Monday, September 30, 2019

Tda 2.9

Support Children and Young People’s Positive Behaviour 1. 1 Describe the policies and procedures of the setting relevant to promoting children and young people’s positive behaviour ————————————————- ————————————————- Policies and procedures of the setting relevant to promoting positive behaviour, eg: ————————————————- †¢ behaviour policy ————————————————- †¢ code of conduct ————————————————- rewards and sanctio ns ————————————————- †¢ dealing with conflict and inappropriate behaviour ————————————————- †¢ anti-bullying ————————————————- †¢ attendance 1. 2 Describe, with examples, the importance of all staff consistently and fairly applying boundaries and rules for children and young people’s behaviour in accordance with the policies and procedures of the setting ————————————————- ————————————————-It is crucial for all s taff to be consistent as then the children know exactly what is expected of them each time they come to the child minders. It also really helps that if the rules we put into place at the child minders are then, if not already done, are put into place at home, as then this will help children to be less confused and only have one set of rules, which is why at this stage it is essential for consistency. Once the child is older it may also be helpful if the child is involved in drawing up the boundaries and rules to follow and may assist them in taking responsibility for their actions and behaviour. . 1 Describe the benefits of encouraging and rewarding positive behaviour ————————————————- ————————————————- A key way of children learning behaviour and attitude comes from watching their peers and adults around them, so if all staff can show a positive attitude and show kindness then the children will pick this way of thinking up and start acting in the manor aswell. 3. 2 Describe the sorts of behaviour problems that should be referred to others and to whom these should be referred ————————————————-It always depends on each child and their circumstances. ————————————————- For example if the child’s parents have just split up and their not seeing one of their parents they are going to be upset and angry and may lash out. This is why good communications skills with the child’s parents is key as you know what’s happening and therefore you maybe can see why the child is behaving in a certain manner. —â €”——————————————- ————————————————- Inappropriate language, taking about private parts, this should be looked into further with the child’s parents. ———————————————— ————————————————- Violence, Kicking, punching, ————————————————- ————————————————- Verbal abuse, swearing etc.. ——————â €”—————————- ————————————————- All these above should be talked through with the parents firstly, unless the child has explained that this behaviour is because of sexual abuse for example then this should be referred to social services for them to investigate. Tda 2.9 MU 2. 4 MU 2. 4:TASK 1 1. 1 Outline the health and safety policies and procedures of the work setting. If an accident occurs write down in accident book. No matter how small the injury is. With a double signature from staff and end of the day by parents Medical Records. Only prescription drugs to be recorded. Making sure the gate is always shut on the entrance to the kitchen area so the children can’t go in and get hurt or burnt. All cleaning products are locked away in the kitchen area and children are not allowed in there. Fire exits always clear and known to staff and back exit gate key on hook if needed.Making sure children wash their hands after the toilet and before eating. Continual risk assessment of new and on-going tasks and areas of the children’s surroundings. i. e. If I see an overhanging bramble/branch in the garden, I would need to cut it off and mention it to the manger before children can play. If there were objects that could cause unnecessary accident s they would need picking up. If there was lots of mess on the floor like paper that would need to be cleaned up to avoid slips. This would be the same if there was water spilt and the manager would need to be informed.Making sure all the rooms are ventilated so the children don’t get over heated and not to cold either. Staff to child ratio on walks would be one adult to two children with the nursery that can increase to one adult to eight children. All people working even the volunteers have to be CRB checked. The following are some of the legislations on which these policies and procedures are based Health and safety at work act 1974 The purpose of this act is to promote and encourage high standards at work place. It protects all the employers, employees, workers and the other member of the public who may be affected by the work activities.Kite marking CE, product safety marking When you see a product with a Kite mark this means BSI has independently tested it and has confi rmed that the product conforms to the relevant British Standard, and has issued a BSI license to the company to use the Kite mark. The manufacturer pays for this service and their product is tested, and the manufacturing process is assessed, at regular intervals. The Kite mark is the symbol that gives consumers the assurance that the product they have bought really does conform to the appropriate British Standard and should therefore be safe and reliable.The Motor vehicles (wearing of seat belts) regulations 2006 The original proposed law require all passengers aged 3 years and over to wear a seat belt in buses and coaches, if fitted. RIDDOR – Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 Employers, the self-employed and those in control of premises are required by law to report specified workplace incidents, such as work-related deaths, major injuries, 7-day injuries (those causing more than seven day’s inability to carry out normal duties ), work related diseases, and dangerous occurrences (near miss accidents).Employers, the self-employed and those in control of premises are required by law to report specified workplace incidents, such as work-related deaths, major injuries, 7-day injuries (those causing more than seven day’s inability to carry out normal duties), work related diseases, and dangerous occurrences (near miss accidents). Childcare act 2006 The Childcare Act, passed into law on 11 July 2006, is pioneering legislation – the first ever exclusively concerned with Early Years and childcare. Measures in the act formalize the important strategic role local authorities play, through a set of duties.These duties require authorities to work with their NHS and Job Centre Plus partners to improve the outcomes of all children up to five years of age and reduce inequalities between them, secure sufficient childcare for working parents, provide a parental information service, Provide information, advice and training for childcare providers. Food hygiene legislation 2006 Anyone who owns manages or works in a food business, apart from those working in primary food production such as harvesting, slaughtering or milking, is affected by these Regulations.They apply to anything from a cafe to a five star restaurant, from a village hall where food is prepared to a large supermarket, or to a vending machine. Manual handling operations regulations 1992 The Regulations establish the following clear hierarchy of control measures: 1. Avoid hazardous manual handling operations so far as is reasonably practicable, for example by redesigning the task to avoid moving the load or by automating or mechanising the process. 2.Make a suitable and sufficient assessment of any hazardous manual handling operations that cannot be avoided. 3. Reduce the risk of injury from those operations so far as is reasonably practicable. Where possible, you should provide mechanical assistance, for example a sack trol ley or hoist. Where this is not reasonably practicable, look at ways of changing the task, the load and working environment. 1. 2 Identify the lines of responsibility and reporting for health and safety in the work setting. All staff is responsible for the health and safety in a setting.The lines of responsibility are divided among different staff members but the manager and the deputy manager have the most responsibly and after that the room leaders or the supervisors have the responsibility for health and safety. A rota is set to carry out certain health and safety check, a risk assessment is made every morning at the start of the day before the nursery starts, by carrying out risk assessments you can reduce the risk of injury or harm, and anything that is broken or damaged or not working fine has to be removed and noted down. Whoever plans an activity is responsible for the risks or hazards involved in that activity.Any incident or accident has to be proper logged in a record boo k and has to be notified to the respective person either manager, deputy manager or the parents of that particular child. In my placement of work I am asked to report any problem or risk to my supervisor who is responsible for my assessment. For serious health and safety issues like if an abuse or serious neglect is suspected towards a child then the head can report to health and safety executives, Ofsted, child protection agency and NSPCC. 1. 3 explains what risk assessment is and how this is managed in the work setting.Daily safety checks are made to manage risk assessment like checking of all the fire exits that they are clear at all times, fire drill procedures are displayed, dangerous objects are cleared away, health and safety hazards like broken furniture, any slippery carpet , slippery surface due to liquid or sand is cleaned, check for damaged or broken toys, hygiene and cleanliness of the room, all toxic materials are locked away, electrical sockets undamaged and secured, furniture and other fixed equipment is in working order, accident/incident book on site, signing-in book out, first aid box at place and complete, no sharp edges on either toys or furniture, cleanliness of toilets, animal faeces outside the play area, entrance is secure. TASK 2 2. 1 Explain why a safe but challenging environment is important for children and young people. It is the responsibility of the work setting to provide safe environment to the children but at the same time there are always risks involved. The children will be over protected if they are not involved in any challenging activities.Children are always curious and they want to take risks like climbing ropes or riding bicycles or jumping from higher surfaces. These activities will bring in confidence in them, make them brave and strong, they will have a good feeling about themselves, and they have something adventurous to tell their parents. But at the same time it is the responsibility of the work place to have an up to date health and safety policy so as to ensure whatever activities children are in involved are in accordance with the legislations. 2. 2 Identify the difference between risk and hazard. A risk is a chance high or low that someone will be harmed by a hazard.While a hazard is anything that can cause harm. Every day life activities include a lot of risks like slipping or tripping, falling down. A child care setting on a major high road can be serious risk; the hazards involved are fast moving traffic which can be controlled by having a strong fencing. Risk is a situation and hazard is a danger that is present in that risk. 2. 3 Identify potential hazards to the health, safety and security of children and young people. The security hazards include no cctv at the entrance of the building, no fencing around the play area. Entrance is not secure, picking up of the children, unauthorized entry in the building, damage or vandalism to the building. f children are going for an outing th e potential hazards are not wearing high visibility jackets, crossing the road, the strangers on the outside, playing with poisonous plants, trying to pick something from the grass to eat, they try to reach for wires or sockets, they reach for cleaning liquids, try to go to the kitchen if its unlocked, try to go out if find a door open. The health and safety hazards are children getting injured, hurt, sick, infection spreading, being abused either physically or emotionally, if there is a fire and someone is hurt it is a hazard, the broken and dirty toys, damaged equipment, unbalanced or lose ropes or ladders in the garden, slippery surface due to snow in the garden, faeces or litter in the outside play area. TASK 3 3. 1 identify non medical incidents and emergencies that may occur in the work setting.The following are some of the non medical incidents and emergencies that can occur in a work setting, they include missing child, fire, bomb threat, unauthorized person in the building, floods, any damage or vandalism in the building, bullying, lack or loss of services like gas, electricity, heating or water, staff issues like strike, snow , closure by ofstead, a gas leak, hazardous spillage, emergency closure. 3. 2 outline the actions to take in response to the following situations: a) Fire b) Security incidents c) Emergency incidents. (This will cross over with TDA2. 2: 2. 4) 4. 1 IDENTIFY THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS WHICH MANY INDICATE THAT A CHILD OR YOUNG PERSON IS INJURED OR UNWELL.The following are some of the signs and symptoms which can be recognized when we suspect that a child or young person is not well or injured If a child is not active in the setting, sitting quietly, not involving in the other activities, showing no interest in eating, feeling low, coughing, not playing with the other children, moody ,dehydration, diarrhoea or vomiting then these are some of the signs that the child is unwell. In case of an injury if a child is not walking properly, or rubbing a particular area, feeling dizzy, bruising. The injury can be something that happened at home or happened at the setting and the child didn’t tell anyone. In case of young people they show lack of interest in studies, keeping it to themselves, not cheerful, feeling dizzy, quite. These are a few of the signs and symptoms which indicate that they are not well. 4. 2 Identify circumstances when children or young people, may need urgent medical attention.There are certain conditions which can be handled by the first aider in the setting like bruising , or a bump but when certain situation arises when a person needs un urgent medical condition like if they are hurt and there is an open wound which is bleeding, they have a serious burn, they have a head injury and they are feeling dizziness or blackouts, being unconscious or unresponsive, fractured their limbs, difficulties in breathing and blue lips or having an allergic reaction to something, having a temperature of more t han 38c, in all these cases the staff at the setting is required to call for an immediate medical help and call an ambulance and need to inform the parents or carers as soon as possible. 4. 3 Outline own role and responsibilities in the event of a child or a young person requiring urgent medical attention. This question is a cross reference with TDA 2. 2:2. 1, 2. , 2. 3. 5. 1 describe the reporting procedures for accidents, incidents, emergencies and illnesses. There are different kinds of injuries that can happen in the result of an accident. In case of serious accidents like a major injury with an open wound, a head injury with dizziness, electric shock, fractured limbs or unconsciousness ,severe allergic reactions these are all serious injuries and need urgent medical attention and need more than a first aider to help around. All this has to be reported to health and safety executive, the manager of the setting and the parents. This has to be recorded in the accident record book with all the details.In case of incidents which involve minor injuries that can be dealt with the help of first aider like minor bruises, slipping or tripping, vomiting, incidents that involve bullying, damage to the building, entry of an unauthorized person they are all incidents and they have to be recorded in an incident record book with all the details and manager has to be aware of this at all times. Illnesses such as high fever, vomiting, and stomach ache, signs of cold cough or flu they have all to be recorded in the Childs individual record book with all the details. In case of emergencies like a fire evacuation, or a bomb threat they have to be recorded in the emergency record book with all the details as how the emergency was dealt with. 6. 1 Outline procedures for infection control in own work setting. There are certain procedures that have to be carried out when dealing with the infection control in the work setting. Personal protective equipment includes disposable glov es, aprons and in certain cases goggles.They have to be worn while changing, feeding, anything to do with spillage of blood, vomiting, urine or any liquids that contain the risk to spread infection. Children should be encouraged to wash hands before and after eating, they need to wash hands after certain activities like playing with sand, playing outside and while using glue in arts and crafts and after playing with the play dough. They toys have to be clean and should be regularly checked. Pedal bins are provided; paper towels are always available in the bathrooms so that children can use them whenever they come out of the toilet. The staff is advised to keep their nails short at all times and keep their hair tied up while working with children to prevent the spreading of infection.Any spillage has to be cleaned and disposed off immediately to prevent the infection. If children are ill with the symptoms or cold or flu , their parents are advised not to send them to school and have to wait for at least 48 hours before all the symptoms have gone, with other serious illnesses like chicken pox and measles they have to wait for a specific time to be returned to school and in some cases need a letter from their GP. 6. 2 Describe personal protective clothing that is used to prevent spread of infection. Personal protective clothing is a term used to describe the clothing and equipment that is used in a work setting to prevent from any infections or injuries.They include disposable gloves which can be worn while changing a baby, cleaning of any fluids like vomiting, urine or any spillage, used in kitchen and have to be disposed of every time . Disposable aprons have to be worn during the changing, feeding, cooking and cleaning; some cases required wearing of goggles. TASK 4 7. 1 Identify the procedures of the work setting governing the receipt, storage and administration of medicines. According to the guidance set out in the childcare setting ‘medicines must not usually be administered unless they have been prescribed for that child by a doctor, dentist or a pharmacist’. The workplace is not allowed to give medicines to children who are ill, but there are certain circumstances where exceptions can be made.The medicines can only be given if they needed to be but only with a written consent letter from the parents, and a doctors or GP letter. They have sign in the medicine with the manager in their child’s individual record book. The records are always kept in a medicine record book with each child’s name, age, class, the reason for the medicine, how much dose has to be given and how much was given each time, who gave the medicine and who administrate it. The medicine has to be put in a secure location that is in the office usually and can only be accessed by the manager or whoever is allowed to administrate it. The medicine can only be given by the manager, deputy manager or qualified level 3 workers.The consent form ha s to be signed by the parents at all time and each time at the end of the day they have to be informed about the dosage given and signed by the parents. 7. 2 Explain how the procedures of the work setting protect both children and young people and practitioners. The procedures at the workplace are carried out in such a way as to protect everyone including the children and the people working there. The main aim of the practitioners is to protect the children from any harm possible either physical or emotional. There are several procedures that are carried out from health and safety policies and procedures which ensure the protection of the children and the people working in the setting.The procedures carried out for the health and safety of children, fire drills, no unauthorized entry in the building, hygiene, safe indoor and outdoor activities, administrations of medicines are some of the procedures that are carried out to protect the children and work place. For practitioners the p rocedure that protect them include that they have to keep record of all the incidents and accidents that happen and by recording everything in the record book they ensure that all the records are up to date and if something happens in near future 5the records and the signatures are there. Practitioners are protected by not letting children go with anyone other than the parents or the authorized person, if they have to administer the medicine they need to have the consent signatures of the parents beforehand.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Project Management: Project Failures Sydney Opera House

PROJECT MANAGEMENT: PROJECT FAILURES Sydney Opera House CONTENTS Introductionp. 3 Historyp. 3 – 4 Stakeholdersp. 4 – 7 Stakeholder classificationp. 5 Stakeholder Power/Interest Gridp. 7 Causes for project failurep. 8-10 Lack of risk managementp. 9 Unrealistic timescale and Cost escalationp. 10 Recommendationsp. 10 – 14 Risk Managementp. 11 Forecastingp. 11 – 12Stakeholder Engagementp. 12 – 14 Conclusionp. 14 Referencesp. 15 – 16 Introduction For this assignment the project chosen to critically analyse its failure is the Sydney Opera House. Critically analysing its failure and its consequences and identifying bad project management procedures made me look into this project intensively and evaluate it as a project failure with a â€Å"happy end†.This assignment will be divided in three main parts which are History where it will be explained what the Sydney Opera house is and what was the purpose of the project, a Stakeholders section whe re the key stakeholders will be identified and discussed, a Project Failure section identifying what bad management procedures were taken and for last there will be a Recommendations section recommending new procedures to avoid an over budget and over timed project, which this is part of.For the architect – Jorg Utzon – it is his â€Å"masterpiece†, to Australia as a country it is their representative monument as World Heritage (Design5 final report 2010). Although project manager and client are now â€Å"happy† with the final product it can still be considered as a project failure due to a huge overrun budget and over timed project with consequences that are still being repaired, almost 40 years later. History In 2003 Utzon is awarded with the Pritzker, the architecture’s â€Å"Nobel†.It was said of Sydney Opera House (from now on in this assignment also known as ‘SOH’) that it is one of the great iconic buildings of the twenti eth century (Murray, P. 2004). It all started in 1957 when Utzon were chosen to be the architect for this project. Everything was going according with the project but two years after the new elected government (not the one that agreed with Utzon’s project) was getting impatient.More and more companies were being put into the project (in the final more than 165 companies, suppliers included, contributed to this project) and the costs were being added and the new government was pressing Utzon as much as the media trying to cut in costs and speed up the project*. They also decided to change the previous project after its construction as started and now instead of 2 theatre rooms they wanted 4*.Utzon was losing control of the situation and had an undesirable pressure under him. The initial cost was (Aus) 7 million dollars and in the end it has cost (Aus) 102 million dollars and a total of 14 years to be constructed, 6 more than it should be*. The Arup, engineers contracted for th e engineering part stayed until the end of the project but Utzon left in the end , after designing the roof but not concluding.It was hard to keep two of the key stakeholders happy, the minister David Hughes and the SOHEC – Sydney Opera House Executive Committee so he decided to quit blaming the first of lack of cooperation but in fact even the acoustic consultants did not agree between each other (Murray, 2004 :66) and as a result of all these changes of plans and misunderstandings the Sydney Opera House – finished by three local architects – still did not had the proper acoustic, which was the first main factor that lead to a new opera house*.Nowadays the Sydney Opera House is already seen as profitable since its cost was already covered by the revenue made from customers (tourists mainly) but further improvements on accessing conditions were taken. Stakeholders Before going back to the subject it is needed to take into account that a failed project is a proje ct that is cancelled before completion, never implemented, or damaged in some way. Other reasons that why projects fail are an absence of commitment, a bad project organisation and planning, a bad time management, lack of managerial control, extra costs among other problems.Among all these reasons the Stakeholders play a big part in the projects that they are involved and sometimes a project can go wrong depending on decisions taken by these groups. To start this stage of the assignment it is essential to identify the stakeholders – all the users that directly or indirectly affect positively or negatively – the project. (Polychronakis, 2011) The analysis will be assisted from the article â€Å"Toward a theory of a stakeholder identification and salience: Defining the principle of whom and what really counts†, determining which of the stakeholders hold which of its three attributes, one can identify stakeholders.Then Stakeholders can be analysed by its salience. Explaining briefly the three attributes power enables to act despite resistance of others, legitimacy is being seen as acting appropriately within context norms and urgency relates to time sensitivity and importance of the stakeholder (Mitchell 1997). Stakeholder Classification| | Power| Legitimate| Urgent| Type| Stakeholder Classification| | Power| Legitimate| Urgent| Type| | | | | | | NSW Government|   | x| x| x| Definitive| Public Works, David Hughes|   | x|   | x| Dangerous| Utzon|   | x|   | x| Dangerous| Arup|   | x| x|   | Dominant|SOHEC|   | x| x|   | Dominant| Design Team|   |   | x| x| Dependent| Engineer Team|   |   | x| x| Dependent| Consultants |   |   | x| x| Dependent| Suppliers |   |   | x| x| Dependent| Contractor|   |   | x| x| Dependent| Hall, Todd, Littlemore (Three architects hired)|   |   | x| x| Dependent| Construction Workers|   |   | x| x| Dependent| Public/Customers|   |   | x|   | Discretionary| Media|   | x| x  | x| Dangerous| There are 14 main stakeholders: NSW Government – Can be considered the client so its type is definitive, has the power to over ask and the project manager has to show urgency on keeping him happy.David Hughes – Having the role of Public Works minister for the new NSW government he has dealt directly with the project having the power to influence it and as a client’s representative has the same urgency status. Is considered Dangerous because although is not definitive (could be replaced for example) he affects directly the project as client representative (pressuring Utzon till he resigned) Utzon – Being the project manager and architect he presented the project and designed it so he has power on the project itself and on the staff.He has an urgent characteristic because he continuously needs to keep on track of the project’s milestones and delivery dates. Arup – as the engineers company they have some power on the project but no urgency at all since they work when it is told to but is legitimated to act within the norms but couldn’t deliberately change anything and was socially accepted. Is dominant because has a key role in the project. SOHEC – Although it has the power to demand certain characteristics and has legitimacy in the project it doesn’t have big urgency since it isn’t a client but a client’s influencer.Good to keep informed. Working staff (remaining stakeholders) – They don’t have great power but they are dependent on milestones so also they have the urgency to meet expectations. They also have their legitimateness since they depend on each other and need to coordinate their designed areas. Hall, Todd and Littlemore, the three architects that replaced Utzon don’t have any power since everything was planned and they only needed to re-design the roof in a way that could match the foundations.Public/Customers – Since the y are â€Å"watching† delays and over costs being paid from their taxes they are on the legitimate attribute because they are on the â€Å"socially accepted and expected behaviours† side (Mitchell 1997). Media – Has the indirect power of showing a project as a project success or failure. Meets the parameters of the legitimate attribute expecting behaviours and has the urgency of being time sensitive (generating news with the project delay). The main stakeholder was the architect, but Utzon was much more concerned with the design aspect rather than time and  costs objectives, which proved problematic.During the project, Utzon collaborated with Ove Arup, who was in charge of the structure and the engineering while subcontractors were in charge of mechanics, electrics, heating and ventilating, lighting and acoustics. There was no real project manager, but rather collaboration between Utzon and Arup. The other main stakeholder was the client, the state of New Sout h Wales (Australian government). A executive committee was created to provide project supervision but the members had no real technical skills.The government eventually became an obstacle to the project team by inhibiting changes during the progress of the operations  and thus contributed to cost overrun and delays. Finally, the public and media was an indirect stakeholder because they were concerned with the project’s success. Defining INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS. External stakeholders The external stakeholders can be considered as anyone outside the implementing organisations who could be affected by the project’s results.Internal Stakeholders Internal stakeholders are those associated with the process, typically members of the project team or the governance structure. After describing what internal and external stakeholders are, it can be specified what stakeholders need more attention, or in other words, need to be ‘more’ satisfied. It is know n that it’s impossible to keep all the stakeholders happy at the same time so the following picture will show that it was essential to keep NSW government and Mr.David Hughes happy (a reminder to say that the relationship between Utzon and David Hughes wasn’t good). The relationship with Arup should be stronger in order to have a better performance linking ‘departments’. As a result (of not doing it) the roof couldn’t match the foundations created by Arup (the roof was too heavy for the foundation’s material) and the amount of resources would not be so many times recalculated, it would have minimized the time spent and the money wasted. The relation with the media should also be managed better.The relationship between stakeholders was too ‘transparent’ and what was meant to be a huge partner advertising the project ended up pulling down the project in terms of future customer’s point of view (customers would be driven by t he media and associate the Sydney Opera House negatively). Also the relationship with the SOHEC could be better driven since it was the major beneficiated within the project. They did not pay for it (the government did) and they were represented by the ones that would use it the most but what was hope was turned into despair.   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | | POWER|   | Keep| Satisfied|   | Manage| Closely|   |   |   | | | SOHEC|   |   |   | NSW Government |   |   |   | | | Arup|   |   |   | David Hughes |   |   |   | | | Media|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | | |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | | |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | | |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | | |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | | |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | | |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | | |   | Monitor| Only|   |   | Keep| Informed|   |   | | |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | | | Design Team|   |   | Consultants|   |   |   | | Engineer Team|   |   | Suppliers |   |   |   | | |   |   |   |   | Contractor|   |   |   | | |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | | |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | | |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | |   | INTEREST|   | | | |   | Causes for project failure A project is a set of people and other resources temporarily assembled to reach a specified objective, normally with a fixed budget and with a fixed time period. Projects are generally associated with products or procedures that are being done for the first time or with known procedures that are being altered (Graham 1985).Sidney Opera house was meant to be the perfect construction that allied Utzon ’s genius and Arup’s structural expertise (Murray, P. 2004) but it is necessary to accept the fact that neither of them were a project manager, that just in the 70’s started to be another person rather than being an engineer or an architect (the project manager), so Utzon’s management skills were based on experience and knowledge in his sector rather than in project management itself (lack of planning and management skills), which changes perspectives.While Utzon had a masterpiece perspective, Arup had a task perspective. If they were project managers they would be more oriented to fulfil the stakeholder’s perspectives and the â€Å"business by project† perspective where they would focus on project investments and bene? ts, which include project results, project success, strategy, pro? t and bene? ts† (Bjorn Johs. Kolltvei, 2005). Another main point is the fact of the allowance for the project changes at any time. The Sydney Opera hous e was supposed to have 2 rooms but ended up having 4 rooms.So it can show some discrepancy between what was wanted (before and after the new government) and what was delivered. In this project particularly the Government has changed so it is hard to say that is someone’s fault but in fact it had an impact, always asking for changes and putting pressure in Utzon. This shows that the agreements between Utzon and the previous Australian Government did not have strong levels of engament with the internal stakeholders (government, Minister, SOHEC).According to the OGC – the UK Office of Government Commerce, it is essential to have â€Å"clear organisational boundaries† and â€Å"clear governance arrangements to ensure sustainability† and it did not happened in this project, where the pressure was horrendous on Utzon to be used as the responsible for this huge cost and time overrun (and he has his fault because of the massive fail when designing a roof not sust ained by its foundations and lack of cooperation with the Arup resulting on a bad choice of the materials for the roof) but Utzon can’t be blamed by the recurrent changes asked on the entrances (still eing re-arranged) and the halls, which had really poor acoustic quality. The Sydney Opera House was meant to be â€Å"one of the six best opera houses in the world†¦with a fine concert hall with perfect acoustics â€Å"(Murray, P. 2004) But at the same time Peter Murray also states that â€Å"(opera) however, was a minor interest. There were some local groups and the occasional tour from an Italian company but it was it†.This shows that a major stakeholder – the public – was not taken into consideration since the attraction was more international than national, but even there it failed(need to bear in mind that nowadays SOH is more profitable with huge concerts and museum and attraction because it was re-oriented for more than Opera concerts) . The (n ew concept) of the halls were against the musical competition rules (being put side by side) and the acoustic were really poor, so even thou the objectives were delivered they didn’t think properly about its benefits.Nowadays the Sydney Opera House had its changes especially in the access areas, parking and acoustics and now is used for the purpose of concerts and as a museum (tourist attraction). Lack of skills and proven approach to Project management and risk management As it is said, Project management was only developed in the 70’s and 80’s so the experience took place over the project management ‘science’ (not really developed during the 50’s) so it definitely lacked during the process. Error Margins completely wrong, years and millions more were used and that is the biggest signal of a Project that has failed, when its error margins do not apply.Fortunately the SOH was â€Å"re-used† in order to have â€Å"Return on Investmentà ¢â‚¬  but not delivering a project oriented to its benefits is definitely a signal of project failure. The pace of the project did not meet expectations, but those 14 years could have been less. Again the roof was the biggest problem. This has to be related with the lack of processes in place to ensure that all parties have a â€Å"clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities, and a shared understanding of desired outcomes, key terms and deadlines†( Office of Government Commerce, CP0015/01/05).Furthermore the integration of such a big supply chain and still Utzon couldn’t estimate the right amount of the right material for its foundations and roof (10%, 20% more resources on the overall budget is what it should be as part of the total budget and those 20% ‘extra’ would be used for any emergency) shows no scope and interaction with other participants (stakeholders). The entire novel cited before shows lack of understanding. Utzon designed a roof that couldn’t match with Arup’s foundations. Too many â€Å"tiers†, which goes against the prioritisation that is essential in a supply chain.So it crossed over three main causes for a project failure: Cost escalation, time escalation (error margins) and disturbance of the core processes (politics). Unrealistic timescale and Cost escalation? In the case of the Sydney Opera House incomplete plans, drawings and a lack of information about the material and the structure of its now-famous roof all added dramatically to the cost. The estimators (consultants, accountants, auditors) didn't make those errors; other members of the project team did (Utzon, Arup).When the construction started there was no clear  concept of how the roof might be constructed. It’s not that the estimates were wrong; it’s that there was nothing to base the estimates on in the first place. Much of the delay and cost overrun was caused by iteration on roof design and lack of Dat a, eventually landing on a solution that constructed the roof out of interlocking tiles, but this solution was only discovered after a lot of time and effort. PM effort is coordinated to reach a particular goal or perform some speci? c function. The ? eld demonstrates‘‘. . . means-end paradigm with a strong emphasis on discipline, goal seeking and end-item accomplishment’’ (Pollack, J. 2006) – this is why Utzon was a great architect and a bad project manager, because in this particular project he missed all these premises. Because of the time (the 50’s) some major knowledge can’t be used because it is unknown but it can be identified as lack of agile project management, a major failure to engage stakeholders, inappropriate leadership style (Utzon resigned before the project was completed), insufficient procedures (as it was said before relating cost and time escalation).Recommendations Field tells us that â€Å"projects fail too often because the project scope was not fully appreciated and/or user needs not fully understood. † The meaning of a project can be materialized in the Sidney Opera House, but although it was a project, it failed by several reasons. RISK MANAGEMENT The ‘‘. . . traditional thinking behind a project risk management (PRM) framework is essentially centrist, authoritarian. It . . . assumes that the central project manager knows best’’ (Williams 40, p. 219).Williams suggests that in Project Management participation and empowerment may actually increase risk by reducing centralised control. Without an agreement that could make Utzon stick on the project agreed before his risk management couldn’t fit in new perspectives from the client like more rooms (halls). Demanding more and asking to reduce time due to the existent delay that was not expected in Utzon’s margins based on the project’s milestones it shows that the pressure pretending to take power from Utzon (led to his resignation) ‘helped’ to make of this project a failure.So, Risk Management would be one of the main focuses if I was the Project Manager. Achieving milestones, regular monitoring, evaluating and updating risk management plans and risk registers and maintain risk management processes for the duration of the project. FORECASTING ; DEALING WITH EXTERNAL MOTIVES Essentially, projects are like organisations. They have project governance, internal management systems, a number of staff, external stakeholders, an external environment and goals, objectives and deliverables.However, project delivery in the construction industry comes with a higher degree of uncertainty due to Industrial factors, complexity and changing technologies and uniqueness of projects where time, cost and quality need to be managed, sometimes equally, sometimes differently. Time Quality Cost In this particular case I would set up a standard of quality and add 20% margin error on the budget for resources. With a focus on quality I would make sure that the project would stick on the agreed and every change emanded would have a new budget and time escalation so the Government would think twice before demanding. With a focus on quality and the cost already decided (with 20% for resources) the two main problems would be solved (the roof problem and the 50 million (AUS) dollars of cost overrun). Furthermore the time problem would be solved with an exact check point on milestones any delay would be due to external motives like a tropical catastrophe or any alteration decided by the government but they would know in advance the cost and time waste of their decisions straight away instead of ‘just’ demand alterations.STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT Strategic approach Stakeholder Engagement is designed to take account of all the individuals and groups impacted by the proposed change and achieve a deeper understanding of their various interests. So, as a proje ct manager I would make sure that the 6 principles below would be the ‘foundations’ of my relation with the stakeholders. Significance: deal with issues of significance to stakeholders and the agency. Completeness: understand the concerns, views, needs and expectations.Responsiveness: respond coherently and appropriately Communication: open and effective Transparency: clear and agreed information and feedback processes. Collaboration: work to seek mutually beneficial outcomes where feasible. Inclusiveness: recognise, understand and involve stakeholders in the process. Integrity: conduct engagement in a manner that fosters mutual respect and trust. (Australian Handbook for citizenship, Stakeholder Engagement Section, Strategic Policy Group, Implementation and Stakeholder Engagement Branch, 2008).Identifying the project’s stakeholders, assessing them, and determining how they should be managed is a part of that process. When engaging stakeholder it is needed to ide ntify, prioritise, understand and plan communications with stakeholders. When engaging stakeholder it is needed to identify, prioritise, understand and plan communications with stakeholders. The first and second points are already done with the stakeholder identification and classification above and also the Interest/Power grid designed before. As a reminder, Walker states that, 2003, p. 261).Apart from the stakeholder groups identifiable by their more obvious connection with projects there are clear and major groups that are invisible but whose cooperation and support is vital for project success(2003, p. 261) so I would manage my ‘tiers’ (in supply chain for materials) having three (tiers) for different specific materials instead of dealing with hundreds. Understanding stakeholders would be another important thing to start from. Apart from forecasting I believe that is one of the best concepts that have to be incorporated in a project manager preparation to start a pr oject.Asking himself â€Å"what†, â€Å"who†, â€Å"when† is really important and the understanding of the project’s deliverables leads to a better understanding of stakeholder’s needs. That leads to a better collaboration between manager and stakeholders. Mitchell states that â€Å"making collaboration between influential stakeholders and the project manager happen depends on personal behaviour changes by knowledge workers to not only work collaboratively but also to share knowledge. (Mitchell 2002, p. 59). Understanding Stakeholders leads to good communications.Following its key concerns and follow the Power/Interest grid leads to a good understanding between stakeholders and project manager so all the four steps has to be co-related. Conclusion Sydney Opera House is considered a project failure, failing on the time scale and cost overrun and the quality of it is still being refurbished but it is an international attraction and no tourist wants to miss it when they go to Sydney. Utzon delivered his masterpiece but in a project manager’s point of view he had his limitations.Bad forecasting, bad planning skills and lack of stakeholder engagement were the main reasons for this project failure and I would have focused on milestones, identifying stakeholders, prioritising necessities and having a clear cost/time perspective and also having a clear risk assessment. References Mitchell, K. (2002), â€Å"Collaboration and information sharing: an ROI perspective? †, The Public Manager, Vol. 31 No. 1, pp. 59-62 Lock, D. , Project Management, 5th edn. Gower, 1992. Nicholas, J. M. , Management of Business and Engineering Projects. Prentice Hall, 1990.J. K Pinto, J. E Prescot, Variations in critical success factors over the stages in the project life cycle Journal of Management, 14 (1) (1988), pp. 5–18 Kerzner H. , In search of excellence in project management. Journal of Systems Management, 1987, 30–39 Davi d I. Cleland, Lewis R. Ireland (2006). Project Management: Strategic Design And Implementation. 5th edn. McGraw-Hill Professional. pp. 17-35. A RETROSPECTIVE LOOK AT OUR EVOLVING UNDERSTANDING OF PROJECT SUCCESS Kam Jugdev; Ralf Muller Project Management Journal; Dec 2005; 36, 4; ABI/INFORM Global pg. 19 J.N Wright, Time and budget: the twin imperatives of a project sponsor. International Journal of Project Management, 15 3 (1997), pp. 181–186 Peter Murray (2004). The Saga Of Sydney Opera House: The Dramatic Story Of The Design And Construction Of The Icon Of Modern Australia. Bedford Park: Taylor ; Francis. p3-18. Bjorn Johs. Kolltveit et al. , Perspectives on project management, International Journal of Project Management (2006), doi:10. 1016/j. ijproman. 2005. 12. 002 Julien Pollack, The changing paradigms of project management, International Journal of Project Management (2006), doi:10. 016/j. ijproman. 2006. 08. 002 Williams T. Assessing and moving on from the dominant p roject management discourse in the light of project overruns. IEEE Trans Eng Manage 2005;52(4):497 Office of Government Commerce, CP0015/01/05, 2004 Field, Tom. (1997). â€Å"When bad things happen to good projects†, CIO magazine, Oct 15, 1997, Vol. 11, 2; pg. 54, 6 pgs. Lynda Bourne and Derek H. T. Walker Visualising and mapping stakeholder influence RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia (2003) Project Management Lectures from week 2 (1st semester) to week 7 (as of 2nd semester)

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Favorite figure from the Hebrew Bible Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Favorite figure from the Hebrew Bible - Essay Example Job is the significant and main character in the Book of Job. He is my personal favorite figure in the Hebrew Bible because of the attitude he maintained even throughout the face of sufferings and difficulties that ordinary men would not have been able to have. From the very beginning of the book, Job is described as a righteous and blameless man who pleased God in every way. After every feast his children held, â€Å"Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings [according] to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.† (Interlinear Hebrew Bible. Job 1:5) He did everything he could to stay away from all kinds of evil. He was even the greatest man among all the people of the East. He was also extremely wealthy and influential in the land of Uz, where he lived and resided. Because of his character and influence, Satan had come to the Lord’s presence with the angels and conferred with God regarding Job. Satan believed that Job was only faithful and loyal to the Lord because of the wealth and the influence that he had in the area where he lived. Without it, Job would, without hesitation, turn his back to God and would stop serving Him. This challenge of Satan resulted in Job becoming a ‘test’ of faith and loyalty in the Lord. After the Lord had told Satan and given him permission that, â€Å"all that he hath [is] in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand, Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.† (Interlinear Hebrew Bible. Job 1:12) And so Job’s troubles started pouring. In one day, several servants came to him telling him of the news that all the livestock that he had died. He quickly lost his wealth and even all his ten sons and dauhters, but in spite of

Friday, September 27, 2019

What effect s can debt have on personal or professional relationships Essay

What effect s can debt have on personal or professional relationships Does this influence behavior Construct an argument to support your claim - Essay Example Depending on the debtor’s external conduct, work and friendship relationship tend to suffer. In most cases, debtors tend to feel that their friends or colleagues judge them because of their financial situations and behaviors, which could affect their social interactions qualities. Generally, debts triggers stress and tensions among people and in some cases, it results in constant fights hence creating unsafe environments (Wolny 58). Debts can have impacts personally or professionally. Professionally, debt can affects a worker’s overall work performance in that an individual can become inattentive or limited focus while performing his duties at the work place hence leading to job losses or financial problems (Wolny 59). Debtors usually feel socially controlled because they sometimes cannot afford their necessities, which might be an indirect pressure to them. As a result, this might affect their social standing. Alternatively, debts can influence a person’s behavior. In this case, a person’s self-worth might be affected which would then lead to emotional problems (Wolny 62). The inability of an individual to borrow could eventually lead to social problems. Numerous studies reveal that personal debt levels tend to be associated with related adverse health behaviors and poor psychological behaviors. One of the most common behaviors that might be influenced is stress. Stress remains the biggest mechanism through which debts can affect psychological health. Generally, a person’s stress experience can be related to the reduction of immune system functioning and the release of stress-related hormones. In most cases, they influence a person’s cardiovascular function and blood pressure. In some instances, the problematic personal debts and outcomes that are associated with it such bankruptcy can lead to a person’s decline in psychological health. Alternatively, some studies reveal that debts can lead to depression, suicidal cases and

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Biodiversity Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Biodiversity - Assignment Example He continues to observe that introduction of science to manage the environment may be futile. The cases of genetically modified food and nuclear energy may bring us more harm than what the world believes (Mark ppp. 23). Marks believe that to save the environment, it is a choice we have to make. It all depends on us to save the environment. These are different environmental systems that do exist and functions interdependently. For instance, there is ozone layer boundary, aerosol boundary, climate change, biodiversity, land use and fresh water boundary among others (Mark pp. 56). The current global environmental degradation has been caused by wanton natural resources use particularly by developed countries. It makes sense to believe that the developed economies use more natural resources as compared to less developed countries. In case of Mother Nature strike like the Katrina Hurricanes, the poor are always at receiving end. They suffer more than those who have used these resources. On top of that, the rich countries and state will try to solve the devastating problem milking the poor to

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Project 1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Project 1 - Assignment Example Ans3. The economic-benefit component consists of two variables namely delayed costs and avoided costs. Avoided costs were the maintenance or the operational expenses that were to be incurred but were avoided. Whereas, delayed costs are the ones which were postpones by the violation but will be incurred to attain compliance. On the other hand, gravity based component are the penalties over and above the economic benefit. The gravity based component is more effective because in this way businesses will be encouraged to self-police and not to violate. Ans4. The conditions are that the discovery of violation must be through environmental audits or EMS- Environmental management system; Discovery of violation must be voluntarily; agreement of taking steps for preventions should be there. The violation must be disclosed within 20 days after the discovery to EPA. Within 60 days, the violation must be corrected. Ans5. We have learned the ways of conducting business ethically and this article highlights some rules and regulations that regulate the businesses and their environment. It keeps a check and balance that humanity and environment should not be harmed in the process. EPA’s incentives would help the businesses to be proactive from the start and they would not end up violating the rules, thus doing business ethically. Ans6. The main aim of any business is profit maximization. If the penalties hinder this objective then they will definitely make sure not to violate the rules. Moreover, in order to have a good image they will fulfill their corporate social

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Brand Identification Plays In Brand Loyalty and Brand Promotion Essay

Brand Identification Plays In Brand Loyalty and Brand Promotion - Essay Example The paper proposes to review the studies accomplished earlier on this particular area of concern. The earlier studies will include a number of journals articles such as ‘Social Identity Theory and the Organization’ by Ashforth and Mael, ‘Self-Categorization, Affective Commitment, and Group Self-Esteem as Distinct Aspects of Social Identity in the Organization’ by Bergami and Bagozzi. Defining Brand A brand acts as the nucleolus of a company; it helps to strengthen the image of a company in the minds of the consumers. Defining a brand is indeed the first step in the way of creating the brand strategy. By defining the brand, one constructs a foundation on which the rest of the components may later be constructed. The brand definition plays the role of a measuring stick with the help of which, the marketing strategies and materials can be evaluated. Brand defining requires the knowledge of products or services offered by the company, their quality, core values of the products or services, core values of the company, the company’s mission, the company’s expertise, the target market, the company’s tagline and the message it sends to the prospects. A brand in simple words is the term, design, symbol, name or anything that distinguishes one product from that of the other. Branding can be done based on various aspects. A brand is a conglomerate of memories, links, stories, and expectations that have a combined effect on the consumer to help him select a particular product or service in comparison to others available in the market. The consumer can be anybody ranging from a voter to a buyer. "A brand is a company's face to the world. It is the company's name, how that name is visually expressed through a logo, and how that name and logo are extended throughout an organization's communications". There are a number of ways by which branding can be accomplished. The most common of them are corporate branding, individual brandi ng, rebranding, family branding and personal branding. In order to cite an example Dove is an individual branded product from Unilever. While on the other hand IBM, G.E can be cited as the instances of corporate branding. Thus on an overall basis on whatever aspects it might be branding is important for a company. A brand is responsible for influencing the perception of the customers about the company. Consumers reflect the existence of brand value by paying a premium or spreading the word across the social network. The value of a brand is basically the aggregate of the amount consumers are willing to pay extra to buy the products or services of a certain brand while other companies rendering similar services or products cheaper by that amount are accessible to them in the market. DeMozota defined brand as the perceptions which is being determined by experience as well as through communication. Brand is also about developing and delivering the propositions to the consumers. In the m odern business era, brands are enormously focusing upon the betterment of the offering. It also remains focused towards the development of society and also to preserve the environment. However only developing or creating a brand does not mean, it will offer recognition and value to the company. The newly developed brand needs to offer value to the customers in all the aspects.

Monday, September 23, 2019

(Operations Management) Key recent developments of operations design Assignment

(Operations Management) Key recent developments of operations design and practise in airline and automotive (car ) industry - Assignment Example self many various issues and activities through which an organization’s goods and services are changed and transformed from the inputs that were put to the outputs that are produced. It is about the various operations that are performed on the goods and services from the moment their production starts to the moment the customer receives it. Operations management consists of ten areas in which an operations manager has to make the right decisions so as to fit the company’s strategic vision with what the budget allows, and to achieve that competitive advantage too, all at the same time. A strategy is the course of action that a company aims to take with respect to achieving a particular goal. Strategic fit would be when the company has very well integrated the firm’s mission as well as the strategies along with the internal capabilities that it has and the external environment that it has to survive in. thus, missions (what needs to be achieved) as well as the strategies (how it needs to be achieved) must be in alignment with what the company is capable of doing itself and how much the outside environment and externalities will allow it to perform. (Slack, 2005) As far as operations management is concerned, the operations manager has to take decisions in ten critical areas. They are product design, quality management, process design, location selection, layout design, human resources, supply chain management, inventory, scheduling and maintenance. When it comes to operations management, the operations manager has a wide variety of choices as to how to go about it. Operations management is all about increasing the productivity of the company, thus efficiency has to be present, along with effectiveness in the first place. With the rise of competition, it can be said that new methods need to be found which will keep an air cargo company going and at least give him a place in the top cargo service providers of the country. For this, many owners of the cargo

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Male Serial Killer Essay Example for Free

Male Serial Killer Essay Serial killing definition has posed some difficult fundamental complications because it encompasses varied forms and it results from many different mental states. Serial murder is defined as the â€Å"unlawful† repetitive killing of many victims over a long period of time by an individual or, (rarely) by a group of individuals. The relationship between the offender and the victim is that of slight acquaintance or of a stranger typology. It also involves the motivation and motive to kill but apparent motives usually are shrouded and not really lacking as has been misconceived in some instances. It is very rare to find these kinds of killers doing it for money. It is mainly for sexual satisfaction, dominance to achieve their ‘world’, and for pure thrill (Koscis, 2007, p. 16). There has been much research is aimed at asserting the most concise psychological profile of serial murderers. Many theories have been brought about but from the varied declarations of different serial murderers, much effort is needed to come up with a consensus as to what is the driving force behind serial murder. Early murderers like Gilles Blithely for example, declared that he tortured his victims entirely for his personal pleasure, physical delight, and that he didn’t do it for any other end or intention. On his part, he was quite bold in getting his victims in the sense that he would even send his servants to haul his victims to his castle as though it was his right to harvest the peasant population as he wished. Gilles was a renowned military hero and a monstrous aristocrat. He gave a precociously modern excuse to his behavior- he directed the blame on his parents, who though they didn’t abuse him physically, their amoral attitudes made him a hapless victim to the crime (Odell, 2006, p. 22). Apsche has postulated a more specific serial killer profile white states that most serial killers are white males who are usually in their twenties or thirties. They often target strangers around their homes and/or their places of work. According to Eric Hickey, the criminologist who has collected an extensive serial murder demography database, states that males comprise 88% of the serial murderers, Caucasians 85% and that the average age of the first victim claim is approximately 28. 5 years. 62% of the killers exclusively target strangers while another 22% will kill at least one stranger. Furthermore, Apsche indicates that 71% of all the killers will carry out their operations within a specific area/location and will not frequently travel widely to find their victims (Godwin, Rosen, 2005, p. 13). The F. B. I has also come up with a definition of serial killers. The opinion given is that one needs to have committed at least three different murders spaced by a period of time that can be some few days or even several years. This murder spacing duration is what has been referred to as the ‘cooling off’ period. However, the fact that every serial killer applies a trade mark method of killing the victim should also be put into consideration for an individual to qualify as a serial killer. Wayne Gacy for example would always gaggle his victims using their own underpants to make sure they died of their own vomit. The past of every serial killer is very important in order to discover what makes them function as they do. Substantial evidence from varied and many cases prove that almost all serial killers had dysfunctional backgrounds in one way or another. This could have involved: alcoholism and drugs along with their related problems, physical or sexual abuse among others. There are other more universal traits even though they are usually varied in magnitude. Some of these are bipolar mode disorders, disorganized, or disoriented thinking, personal failure feelings resented to the society and social structures, poor socialization, sexual frustrations, and over possessive parents. Others may also be as a result of wild imaginations which that sometimes drag the serial killer to a fantasy mental world. The major and most frequent among the childhood behavioral development characteristics are isolation, very compulsive masturbation, and day dreaming (Godwin, 2008, p. 35). General fantasy is usually brought about by a day dreaming imagination which is over productive. This makes the serial killer attempt to live in this world as a protection from the real world isolation that he has encountered. If children are left alone for long periods with little or no attention at all being given to them, they tend to convert their minds into objects that will serve as the only company. The day dreaming factor then comes in handy especially when they develop inadequacy feelings due to the isolation they have experienced. Additionally, the feelings are often masked a myriad of apparent successes although they are more deep seated than the artificial expressions of neurotic goodness. These early childhood life attachments are referred to as â€Å"bonding†. They are the ones which are attributed to how the affected individual will react to others in later life. Proper interaction with others in society therefore is not learned by the child who sees others as mirror images that reflect their isolators (Godwin, 2008, p. 39). There is much recent research which has been done concerning the antisocial personality disorder’s (ASPD) etiology and which has primarily been focused on environmental risk factors identification. Many other recent studies have considered biological and genetic influences as they interact with the environment. It has however, been proved a little bit difficult to distinguish between the factors as either environmental or biological mainly because it is not possible to eliminate their interaction. Nevertheless, there have been admirable advances in these studies particularly in the identification of the environmental and biological ASPD indicators. Moreover, there is much limitation in distinguishing between psychopathy from ASPD and research will usually find consistent and similar risk factors that are common in both psychopathy and ASPD. On the same note, examination of the personality, behavioral and historical characteristics’ heterogeneity has greatly failed as they have been represented by serial killer populations. Identification of risk factors that could lead to violent and antisocial behavior is necessary and of paramount importance as it help in predicting individuals who are highly susceptible to committing these violent and antisocial crimes. This is particularly important in that it would aid the creation of effective treatment and intervention programs for these persons, even though violent offenders’ treatment programs often do not yield the desired results. In profiling the serial killers, mothers continually get a lion’s share of the blame as concerns the causes of serial killing. In studying early childhood behaviors of serial killers, it is found that they had usually been described as â€Å"a little off child† by their parents or were abandoned, or worse still were compelled to loneliness due to a myriad of reasons. As children, fledgling serial killers had common characteristics such as; they would often wet their beds, set fires, and torture animals. These are red flag characteristics or behaviors which are referred to as the triad of symptoms. Additionally, there are other historical factors of serial killers which include; trauma, head injury, abuse, antisocial behavior, insecure attachments, low or minimal arousal degrees, and abandonment or loss of a caretaker or a parent (Kamir, 2001, p. 51). Prime examples of these serial killers are Ed Gein, Gary Ridgeway, and john Wayne Gacy all of whom had been verbally and physically abused by parents. They also had endured forms of trauma and head injuries. In his early childhood, Ted Bundy thought that his mother was his older sister as he grew up and that his parents were his real parents. Jeffrey Dahma’s mother was mentally ill and ingested a lot of drugs while carrying Jeffrey’s pregnancy. Many other differentiated cases are recorded. In many serial killers’ history, the most disturbing, and common factor is their unnatural and unusual relationships they had with their mothers. These often include sadistic and sexual elements which could be inappropriate or exposure as children to their mothers’ sexuality and sexual activities. Others were significantly dressed as girls or were subjected by their mothers to sadistic sexual behaviors. These factors later made them develop some maternal uncanny characteristics such that some killed women and regarded them as â€Å"sluts and wholes†, from the impact of their mothers relationships. It is also very crucial to study the victimology or the overall victim’s history in making psychological profiles of serial killers. This is from the perspective that when the reasons for a person becoming the victim of serial killing are identified, then it follows that the motive behind the killing will be unearthed. The victim’s risk, personality, history, and physical characteristics all form a fundamental basis for homicide investigations as well as crime scene evaluation. Cumulative research has shown that victims will mostly consist of vulnerable persons such as adolescents, children, females, the elderly, runaways, and prostitutes. Victimology can thus assist in linking separate violent crimes that were committed by a single offender and therefore become one among the most important solving and classification tools of violent crimes (Kamir, 2001, p. 58). Victimology has particularly served a valuable tool in an attempt to identify and capture serial killers because the victim is usually a stranger to the crime perpetrator. For example, Gary’s victims were mostly prostitutes, and John Wayne Gacy’s victims were mainly adolescent boys whom he lured to his home with the promise that he would pay them. Ted Bundy on his part would fake injury to attract college-aged, kind-hearted women to his car, and almost all of them had long hair. Jeffrey Dahmer would promise to pay his victims if they allowed him to photograph them. It is however, difficult to apply victimology, both in identifying the serial killer or the next possible victim, particularly when victim characteristics considerably vary. This is the reason why investigators will rely on other crime aspects at the scene of crime in their attempt to profile and apprehend the serial killers. Modus Operandi (MO) refers to the actions that the offender undertook while perpetrating the crime. It must be a learned behavior which is developed over time from use and past success. This will continually evolve as it keeps on being modified depending on previous experiences with victims. For example, Wayne and Dahmer were previously arrested after being convicted for teenage boys’ assault and served sometime in prison. From then onwards, they made sure that they always killed their victims to eliminate any possible witnesses in future. Another example of how modus operandi evolves for serial killers was during the time serial killer Dennis Rader encountered victim Kathryn and her brother Kevin after waiting for her in her house without expecting her to have company. He hadn’t carried his â€Å"tool kit† with him and this cost him some embarrassment which he swore to have let happen again. He promised himself he would never again leave it behind as he went on his ‘hunting’ sprees (Odell, 2006, p. 26). Another aspect that is used in profiling serial killers is the signature factor which is also called the calling card. This is the unique, ritual, or personal expression that is demonstrated by the offender during crime commission. This is always based on the fantasies of the offender and an offender’s personality will always be left behind every time a signature is left. It is different from modus operandi since it represents a conduct that is far much beyond the necessary criminal commission behaviors. By leaving a signature, the serial killer aspires to gain satisfaction from the crime he has committed as driven by his fantasies. Another difference between modus operandi and the signature or the calling card is that the signature is a constant aspect but the MO may keep on evolving. It is possible, however, that a signature aspect may increase in intensity. Gary numerously revisited his victims’ bodies after dumping them to increasingly reengage in necrophilia sexual activities with them and hence reliving his crimes. Dennis Rader on his part would perennially taunt the police by writing them sexually explicit letters that described his crimes as well as where the bodies of his most recent victims could be found. These letters were all signed BTK as an authenticating certificate of his crimes. Along with the signature aspect, MO, and victimology, the organized/disorganized serial killers’ classification is an extremely important tool in serial killers profiling. The hypothesis is that organized serial killers will commit the crime after they have been subjected to stressful and precipitating events. They are also expected to be persons of average intelligence and who are usually socially competent. In most instances, these serial killers plan their offenses and apply restraints on their victims. Furthermore, they take from their victims some souvenirs or trophies which are mainly little extrinsic value items which they use to for later fantasy stimulation. They precisely go to the crime scene with a weapon which is intended to be used in committing the crime and which they carry with them after crime commission (Koscis, 2007, p. 40). Disorganized serial killers on the other hand are those who are hypothesized as opportunistic killers. They minimally restrain their victims and they may leave such things as semen, blood, murder weapon, blood and other items on the scene of crime. They will also openly display their victim’s bodies and their intelligence is always below average. They are also thought as socially incompetent persons. There is also a third category which is called mixed offender typology and which consists of both the disorganized and organized characteristics. This happens during situations where more than one offender is involved or when there is involvement of alcoholism and drugs. A crime may also be referred as mixed if the offender inexperienced or very young as well as if the crime had been planned but in the process of committing it some unexpected occurrences interfered (Godwin, Rosen, 2005, p. 20). Serial profiling however, encounters many similarities as well as differences and it therefore calls for concerted efforts to be able to pin the offender. This is more so because most of the evidence provided usually relies on the serial killers confessions which may disoriented or far fetched than is the real truth. Furthermore, it is paramount to address the issue of the exact relationship between psychopathy and serial murderers for more scientific conclusions to be deducted. Reference Godwin Grove (2008) Hunting Serial Predators: A Multivariate Classification Approach to Profiling Violent Behavior. London: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, pp. 35, 39 Godwin Grover Rosen Fred (2005) Tracker: Hunting Down Serial Killers. New York: Thunder’s Mouth Press, pp. 13, 20 Kamir Orit (2001) Every Breath You Take: Stalking Narratives and the Law. Michigan: University of Michigan Press, pp. 51, 58 Koscis Richard (2007). Serial Murder and the Psychology of Violent Crimes: An International Perspective. New York: Humana Press, pp. 16, 40 Odell Robin (2006) Ripperology: A Study of the World’s First Serial Killer and a Literary Phenomenon. New York: Kent State University, pp. 22, 26

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Terrorists society Essay Example for Free

Terrorists society Essay Perhaps the most known terrorist in the world is Osama Bin Laden. Just as other terrorists of his ilk, there are certain psychological features that are inherent in him. Though it is impossible to study the psychological profile of a single terrorist, researches by psychologists identify a certain trend in their way of thought and actions (Kaplan, 1981). This paper outlines the psychological makeup of terrorists, traits that are observed in Osama Bin Laden. There are certain risk factors that make one highly likely to become a terrorist. These factors combine to give a profile that is general to terrorist the world over. Although a terrorist’s profile can be narrowed down to individuals, there is always a generational transmission of extremist beliefs that starts in early life. A terrorist also feels alienated or oppressed by others in the society. This perceived alienation could be from the locality or at more extended levels as global perspective. A terrorist also has a psychology of being victimized for the ills of the society. Terrorists also believe that any violations by the enemy should be retaliated by equal measure of violence (Post, 2008). The response meted out to the enemy affords the terrorist higher moral standings among his/her peers who regard him/her as a hero. In addition to the above, terrorists believe their ethic, class or social group is special and superior to others and are targeted by others for destruction. Terrorists in most cases lack the political powers to initiate and carry out their plans to success. They therefore turn to violence as the only means of attaining their goals. Terrorists would not carry out their activities if they had no criminal mentality. Moreover, terrorists do not have any fear for death and believe the high esteem from peers is more important than the legacy left behind by dying in the process of carrying out an attack (Hoffman, 1999). Terrorist will always identify with a certain group where the members share the course, suffering, and trauma. At the same time, the group may provide camaraderie and a sense of significance to its members. Historical and Socio-Cultural Antecedents to September 11. Different opinions have been voiced on the most likely antecedents of the 9/11 attacks. These range from religious animosity between Christians and Muslims to the US Occupation of Arab countries and the perceived foreign policies of the American Government. While it is apparent that Al-Qaeda was responsible, theories have been proposed to explain the causes of 9/11 attacks. Some researchers have blamed the Muslim madrasas for instilling a simplistic view of Jihad in young Muslims. Poverty has also been cited as a cause of the 9/11 attacks by a section of world scholars. There have been theories relating the attacks to the democratic principles of the American society, a position vehemently denied by Osama himself. He asked why he did not attack other free-countries such as Sweden. There is also a feeling that efficient funding from wealthy Saudis supported the terrorists in the planning and execution of the attacks. The historical aggressiveness of the U. S towards certain countries due to their oppressive governance and weak systems and institutions has made these countries terrorists’ haven. Decline and stagnation in the Middle East and the humiliation of the Islamic world also led to the attacks. These weak and falling states have been terrorists’ bases from where they plan attacks on real and perceived enemies (Simonsen et al, 2000). In addition to U. S occupation of Arab countries, the clash of civilization between the Arab and American world also led to the attacks. The differences in ideologies such as communism between the U. S. and the Arab world also played a role in causing the attacks. Radicalism resulting from Afghan Jihads against the Soviet Union contributed to the attacks. The generation that participated in the war was radicalized and developed criminal mentality as well. Mental Illness and Terrorism There has been an on-going debate on the role of mental illness in terrorism among scholars. Most studies have dwelt on expert opinions instead of involving the community directly to study the causes of terrorism (Sageman, 2004). This trend has resulted in different conclusions on the role or mental illnesses in terrorism. Most of the studies have failed to factor in on the human vulnerability of the isolated groups and focused on the belief that a terrorist must be mentally unstable to conduct such cruel acts. While some mental experts believe that one should not blame mental illness for terrorist attacks, others feel the mental stability has a role in terrorism. The root causes of terrorism are social factors and not mental illnesses. Mental experts of this line of thought think that psychiatry is not the tool to counter terrorism. Psychiatrists who have tested failed suicide bombers have diagnosed little psychiatric illnesses in violent or mild terrorists. Certain studies have only concentrated on individual instead of the larger terrorism set. Studies should focus on the collective societal needs that compel a group of people to become violent and not on individuals. People become terrorists because of the feeling of being marginalized, oppressed, or targeted by others whom they henceforth consider enemies. Any means to carry out a revenge on such enemies is thus justified. Conclusion Studies have shown a certain mind-set that is inherent in terrorists, albeit in different proportion. Terrorists always see their society to be threatened by others for extinction or victimization based on ideological differences. They react to these notions by violent means that they consider justified provided the intended goals are achieved. They are motivate by the social ills they feel target their society. References Hoffman, B. (1999). Inside Terrorism. NY: Columbia University Press. Kaplan, A. (1981). The psychodynamics of terrorism: Behavioral and quantitative perspectives on terrorism. New York: Pergamon Post, J. M. (2008). The mind of the terrorist: The psychology of terrorism from the IRA to Al-Qaeda. Palgrave Macmillan. Sageman, M. (2004). Understanding terror networks. University of Pennsylvania Press. Simonsen, C. , Spindlove, J. (2000). Terrorism today: the past, the players, the future. NJ: Prentice Hall.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Modern Methods of Construction

Modern Methods of Construction This dissertation will discuss the effect of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) and particularly the Off-Site Construction (OSC), on the building sector today, and how these methods will contribute to help and resolve social, financial, and environmental difficulties that facing the UK. 1.2 DEFINITION Off-site construction is an application of modern methods of construction MMC where building sector meets the industrial sector, or by other word, a fusion between building and manufacturing. Off-site construction is where any of building components, or even a whole building, manufactured in factories away from the actual site where the building will be sited, or simply is where the construction site is different from the building site. 1.3 TERMINOLOGY Off-site construction has different terms, terms like (prefabrication, off-site assembly, factory assembly, pre-assembly, off-site manufacture, etc.). The term off-site construction is generally used nowadays to any part of the construction process that takes place in factories. 1.3 HISTORY Off-site construction is not new, in the 20th century specifically in the post wartime, off-site construction (that time the term used probably was factory assembly or prefabrication construction) were needed to replace rapidly buildings which were destroyed or damaged during the war, But due to the lack of technology and modern production techniques, development in lightweights, high-strength materials, and new modern methods of construction that today is available, it gained unfortunately negative significance. The time of the wheelbarrow is finished, announced Jean Prouv in 1947, echoing Le Corbusier.We need usines maisons, homes produced in the factories Since then, a further sixty years have passed: the manufacturing industry has come with story of success of the mechanization, has enhanced electronics and grafting. Today industrial automation and manufactures from shoes to personal computers, and from planes to crackers, all now machine-made, in Seattle as a small village in China. The building construction is still the same. With very few exceptions, the building remains largely an object made by hand with traditional techniques. And the only construction industry still relies to logical and largely pre-industrial processes. With known effects: low productivity, forecast time and cost much more random, exposed to all levels of quality and possibilities and approximations of production conditions are vary widely, backward technologies and unskilled work. 1.4 OVERVIEW Why choose off-site construction now? What is so different from the traditional way of construction? Why is sustainability constantly being brought up? Before I examine these points, I have to mention some important facts that have already occurred. Since the beginning of the century, it is increasingly being talked about and discussed, the world and its climate changing. United Nations ask for action on it. The world met in a summit in Copenhagen to discuss how they can resolve the raising temperature that might cause damages and risks to the global, and how to reduce energy and CO2 emission. Why I mentioned climate change and we are talking about off-site construction? The answer is surprisingly, buildings are responsible for about one third of global energy consumption and if we add the energy used for construction the amount can easily be increased to the half. All of this means that we need to build very efficient houses and in an efficient way, and thats can be achievable only by off-site construction. There is a severe accommodation shortage in the UK. The Government has announced plans for the construction of 200,000 new houses per year, but that target has never achieved yet. Off-site construction can help the accommodation industry to achieve that target where fast delivery is needed. Speedier delivery in construction is one of the potential advantages of off-site construction and research showed that it can reduce the time of construction process to the half because it takes place in a desirable condition away from the unpredictable weather that can affect and delay the process on-site. And research showed that it can reduce the time of construction process to the half because it takes place in a desirable condition away from the unpredictable weather, factory built accommodation. Offsite construction already features in the production of social accommodation. Skill shortages in the UK construction industry are a severe problem. In 2001 the UK construction industry estimated it needed to train an extra 74,000 skilled workers every year for five years just to make up for the shortages of bricklayers, plumbers and electricians (Verbus System, 2006). In 2009, the chartered institute of building (CIOB) concluded a third research on skill shortages, and the result again showed that the construction industry is still suffering a skills shortage, which is likely to continue to be a challenge for the building sector. Off-site construction can play an important role to resolve this issue. The research showed, compared to more traditional techniques, off-site construction can reduce on-site labour requirements to less than a quarter. This result achieved from some work took place off-site. Off-site work involves different labour that is not under pressure as the on-site workforce. Off-site construction and modern methods of construction (MMC) can therefore make better use of scarce labour. 1.5 DISSERTATION STRUCTURE The dissertation consists of an introduction chapter, three main chapters and conclusion chapter; Chapter two discuss the advantages of off-site construction for the building sector, society, and the environment. The chapter also will discuss the conditions in order to gain the full advantages of off-site construction. Chapter three explain the types and forms of off-site construction, and where off-site construction takes place in the building and in the construction process. Off-site construction takes place in different areas of the building, so how off-site construction will incorporate with the mainstream construction process. Chapter four show and examine some of off-site construction case studies and in which type of building it takes place. CHAPTER TWO: ADVANTAGES OF OFF-SITE CONSTRUCTION 2.1 INTRODUCTION Off-site construction, as I mentioned, is part of modern methods of construction (MMC) and is referred to as any of the components of the building built in a high quality controlled factories where they use advanced techniques to manufacture highly specialised doors, windows, stairs, wall panels, frame structure, and complete volumetric pods and then transport them to the location where it will be used and to be assembled on-site. Off-site construction has many advantages that are why nowadays there are more companies and contractors using this method rather than the traditional way of construction, even governments make more pressure to use this method to speed up housing delivery. Modern methods of construction can provide good quality homes with less on-site labour, in a shorter time, with at least the same building performance and at similar cost when compared to more established techniques. Off-site manufacturing and partnering processes increasingly play a part in solving todays problem of moving towards a sustainable housing industry. The advantages of off-site construction can be classified into two types; Business advantages, social environmental advantages Modern construction methods can produce important benefits for housing authorities and developers, not the least of which is the reduced emphasis on on-site activity. This is particularly important in a time of increasing demands on an already stretched labour force. As with any new way of doing things there are risks, but these can be mitigated through good project planning and management (Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, 2005). 2.2 ADVANTAGES Less time in construction process, cost predictability, higher quality, helping the society and the environment, resolving skilled labour shortage, reduce health safety risks, and helping the business the economy. These are key advantages of off-site construction. 2.2.1 Reduced construction time Business advantages give a huge encouragement to the contractors and designers to use more off-site construction components with their design and building processes. The greater speed of manufacturing and on-site assembling is an important factor for business gain. Earlier the delivery of the building means earlier the return of the investment. Modular construction for example, that is an off-site construction, is up to 40-60% quicker than traditional building methods. The predictability of the delivery also is very important for the financial calculation of the business in terms of cost and revenue. The manufacturing process of the components in quality controlled factories is nearly accurately estimated as well as the delivery to the site and the assembly operation. 2.2.2 Cost Predictability Cost-effectiveness is an important factor to show the difference between the off-site construction method and the conventional one. Approximately, around 80% of the construction costs are fixed within the first 20% of the design process. The graph below highlights the potential for cost reduction and alternatively the resistance to the cost of change during the project life. As the project progresses, the opportunities for implementing variation or change reduce and the consequent costs associated with these variations rise substantially, Where off-site production techniques are to be used, these should be introduced early in the process. While off-site construction has tended in the past to be more expensive than brick block, now is being reduced to the same level due to the innovation of more techniques and to the variety of the components, and these bringing even greater economies. 2.2.3 Superior Quality Off-site manufacture for building components significantly improves the quality and the efficiency of the building due to high standard of quality control and test. Buildings exceed requirements on sound and thermal insulation levels, so this means that are more sustainable. 2.2.4 Help the society and the environment Off-site construction has also can help the society and the environment. Millions of affordable homes are required to meet growing demand, and there is increasing pressure to further improve efficiency and sustainability performance during construction and throughout the lifetime of the buildings. Off-site construction is environmentally friendly if it is planned well from the early stages of design and by integrating all the supply chain together. Less energy is generally required to develop the modules or off-site manufactured components. With improved process control ,buildings are pre-engineered each exactly the same and so can be adapted for ease of tiling and this should lead to reduced levels of waste on site of up to 70% and subsequent costs. In addition, with improved control of materials flow, raw materials can be recycled rather than skipped as often happens on site. The advantage of using OSC methods related to the reduction of waste to landfill are that the material usage in the factory is reduced up to 90% by the careful design and procurement of materials, reducing the amount of waste generated both on-site and off-site. Offsite manufacturing was identified as a key potential method for promoting sustainability within the construction industry. Sustainability is increased as sound and thermal insulation is improved. Reduced time on site means less disruption to neighbouring residents or businesses. 2.2.5 Reducing reliance on skilled labour While there is a significant shortage of housing in the UK, and the government plans to build more accommodation houses, there is another problem facing to achieve these plans as well the building industry a whole which is the skills shortages bricklayers, plumbers and electricians. Off-site construction helps to build more houses by reducing reliance on increasingly scarce skilled labour by reducing the number of labour where semi-skilled factory labour can be used during the construction of modules. 2.2.6 Improve Health and safety Health and safety issue also give off-site construction an advantage, it has been proven to be a safer method of construction because there are fewer components involved than traditional methods and there is no need for high quantity of labour on-site for the assembly process. 2.2.7 Business integration and economy development Off-site construction helps to integrate the supply chain. When executed effectively, the off-site construction process involves key manufacturers and suppliers early in the feasibility and design stages of the project. This ensures that the specialist skills and knowledge of these key suppliers are embedded within the project and can influence the design and construction phases of the project. Where appropriate these key suppliers should be given ownership of the design and involved fully in the execution of delivery, storage and movements of materials and components. CHAPTER THREE: OFF-SITE CONSTRUCTION! WHERE IT TAKES PLACE? 3.1 Forms of off-site construction Off-site construction can take a number of forms. The form and extent of acceptance within the projects will depend on the type of project: Is there a large proportion of duplication or replication? for example; in hotels and hostels, the type of client: Is the client a one-off or repeat client?, and the relationships and the arrangements between the project members. Off-site buildings and components systems range from small bolt-together sections to virtually complete buildings. Systems can be categorised as: Sub-assemblies Frames Panels (open or closed) Volumetric system Hybrids system 3.1.1 Sub-assemblies Sub-assemblies are the most traditional and widely used system in off-site manufacturing which is being used for many generations. This type of off-site construction can include elements using different type of materials such as concrete beams, block floors, and foundations. Prefabricated foundation systems can consist of precast, post-tensioned, concrete beams. An additional examples for sub- assemblies systems are the glass reinforced plastic for chimneys, steel for curtain walling, and timber stairs. 3.1.2 Frames Framed structures, which are pre-assembled in factories, supply the structural support to buildings and are not something new feature in construction. Lightweight pre-assembled frames which can be delivered promptly to the site, speeding up the construction times for the main structural elements. The benefit of pre-assembled framed structures can help of reducing site cutting and the inaccuracies that can arise from it. An example of framed structure is the steel frame module. Steel works in off-site construction are taking the most important part of the factory controlled construction due to the characteristics of the steel itself that can be shaped and moulded in any form; the result is light strong steel modules structures. The UK construction market is one of the most steel intensive in the world, with steel proving to be the material of choice for UK architects and structural engineers in the multi-storey building market. The 2007 Market Shares Survey figures show steel construction consistently takes in excess of 70 per cent over double the market share compared to when the survey was first carried out in the early 1980s.(Housebuilder Developer. 2008). The Steel Construction Institute has carried out a study of different construction projects using various levels of off-site steel construction technologies in busy urban sites. The goal of the study was to recognize the benefits of off-site construction relating to the reduction of the disruption caused to local residents by the construction operations. The study also aimed to quantify these benefits in terms of the reduction in dust, noise, vehicle circulation and the impact of site-generated waste on the environment. 3.1.3 Panels Panels are two dimensional frames that contain both the structural and the infill element, are sealed together on site. Example of panels is pre-assembled floor, wall, and roof panels. Using the right sealants are very important to gain the benefit of off-site manufactured panels in order to stand up the frames rapidly. The simplest form of off-site manufactured panel system is lightweight infill panels that are fixed to the structural frame, where the most complex form are the prefabricated sandwich panels which consist of both, the structural element, internal and external finishes. 3.1.4 Volumetric System Volumetric system is the frame and panel systems, and when the building is assembled and built from a series of volumetric steel or timber modules, connected together to form a room or groups of rooms to form complete structure. Modular construction is also a term used to refer the volumetric assemblies. While the foundations are being prepared under factory conditions, the modules are manufactured and finished (or partially finished) off-site, under factory conditions, then transported to the building site and assembled and connected to the foundations, then added the exterior cladding and the roof. Modular construction is more sustainable than traditional techniques because of the minimum foundations that required and because it is built under factory conditions, the modules are in better quality and defects are minimized. Modular construction uses the same techniques from the industrial sector but the result does not look like mass production product. Sophisticated modules and panels can be produced and can be easily customised by the clients requirements, and with new advanced techniques finishes: cladding and roofing, give the building its natural skin that suites the surrounding. An example of volumetric module structure is bathroom pods. Bathroom pods are a very economically solution when it integrate with the whole construction process in large quantities such as; student accommodations, hotels, hostels, hospitals, and prisons. Bathroom construction process can use Off-site construction technology, which in compare to the traditional way, would normally be carried out on-site. If we remove the construction process of the bathrooms to a controlled factory environment, bathrooms will become more ecological, functional, and with lower building costs. Bathrooms that we call them smart will also become more common with highly environmentally toilets and showers systems and with more advanced technology like tapes with sensors. The quality of bathrooms pods is far superior to the traditional on-site construction, more stylish, with high quality materials, and better for the environment in terms of a lower carbon footprint, lower levels of waste and reduced transportation of components. 3.1.5 Hybrids System Hybrid systems (often referred to as semi-volumetric) are a combination of all the other type, and this type where the flexibility of production and the varieties of consumer choice by combining the best features in a single system play the important role of it. Plant rooms is an example of a hybrid volumetric module manufacturing Plant room is a room or space in a building dedicated to the mechanical and electrical equipments and then they need an intensive labour. If plant rooms built off-site where there is cheaper labour, this can be more economically. Other advantage of plant rooms built in factory is if a project in time difficulties, always the installation of the services is squeezed, so using modular plant rooms certainly will help to avoid this problem. CHAPTER FOUR: CASE STUDIES 4.1 Case Study: British Land Ropemaker site, London Ropemaker is a commercial building for British Land, one of the UKs largest Real Estate Investment Trust. It is built in an eminent site in London. The 21 storey and three basement levels has 55,000 square metres net lettable space. The high profile building has impressive green certifications achievement including a BREEAM excellent rating. The development has been realised using off-site construction technologies in a large number of parts in the building. This study aimed to evaluate two products manufactured off-site; a modular walling system Podwall from Swift Horsman, and Technik flooring system supplied by Grants LTD. The research aimed to compare in deep analysis off-site construction techniques products to the traditional way of construction in terms of; waste on-site and off-site, resources needed on site, efficiency and productivity, cost, environmental impact analysis and end of life assessment, health and safety, and installation time. PODWALL research results Podwall saved approximately 40% to programme. Each floor at Ropemaker had an 11 week programme to install the Podwall (3 blocks per floor one ladies, one gentlemen and one disabled toilet), which would be equivalent to 15 weeks for traditional fit out. The waste on site is reduced because the Podwall is manufactured off-site. The result showed that the largest amount of waste generated is from the packaging, which is very important to protect the product on the delivery from between factory and site. Total waste produced is approximately 213m3 from Podwall washrooms. If we give the low levels of waste monitored during the process of the Podwall erection, traditional waste would considerably exceed that figure. In terms of waste recycling the percentage of materials recycled from Ropemaker exceeds 85%. The Podwall washroom package (54 toilet blocks), which is delivered over 1969m2, has a value of approximately 6m. The main differences in cost, that the services are integrated off site into the walls and cubicles for the Podwall, while in the traditional system the services installation and cubicles must be installed on-site and the cost of the installation of these services on site is higher. The indirect costs in the traditional way do not count as the increased cost of waste and removal, and the increased programme time to install. TECHNIK research results In terms of performance and time, Technik flooring system took168hrs per 100m2 for the pedestal and the floor, while in screeded floor take 250hrs per 100m2 for the insulation, screed, and tiling. Tiling is the most labour intensive element of traditional flooring, and drying time for screed increases programme and risk of damage when wet. The result showed that 32% of time spent laying a traditional floor was non value added time compared with 17% for Technik floor. Techniks 83% added value time demonstrates the efficiency of off-site flooring as well as the reduction in remedial work (WRAP. 2009) At the factory 0.49m3 of waste is generated raising the total waste to 2.81m3 per 100m2. The total waste of Technik flooring of Ropemaker is 24.56m3. While a total 41m3 of waste if screeded floor with tiling had been used on site instead. The screeded floor generates a significantly greater amount of waste compared to the Technik floor. In terms of costs, Technik flooring labour costs was 84/m2, while the screed floor was 114/ m2. Material costs were 140/ m2 for Technik floor, and 147/ m2 for the traditional one. These figures are near, but it is still considerable that Technik is cheaper if we put in consideration that drying time for screed increases programme and risk of damage when wet and the materials associated with the traditional screed design take up a greater area within a warehouse and as such the cost is considerably higher to that of Technik floor. A programme/time saving of 25.7% is made by using Technik flooring, which clearly has a cost saving implication as well. (WRAP. 2009) 4.3 Case Study-Emergency Assessment Unit, University Hospital of North Tees. In this case study we are looking at the new revolutionary building which was designed to fulfil the needs of Interserve Project Services/North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust. The building will be located at the University Hospital of North Tees. The purpose-designed and built Emergency Assessment Unit has been required in order to reduce waiting times for much demanded emergency treatment. This is something the Government has planned as to drive down waiting times for patients. The amount of beds are needed to be increased at the Stockton site as well as the site needing to be able to provide a service to those needing emergency surgical care, based centrally on location rather than some distance away. The unit has promised to feature up-to-date emergency care and include specialist staff who can deal quickly and efficiently with a high number of patients thus increasing patient turnover. The solution to these needs was met through a 2.8m Procure 21 project which was awarded to Yorkon manufacturers, based in York, by Interserve Project Services. Off-site construction and the installing of a 42-bed Emergency Assessment Unit was the aim for the new building as its production. The building included 42 steel-framed modules manufactured off-site at York and installed on-site in as little as a few days. Disruption was therefore limited and patients could rest unaware of any commotion. The 1,710m square single storey extension to the pre-existing department was astonishingly and impressively erected in just over six months from beginning to end. The building also can boast a full range of modern well-equipped facilities for any acute medical emergencies. Features are listed as including four-bed wards, single en-suite bedrooms, an isolation ward, high-dependency beds, consulting rooms, ward managers office, waiting area, Quiet room, staff changing facilities and rest room and also an interview room. Incorporated into the design were roof lights to increase any natural light in the centre of the unit and furthermore holds latest technology equipment. The installations of workstations are readily available and can be used at a patients bedside. This building proudly boasts to be one of the first units in the country to offer an electronic information board too. Looking to the comments of professionals working within the construction of this new high-tech building, we can see the positive influence of off-site technology in providing rapid, quality solutions to much needy clients. The accuracy as well as speed of construction has impressed many working on the project. The patients are the first top benefit thus impacting greatly on society. A faster completion has resulted in an earlier date for increasing the hospitals capacity and implementing the hospitals new care programme. The building has proudly been created free of any defect and furthermore feels and appears like a building created in the traditional on-site method. The impact on the people within the building can be felt as they feel secure and at ease with their impressive new surroundings. After significant planning, the result proves to be pleasing and satisfying to all those involved. Impressive design features are said to include isolation rooms, en-suite bathrooms, no touch taps as well as bespoke window blinds, all that was promised. All in all, a roomy and calm working environment which is properly equipped to looking after those that need it has been established. 4.4 The Steel Construction Institute (SCI) Case Study The Steel Construction Institute (SCI) Study, which was funded by The Department of Trade and Industries (DTI) with support from Corus Strip Products (UK), is started by visits to six construction sites where oft-site construction technologies were being used for data-gathering. A comparative study had been made and followed by the visits to compare the traditional way of construction to off-site construction methods for a 2-storey school where light steel infill panels were used in off-site method against the traditional method, and a 4-storey light steel residential building where off-site modular construction were used against traditional masonry way. The study results showed that off-site construction is by far reducing the disruption to the local residents The growing demand for residential housing in cities, towns, and villages of the UK and the scarcity of so-called green field sites, is forcing developers to build on small plots of land within existing residential developments. As housing is built, so the demand for schools, shops, hospitals and leisure also increases. Construction on confined urban sites presents developers with various challenges including: The construction of urban sites contained presents developers with a number of challenges, such as; the lack of working and storage space, the absolute necessary to minimize the impact of all aspects of construction on local residents, and the scarcity of skilled labour working in construction sites. Last Recent experience with modern construction methods showed that these challenges can be met by changing some of the activities of site-intensive products with components manufactured off-site. For example, panels of three two-dimensional and three dimensional modules are supplied in very short time to local conditions and require no storage space on site. Regarding urban disruption, there is some non official evidence to suggest that the disruption to the local residents and inconvenience caused by construction can be greatly reduced by the use of prefabricated lightweight steel and modular solutions. Such methods do not only transfer much of the construction processes off site, but They also significantly reduces the construction time, thereby limiting the inconvenience Caused by site traffic, deliveries, waste clearance and general construction activities. One of the greatest opportunities and challenges for the steel sector is the residential market due to the increase awareness of the physical benefits of steel. As often, home builders and developers are looking at things more closely as the project predictability and speed of construction, and areas that can generate financial returns earlier. Construction in steel, which has always been a technique of off-site construction, is the solution. With its speed of construction, cost-effectiveness, outstanding performance, and unparalleled sustainable qualities, steels off-site construction techniques provides a genuine opportunity for the construction industry to meet growing, and sometimes conflicting demands, in providing affordable housing in todays difficult housing market By its very nature, steel based off-site construction gives rise to more predictable construction programmes, along with predictable cost, construction quality, programme timing and project handover with faster lead in and onsite project commencement, allowing earlier use and business income return. Ultimately, this can result in the overall construction programme being reduced by up to 60 per cent compared with conventionally constructed buildings. CHAPTER FIVE :CONCLUSION To conclude, a survey undertaken by Contract Journal revealed interesting findings. Although the survey results indicated that off-site construction is on the rise and gaining popularity, the rise is still lower than the desired figures the industry would have liked to have seen. The survey Modern Methods of Construction Modern Methods of Construction DEFINITION: It can be defined as the the process to produce or construct good quality buildings rapidly with less consumption of resources Explanation: 3D PRINTING INTRODUCTION 3D printing (sometimes referred to as Additive Manufacturing (AM)) is the computer-controlled layering of materials to form 3 dimensional shapes. It is particularly useful for prototyping and for the manufacturing of geometrically complex components. Depending on the technique adopted, printing can produce multiple components simultaneously, can use multiple materials and can use multiple colours. Accuracy can be increased by a high-resolution subtractive process that removes material from an over-sized printed item. Some methods include the use of dissolvable materials that support oscillating features during fabrication. Materials such as metal can be expensive to print, and in this case, it may be more cost-effective to print a mould, and then to use that to create the item.[G1] CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY In the construction industry, Construction 3D printing is used to create construction components or to print entire buildings. Construction is well-suited to 3D printing as much of the information necessary to create an item will exist as a result of the design process, and the industry is already experienced in computer aided manufacturing. With the help of building information modelling (BIM), we can facilitate greater use of 3D printing. Also, [G2]construction 3D printing allows, faster and more accurate construction of complex or modified items as well as it will minimise labour costs and waste. It[G3] also enables us to carry out construction process in harsh or dangerous environments not suitable for a human workforce e.g. cold areas like Alaska and Siberia.[G4] China has adopted the technique and with the mass movement of population from rural areas to the cities they consider this technique suitable for making cheap houses costing the country (Â £9700) respectively. Materials used: The most common types of materials used by the printers are: Recycled plastic Bioplastics Concrete Synthetic stone-like material made of sand and chemicals Hua Shang Tengda: Hua Shang Tengda is a Chinese company which has manufactured or printed a two story villa that measures about 4,305 square feet. When put to test the structure was able to retain itself at an earthquake of 8 scales. Moreover, the[G5][MH2(6] house was completely finalised within 45 days. The company carried out the process in one go rather than making pieces and then assembling them. The process included three printers operated by a software, which is responsible for formulating the ingredients, mixing the concrete, transmission, and to 3D-print the structure. The team first erected the frame of the house, completed with rebar support and plumbing pipes and then the printed started The printer has a sort of bifurcated extruder that simultaneously lays concrete on both sides of the structural material, allowing it up and encasing it securely within the walls. The concrete used was C30 which weighted approximately 20 tonnes, it[G7] had the desired strength and inexpensive as waste was[G8] also utilised as well as wastes resulted from the process were very [G9]low. The walls of the structure are approx. 8cm thick and is resting firmly on the ground.[G10][G11] ADVANTAGES: The advantages of the system are mentioned as under TIME EFFICIENT: 3d printers used in construction are very time efficient and a house with the desired strength can be constructed in small time frame.[G12][G13] CLIENT SATISFACTION: With this process, it is assumed that the client satisfaction is more as they will be given [G14]a catalogue from which they will be able to choose the structure of their own choice. ACCESSIBILITY:[G15][G16] The 3d printers are accessible everywhere even on the moon.[G17] COST EFFECTIVE: This process of construction is very cheap as the printers consume the minimal amount of raw materials and waste production is very less.[G18] NEW SHAPES AND DESIGNS: The 3d printers can construct different types of structures ranging from curvilinear to rectilinear and from circular to boxed structures. PRECISION: With 3d printers, we can achieve more precision as it is a controlled process and is not affected by the environmental conditions.[G19] ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECT: It is also assumed environmental friendly as the wastes resulting from the process are less. DISADVANTAGES: Some disadvantages are mentioned as: INITIAL COST AND MAINTENACE COST:[G20][G21] The printers initial cost is very high and requires a cleaning process after 12 hours of operation. LIMITED MATERIALS: The types of materials used in these printers are limited. Some are limited to a single type of material. Also, the printers are unable to deal with reinforcements. [G22] TRANSPORTATION: The transportation may sometimes cause problems because of their sizes RELIABILITY:[G23] Machines cannot be trusted and a major problem may occur resulting in the delays. FUTURE: Currently, there is a research going on at the [G24][G25]University of Southern California which I lead byÂÂ   Berok Khoshnevis.They are testing a fabrication process called contour crafting. The aim of this research is that all the processes involved in construction are self-automated. Khoshnevis hopes to print a residential building(house) in a single print. It will include conduits for electrical, plumbing, drywall, and insulation. His aims are to achieve the possible results by 2020 for residential buildings and by 2025 for high rise.[G26] [G1]Inserted: , [G2]Inserted: , [G3]Inserted: s [G4]Deleted:z [G5]Inserted: s [MH2(6] [G7]Inserted: ne [G8]Inserted: the [G9]Inserted: s [G10]Deleted:a [G11]Deleted:z [G12]Inserted: the [G13]Deleted:a [G14]Inserted: , [G15]Inserted: C [G16]Deleted:S [G17]Inserted: the [G18]Deleted:s [G19]Inserted: , [G20]Inserted: E [G21]Deleted:A [G22]Inserted: , [G23]Inserted: I [G24]Inserted: at the [G25]Inserted: , [G26]Deleted:in