exchange predictions. They need to take all the risks into account.

Tragedy in William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet :: William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet is one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays of all time, and also one of the most tragic plays of all time. It is about two lovers who commit suicide when their families prevent them from being together. They lived in a very complicated society, where they couldn’t see each other or share their passion for each other. They both had bad luck, by falling in love with a person that was your families’ enemy. Finally, they have so much love for each other that they are willing to kill themselves for the other. Romeo and Juliet lived in a strange and complicated society, where they are punished for doing everything bad. There are a lot of reasons why they are victims of the society; their families have been long time enemies, also how their biological parents were never their for their problems, instead Friar Laurence and the Nurse were always there for them. Unfortunately there families wouldn’t allow them to get married. They got married secretly with the permission of the Friar, but not of their parents. That was all caused because of their families’ background with each other, and their parents not caring about their decisions. Well they both have bad luck throughout the story. There are a lot of scenes where they have bad luck and where they are misfortunates. One very good example is, when Romeo kills Tybalt for killing Mercutio. Mercutio and Tybalt talking trash to each other caused all this, but when they started to fighting Romeo interfered and Mercutio got killed. Everyone was laughing because they thought that Mercutio was joking around, but when Mercutio told Romeo in his ear â€Å"tomorrow you shall find me a grave man† he realized that he had been killed. Romeo got mad and ran after Tybalt and started a fight, but he also ended up killing Tybalt. For someone who was really a â€Å"king of the pussy cats,† you would never expect him to kill someone. But unbelievably he was banished from Verona instead of being killed. Through out the story they had some outrageously funny ways of showing their passion for each other’s love. But the matter of the fact is that they were deeply in love. In fact there were a lot of scenes where they shared their passion, they both fall in love by the first sight at the Capulet party, also how they killed each other for the other.

Behind the Arch: The Truth about Drinking :: Alcoholism Drinking Essays

Behind the Arch: The Truth about Drinking at BVU After reading the book, Behind the Arch: The Truth about Drinking at BVU by Chris Allen, Alisa Dixson, Jennifer Durham, Shelley Katzer, Max Kenkel, Teri Kramer, Toby Malavong, and Courtney Weller, I realized that drinking on our BVU campus is a problem. I think that this is a problem on almost all college campuses though. This same group of students could go to almost any campus in the nation and find the same facts I believe. I did however, have some problems with the facts in the story. Some of the facts, to me, seemed almost impossible to be factual. Also, I think that the voiced teacher opinions were not needed in the book as much as they were. The fact that all these professors were once a kid might have been left out in some of these stories. So, at times, when I was reading this book I lost interest. I think that more research and surveying should have taken place before this book was used for classroom purposes. Instead of taking opinions from only non-drinking students and professors that all seemed to say that they have never drank before, the opinions should have been more varied and this book may have been worth taking a look at. Reading is enjoyed by almost everyone when the subject is interesting or factual. When a person is forced to read something, and they start to find patterns of information that seem to not be true, they tend to lose interest. Reading this book lost me almost form the start. Why did all the professors seem to speak of the exact same facts? They said the same facts in opinion, but differing stories would leak a little more true information than others. All of the students’ stories in the book seemed to have the same problem as well. To start the book, the first story started out with a young man and his roommate who chose to stay in their dorm on a Friday night and do their calculus homework. This isn’t a bad story, but if this book is aimed for us to understand how much drinking was going on around our campus, then why didn’t they start the story with someone who is drinking. How can a reader get the full truth about drinking, if they are interviewing kids that do not even participate in partying or drinking, not even socially?

Research Paper About Facebook

Facebook is the most popular social networking site in several English-speaking countries, including Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. And it was launched in February 2004 that is operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. Facebook is a popular free social networking website that allows registered users to create profiles, upload photos and video, send messages and keep in touch with friends, family and colleagues.As of July 2010  Facebook has more than 500 million active users. Users may create a personal profile, add other users as friends and exchange messages, including automatic notifications when they update their profile. Additionally, users may join common interest user groups, organized by workplace, school, or college, or other characteristics. The name of the service stems from the  colloquial name for the book  given to students at the start of the academic year by university administrations in the US with the intention of helping students to ge t to know each other better.Facebook allows anyone who declares them to be at least 13 years old to become a registered user of the website. Facebook was founded by  Mark Zuckerberg  with his college roommates and fellow computer science students  Eduardo Saverin,  Dustin Moskovitz  and  Chris Hughes. The website's membership was initially limited by the founders to  Harvard  students, but was expanded to other colleges in the  Boston  area, the  Ivy League, and  Stanford University. It gradually added support for students at various other universities before opening to high school students, and, finally, to anyone aged 13 and over. A January 2009  Compete. om  study ranked Facebook as the most used  social network  by worldwide monthly active users, followed byMySpace. [9]  Entertainment Weekly  put it on its end-of-the-decade â€Å"best-of† list, saying, â€Å"How on earth did we stalk our exes, remember our co-workers' birthdays, bug ou r friends, and play a rousing game of Scrabulous before Facebook? â€Å"[10]  Quantcast estimates Facebook has 135. 1 million monthly unique U. S. visitors. [11] C. Significance of Facebook Sometimes it is taking a while to get an understanding of the importance of something that is as much in the hype as Facebook is currently in 2007.With its recent positioning as an application platform Facebook has in our view become a unique challenger to established players in the field of Personal Information Infrastructure like Microsoft and Google. We are going to explain this in a way that hopefully also those can get at least the concept behind it who had so far (maybe even after they done a quick inspection of Facebook and some other â€Å"social networks† themselves) a difficult time in understanding the significance of Facebook contribution to application platforms in general. Applications are the building blocks of everyone’s Personal Information Infrastructure.Every a pplication is one block and provides users with a specific, bundled set of features. Sometimes applications (â€Å"integrated applications†) as we know them are sharing important pieces of personally maintained information like Contacts, sometimes they do not. Facebook application; a user is running to access the Facebook Contacts of this user. More importantly: Whenever the user does something of significance inside any Facebook application the platform itself will inform automatically his Contacts about it; Example: Your friend Paul just uploaded a new photo to his album!Your personal Facebook experience is depending on the number and level of activity of your Facebook Contacts. If there is no one on Facebook you know then the value of Facebook will be little or zero for you; but the more of your Contacts are using Facebook applications actively the more value in terms of â€Å"Getting to know about what they do† You will get out of Facebook (classical case of the â €Å"Network Effect†: the more people using a network the higher is the value for the individual user).These messages that the platform is continuously distributing to the Contacts of a user are one of the core features of the application platform Facebook: With this basic mechanism Facebook is allowing that Facebook users by just using their Facebook applications are staying automatically in contact with their Facebook Contacts. One standard argument against the overall value of Facebook is that staying in such an online and direct way in touch is something that is interesting only for â€Å"the younger generation†. That is maybe true or not. But there is another aspect.If you are for example a senior developer and you are not interested in staying in contact with your Contacts automatically then maybe you are interested in the potential business opportunity: Facebook is not only encouraging developers to create their own applications that will run inside Facebook (on top of the platform). The Facebook platform has also build in a simple but effective mechanism to promote the usage of your newly created application: All Contacts of any new user of your Facebook application will get (in exactly the same way as already described) a notification that these users just started to use your application.This form of directly â€Å"build in application promotion/marketing† for your application can deliver high numbers of users to any application so fast that probably most application providers will be challenged to handle the demand (please see for details this excellent article from Marc Andreessen ). Example : I find it fascinating how important Facebook has become in todays society. Below are 2 examples of how ridiculous it is: A. A friend of mine, and his gf broke up. A month or so later I saw that his FB profile read â€Å"In a relationship† so I called him.He and his gf got back together and it was very important to her that he change his status to that. I thought it was trivial but it was a huuuge deal to her. B. Last night I get a call from a friend who has been having marital problems. he called to tell me he thinks his marraige is over. We go over the whole story and I tell him to wait and see if she calms down. He says he knows it's over because she de-friended him on facebook. Am I the only one who is so surprised at how important FB has become to people in their personal lives? D.Development of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg wrote Facemash, the predecessor to Facebook, on October 28, 2003, while attending Harvard as a sophomore. The site represented a Harvard University version of Hot or Not, and according to The Harvard Crimson, Facemash â€Å"used photos compiled from the online Facebook of nine Houses, placing two next to each other at a time and asking users to choose the ‘hotter' person†. To accomplish this, Zuckerberg hacked into the protected areas of Harvard's computer network, and copied th e houses' private dormitory ID images.Harvard at that time did not have a student directory with photos and basic information, and Facemash attracted 450 visitors and 22,000 photo-views in its first four hours online. That the initial site mirrored people's physical community with their real identities represented the key aspects of what later became Facebook. The site was quickly forwarded to several campus group list-servers, but was shut down a few days later by the Harvard administration. Zuckerberg was charged by the administration with breach of security, violating copyrights, and violating individual privacy, and faced expulsion.Ultimately, however, the charges were dropped. Zuckerberg expanded on this initial project that semester by creating a social study tool ahead of an art history final, by uploading 500 Augustan images to a website, with one image per page along with a comment section. He opened the site up to his classmates, and people started sharing their notes. The following semester, Zuckerberg began writing code for a new website in January 2004. He was inspired, he said, by an editorial in The Harvard Crimson about the Facemash incident.On February 4, 2004, Zuckerberg launched â€Å"The Facebook†, originally located at thefacebook. com. Just six days after the site launched, three Harvard seniors, Cameron Winklevoss, Tyler Winklevoss, and Divya Narendra, accused Zuckerberg of intentionally misleading them into believing he would help them build a social network called HarvardConnection. com, while he was instead using their ideas to build a competing product. The three complained to the Harvard Crimson, and the newspaper began an investigation. The three later filed a lawsuit against Zuckerberg, subsequently settling.Membership was initially restricted to students of Harvard College, and within the first month, more than half the undergraduate population at Harvard was registered on the service. Eduardo Saverin (business aspects), D ustin Moskovitz (programmer), Andrew McCollum (graphic artist), and Chris Hughes soon joined Zuckerberg to help promote the website. In March 2004, Facebook expanded to Stanford, Columbia, and Yale. This expansion continued when it opened as well to all other Ivy League schools and Boston University, New York University, MIT, and gradually most universities in Canada and the United States. Total active users  (in millions)|Date| Users| Days later| Monthly growth| August 26, 2008| 100| 1,665| 178. 38%| April 8, 2009| 200| 225| 13. 33%| September 15, 2009| 300| 150| 10%| February 5, 2010| 400| 143| 6. 99%| July 21, 2010| 500| 166| 4. 52%| —| 600| 143 (ongoing)| —| Facebook  incorporated  in the summer of 2004, and the entrepreneur  Sean Parker, who had been informally advising Zuckerberg, became the company's president. [  In June 2004, Facebook moved its base of operations to  Palo Alto, California. It received its first investment later that month from  P ayPal  co-founder  Peter Thiel. The company dropped  from its name after purchasing the  domain name  facebook. om in 2005 for $200,000. Facebook launched a high school version in September 2005, which Zuckerberg called the next logical step. At that time, high school networks required an invitation to join. Facebook later expanded membership eligibility to employees of several companies, including  Apple Inc. and  Microsoft. Facebook was then opened on September 26, 2006, to every one of ages 13 and older with a valid  email address. On October 24, 2007, Microsoft announced that it had purchased a 1. 6% share of Facebook for $240 million, giving Facebook a total implied value of around $15 billion.Microsoft's purchase included rights to place international ads on Facebook. In October 2008, Facebook announced that it would set up its international headquarters in Dublin,  Ireland. In September 2009, Facebook said that it had turned cash flow positive for the first time. [  In November 2010, based on Second Market Inc. , an exchange for share of privately held companies, Facebook value was $41 billion (surpassing EBay's slightly), and it became the third-largest US Web Company after Google and Amazon. Traffic to Facebook increased steadily after 2009. More people visited Facebook than Google for the week ending March 13, 2010.Facebook also became the top social network across eight individual markets in Asia—the Philippines, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Vietnam, while other brands commanded the top positions in certain markets, including Google-owned Orkut in India, Mixi. jp in Japan, CyWorld in South Korea, and Yahoo! ’s Wretch. cc in Taiwan. II. Potential Facebook Addiction A. Social Networking to your Old Friends The best thing about Facebook for those of us, who have been out of school for a long time, is the ability to find old friends.When you find old friends using Facebook you're given the chance to make amends, start over and be best friends again, not to mention find lost love. B. Business Facebook â€Å"Pages† (that’s with a capital â€Å"P†) were created to give businesses their own profile on Facebook. In fact, originally, the code that made up a Facebook â€Å"Page† appeared to be almost exactly the same as that which generated user profile pages. Pages give your business or brand an identity on Facebook. With a Page, those interested and following your brand can become â€Å"fans†, and when they do so, all their friends will see this.You can store photos, videos, information about your company, and custom applications on your Page. All activity on Pages gets posted back to your Mini Feed for all your friends to see. C. Communicating to other Nation Other nations are using this site in communicating. Nowadays, chatting or having social life with other nation is a great issue. Filipinos are one of the examples in maki ng friends with the other. Foreigners are now married with the other Filipina and that because of Facebook. And also, this might be the reason why we have this unity even though we’re not that same. III. Effects of Addiction to FacebookA. Financially We are force to spend our allowance because we are enjoying using Facebook. Like in our phone, just by reloading we can now connect with Facebook. Likewise, when we do not have our computer at home, we tend to visit internet shops. Some people do have their connections at home using the Globe Broadband and paying monthly. B. Health Problems The debate rages on about how these social networking sites affect our health. Many people have made new friends or even met special mates on these social networking sites. Some studies suggest that Facebook or Twitter could actually be harmful to our social health.Instead of meeting people in person, we are spending more time in front of our computer screens checking out the latest info. I re ally do not see how anyone really cares when John goes to the bathroom or eats dinner. Some famous celebrities use facebook too and use it constantly. C. Mentally Professionals worry that these cyber interactions are a detriment to participants in that they discourage traditional human interaction. It is far easier to log onto a website and chat with friends than it is to drive to their homes to see them in person, but physical human interaction is important to one's mental well-being.Also, maintaining contact solely through cyberspace can be damaging in that it is somewhat superficial and not as meaningful as face to face conversation. Lest you forget the nuances of a smile or the meaning behind an embrace, it is best to use Facebook sparingly in maintaining interpersonal relationships. IV. Signs of Facebook Addiction A. Neglecting your Studies Based on the experiences, students find their selves alone and making fun. Simply, they are enjoying Facebook. Instead of studying, they sp end more time in this site.Telling their parents that they have a research to do but the truth is they will just log in and they will share thoughts with their friends. Technology now is part of our life. Even a seven year old girl or boy does have their Facebook now. This is the proof that Facebook has greatly influenced the life of everyone. Students cannot focus in their studies because they have the reason to enjoy surfing the internet. B. Facebook Games vs. Cultural Games Many active users are playing games in Facebook. C. Rebellion V. ConclusionVI. References http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Facebook

War of 1812 USS Constitution

War of 1812 USS Constitution Shorn of the protection of the Royal Navy, the merchant marine of the young United States began to suffer attacks from North African Barbary pirates in the mid-1780s. In response, President George Washington signed the Naval Act of 1794. This authorized the building of six frigates with the restriction that construction would halt if a peace agreement was reached. Designed by Joshua Humphreys, the construction of the vessels was assigned to various ports on the East Coast. The frigate assigned to Boston was dubbed USS Constitution and was laid down at Edmund Hartts yard on November 1, 1794. Aware that the U.S. Navy would be unable to match the fleets of Britain and France, Humphreys designed his frigates to be able to overpower similar foreign ships but still be fast enough to escape larger ships of the line. Possessing a long keel and narrow beam, Constitutions framing was made of live oak and included diagonal riders which increased the hulls strength and aided in preventing hogging. Heavily planked, Constitutions hull was stronger than similar vessels of its class. Copper bolts and other hardware for the vessel were made by Paul Revere. Key Facts Nation: United StatesBuilder: Edmund Hartts Shipyard, Boston, MALaunched: October 21, 1797Maiden Voyage: July 22, 1798Fate: Museum ship at Boston, MA Specifications of the USS Constitution Ship Type: FrigateDisplacement: 2,200 tonsLength: 175 ft. (waterline)Beam: 43.5 ft.Draft: 21 ft. - 23 ft.Complement: 450Speed: 13 knots Armament 30 x 24-pdrs2 x 24-pdrs (bow chasers)20 x 32-pdr carronades USS Constitution The Quasi-War Though a peace settlement was reached with Algiers in 1796, Washington permitted the three ships nearest completion to be finished. As one of the three, Constitution was launched, with some difficulty, on October 21, 1797. Completed the following year, the frigate readied for service under the command of Captain Samuel Nicholson. Though rated at forty-four guns, Constitution typically mounted around fifty. Putting to sea on July 22, 1798, Constitution began patrols to protect American commerce during the Quasi-War with France. Operating on the East Coast and in the Caribbean, Constitution conducted escort duty and patrolled for French privateers and warships. The highlight of its Quasi-War service came on May 11, 1799 when Constitutions sailors and marines, led by Lieutenant Isaac Hull, seized the French privateer Sandwich near Puerto Plata, Santo Domingo. Continuing its patrols after the conflict ended in 1800, Constitution returned to Boston two years later and was placed in ordinary. This proved brief as the frigate was re-commissioned for service in the First Barbary War in May 1803. USS Constitution and the First Barbary War Commanded by Captain Edward Preble, Constitution arrived at Gibraltar on September 12 and was joined by additional American ships. Crossing to Tangier, Preble exacted a peace treaty before departing on October 14. Overseeing American efforts against the Barbary states, Preble began a blockade of Tripoli and worked to free the crew of USS Philadelphia (36 guns) which had run aground in the harbor on October 31. Unwilling to allow the Tripolitans to keep Philadelphia, Preble dispatched Lieutenant Stephen Decatur on a daring mission which destroyed the frigate on February 16, 1804. Through the summer, Preble mounted attacks against Tripoli with small gunboats and used his frigates to provide fire support. In September, Preble was replaced in overall command by Commodore Samuel Barron. Two months later, he turned command of Constitution over to Captain John Rodgers. Following the American victory at the Battle of Derna in May 1805, a peace treaty with Tripoli was signed aboard Constitution on June 3. The American squadron then moved to Tunis where a similar agreement was obtained. With peace in the region, Constitution remained in the Mediterranean until returning in late 1807. USS Constitution  and the War of 1812 During the winter of 1808, Rodgers supervised a major overhaul of the ship until passing command to Hull, now a captain, in June 1810. After a cruise to Europe in 1811-1812, Constitution was in the Chesapeake Bay when news arrived that the War of 1812 had begun. Departing the bay, Hull sailed north with the goal of joining a squadron that Rodgers was assembling. While off the coast of New Jersey, Constitution was spotted by a group of British warships. Pursued for over two days in light winds, Hull used a variety of tactics, including kedge anchors, to escape. Arriving at Boston, Constitution quickly resupplied before sailing on August 2. Moving northeast, Hull captured three British merchantmen and learned that a British frigate was sailing to the south. Moving to intercept, Constitution encountered HMS Guerriere (38) on August 19. In a sharp fight, Constitution dismasted its opponent and forced it to surrender. During the battle, several of Guerrieres cannon balls were seen to bounce off Constitutions thick sides leading it to earn the nickname Old Ironsides. Returning to port, Hull and his crew were hailed as heroes. On September 8, Captain William Bainbridge took command and Constitution returned to sea. Sailing south with the sloop of war USS Hornet, Bainbridge blockaded the corvette HMS Bonne Citoyenne (20) at Salvador, Brazil. Leaving Hornet to watch the port, he maneuvered offshore seeking prizes. On December 29, Constitution spotted the frigate HMS Java (38). Engaging, Bainbridge captured the British ship after causing its foremast to collapse. Needing repairs, Bainbridge returned to Boston, arriving in February 1813. Requiring an overhaul, Constitution entered the yard and work began under the guidance of Captain Charles Stewart. Sailing for the Caribbean on December 31, Stewart captured five British merchant ships and HMS Pictou (14) before being forced back to port due to issues with the main mast. Pursued north, he ran into Marblehead harbor before slipping down the coast to Boston. Blockaded at Boston until December 1814, Constitution next steered for Bermuda and then Europe. On February 20, 1815, Stewart engaged and captured the sloops of war HMS Cyane (22) and HMS Levant (20). Arriving in Brazil in April, Stewart learned of the wars end and returned to New York. Later Career of the USS Constitution With the end of the war, Constitution was laid up at Boston. Re-commissioned in 1820, it served in the Mediterranean Squadron until 1828. Two years later, an erroneous rumor that the U.S. Navy intended to scrap the ship led to public outrage and caused Oliver Wendell Holmes to pen the poem Old Ironsides. Repeatedly overhauled, Constitution saw service in the Mediterranean and Pacific during the 1830s before embarking on an around the world cruise in 1844-1846. Following a return to the Mediterranean in 1847, Constitution served as flagship of the U.S. African Squadron from 1852 to 1855. Arriving home, the frigate became a training ship at the U.S. Naval Academy from 1860 to 1871 when it was replaced by USS Constellation (22). In 1878-1879, Constitution carried exhibits to Europe for display at the Paris Exposition. Returning, it ultimately was made a receiving ship at Portsmouth, NH. In 1900, the first efforts were made to restore the ship and seven years later it opened for tours. Heavily restored in the early 1920s, Constitution embarked on a national tour in 1931-1934. Further restored several times during the 20th century, Constitution is currently docked at Charlestown, MA as a museum ship. USS Constitution is the oldest commissioned warship in the U.S. Navy.

Event marketing plan Essays - Marketing, Competition, Free Essays

Event marketing plan Essays - Marketing, Competition, Free Essays Event marketing plan Just like a company, an event needs to be marketed properly to reach out to everyone that you want it to. The concept and the theme of the event should reach the right audiences, and for this, there needs to be the right event marketing. The first step towards the right event is to make a plan for the marketing Market objectives To increase the rate of customers by 3% through each event respectively during a period of three months Decrease customer acquisition cost by 2% per month Generate increased awareness of the service offered Financial objectives Profitability by each event Maintain steady, monthly growth Keys to success Our keys to success include the commitment to quality by every person who is a part of the team. Consistent, accurate fulfillment of the customers wishes. Competitive pricing for the quality of service offered Significant profit made on each event planned Target market Our target markets are middle to upper-middle class students, couples, individual students of icbt or any outside parties. We chose these groups because they are conveniently available and have the less amount of time to spare for event planning in general. Advertising and promotion, and customer service Customer Service: ignite goes about the day-to-day operations with the belief that 100% customer satisfaction is required in order to make the business a success. All levels of the organization have been taught this and practice it Marketing Mix Ignite's marketing mix is comprised of the following approaches to pricing, distribution, Pricing: The pricing scheme will be based on a per project estimate Distribution: Ignite distributes tickets through personal selling targeting mostly the full time students and willing part time and MBA students at ICBT Advertising and Promotion: Several forms of advertising and promotion will be used including a website, partnerships/ networking with clubs at ICBT, posters and social media announcements Marketing Project Timeline 1 st week 2 nd week 3 rd week 4 th week Month 1 Deciding the events [pre- event] Finalizing the event Approving the project proposal Making relevant adjustment Printing of tickets, Social media announcement J AN Month 2 [Event launch] Promotion activates Issuing tickets Issuing tickets Social media promotions Final Details 1st E vent [22nd] 2 nd E vent [26 th -30 th ] FEB Month 3 Emerging as a joint venture Social media announcement Posters Sponsorships Ticket distribution Ticket distribution Final announcement Ticket distribution 19 MAR Month 4 3 rd Event 26 APR Risk Possible risks are the purchase of tickets by customers. But, selling tickets in the coming months would be attractive, since students are looking forward to the start of the year, New Year means new student entries, which mean a whole new customer base to consider hence, this would be useful for them to purchase. Also, through new concepts, other target markets are expected to purchase as well through our convincing marketing team. Worst can risk may include Determining that the business cannot support itself on an ongoing basis Contingency planning If the main event does not carry out according to plan, ignite will switch from event organization to product selling (raffle draw) this will be done by the printing of tickets and issuing it out for a ticket price of Rs.50, and the individual target per employee will be 20 tickets to ensure a targeted profit of Rs 17000.

Fraught Is a Heavy Word

Fraught Is a Heavy Word â€Å"Fraught† Is a Heavy Word â€Å"Fraught† Is a Heavy Word By Mark Nichol Fraught, one of my favorite words, is fraught with meaning. The term, a variant of freight, was originally a noun and an adjective, with a verb form of fraughten. However, the noun, meaning â€Å"cargo,† disappeared from English (though it survives in Scottish), the verb is entirely extinct, and the adjectival form, which means â€Å"laden, full of† has survived only (with the exception, again, of Scottish) in its centuries-old figurative sense. Now, when a situation is fraught, it is accompanied by, or full of, a feeling usually danger, peril, or some synonymous (and usually sinister) quality. There are exceptions: Note the use in the first paragraph of this post, and a place can be said to be fraught with memories, which may be positive, negative, or a combination thereof. However, because of the word’s often negative connotation, fraught has developed an additional sense of â€Å"uneasy,† and when used this way, it requires no object. For example, one might write, â€Å"We found ourselves in a fraught predicament.† In conversation and in writing, use of the word is fraught with consequences: For one thing, it’s a fairly obscure term, though â€Å"fraught with (blank)† constructions are common enough to form a class of clichà ©s. Furthermore, the use of fraught in the sense of a situation involving emotional turmoil may be unfamiliar to your audience. But fraught is loaded with the strength of precision its meanings are sparse and specific, so it packs a punch and you should hesitate to allow a potent word’s relative rarity to disqualify it from your vocabulary. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Comparative Forms of AdjectivesOne Sheep, Two Sheep, One Fish, Two Fish . . .Artist vs. Artisan

Asylum Seeker Children in Need Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Asylum Seeker Children in Need - Essay Example ri Lanka, FRY (Former Republic of Yugoslavia), Afghanistan, Turkey, Pakistan, China, India and Iran, in that order, were the countries most of these applications came from. Despite the large number of immigrants seeking leave to enter and stay, only a minority get awarded the refugee status or exceptional leave to remain. A major challenge is presented in terms of meeting the needs of these immigrants and refugees is their children’s access to education which is part of their statutory rights. In a highly competitive environment, these children may be considered a potential threat to school standards and levels of achievement, by institutions and educational establishments. However, schools are given the option to exclude asylum-seekers’ and refugee pupils’ scores from the schools’ overall performance indicator if these individuals have been in the country for less than two years. The same exclusion law applies to anyone whose first language of instruction is not English. Such a policy can bring a good change if it seeks to help such students be welcomed and accepted at their respective institutions without the apprehension of the schools as to the hampering of school performance. However, on the flip side, such a decision might also result in the schools taking a lax attitude towards these children and deem them unfit for similar prospects as the other, regular students. The fact is that more than the basic needs of these children need to be catered to, as evidenced by the data that shows that children of refugees/asylum seekers are often victims of racial hatred, with the local communities often treating them as pariahs. Globalization is a reality of our times, as well as having a long history, and it is a good idea to see its process vis-Ã  -vis the challenges of asylum. It is because of globalization that people from a certain area in the world decide to move to another area, despite the financial burden thereof. What is more, such people always

The role of Executive management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The role of Executive management - Essay Example Executive management is familiar with the subject matter, but they have decided to hire a specialist in this sphere. Executive management view training as an integral pan of the process of quality management and a continual need for the process of staff development. This audience will have to ensure that new training project meets government regulations and guidelines. In half a year, they will need to gather information and compare results of two training systems: web-based training and the traditional one. Then, they will analyze results and efficiency of new project. Department managers are responsible for work coordination, planning, control and organizing. Also, they are responsible for developing and maintaining procedures in conjunction with other depart mental heads for recruitment and training; ensuring adequate safety precautions, etc. Department management is not familiar with the subject-matter and will show resistance to change. Most of them are afraid of the introduction of new technology or methods of working. Also, they can resist new programs because of uncertainty over changes in responsibilities and the increased responsibilities. Web-based training project will have a great impact on their work changing relations with employees, sphere of influence and responsibilities. The change management activities for this audience will include communication with employees to create positive attitudes towards change. They will have to assess employees' skills and assign specific courses for diverse audiences. Also, department management wil l be required to learn how to use the system and monitor completion of the courses once a month. The information they need is: the level of knowledge, task completion, possible difficulties (Senior, 2001). Manufacturing hourly employees and supervisors are responsible for product quality and minimal quantity of defective articles and spoilage. They are not familiar with the subject-matter which can create additional problems for department management. Also, many companies of this type hire low qualified hourly employees with lack of experience to perform a particular type of work. Performance deficiencies can result from motivational problem which is closely connected with lack of skills. Resistance to change can be high among hourly employees who need to spend additional time and efforts on training. New web-based project can be seen as unnecessary expense to achieve output targets. The responsibilities of sales personal include: advising board of directors on marketing policy; plan and execute all the activities for assessing and creating consumer demand and for the sale, storage and distribution of the company's goods; provide market research; sales promotion; control of distribution; control of sales personnel, etc. It is possible to assume that sales personal is familiar with the subject-matter if the company follows B2C and B2B marketing. For sales staff, new web-based project will help to reduce skills shortages, and increase emphasis on flexible working attitudes, create opportunities to develop and update their skills and experiences. This group will not resist change process familiar with the web-based facilities and projects. The main activities for employees and

Is Hate Speech in the Media Directly Affecting our Culture (responses) Assignment

Is Hate Speech in the Media Directly Affecting our Culture (responses) - Assignment Example Henry is of the opinion that the kind of culture portrayed in the media makes human being lose their sense of humanity. By watching violent behaviour on television children tend to adopt what they have seen in the media. Societal degradation is rife and rising in the name of entertainment and glorification of America. People no longer care about each other and the poor and homeless are considered lazy. In his response he states that ‘†¦ many groups who are considered marginal because they are poor, unemployed, people of color, elderly or young have not just been excluded from the American dream but have become utterly redundant and disposable waste products of a society that no longer considers them of any value’. He adds that suffering and violence is applauded and recognized in holly wood. The homeless and poor are seen as a burden to the state and instead of having compassion for the homeless, homelessness is considered a crime. He adds that sleeping, sitting, soliciting lying down or loitering in public places is considered a criminal

Abstract Assignment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Abstract Assignment - Research Paper Example Additional information negating the use of such processed foods as will be discussed into depth in the main document are addressed by Adam Mike who says that processed foods lack nutrients needed in the body as natural contents are stripped off during the manufacturing process; process foods also contain metabolic disrupting ingredients that resultantly cause brain damage, diabetes and cancer; and lastly, such foods do not take in the place of nature given food because of the process through which they undergo during processing. Steroid hormones in processed food are suspected to be the culprit in early puberty among girls (Richard L. Curtis L. and Davis J., 2008). Using antibiotics in farm animals as growth promoter will be seen to have side effects of antibiotics such as the resistance to Salmonella enterica, Escherichia coli, Campylobacter jejuni and enterococci. In summery therefore, going through this research paper will give you (the reader) a critically researched, analyzed, d eveloped and documented research report that argues both for and against the subject matter based on the relevant resource materials that will be included in the in-text citations and reference section for further reading. The views drawn and decisions reached after will be explicitly expressed in the conclusion section of the

Evaluating Learning Curve for Kitchen Renovation Research Paper

Evaluating Learning Curve for Kitchen Renovation - Research Paper Example The objective of incorporating learning curves technique is to avoid steep learning curves and learn kitchen remodeling skills in a small amount of time.   The cumulative average curve is used to measure the learning curve and determines the efficiency of learning in quantified format. For the kitchen renovation project of 30 square feet of space, the rate of improvement was found to be 20%, which gives the learning percent of 80 in quantifiable terms (100 - 20 = 80). Learning efficiency was significant even for the purchased parts for which the efficiency remains in the region 80%-85% (Cyr, 2007). Kitchen remodels budgeting was the critical factor in determining the magnitude of the cumulative average curve. The general contractor was hired for the budgeting portion and over $500 was spent on budgeting alone. This cost was added to the total cost and then the learning efficiency was calculated. For installing ducts and plumbing, the learning curve remained above 70%, consuming 80 hours each. On the other hand, the learning curve for rewiring and installing lights was higher than plumbing. Due to proficiency in these tasks, less labor and time was consumed which instantly increased the learning efficiency and pushed it in the range of 85%-90%. Both of these tasks (lighting and rewiring) consumed 55-60 hours each. Follow-up on orders It is extremely crucial for a project manager to follow up on its products and services. Finishing and selling the product is one part of the battle, providing assistance after selling is another part of the job and constitutes as the backbone of customer retention. For the kitchen remodeling project, there are various aspects that need following up. Maintenance of various items is the necessary part of this project. The paint and varnish on the walls take some careful supervision after applying and needs following up. Enhancement and ongoing support are very important for a good customer feedback. Electric wiring system needs a l ot of care after installing. Follow up on the electric circuit as well as kitchen appliances counts as a regular follow up for the kitchen renovation. For this project, repairing drywalls of the kitchen required maintenance and follow up with the drywall contractor. This follow-up didn’t require any additional costs. There was also some problem in kitchen cabinets, which was discovered after installing them. Immediate replacement cabinets were called for from the contractor as he was responsible for all follow-ups. Finish carpenter was an independent contractor and the services he provided were not included in the initial contract. Therefore for tasks like Trim Molding, no follow-up service was available. For maintenance of the molding, the same carpenter was hired again at additional charges to take care of the moldings. The similar case was with the Laminate flooring, as a contractor was rehired to take care of the new flooring tiles. Another item which demands attention af ter purchase and installment is the Kitchen oven. Installment and the actual price of the oven were included in the contract price but maintenance and follow up was for one year only.  Ã‚  

Abstract Assignment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Abstract Assignment - Research Paper Example Additional information negating the use of such processed foods as will be discussed into depth in the main document are addressed by Adam Mike who says that processed foods lack nutrients needed in the body as natural contents are stripped off during the manufacturing process; process foods also contain metabolic disrupting ingredients that resultantly cause brain damage, diabetes and cancer; and lastly, such foods do not take in the place of nature given food because of the process through which they undergo during processing. Steroid hormones in processed food are suspected to be the culprit in early puberty among girls (Richard L. Curtis L. and Davis J., 2008). Using antibiotics in farm animals as growth promoter will be seen to have side effects of antibiotics such as the resistance to Salmonella enterica, Escherichia coli, Campylobacter jejuni and enterococci. In summery therefore, going through this research paper will give you (the reader) a critically researched, analyzed, d eveloped and documented research report that argues both for and against the subject matter based on the relevant resource materials that will be included in the in-text citations and reference section for further reading. The views drawn and decisions reached after will be explicitly expressed in the conclusion section of the

Nutrition Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Nutrition - Coursework Example On average, most people are supposed to have a calories percentage from carbohydrates of approximately 50 percent, and between 16- 21 percent from protein and 30 percent from a fat source (Berni et al., 2008). Another importance is total micronutrients intake. Though in small quantities, micronutrients are critical for a number of body functions. A diverse diet raises the probability that all your minerals and vitamins needs will be met (Collins, Myatt, & Golden, 1998). The final importance is hydration, which is an important concern since our bodies contain about 60-75 percent of water, which is critical in transport, temperature regulation and nutrients absorption (Collins & Myatt, 2000). The results show that proteins, fats and carbohydrates are the 3 major macronutrients due to their roles in the human body. They are the main components of our diet. Our bodies also require others nutrients such as vitamins and minerals even though in much smaller quantities. They are therefore referred to as micronutrients. Each macronutrient has vital functions in the body (Kattelmann, 2006). Its main role in the body includes building, maintaining and repairing body tissue. It’s highly recommended to physically active individuals because their muscle tissue is in constant need of repair. The other roles of protein in the body are production of enzymes and hormones, which perform vital functions. Proteins are also used to aid in the immune process (Knivsberg, 2003). The main function of fat is protection among its many roles in the human body. Insulation for keeping body temperature and protection of body organs through cushioning are also functions of fat in the body. Fats promote growth and development and maintain cell membranes. In addition, fats play a vital role in vitamin digestion. Vitamins A, D, E and K are fat soluble vitamins which mean that for them to be absorbed into the system of the body; they need fats (Metheny et al.,

Better Work Life Balance Survey in Ncc Bank Limited Essay Example for Free

Better Work Life Balance Survey in Ncc Bank Limited Essay This report provides an overview of different types of work-life balance initiatives that have been developed by in the financial institutions of Bangladesh. Governments are increasingly committed to reducing the social, health and business costs of work-life conflict. Several countries have adopted individual pieces of legislation or policies that address some aspect of work-life balance. These initiatives are not necessarily part of a comprehensive program or policy approach to achieve work-life balance, but these measures could be seen as one way to improve an employees balance between work and other responsibilities. This report shows that there is not likely to be any one size fits all answer to work-life balance issues. A variety of approaches are available to support work-life balance, ranging from promotional programs that emphasize the importance of balance and provide support to employers to reduce the business costs associated with work-life conflict, to legislation that supports parents with care giving responsibilities. It is clear that improving work-life balance is an important component of the policy agenda for many industrial countries, and the issue is likely to become even more important in the future. The first Work-Life Balance Survey (WLB1) was conducted by the Department for Education and Employment in 2000 to assess the extent to which employers operated work life balance practices; to see whether employees felt that existing practices met their needs; and to provide a baseline against which future surveys could be compared. Changes were made in the survey’s methodology between the first baseline study conducted by IFF and the second survey of employees (WLB2) conducted in 2003 by MORI, and fieldwork for the 3 Second survey was conducted prior to the introduction of the right to request flexible working. This report presents the results of the Third Work-Life Balance Employees’ Survey, conducted by telephone in early 2006. Work-life balance is a phrase used to describe an individuals feelings of satisfaction with the participation in job-related activities and his or her personal life. This state is achieved when an individual feels the amount of time spent making money to provide for ones household and advancing career goals is adequately balanced with the amount of time spent in independent and personal pursuits, such as friendships, family, spirituality, hobbies, and leisure activities. Failure to maintain work-life balance may result in significant emotional distress and reduction of productivity. In many cases, spending more time at work may actually lead to a decrease in productivity. Some individuals feel that their workplace creates too many pressures to maintain a work/life balance, and they may feel a reduction in their feelings of satisfaction and enjoyment of life. Some individuals feel as if there is not enough time for other aspects of life 1. INTRODUCTION: 1. 1. Introduction to the topic: Work-life balance is a broad concept including proper prioritizing between work (career and ambition) on one hand and life (pleasure, leisure, family and spiritual development) on the other. Related, though broader, terms include lifestyle balance and life balance. In general, individuals who work more than 60 hours per week are colloquially called workaholics. The phrase workaholic became popular in 1971 when Wayne Oates published the book, Confessions of a Workaholic. The phrase workaholic is not a clinical term, but it is generally used to describe individuals who neglect their personal lives in favor of work- and career-related pursuits. The phrase work-life balance became popular as a managerial concept when employers realized that their workers demonstrated increased productivity, decreased turnover, and dedication to the company when the concept was observed and respected.

Heterocycles: Types and Biosynthesis

Heterocycles: Types and Biosynthesis Heterocycles1 are one of the major classes of organic compounds. They are cyclic compounds containing one or more heteroatom (oxygen, nitrogen, sulphur etc.). These compounds are of biological and industrial importance. Many materials that are essential to life include a heterocyclic moiety; examples of these are: amino acids, nucleic acids, pigments, vitamins, antibiotics and many more. Heterocycles are part of our everyday life and are present in: drugs, dyes, pesticides and plastics.2, 3 Most common heterocycles are five or six membered ring; examples of these are pyridine, pyrrole, furan and thiophene (Figure 1). It is also possible to find two or more of them fused together to give even more complex structures.4 Figure 1: Common heterocyclic structures Many heterocyclic compounds are biosynthesised by plants and animals and hence have biological activity. These include as the haem group in the blood, and the chlorophylls ,essential for photosynthesis, both of these are essential to life.5 Examples of heterocycles used in the pharmaceutical industry include the pyridine based anti-AIDS-virus drug Nevirapine6, or the vasodilator Nicorandil for the treatment of angina (Figure 2).7 Figure 2: Example of heterocyclic drugs Pyrimidines are an important class of heterocycles that are essential to life and biologically and pharmacologically active. Cytosine, thiamine, uracil, adenine, guanine are the nitrogen bases that are present in both DNA and RNA (Figure 3); derivatives of these have been used to form the core of drug molecules, due to their ability to selectively interact with the human body.3, 7 Figure 3: Pyrimidines 2. Synthesis of heterocycles There are various traditional pathways leading to high yielding heterocyclic synthesis. Two of the most common are: Fischer-indole1, 8 synthesis and a Hantzsch synthesis to obtain the pyridines. Fisher-indole synthesis (Scheme 1) has been the most important method for the preparation of substituted indoles. It involves the formation of an imine 1.3 from a hydrazine 1.1 and a ketone 1.2. This will then tautomerise to give a enamine 1.4 that will subsequently undergo a [3,3] Cope rearrangement and form a di-imine 1.5, that will then aromatise. The aromatised amine 1.6 will undergo further intramolecular cyclisation to give the indoline 1.7 which will also aromatise to give the second ring system of the indole 1.8.4, 7 Scheme 1: Fischer-indole synthesis of indoles The Hantzsch1, 8 synthesis (Scheme 2), is a three component reaction, which firstly involves an aldol condensation of a diketone 2.1 with acetone 2.2. This is then followed by a conjugate addition of another equivalent of a diketone 2.1 to give a tetraketone 2.4. By adding ammonia it will lead to the formation of an imine and enamine component 2.5, which will subsequently react with sodium nitrate and acetic acid to aromatise to give pyridine 2.6.9 Scheme 2: Hantzsch synthesis of pyridines These two synthetical techniques have been greatly utilised however they have their downsides; which range from the need for high temperatures, large amounts of stoichiometric reagents, as well as the poor accessibility of the starting materials. This has therefore driven research for the discovery of new methodologies for an efficient route for the synthesis of heterocycles and their derivatives. A wide range of new heterocyclic synthetic routes using metal cross coupling reactions have arisen in particular utilising palladium as catalyst10, examples which are considered in the section below. 2.1. Synthesis of indole heterocycles using catalysis A palladium catalysed Fisher indole synthesis has been discovered by Wagaw et. al.. It involves the cross coupling of an aryl bromide and a hydrazone. This palladium catalysed reaction has proven to be very versatile in respect to the functionality of both the reagents used. The addition of the p-toluenesulfonic acid monohydrate hydrolyses imine 3.3 therefore liberating the hydrazine which will subsequently react with a ketone to give a hydrazone. This will then undergo standard Fischer-indole process to produce 3.4 (Scheme 3).11 Scheme 3: Palladium catalysed Fischer-indole synthesis 2.1.1. Palladium catalysed reactions Palladium catalysed reactions have been regularly used in both academic and industrial synthetic chemistry laboratories as an important method for the formation of carbon-carbon and carbon-heteroatom bonds. These have been heavily applied in the synthesis of pharmaceutically and biologically important molecules.1, 12 Many palladium catalysed reactions go through a similar catalytic cycle. The catalytic species can be formed in situ by using a palladium source such as Pd(PPh3)2Cl2 or Pd(OAc)2 with the addition of an appropriate ligand. By choosing the correct ligand this can improve two steps in the catalytic cycle; oxidative addition and reductive elimination.13 A common feature of these catalytic process (Scheme 4) is the formation of aryl/alkyl Pd(II) intermediates which will then be functionalised to form C-C or C-Heteroatom bonds that are cleaved off from the metal centre.14 Most of the Pd catalysed reactions undergo the same basic catalytic cycle involving; oxidative addition, transmetallation and reductive elimination. Scheme 4: Palladium catalytic cycle 2.1.2. Palladium catalysed cross coupling reactions Below in Table 1 are described some of the most common palladium catalysed reactions.15-18 Table 1: Palladium catalysed reactions Name of Reaction Suzuki Stille Negishi Hiyama Sonogashira Heck Buckwald-Hartwig Catalyst Pd(0) Pd(0) Pd(0) Pd(0) Pd(0), Cu(I) Pd(0) Pd(0) Base Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Reagent 1 Reagent 2 R= EWG (eg. NO2, CN, COOR) Product 3. Recent examples of heterocyclic synthesis There are various recent examples of interesting heterocycles synthesis. Large amounts of research covering aspects of C-H activation, atom economy improvements and efficiency with the use of different solvents has been carried out to improve the conditions of the synthesis. An interesting class of heterocyclic moiety is pyrimidines due to their desirable biological activity. Over recent years the pyrimidine system (Figure 4) has been shown to be an important pharmacophore.19 Figure 4: Pyrimidine moiety Pyrimidines are very prevalent in nature; they are the precursors for the nucleoside bases of both DNA and RNA (Figure 3) and are also found in many more natural products such as vitamins and antibiotics. Examples, of this class of heterocycles, are shown below in Figure 5.19 Figure 5: Natural products containing pyrimidine moiety As a result of this long-lasting interest in the pyrimidine moiety as well as in its derivatives in the use as potential drug targets, the synthesis of this heterocyclic ring has been expansively researched.15 Good yielding strategies have been developed primarily on the basis of nitrogen-carbon-nitrogen condensation reactions. An example of this is the Pinner addition (Scheme 5) of guanidines 5.2 and amidine salts to 1,3-diketones 5.1 or their derivatives.20 Scheme 5: Pinner addition for the synthesis of pyrimidines 3.1. Synthesis of ÃŽ ²-Enaminones: an entry into pyrimidines Gayon et. al.21 have demonstrated highly stereoselective synthesis of ÃŽ ²-enaminones via based catalysed rearrangement of propargylic hydroxylamines. ÃŽ ²-Enaminones are versatile compounds that have been used for their pharmacological activity, as building blocks for natural product synthesis and heterocyclic synthesis. The initial discovery showed that propargylic hydroxylamine 6.1 underwent rearrangement to give the Cbz-protected enaminone 6.2 as a single (Z) diastereomer (Scheme 6) which could then be used for the synthesis of heterocyclic compounds such as pyrimidines. Scheme 6: Base catalysed rearrangement reaction to afford ÃŽ ²-enaminones The reaction mechanism (Scheme 7) starts from the deprotonated aminol 7.2 that is easily formed; this is due to the association of the hydroxyl anions present in solution with the propargylic hydroxylamine 7.1. With the deprotonation takes place at the propargylic position an imine 7.3 is formed this is also because of the elimination of hydroxyl anions which are triggered by the deprotonation itself. Hydroxyl anions add to the imine which will eventually for the allenol 7.4. This can then undergo keto-enol tautomerisation to produce the deprotonated enaminone 7.5. The last step involves proton exchange between another molecule of propargylic hydroxylamine 7.1 and the anionic deprotonated enaminone 7.5 to give the product and another molecule of aminol 7.6. Scheme 7: Mechanism for rearrangement These enaminones proved to be an interesting building block for the synthesis of heterocyclic compounds such as pyrimidines. The presence of a nucleophilic nitrogen atom, a double bond and an electrophilic carbonyl provided an different cyclocondensation process to simple Pinner addition on the basis of the addition of an electrophile/nucleophile partner; such as a carboxamide. Scheme 8: Propargylic hydroxylamine to pyrimidines The presence of the nitrogen atom on the enaminone 6.2 is advantageous for an alternative synthetic route for the synthesis of functionalised pyrimidines (Scheme 8) from readily commercially available and inexpensive carboxamides that can give easier access to pyrimidines. 3.2. Synthesis of Pyrazine Heterocycles and their Derivatives Pyridazines have been considered one of the ‘most drugable’ heteroaromatic rings for medicinal purposes.22 Its analogues have proved to be good starting points for developing drugs for various molecular targets and have demonstrated biological activity in many key areas such as obesity, neurodegenerative diseases, inflammatory pain and many more.22 Abed et al. have recently elaborated a synthesis of novel fused pyridazines by carrying out a diaza-Wittig reaction on 1,3-diketones (Scheme 9).20 Scheme 9: Synthesis of pyrazine heterocycles The work was divided in two parts; the first was the development of a convenient strategy to obtain versatile pyridazines containing an ester group at position 6 as a point of divergence. The latter steps involved the synthesis of pyridazines 9.4 with a ketone group at position 6. Towards this aim, different methods of cyclization techniques were applied which led to the formation of previously not known biheterocyclic compounds. This novel methodology provided an attractive synthesis for fused pyridazines derivatives (9.5, 9.6, 9.7, 9.8).20 The synthesis of functionalised pyridazines 10.4 (Scheme 10) proceeded via a diaza-Wittig reaction (10.3 to 10.4, step b.) affording a convenient and safer method for the synthesis of nitrogen heterocycles. Scheme 10: Synthesis of pyridazines 3.3. Direct imine acylation for heterocyclic synthesis Much attention has been focussed on the synthesis of diverse heterocyclic structure to advance the discovery of novel lead compounds for pharmaceutical discovery. A particularly useful approach is the formation of N-acyliminium ions from the acylation of imines with acid halides and anhydrides. This is a well-known reaction but very little work has previously been carried out to show the full potential of these ring closure reactions.23 Unsworth et. al. has provided a neat ring closing reaction (Scheme 11) by using propylphosphonic acid anhydride 11.3 (T3P) and NEt(iPr)2 for the coupling of aliphatic acids 11.2 (containing oxygen, nitrogen and sulphur nucleophiles) to imines 11.1. This will generate N-acyliminium ions 11.4 that can easily be trapped intramolecularly by the nucleophilic substituents that are present on the aliphatic acid fragment to form 11.5. Scheme 11: Ring closing reaction for heterocyclic synthesis This methodology has been used by Unsworth for the synthesis of the natural product evodiamine (Figure 6).24 Figure 6: Synthesis of evodiamine 4. Domino reactions A process that involves two or more bond-forming transformations that can take place under the same reaction conditions without additional reagents and/or catalysts, are considered to be domino/tandem reaction.25 In the past decades, synthesis of heterocyclic compounds through new domino reactions has attracted many researches and is still an expanding area.26 The idea of building simple and complex heterocycles starting from very easy and reasonable building blocks using a ‘single pot’ reaction with consecutive transformation taking place, is an attractive tool for synthetic chemists, especially if the synthesis can be used to create multiple stereogenic centres.26, 27 This ‘one pot’ strategy has many advantages; reduction of solvent, waste production, reaction time and atom economy28, all of which are important for developing a more sustainable chemistry. One single reaction can potentially convert an inexpensive material to a highly complex, biologically active heterocyclic molecule.26, 29 For many years the research groups of Valotti and Arcadi have focussed their interests in developing a new synthetic route for the construction of nitrogen-containing heterocycles starting from alkyne derivatives.30 They have focused most of their attention on the synthesis of nitrogen containing heterocycles by the condensation of ketoalkynes with ammonia.30 Examples of these are shown below in Scheme 12 and show the 5-exo-dig cyclisation reactions of 4-pentynones 12.1 to synthesise polysubstituted and joined pyrrole derivatives 12.2, Ketoalkyne moiety 12.5 in an aromatic framework would allow a 6-endo-dig cyclisation of 5-acetyl-4-alkynylthiazoles 12.6 and 2-acyl-3-alkynylindoles 12.7 to pyrido[3,4-c]thiazole and pyrido[3,4-b]indoles 12.8.31, 32 Scheme 12: Synthesis of pyrrole, pyridine and indole nitrogen containing heterocycles Another example of a tandem reaction for heterocyclic synthesis is the intermolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of nitrones for the formation of cyclic isooxazolidines ( Scheme 13). For example an interesting method has been developed for the generation of the cyclic isooxazolidines frameworks by using cheap and accessible starting material, such as Amaryllicaceae alkaloids, through a 1,2-prototropic shift of oximes. Scheme 13: Tandem reaction for cyclic isooxazolidines Wildman observed that the reaction of 6-hydroxybuphandidrine with hydroxylamine produced a cycloadduct; the reaction occurs by the formation of an intermediate oxime that then undergoes a subsequent 1,2-prototropic shift to give the nitrile oxide that then undergoes an intramolecular [1,3]-dipolar cycloaddition reaction. 5. Indoles In both nature and drug discovery, a common nitrogen containing heterocycle is indole and its derivatives. These naturally occurring molecules are present in a range of compounds (Figure 7) such as amino acids (tryptophan) and hormones (melatonin) and many others.33 Figure 7: Naturally occurring indoles As indoles are structural components of a large number of biologically active natural compounds, their synthesis and functionalization has been heavily researched, and is a crucial step in the preparation of many pharmaceutical compounds.33 Below, in Figure 8, are a couple of examples of indole containing pharmaceuticals and their applications; Sumatripan used for the treatment of migraine and Arbidol as an antiviral drug.34 Figure 8: Indole containing pharmaceutical compounds Another potential application for indoles is the possible use of indole derived nitrones as spin traps which can be employed as free radical probes for the identification of radicals in chemical and biological systems.35, 36 The pyrroline based 5,5-dimethyl-pyrroline N-oxide (DMPO) followed by the 5-carbamoyl-5-methyl-l-pyrroline N-oxide (AMPO) have often been used as nitrene spin traps in the past years (Figure 9).37 The use of spin trapping has gained attention in the recent years and it is currently being used in the investigation of reactive intermediates in the areas of fuel cell research, nanotechnology, catalysis, environmental remediation and photodynamic therapy using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR).38 Figure 9: DMPO and AMPO spin traps The main disadvantages with many spin trap nitrones, for example DMPO, is the formation of secondary EPR signals; caused by the formation of other radical species caused by the instability by hydrolysis, decomposition and various other side reactions.37 Also, the slow reactivity of the superoxide radical anion to the nitrones and the short half-life of the spin adducts together, with slow rate of passive diffusion through the cell membran decreases their application in the human body as O2. – probes, unless further modifications can be carried out.38 Variants of the DMPO that contain indole moieties are 1,1,3-trimethyl-1H-isoindole-N-oxide (TMINO) and 1,1-dimethyl-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-isoindole-N-oxide(3-TF-TMINO) (Figure 10) which offer more stability to the oxygen radical adduct.37 Figure 10: Novel spin trap nitrones 6. Isoindolinone and Isoindoline Novel structures related to indoles such as isoindoline and isoindolinone compounds (Figure 11) are still relatively unexplored and have only begun to be explored over the past few years. Figure 11: Isoindoline and Isoindolinone Both of these structures have attracted a large amount of attention as pharmacophores due to their potential physiological and chemotherapeutic activity. These bicyclic models moieties have found a large importance as intermediates in the synthesis of various dugs and natural products.39 The more stable isoindolinones in particular demonstrate fascinting biological properties40, 41 as part of biologically active natural products such as magallanesine as well as drug candidates such as pagoclone shown in Figure 12.42 Figure 12: Isoindolinones as drug candidates The biological activity of isoindolinones has been utilised for the preparation of drugs for treatments in a wide range of diseases (Figure 13) such as: diabetes treatment, anti-inflammatory, anti-hypertensive, antipsychotic agents, for the modulation of dopamine D receptor, inhibitors of amyloid protein aggregation for the treatment of Alzheimer, selective antagonist of Essential Thromobocythemia (ET) diseases related to the heart and the lungs, melanocortin subtype-4-receptor in the targeting of weight disorder and sexual dysfunction43 and as antileukemic agents.42, 44-46 Figure 13: Isoindolines as drug candidates There have been several methods employed traditionally for the synthesis of these compounds based on use of a wide range of transformation, such as Diels-Alder, Grignard reagents, reductions, Wittig reactions and photochemical reactions. An example of one of them follows in Scheme 14. Scheme 14: One pot synthesis of isoindolinones The traditional routes are usually complex and have proved to be very unsatisfactory due to the low yields and the expensive starting material.39 Most approaches do not provide a large compatibility with many functional groups and suffer from a lack of generality.38, 42 New approaches have arisen in the past decades involving palladium chemistry and lithiation procedure for the synthesis of substituted isoindolinones that have proved to be easier to handle. An example of this is shown below (Scheme 15).47 Scheme 15: Lithiation and substitution

The rule of law :: essays research papers

other house are for the benefit of Australia rather than the government, and include no instances of discrimination. The judiciary also exercises the power to control legislation if it is deemed not in accordance with the ‘rule of law’. This was proven in the landmark case of Chu Keng Lim vs Minister for Immigration. Parliament had amended the migration act to provide for the compulsory detention of certain designated persons who could not be released from custody by an order of the court. The high court rejected this legislation stating that it was â€Å" beyond the legislative power of parliament to invest the executive with an arbitrary to detain citizens in custody not withstanding that the power was conferred in terms which sought to divorce such detention in custody from both punishment and criminal guilt. Putting to one side exceptional circumstances the involuntary detention of a citizen in custody by the state is penal or punitive in character and exists only as an incident of the exclusively judicial function of adjudging and punishing criminal guilt. Every citizen is â€Å" ruled by the law and the law alone† and may with us be punished for a breach of law but he can be punished for nothing else.† The judiciary also applies a system of precedent which allows for consistency in decisions but still provides for individual circumstances. This insures that there is no discrimination between people. Although all current conventions comply with the ‘rule of law’, the constitution does not guarantee it and provides for things such as the arbitrary exercise of power by the Governor General. However in Emy Hughes publication Australian Politics it states that â€Å" the court reasoned that that since the constitution could be presumed to authorise a system of

Policy making in South Africa Essay

Introduction. Government exists in order to organise a society or nation into a manageable unit. It seeks to formulate laws for the purpose of instituting a fair, equitable and just society in which individual citizens expect to live safely being organised both to contribute to and to benefit from sound governing policy. Broadly speaking policy consists of three overhead functions which are: policy making, policy implementation and policy analysis and evaluation. The task of this assignment is to concentrate only on policy-making with particular reference to the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa. The policy-making process has three main steps, namely policy initiation; policy formulation and policy approval. Policy making, is one of the six administrative enabling functions which should be done in an orderly manner. Firstly, the nature and place of policy for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa is explained and discussed by using definitions to explain the various terminologies in order to understand to concept of policy-making. Secondly, the first step of policy making process, namely, policy initiation for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa, is discussed. Policy initiation has three steps, namely becoming aware of the problem, describing the problem and the collection of information regarding the elimination of the high crime rate. Thirdly, the second step of the policy making process namely, policy formulation with reference to the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa needs to be examined. Policy formulation has six steps, namely, liaison with interested parties, the processing of information, the setting of objectives, determining the priorities, considering the alternatives, the survey of financial resources. Fourthly, the final step of policy making is discussed, namely policy approval for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa. A scientific approach is used in this assignment. Each step contains facts followed by an explanation of the facts, the application of the theory by using the elimination of high crime in South Africa as an example and lastly deductions are made at the end of each section. Sources that were used were taken from various books and via the internet. In order to understand the policy-making process the nature and place of policy for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa is to be discussed. 1.The nature and place of policy for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa. Policy-making is one of the six administrative enabling functions. In order to understand public policy-making it is necessary to define and explain the following concepts: administrative enabling function: public policy and policy making. 1.1.The meaning of administrative as an enabling function. Meiring (2001:48) explains that the â€Å"enabling functions can be divided into six main groups, for example, policy-making: the creation of structures and posts; financial provision; personnel provision; determining work procedures and determining control measures and standards. Meiring (2001:47) further states that â€Å"no activity can be carried out, no goal pursued or objective achieved without the continuous provision of indispensable and specific means†, for example resources. In order for service delivery to take effect, policies need to be instituted. Policies are the objectives of government and therefore it is necessary for the resources to have a continuous uninterrupted flow. Resources are the commodities used in the production of goods and services. In this case the  government supplies a service to the community and therefore needs the resources to fulfil this obligation. Resources referred to would be human and capital resources. Capital resources are, for example, buildings, vehicles and finance. The uses of auxiliary functions, for example, the usage of computers, are supportive in role and a necessity in order for the South African Police Service to be efficient and effective in the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa. 1.2. The meaning of public policy. The nature of policy is a multidimensional and there are various definitions of what public policy is. According to Fox, Schwella and Wissink (1991:27-28) the following basic fundamentals of public policy can be identified and are summarised below:Policy is developed by government role players, â€Å"although non-government role players may influence the policy formulation and development† and public policy is a â€Å"purposive or goal-orientated action rather than random or chance behaviour† (Fox, Schwella and Wissink: 1991:27). Hanekom (1987:7) further elaborates and describes policy-making as â€Å"the activity preceding the publication of a goal† and it is therefore a â€Å"formally articulated goal that the legislator intends pursuing with society.† Botes et al (1992:191) further describes public policy making as being the â€Å"systematic actions† which should be taken to achieve the goals of the relevant institution. Fox, Schwella and Wissink (1991:27-28) further state that public policy generally consists of a series of decisions taken jointly by politicians and/or officials rather than individual decisions. Public policy is a â€Å"future-orientated†, changing document which is aimed at the general welfare of the public (Fox, Schwella and Wissink: 1991:29). Thus, public policy is a systematic goal-orientated action that is developed by governmental bodies and officials in consultation with the public, which emerges in response to public demand. Public policy is a future-orientated document which not only shows the statement of intent by government but interprets the values of society. Therefore the policy for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa would be to enhance a safer and more  secure environment for its citizens. 1.3. The meaning of policy making. Cloete (1998:139) explains that for the â€Å"purpose of public administration the term policy-making should be used to refer to the functions performed to obtain policies. Functions are the smallest activity that a person can do in order to obtain the goals set out. So therefore, policy-making consists of the performance of a group of generic administrative process† which â€Å"must be undertaken in an orderly manner† (Cloete: 1998:139). Therefore the functions to eliminate South Africa of the high crime rate, for example, would be for a police constable to patrol the neighbourhood (visible policing). Chapter two is concerned with the first step of policy making, being policy initiation for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa. 2.Policy initiation for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa. Wikipedia (http://www.wikipedia.org) defines the word initiation as being derived from Latin and implies a beginning. â€Å"The related term, initiate means to begin or start a particular action, event, circumstance, or happening†. Therefore â€Å"initiation† in this context means the activation of the public making process. It is therefore necessary to do a methodical investigation when a problem arises so that an effective and efficient rational policy could be implemented. Such investigation requires three steps within policy initiation which consists of the following: becoming aware of the problem; describing the problem and collecting information for solving and or preventing the problem. The first step in policy initiation would be discussed, namely, becoming aware of the problem of the high crime rate in South Africa. 2.1.Becoming aware of the problem of the high crime rate in South Africa. The recognition of a problem is reliant on the accessibility of information on the needs that move the citizen to gain the attention of the government, who in turn would decide to act or not to act. Meiring (2001:53) further explains that â€Å"by referring to â€Å"something† as a problem, the presumption is made that a value-judgement on a specific condition in a specific place and time, is seen by a person or group(s) of persons, as being unsatisfactory†. If the government is unaware of the problems affecting society various stakeholders or interest groups would take the initiative and make government aware of the problem. Usually within a democratic environment the politicians and officials attempt to find solutions to the problem affecting society. Meiring (2001:53) further explains that when government wants to implement change that the characteristic of the policy making is â€Å"dynamic† and that the â€Å"awareness of the problem refers to a threefold activity.† The threefold activity as explained by Meiring (2001:53) has the following implications in the policy initiation stage. Firstly it creates an awareness and refers to a â€Å"new field of action and the need to undertake a search for development possibilities to promote the â€Å"good life†Ã¢â‚¬  Meiring (2001:53). The second implication refers to the awareness of an â€Å"existing problem in the community and the need to undertake a search for a possible solution to solve the problem† Meiring (2001:53). The third implication refers to the â€Å"awareness of a potential problem and the need to undertake a search for a quantifiable solution to prevent the problem† Meiring (2001:53). The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) held a seminar in Pretoria on the 9th March 2007 following events in the past few months that have raised questions about a growing wave of public dissatisfaction with crime and government’s response to it. Examples that were mentioned were and â€Å"include statements in the media and parliament by the president and cabinet ministers, the aborted FNB media and letter-writing campaign, and increased media reports of vigilantism† (http://www.iss.co.za). The ISS seminar reviewed the â€Å"links between crime and perception, based on the latest  available quantitative data† (http://www.iss.co.za). The topic under discussion was: â€Å"Crime Trends and Public Perceptions: What the Latest Statistics Show† (http://www.iss.co.za). In brief and relating to the topic of this assignment one of the summations were that â€Å"crime and unemployment remained the only two out of the twenty-three critical areas in which government has constantly achieved less than a â€Å"pass mark† (http://www.iss.co.za). Further more the South African Police Service has various existing policies in place for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa, for example, the South African Police Service Act (No.68 of 1995); National crime prevention strategy and the implementation of the development of community policing policy (http://www.iss.co.za). Therefore it is apparent that the government is aware of the problem of the high crime rate and is attempting to deal with it. It is of utmost importance that the policy makers do not treat the symptoms, but the actual cause of the problem. Crime has multiple causes as it falls within the socio-economic environment. The social environment is â€Å"multifaceted and consists of a number of interrelated factors† (Van Der Waldt et al: 2002:168). Recent studies suggest that there is a link between poor economic condition (the high unemployment rate) and crime (Fox, Van Wyk and Fourie: 1998:179). The deduction is made that the policy-making process would always involve interactions between the citizens and the state institutions, for example political office bearers and officials, who have to perform the policy-making functions. It is due to the actions of the stakeholders, whether political and or civic, that the government becomes aware of the problem. The high crime rate is a socio-economic problem which has a complex and unified factors. The factors, for example are the high unemployment rate and poverty. Further more the deduction could be made that there are existing policies in place for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa but that the implementation of the policies are severely lacking. The second step in policy initiation would be discussed, namely, describing the problem for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa. 2.2.Describing the problem for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa. In order to describe the problem correctly, the information needs to be obtained in an orderly manner and it must documented in a written format. Information is needed, as per Meiring (2001:54), â€Å"regarding the results that are desired, obstacles that are experienced and the limitations of the situation and thus of a solution†. Meiring (2001:55) further states that the â€Å"diagnosis and description of a problem is a cyclical process which requires continuous analysis and evaluation if the policy makers wish to take realistic decisions to meet the demands of a changing environment†. In order to seek a solution to the problem it is necessary to describe the nature and scope of the problem. As Meiring (2001:55) further states that by describing the problem it leads to an â€Å"observable presentation or description which could be seen as the image of the real situation†. Meiring (2001:55) further states that it is the effectiveness of how the â€Å"written description or presentation corresponds to the real problem that would depend on the abilities of the participants in the process as well as the quality of information that is available†. The method in obtaining and processing information is therefore linked to the â€Å"human factor and is influenced by the values and perceptions of those participating in these activities.† Meiring (2001:55)†The situation is further complicated by the perceivable/observable reality which changes with time and which in turn results not only in a change of needs or in problems, but also values†. Meiring (2001:55) For example a couple of years ago, domestic violence was perceived to be a private matter. Currently, due to various action groups, domestic violence is no longer a private issue but has become a national issue. In order to eliminate the high level of crime in South Africa the description  of the problem must be specific. So therefore, for example, the elimination of the high crime rate within the central business district of Johannesburg could be described as follows. The geographic scope would be large, covering the areas that fall within the central business district. More categories could be created, â€Å"for example the inner city and former black townships† (http://www.csvr.org.za). As per the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR), the nature of the crimes could range from â€Å"housebreaking, street crime, property crime and violent crime† (http://www.csvr.org.za). Further more the nature of the crimes are different and vary depending on the area in question. Therefore it can be deduced that there are various occurrences which should be taken into account when describing the problem. The factual information; the values and perceptions of the participants or the values and perceptions between the officials and politicians. To complicate matters further, there may be different views held by the state and the citizens. For example, the citizens believe that the crime rate is on the increase and the state believes the opposite to be true. The policy-making process is a complex matter and the description of the problem must be accurately recorded. The third step in policy initiation would be discussed, namely, the collection of information for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa. 2.3.The collection of information for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa. The collection of information is interwoven with the previously mentioned steps, namely, becoming aware of the problem and describing the problem. The policy-makers who take policy decisions must be served with adequate information systems. In order to deal with the problem, Meiring (2001:55) states it is of utmost importance that such problems are defined in â€Å"quantifiable terms.† The term quantifiable means that the collecting of information must be dealt with in  a scientific manner. Cloete (1998:139) declares that â€Å"it is the functions involved in obtaining information which should be performed systematically to deliver information with which the matter to be decided upon can be quantified and qualified†. Once an issue (problem) is recognised, various decisions need to be taken. While making decisions cognisance must be taken of both factual information and value judgements pertaining to the issue. Meiring (2001:56) explains that â€Å"factual information relates to the observable, measurable information that can be collected†. Meiring (2001:56) further explains that â€Å"values on the other hand relate to the inherent human feelings for what is, for example, valuable, wanted or ursu ed†. A middle ground must be found between factual information and the values of the people. It must also be kept in mind that there may not be a significant amount of information available and therefore the cost effectiveness of such an exercise must be scrutinised. Collecting information is also time-consuming. It goes without saying that during this stage there is interaction and communication with all the relevant role playersInformation could be gained through research and data gathering. Some of the information could be obtained from structured interviews with Station Commissioners at randomly selected police stations. The community and businesses may be approached with the same structural questionnaire. Various statistics may be gathered from other organizations, for example, CSVR to confirm whether the crime rate has decreased or increased or what the opinions are of the community. This information gathering would involve an analysis of the information which is time consuming and which may disclose differences in notions perceived as per example the notion of â€Å"crime† which is socially constructed. The deduction is made that on collection of information, not only is quantifiable data collected but perceptions and values as well. It is at the analysis of information that differences between factual data and values are shown. Chapter three is concerned with the policy formulation for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa. 3.Policy formulation for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa. Policy formulation is the second step within policy making. Policy formulation consists of six steps which are: liaison with interested parties; processing information; setting of objectives; determining priorities; considering alternatives and the survey of financial resources. Anderson, (1984:93) defines policy formulation to â€Å"the crafting of proposed alternatives or options for handling a problem†. Meiring’s (2001:56) definition is more pertinent at defining formulation, which is, â€Å"the clear, precise and accurate wording of processed information so as to achieve a specific aim†. The information gained must be â€Å"classified, described and processed into the required proposals† (Meiring: 2001:56). Policy formulation must be a written description of the problem in order to make a choice on the â€Å"available alternatives to solve or prevent the problem (Meiring: 2001:56). The various actions which comprise policy formulation are often described as agenda setting. An agenda is usually a list of items to be dealt with within a meeting and are usually prioritised according to importance. Cloete and Wissink (2000:98) elucidate that it is â€Å"necessary to set a policy agenda because of the deluge of policy-related issues and problems that any government faces, normally with insufficient resources to address these problems effectively.† And therefore policy agenda setting is of the utmost importance to determine which policy problems should receive priority. It is imperative to mention that decision making is an important part of policy formulation as policy makers have to decide the best policy amongst the alternatives. Not only do policy-makers decide on facts they must also make decisions on values and still remain impartial. Policy formulation would give proposed alternatives to the problem of the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa and consists of various steps which are listed below. The first step in policy formulation would be discussed, namely, liaison with interested parties for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa. 3.1.Liaison with interested parties for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa. It is of utmost importance to liaise with key interested and relevant parties in order to â€Å"determine the public perceptions of a specific matter and to find the correct solutions† to these problems (Meiring: 2001:56). Interest groups are beneficial to policy makers because â€Å"they are committed to their cause† and are â€Å"willing to supply information and advice† (Craythorne: 1993:69). Various interested parties are identified by Kuye et al (2002:77) as non-governmental organisations, civilian-based organisations, research institutes, public officials, political parties, media, departmental and interdepartmental committees. The above list is not exhaustive. Meiring further states that the â€Å"factual information and non-quantifiable values can also be tested in such a liaison† (Meiring: 2001:57). The real needs of the citizens must be suitably identified and an acceptable solution agreed upon to eliminate the high crime level in South Africa. Craythorne (1993:69) cautions that interested groups are so zealous about their cause that they will supply information that is beneficial. It is of utmost importance for a compromise and a solution to take place so that the end result of the policy would be to promote the general welfare of all citizens. In June 2006, Business Against Crime signed a memorandum of understanding to establish the Industry Alignment Forum Aggravated Robberies Initiative. Nine parties indicated in principle support for the initiative, which are: Business Against Crime; Cash in Transit Forum; Casinos Association of South Africa; Consumer Goods Council of South Africa; Security Industry Alliance; South African Banking Risk Information Centre; South African Council of Shopping Centres; South African Property Owners Association and the South African Reserve Bank. (http://www.bac.org.za.). Business Against Crime acknowledges that the cooperation of government and its agencies are  critical to the success of this initiative and that they were pleased by the SAPS interest and support (http://www.bac.org.za.). The deduction that can be made is that democracy can be strengthened if everyone works in a coordinated manner to address the challenge of the high crime rate through effective liaisioning. The second step in policy formulation must be discussed, namely, the processing of information for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa. 3.2.The processing of information for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa. The data is collected from various surveys and once compiled into various reports, the data becomes information. The information is compiled in various reports, agendas and memoranda forwarded to various commissions of enquiry; departmental and interdepartmental committees, selected committees and various caucuses and councils. One of the most important guidelines in drafting a policy is that it must be done in a rational manner. Hanekom et al (2001:27) explains that â€Å"rationality in decision-making, as in policy-making, pertains to the making of reasoned, careful selections from alternatives in order to achieve predetermined ends.† Hanekom et al (2001:27) quote common barriers to rationality, which are mentioned as follows. â€Å"The personal value preference of both politicians and administrators may influence their objectivity in deciding on policy matters† (Hanekom et al: 2001:27) and therefore the decisions become subjective. The â€Å"expenditure already approved for a specific project is not easily reversed† and is known as â€Å"sunken costs† (Hanekom et al: 2001:27) The third barrier to rationality is known as the â€Å"conflicting consequences† whereby â€Å"the anticipated consequence of a policy are often in conflict with the unanticipated consequences of that policy† (Hanekom et al: 2001:27). Lastly, since â€Å"policy-making is aimed at the future and the future is unknown, a certain amount of speculation is involved† and this is known as  the â€Å"expectations of the future† (Hanekom et al: 2001:27). The other guideline in drafting a policy is that a policy must be defendable which relates to accountability. The policy-makers should be accountable to all role players in that they should be able to explain and defend the proposed policy. Meiring, (2001:57) further suggests that policy should conform to the â€Å"will and wishes of the majority of the citizens†. For example, all the data gathered from the survey done in the Johannesburg city centre has been compiled into various reports agendas and memorandum. In order for further clarity and recommendations to take place a series of public hearings are organised and held. These public hearings are held to in â€Å"order to justify policy attention and it forms the focus for further clarification, formulation and restructuring before the importance of acting on it by the policy system is conveyed to the policy-makers†. (Cloete and Wissink: 2000:98)The deduction could be made that the process of information must be defendable and rational and that this process is cyclical in nature and in order for policy to succeed all relevant parties must be consulted. The third step in policy formulation would be discussed, namely, the setting of objectives for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa. 3.3.The setting of objectives for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa. In this step it becomes possible for policy-makers to identify objectives of the intended policy. The objectives would indicate what the intensions are; how to go about achieving the objectives and by what means the objective would be achieved. In other words, what resources and capital would be needed to achieve the intended policy?Cloete and Wissink (2000:117) explain that â€Å"objectives set forth specific aims†. In other words objectives are â€Å"measurable in quantifiable terms† (Cloete and Wissink: 2000:117). The nature of objectives is normative as it states â€Å"what ought to be achieved by a particular policy and contains elements of forecasting† (Cloete and Wissink: 2000:117). Cloete and Wissink (2000:117-118) elucidate that  objective setting is linked with forecasting â€Å"by a natural progression, and is concerned with a desired future†. It must be noted that policy is a â€Å"dynamic phenomenon† and â€Å"objectives, by themselves, are static† (Kuye et al: 2002:74). This statement implies that â€Å"policy containing broad guidelines of governmental action† must change according to the needs of the citizens, â€Å"whilst objectives remain static in terms of time†. (Kuye et al: 2002:74)Meiring (2001:58) states â€Å"that when an objective has been set and made known in the public sector it is normally said that the policy has been made. It is imperative that clear objectives are set out â€Å"in order that all persons involved will know exactly the target at which activities are aimed† (Meiring: 2001:58). Therefore to reiterate, clear unambiguous objectives need to be set. The objectives within policy-making would indicate what the intensions are; how to go about achieving the objectives and by what means the objective would be achieved in order that all persons involved know what activities are aimed at. For example, the specific objective to eliminate the high crime rate within the city of Johannesburg alone would be to increase the number of visible policing from four to six policemen per city block over a period of one year who would sign a roster at every business within their â€Å"beat†. The Police Service would work in co-ordination with Business Against Crime and the public by having regular meetings to inform and educate. Cameras could be installed at various strategic places within the central business district. Increased street lighting needs to be installed in residential areas. A Zero crime tolerance campaign could be launched that would emphasise the arrest of petty criminals. It could be deduced from this section that the setting and prioritising (which will be discussed within the next step) of objectives is a process called policy making. Clear objectives need to be set and that objective setting is a statement of a desired future. The fourth step in policy formulation would then be discussed, namely, the establishment of priorities for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa. 3.4.Determining the priorities for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa. No government is in a position to continuously satisfy all the needs of its citizens as there is a limited amount of resources to accomplish all the needs. The most important scarce resource is finance. There is a difference between actual needs and the expected needs. Meiring (2001:58) further states that â€Å"needs are not equal and often difficult to compare or weigh up against each other†. The objectives, as stated before must be clearly defined. Meiring (2001:58) further elaborates that the â€Å"network of objectives should also be ranked in a priority list, whereby it becomes clear which objectives are more important than others. When policy makers rank and prioritise their objectives two questions are asked, â€Å"what should be done and what can be done, to solve or eliminate a problem (Meiring: 2001:58)?Cloete and Wissink (2000:122) state that the more â€Å"complex and comprehensive a policy is in terms of societal needs or demands, the greater the danger of multiple and sometimes conflicting goals and objectives can become†. Therefore Cloete and Wissink (2000:122) suggest different tasks that need to be fulfilled. One suggestion would be â€Å"establish a system of relative values and trade-off’s among the objectives† (Cloete and Wissink: 2000:122). In other words to â€Å"trade-off† one objective for another. The other task would be to â€Å"prioritise the objectives and then to optimise in sequence† (Cloete and Wissink: 2000:122). In practice this means that the selected objectives are not necessarily the best available objectives, but that the policy would satisfy t he larger section of society (Cloete and Wissink: 2000:122). For example to determine the priorities for the elimination of crime the final prioritised list would appear as follows:What should be done VSWhat can be doneEight policemen within one city block.Four policemen within a city block. Installation of cameras on every city block.Installation of cameras in problem areas only. Zero crime tolerance campaign.Only enough manpower to deal with serious crimeIt is extremely difficult to prioritise the objectives as the needs list is endless but the resource list is extremely scarce. The policy-maker needs to determine the actual needs from the expected needs which is very difficult to weigh up against. The fifth step in policy formulation would be discussed, namely, the consideration of alternatives for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa. 3.5.The consideration of alternatives for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa. Once the real issue is recognised, the next step would be to recognise alternative solutions. Craythorne (1993:63) cautions that it is at this step that a â€Å"particular danger arises, of becoming entangled in a search after an infinite number of solutions in order to find the optimum or best solution†. Craythorne (1993:63) further states that â€Å"firm leadership is required during this phase of policy-making to ensure that only those solutions are identified which are practical, feasible and likely to solve the problem in the most satisfying way and within the means available†. In order to consider which alternative would be the best a list should be drawn up including â€Å"the determining of all available consequences and a comparative evaluation of each consequence†(Meiring: 2001:59). The word consequence has a two fold meaning, effect and side effect. The effect of the policy refers to the policy output. Policy output as per, Fox, Schwella and Wissink (1991:32) â€Å"involves the production of policies in the form of formal legislation, administrative rules and regulations, judicial interpretation† and so forth. The side effect of a policy refers to the impact that that particular policy would have on the environment or on other policies. There are certain criteria that a policy-maker could use that would assist in the choice between alternatives. Considering the page limits on this assignment the most important criteria only are mentioned. The first criteria would be effectiveness which is â€Å"often measured in terms of units of products or services.† (Van Niekerk, Jonker and Van Der Waldt: 2001: 96) The second choice would be efficiency which addresses the costs of services. Adequacy would be the next criteria and usually â€Å"refers to the extent to which any given level of effectiveness satisfies the needs, values or opportunities that give rise to a problem.† (Van Niekerk: Jonker: Van Der Waldt: 2001: 96) It is important that the solutions are identified which are practical, feasible and likely to solve the problem in the most satisfying way and within the means available as resources such as finance and human capital are scarce. The alternatives to the solution should be listed and cognisance should be taken that the policy would have an effect on the legislation, administrative rules and any other effect. The side effects refer to the impacts on other policies and the environment. The criteria that would help a policy-maker are effectiveness, efficiency, and adequacy. Effectiveness refers to â€Å"doing the right things right†; efficiency refers to maximum output with minimum input and adequacy refers the extent that the policy satisfies the needs, values and opportunities of the citizens. Criticism, has been levied as to whether the Community Policing Forums (CPF) are still effective in enhancing public safety and if it still includes the assistance of community in combating crime. In a paper entitled South Africa’s changing community policing policy by the Institute for Security Studies the inception of the CPF in 1996 with the promulgation of the National Crime Prevention Strategy with the â€Å"intention to establish broad partnership with the community to improve police services and reduce crime† (http://www.iss.co.za.) is discusses. The CPF’ were created by legislation and were given the right to exercise public functions in terms of that legislation. Since then various other legislation and interim regulations had the effect of either â€Å"directly avoiding or downgrading the issue of state support for the CPF’s and even specifically outlawing some current practises of the CPF that facilitate support for their activities†.  (http://www.iss.co.za.). The result is two fold. Firstly, policy-makers who were formulating the subsequent legislation never thought what the effect and side effect would have on the CPF. Therefore, to date the CPF is a policy that exists on paper alone which is inadequate, inefficient, and ineffective and fails to respond to the needs of all the citizens. Thus it can be deduced that policy has a direct effect and an indirect effect, the effect of other legislation on CPF negated the positive impact of CPF. Policy needs to be reviewed regularly to ensure relevance and effectiveness. The sixth step in policy formulation would be discussed, namely, the the survey of financial resources for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa. 3.6.The survey of financial resources for the eliminate the high crime rate in South Africa. â€Å"Budgeting is more than a set of procedures for controlling the volume of funds flowing to agencies and programs; it is also a means and a source of opportunities for shaping the direction and intensity of public policies and the scope of governmental activities† (Anderson:1984:179). Anderson (1984:182) further states that the budget is also a statement of policy and in reality conflicts over money are conflicts over policy. Public revenue needs to be raised to fund public services and new ways need to be found to increase the traditional sources of income. The four main sources of traditional income as per Van Der Waldt et al. (2002:9) are: income taxation, eg personal income tax; wealth taxation for example capital gains tax; consumption taxation for example value added tax and user charges, for example, consumer tariffs. Budget gives focus to specific issues of policy thus a particular ministry which received above inflation budget increases should render a better service year on year. For example the Minister of Finance granted the Ministry of Safety and Security a 43% increase between budget year 2003/04  and budget year 2006/07. One can deduce that finance supports policy. (The converse is all so true) Emphasis can be shifted from one program to another by shifting financial backing. Policy approval is the third and final step within the policy-making process for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa. 4.Policy approval for the eliminate of the high crime rate in South AfricaPolicy approval is the final step in the policy-making process. Once policy makers have formulated a policy the policy is forwarded for consideration and authorisation of a policy. Meiring (2001:59) states that â€Å"policy is found in many forms, as well as various formats because policy making takes place on various levels and various participants play a co-operative role†. Public policy can be examined on four levels which are political, executive, departmental and operational policy. The policy on the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa would result in a specific policy and will have â€Å"political, executive, departmental and operational aspects†, which must be first determined â€Å".(Meiring: Personal Notes:9) Each aspect â€Å"must be formulated and approved, before a policy can be implemented† â€Å".(Meiring: Personal Notes:9) There would be an higher premium of value placed on the elimination of the high crime rate as it is a political policy. According to Meiring (Personal Notes:10) there is a specific procedure which is usually followed for the approval of policy. 4.1. The procedure for consideration and approval of the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa Bill. The specific procedure by Meiring (Personal Notes:10) is now recorded for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa. A public bill is introduced by the Minister of Safety and Security and is dealt with as follows:†¢Introduction and first reading where notice is given of the intention to submit a Bill on a specific subject on a specific day. On that day the measure is tabled and the short title is read, being The Elimination of the High Crime Rate†¢The second reading commences with the introduction of the policy formulated by the proposed Bill by the Minister of Safety and Security. The subjected is debated and alternative amendments are forwarded until the House accepts the policy. †¢The third phase is the Committee Stage. The Chairman of Committees, the deputy speaker, acts as chairman for the meeting where each section of the Bill is read and debated separately. In the committee stage, the contents of the Bill are thus discussed to ascertain whether the measure will succeed in carrying into effect the policy debated in the second reading. †¢Report stage. After the committee stage the speaker takes over as Chairman and the Chairman of Committees reports on the resolution of the Committee. †¢The third reading that follows seldom initiates further discussion and is executed to review the Bill in its entirety. †¢After approved by the House the Bill is referred to the President for signature. †¢After signature by the State President the Bill is published in the Government Gazette, after which date the Bill is an enforceable Act of Parliament. ConclusionGovernment exists to satisfy the needs of the community. In order to meet the needs and demands of the community, government has to develop policies to meet those needs and demands. Therefore the citizens expect service delivery which is linked to policy and policy implementation. Policy indicates what government intentions are. The policy-making process is a time consuming and complicated because of the structure of government. The policy-making is time and space bound and it takes place within a changing  environment. It is imperative that the citizens are consulted during the policy-making process so that policy is adequate, effective and efficient in addressing the needs of the citizen. Books Anderson, J.E. (1984). 3rd Edition. Public Policymaking: An Introduction. Houghton Mifflin Company. Boston. Botes, P.S.; Brynard, P.A.; Fourie, D.J.; Roux, N.L. (1992). Public Administration and Management: A Guide to Central, Regional and Municipal Administration and Management. Kagiso Publishers. Pretoria. Cloete, F.: Wissink,H.: (2000). Improving Public Policy. Van Schaik Publishers. Pretoria. Cloete, J.J.N.: (1998). 9th Revised Edition. South African Public Administration and Management. JL Van Schaik Publishers. Hatfield, Pretoria. Craythorne, D.L.: (1993): 3rd Edition: Municipal Administration: A Handbook. Juta & Co. Ltd. Kenwyn. Fox, W.: Schwella, H.; Wissink, H. (1991). Public Management. Juta & Company LTD. Kenwyn. Fox, W.: Van Wyk, B.; Fourie, M. (1998). Police Management in South Africa. Juta & Company LTD. Kenwyn. Hanekom, S.X.: (1987). Public Policy: Framework and Instrument for Action. Sigma Press. Pretoria. Hanekom, S.X.: Rowland, R.W.: Bain, E.G. (2001). Revised Edition. Key Aspects of Public Administration. Oxford University Press. Southern Africa, Cape Town. Kuye, J.O. et al. (2002). Critical Perspectives on Public Administration: Issues for Consideration. Heinemann Publishers (PTY)Ltd. SandownMeiring, M.H.: (2001): 2nd Revised Edition: Fundamental Public Administration: A Perspective on Development. School for Public Administration and Management. University of Port Elizabeth. Van Der Waldt, G. et al. (2002): Managing for Results in Governement. Heinemann Publishers PTY (Ltd). Sandown. Other media sourcesMeiring, M.H.: Personal Notes: Unit 2 Policy Making in the Public Sector: Part 1: The Steps in Policy Making. http://www.bac.org.za. (Accessed 12/5/2007)http://www.csvr.org.za. (Accessed 6/5/2007)http://www.iss.co.za. (Accessed 6/5/2007)http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Initiation (Accessed 26/4/2007)