Use Office Equipment free essay sample

Use Office Equipment 1. Identify different types of equipment and their uses There are many different types of office equipment. The main equipment in an office that can be found is: †¢ Computers †¢ Telephones †¢ Printers †¢ Photocopiers Computers can be used on a daily basis for tasks such as sending and receiving emails, using the internet and company personal sites to use information and equipment and policies to help complete tasks. Telephones help us to keep in contact with many clients/ customers and many members of staff within the company, this can help when a conversation is needed in detail and it is quicker and easier to give them a call that way if they do not answer you can leave them a voicemail which then can be heard by the recipient only when they get the chance to hear the message that way the message is more easy to understand. Printers can be used to print or fax documents that are of use to you and members of your team and potentially to the whole company faxing a document allows us to scan a document into your printer and send it via email to another member of staff/ yourself or a client. We will write a custom essay sample on Use Office Equipment or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This is usually used for a written or paper copy document that you don’t have on any computer. This will allow you to have the files in both paper and computer form so that files will always be found and can be stored so that the files can be easily found. Photocopiers can be used to create paper copies of documents that you have in paper form this will help you if you need more copies of a specific document but you don’t have time to go back to your computer and find the file on there you can put your document though a copier and it will scan all the text and images and it will print out copies of your file as many time as you like. 2. Describe the different features of different types of office equipment There are many different types of office equipment that we use on a daily basis. Phones and emails allow us as a company to keep in contact with our clients and staff in offices around the word. They allow us to contact specific people when we need to which allows us to get in contact with them quickly and efficiently. Phones also have answering machines to pick up any missed call’s, this allows us to know who called us and if they left a message what they wanted to talk to us about, this allows us to keep in contact with all the right people. Computers are one of the most vital parts of the company as just about all of our work is done on them. Computers allow us process data on daily basis; it also allows us to research information online as an when we need it. It also helps us to create PF files and information for our clients. Printers can print documents and information in bulk this allows us to have as many copies of the files as you need and this is very helpful when you have a meeting or they are a set of instructions on a specific activity that several people need and Photocopiers allow you to scan a hard copy of a file and will make a copy of all the text and photos and print out several copies of the file for you. Filing Cabinets help you to organise and store all hard copies of files and information securely so that when you need the files you do not have to try a search around your computer to find the files. Hole punchers allow paperwork to be place in binders or in small folders easily which allows use to create more space for other things. 3. Explain why different types of equipment are chosen for tasks Different types of equipment are used and chosen for different tasks because not one piece of equipment can do every single task, so it is always good to have all the relevant types of office equipment to complete a task. Also using the right piece of equipment for that specific task will take up as little of your time as possible so you can meet targets and deadlines, and also the equipment that will help you to complete the task to the best standard. 2. 1 Explain the purpose of following manufacturer’s instructions when using equipment The purpose of following the manufacturer’s instructions when using a piece of equipment is that if you dont use the equipment properly, you can damage it. Improper usage can also cancel the warranty, which causes unnecessary replacement costs for the organization. Also those instructions from the manufacturer are there for a reason for both the heath and safety of the person using the equipment but the people around them and also to make sure that the equipment can continue to work to the best of its ability. 2. 2 Explain the purpose of following organisational instructions when using equipment The purpose of following organisational instructions when using equipment is because its for employees Health and safety and also to be able to know what to do in certain situations when something goes wrong with the equipment. Organisational procedures are there to protect the health and safety of all workers and make sure that problems are dealt with by the appropriate person. If you do not follow these then you could potentially hurt yourself or other members of staff around you . 2. 3 Identify health and safety procedures when using equipment Thebigword has its own Health and Safety procedures when working with equipment and other members off staff. There are responsibilities required all members of staff regarding Health and Safety: Take reasonable care for their own Health and Safety and that of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions at work; †¢ Co-operate with management on Health and Safety matters; †¢ Use equipment and materials safely and follow instructions and training provided; †¢ Report all accidents, hazards and any shortfalls in the Health and Safety arrangements that creates a risk to people; †¢ Not intentionally or recklessly interfere with or misuse anyt hing provided in the interest of health, safety or welfare. Failure to comply with these requirements may lead to both disciplinary action being taken by the Company and prosecution by the Health and Safety enforcing agency. So it is important that everyone makes sure that they make sure that regular checks are done on the equipment and if you spot any faults or problems that you report into your manager and a member of the IT support team as well as health and safety so that it can be fixed as soon as possible so that it dose not cause any harm to any member staff. . 4 Explain the purpose of following health and safety procedures when using equipment The purpose of following health and safety procedures when using equipment is that it will help to minimise accidents and the negative consequences of those accidents and it also helps to promote a positive health and safety culture within the company . 2. 5 Explain the purpose of keeping the equipment clean and hygienic It is important to maintain your equipment and keep it clean to keep the computer running for years on end without having to replace the equipment so often and so that you to get the most use out of it. Cleaning your equipment after use can lead to less problems , For example dust getting inside the equipment and potentially creating a fault in the equipment. It is also polite to clean something after you have used it to make it ready for the next user if computers are shared between several people. Regularly cleaning equipment can mean that it will last you longer and save you money as well as producing a higher quality result. For example if you did not clean a photocopier glass then you could end up with smear marks on your work. 3. 1 Give examples of waste when using equipment One example of waste when using equipment in the office is when most employees leave the office for the day and will leave the computer on standby over night or they may even leave the computer running all night. But even though it is on standby it is still using electricity and can waste a lot of electricity on a daily basis and potentially put the company’s electricity bill up so you are better of shutting down your computer and that way you will save electricity and money. Another example of waste is when using the printer, some people print out more copies of a file than is needed because they worry they may not have enough copies of the file to go round to the people on there team or the people who need them and this can be a waste of paper and electricity from the printer if they print out too may copies. . 2 Give examples of ways to reduce waste When using your computer it is always best to shut down your computer and turn of your monitor and switch off the lights if you are last out of the building and that way you will save o both electricity and money, which can be saved and used the next working day. When printing out files or instructions it is always good to print out less copies that you think you need and then if you need more you can see how many more people need a copy of the file that way you can print out the correct amount of copies and that way you will save paper. . 3 Explain the purpose of minimising waste The purpose of improving efficiency is so that raw materials can be managed in order to minimise waste and this will help the company to reduce its costs also minimising waste can have a positive effect on the environment if it is done on a regular basis. 4. 1 Give examples of equipment problems There are many problems that can crop with equipment in an office such as: †¢ Paper jam †¢ Electrical fault †¢ Ink cartridge failure †¢ Computer lead fault †¢ Keyboard fault. E. G. missing keys or jammed keys. †¢ Faulty telephone line †¢ Button jam For these you can ask members of staff if they know how to resolve the problem if not you can inform your manager and the IT Support team about the problem and they will do there best to fix the problem to get things running smoothly. 4. 2 Explain the purpose of following manufacturer’s instructions when dealing with problems The purpose of following the instructions from the manufacturer are there for a reason for both the heath and safety of the person using the equipment but the people around them and also to make sure that the equipment can continue to work to the best of its ability. . 3 Give example of how to deal with problems For some problems you can ask members of staff if they know how to resolve the problem if not you can inform your manager and the IT Support team about the problem and they will do there best to fix the problem to get things running smoothly again so that you can carry on with your job. 5. 1 Explain the purpose of meeting work standards and deadli nes when using equipment The purpose of meeting work standards and deadlines when using equipment will allow for all work to be at a good level of quality. This will show that you are responsible and people can put trust in you and they can rely on you to get jobs done on time with a high level of quality. You do not know who else might be waiting for your work; it could have to be passed on to someone else. It is important to use the office equipment quickly and efficiently so that it is ready for the next person to use. If you take a long time using something for example the printer and someone else needs to use it you could be stopping someone else from meeting their deadlines. 6. Explain the purpose of leaving equipment and the work area ready for the next user The Purpose of leaving equipment and work area ready for the next user because in a business environment people are working to a tight deadline and if you have left your work area or the equipment as it was when you last used it, then this becomes time consuming for the next person who wants to use it, because they will have to check that all the settings have been changed ba ck to normal. It is important to leave everything as you had found it. That way you can make the other persons job a little easier for them to do.

Proposal for a design project in the protection of bush fire prone land

Proposal for a design project in the protection of bush fire prone land Overview This document is a proposal to design a manual to explain the approval processes on fire protection emergency services on proposed developments on bush fire prone land.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on Proposal for a design project in the protection of bush fire prone land specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Introduction The aim of this document is to describe the nature of a bush fire prone land and the fire safety measures desirable to prevent any accidental occurrences of bush fires. Areas designated as bush fire prone are classified as vegetation areas and buffer zones. The former are typically divided into class 1 and 2. This classification depends on a combination on the vegetation type’s bush fire hazard and the proximity to any proposed development. Furthermore, these vegetation classes can be further divided into twelve sub-categories that are crucial in the determination of the building const ruction levels and the establishment of property protection zones. On the other hand, the buffer zones are classified beyond the vegetation classification areas and constitute land, which may be directly affected by bush because of an exposure to radiant heat. In most cases buffer zones may be 30 meters or 100 meters in breadth depending on the type of vegetation. Bush fire prone areas are gazetted on a map prepared by a relevant authority in collaboration with the fire protection agencies. These lands are identified on a planning certificate issued under the environmental planning and assessment legislation. Approval processes required if a property is identified as bush fire prone areas Any project, activity, or development on bush fire prone areas requires two distinct development processes. These types of assessment processes will depend on the type of the proposed development activity. For example, an integrated development will need the Bush Fire Safety Authority from the rele vant institution to become an integrated development under the legislation governing environmental matters. In addition, there are developments that do not require the Bush Fire Safety Authority. Bush fire safety authority should be obtained for developments such as a subdivision of bush fire prone land that can be utilized lawfully for residential purposes. Other developments on bush fire prone lands for fire protection purposes includes public utilities such as schools, medical facilities, restaurants, sheltered workshops and any other purpose prescribed by the relevant authority such as student or staff accommodation and respite care centers.Advertising Looking for proposal on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The relevant institution will be required to forward an application for an integrated development to obtain an acceptance or rejection of the application and the relevant terms for the a pproval or refusal. In case of refusal of an application, the local authority must also refuse the application. For the local developments, the legislations covering environmental planning and assessment must relate to the consultation and assessment requisites for developments on bush fire prone areas. It is a requirement that relevant institution must not grant development consent to any project application for any development on bush fire prone land unless the institution is contented that the development conforms to the requirements of planning for bush fire protection. In addition, it must consult with the relevant other stakeholders and relevant institutions concerning appropriate measures with respect to the proposed development, in order to ensure safety to human life, property, and the environment from any negative effect that may arise from bush fire. Local developments required to consider planning for bush fire protection Planning for protection of bush fires are directe d to zoning and subdivision of land and the construction of buildings of residential developments under building codes where land is categorized as being prone to bush fire. Other classes of building covered include pools, garages, and decks. Building types that may not be subjected to bush fire protection legislations includes dual occupancy dwellings that are not subject to zoning and subdivision since they are not able to meet the requirements of the planning for bush fire protection. In addition, land subdivided for residential or rural residential, or proposed developments identified as special fire protection purpose are not considered in this category. Furthermore, minor development elements such as swimming pools, clothing lines, fencing are exempted from the regulation. Requirements for an application for development on bush fire prone land The guidelines for planning for bush fire protection requires that a report must be submitted together with all necessary development a pplications on bush fire prone land to the relevant institution. The developer will be required to produce a bush fire assessment report that may contain a duly completed pro-rata form accompanied with the application kit to the planning for bush fire protection guidelines. Consequently, a developer may present an independent report prepared by a qualified fire protection consultant. The reports should be able to explain how the development proposal will be able to meet the standards provided by the guidelines for bush fire protection. The report should also specify the main objectives of the proposed development, as well as, the performance criteria for the various bush fire protection measures. The developer will also be required to provide integrated development proposals to address the specified criteria as per the guidelines for bush fire protection.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on Proposal for a design project in the protection of bush fire prone l and specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In addition, local developments are also required to abide by the guidelines. Thus, in order to meet the assessment criteria to the protection measures of bush fire, it is necessary that a developer make use of all the acceptable solutions, or make use viable alternative solutions that will meet the general requirements, performance criteria, as well as, specific objectives of the proposed development. Conclusion The bush fire assessment report leads to the establishment of the proposed development, or asset protection areas to be very valuable in the determination of building construction standards. The asset protection zones are areas set aside of managed land and are cleared of vegetation to minimize fuel loads; hence, providing a buffer zone between the proposed development and the hazard (vegetation). The area of the buffer zone depends on the type of vegetation, the levels of building construction, and the general slope of the landscape. Developers should not only depend on construction standards only since they are insufficient in providing protection from the impacts of bush fire. The maintenance of the buffer zones is the responsibility of the land developer and will be monitored by the relevant consent authority mandated to ensure that an ideal mechanism is put in place for the maintenance of the buffer zones over the lifetime of the proposed development. The reader should understand that developments such as fences, garages, or shades might be allowed within the buffer zones and within an approximated radius of ten meters of a dwelling unit, under conditions that the facilities are constructed form non-flammable materials.

Produce a report elaborating on the key strategic and operational Case Study

Produce a report elaborating on the key strategic and operational issues faced by the operations manager(s) in SPICE VILLAGE RES - Case Study Example In addition, the problems of the case will be addressed and recommendations will be also provided. Finally the report will conclude highlighting the important findings of the study. Table of Contents Introduction 4 Customers 5 Markets Supplied 5 Market-Order Winners and Order Qualifiers 6 PART II 8 Manufacturing Process and Service Delivery 9 Infrastructure to manage the delivery System 9 Conclusion 10 Bibliography 11 Introduction Spice Village is a Pakistani restaurant which is located in Upper Tooting Road in London. The restaurant is considered as one of the most authentic Tandoori restaurants of UK. The restaurant was opened in the year 2004 and has its branches in Southall and Tooting (Spicevillageltd, n.d. (a)). Initially, the restaurant was operated from a small shop, but the rising popularity and demand of the customers has allowed the company to expand its branches in 2008. It is known for offering unique dining experiences to the consumers. Some of the noteworthy dishes of Spice Village are Kebabs, Nihari, Chops, Biriyanis, Karahi and few other dishes from fish. Apart from these dishes, the restaurant also sells chicken dishes, vegetable dishes, soft drinks and deserts, and some other special dishes. From the time of its inception, the company has witnessed tremendous successes. Based on high success rate, the company has also carried out expansions to the other parts of London. The particular area where the restaurant is situated comprises many other restaurants. Spice Villages has almost 25 competitors. Nevertheless, Spice Village is the largest among the existing players of the market in which it operates. With stylish and elegant setting and astonishing store ambience, the company has been able to attract many customers. It has a seating capacity of 220, which acts as a competitive advantage to the firm (Spicevillageltd, n.d. (b)). Spice Village has also achieved various other credentials to its name. For example, the restaurant has won Tiffin Cup award and was also declared as ‘the top nosh† restaurant by The Guardian (Khan, n.d.). Such achievements and good market reputation have helped the company gain substantial market share. The next half of the report will shed light on the strategic context of the company. PART I Customers Spice Village sells a wide range of products to the customers. The primary rationale behind adopting a differentiation strategy is to cater to a large customer base. The special dishes include Kebabs, Nihari, Chops, Biriyanis, Karahi and dishes made of fish. In addition, the restaurant also sells chicken dishes, vegetable dishes, soft drinks and deserts, and some other special customized menus. Thus, from the strategy it is clear that the company tries to cater to a diversified group of customer. Nonetheless, as the menu is basically Pakistani, the restaurant mainly targets Pakistani population and other Asians. The company does not prefer catering to the Chinese, Scandinavians and Afri can customers for some specified reasons. For example, the Chinese people are not targeted as the employees, and the owners of the restaurants do not understand the Chinese language. On the other hand, the restaurant owners think that Scandinavians eat extremely slow and can block the places of other potential customers. Finally, regarding the Africans, the restaurant owner perceives that Africans want the food to be served as soon as possible and cheap. The restaurant also does not sell any sort of alcoholic products, which restricts them to

Interpretation of Statistics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Interpretation of Statistics - Research Paper Example 2. The ages of the children at the time they underwent intestinal investigation is given in Table 1. Assume that all the children had their MMR immunisation at age 1 year. On average how much time elapsed between the MMR and investigation (calculate this) KM Madsen, A Hviid, M Vestergaard, D Schendel, J Wohlfahrt, P Thorsen, J Olsen, M Melbye. A Population-Based Study of Measles, Mumps and Rubella Vaccination and Autism. N England J Med, 2002 347: 1477-1482 Answer: Unlike case control study, cohort study gives the freedom to include samples both from affected (diseased) and unaffected (without disease i.e. control) pool. We can compare the effect of a specific phenomenon on both the population types simultaneously and draw inference accordingly through cohort study. Although, the cohort study is more expensive but, the validation of information on exposure is complete and always provide enough information on incidence rates of the diseases. Cohort study is a rare exposure and minimise bias in the exposure determination. But sometimes the diseases are rare. In that situation case-control study is a must which Examine multiple etiologic factors for a single disease. Answer: Information from the Danish Civil Registration System was used to identify the link from the accompanying adult to child. Thus, 98.5 percent of children were identified with the use of child's civil registry number or the civil-registry number of father or mother and the age of the child at the time of vaccination on the basis of additional information The remaining 1.5 percent of children were identified on the basis of additional information from Danish Civil Registration System on other relatives and information on the address at the time of vaccination. So far as the diagnosis is considered, all diagnosis were based on standard criteria like International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10) which is similar to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) with regard to autism. e) Is this method of case ascertainment likely to identify all cases of autism in the cohort If some children with

Male Role in Female Empowerment

Male Role in Female Empowerment This paper looks at the issue of womens empowerment, the role of men in empowering women, women and feminist reaction to their involvement, their own reaction as men, how they can be efficiently and effectively involved and the way forward. Until the 19th century, women accepted their mediocre status in society as they lacked the educational and economic resources that would enable them challenge the prevailing social order. Attempts to right the inequalities between men and women necessitate the empowerment of women economically, socially, politically and culturally. Women must be given the educational and economic resources that will free them from mens domination, patriarch, oppression, violence and servitude. Like the case of vaccines where weakened or dead microbes of the kind that cause a disease is administered to stimulate immune system to produce antibodies against that disease, if men are seen as the perpetrators and the cause of women problems, then it is simply wise to effectively and efficiently involve them in solving societal inequalities that exist between men and women. Once feminists, advocates, activists and women in general view men everywhere as inherently part of the problem, efforts at empowering women must involve and engage men, hence the proliferation of an interest in men and masculinities in recent years. The lives of men and women are interdependent and any benefit from women empowerment will go a long way to benefit both. Hence, there was a call on countries in 1994 at the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) to promote mens support in the struggle for gender equality and encourage their involvement and shared responsibility in all areas of family life and reproductive health. Research has shown that, partnering with men is an important strategy for advancing womens empowerment. Again, the need for the involvement of men has been precipitated by a series of global processes such as the 48th session of the United Nations Commission on the status of Women (CSW), which discussed the role of boys and men in achieving womens empowerment and gender equality. This need for mens involvement is underscored by the fact that mens power over women in many contexts necessitates working with men to change the conditions of womens life; for mens power in society is exercis ed from personal decision regarding family size to the policy and programme decisions taken at all levels of government. Again, men as perpetrators arouses the need for their involvement, that is in treating the disease of womens disempowerment, ignoring the cause will only make the fight, a back and forth unprogressive agenda and as such to remedy the situation , the real cause-men, must be involved in the whole process. Also empowering women, calls for the pulling together of many resources for its accomplishment and these resources unfortunately are largely controlled by men who determines its distribution, beneficiaries and accessibility and hence it makes greater sense to pull them along on the pathway of womens empowerment to be able to assess and enjoy the resources needed in the process. Last but not the least, it is important to involve men due to the fact that, they are largely the leaders in society serving predominantly as decision makers, opinion makers as well as publi c figures who the younger generation both male and female emulate as part of their socialization and as such for womens empowerment to be achieved, men as leaders must be reached, encouraged and mobilized to become committed to gender equality in all aspects of human interactions and relationships to serve as good examples to the younger generation to acquire a wholesome socialization that view both men and women as equal and not as one being superior and the other inferior. It is worth noting that the exemplary life of men as leaders in the socialization of boys and girls is very vital in achieving and ensuring gender equity on the backdrop that they (boys and girls) are more susceptible to change and mental restructuring. It is therefore against these backgrounds that mens involvement in womens empowerment is deemed as very crucial and influential. On the assumption that humans in general are resistant to change, particularly to their norms values and belief systems, it is not surprising that some men have and are still fighting against the notion of womens empowerment based on the hidden reason of trying to defend their privileges and power because of fear of the loss of authority and economic benefits that they perceive womens empowerment would involve and also their resentment of what they see as attention and resources being given disproportionately to women. For some other men, the blame-game strategy of some feminists and seeing them as so evil deters them from changing their personal masculinities and also join in the struggle for women empowerment. On the other divide, the attention being paid to men on their involvement in addressing their superiority ideologies, over-emphasized masculinities, violent and abusive behavior in stimulating changes in their relationships with girls and women has been met with the feminist ideology of on our terms/conditions indicating a limited space for mens involvement and tangible participation. Although male involvement in womens empowerment has been of recent concern, many women working in the field remain unconfident, uncertain, antagonistic and very hostile to the idea that men might be or are partners in the fight for gender equality. Thus the emergence of men as advocates for womens empowerment has been received with a lot of suspicion, within some feminist circles; they are viewed as competitors for the limited funds available for womens rights and not as a supporting initiative. Some argue that men were coming to take over with the aim of wiping out feminist movement whilst others see men as competitors in empowering women rather than complimentary to their efforts and advocacy. Interestingly, in the mens fraternity, men working as aids to womens empowerment are seen as betraying their fellow men and sometimes referred to as men who are sat on by women in their communities. Mens role in the promotion of womens empowerment has therefore become topical and yet contested in various quarters among feminist and women who work in the field. Many feminist have viewed the involvement of men in womens empowerment with so much suspicion emanating from the distrust for men and their fear that men will try to use subtle and deceptive means to defend and maintain their privileges and power because of fear of the loss of authority and economic benefits thereby undermining the fight for womens empowerment. Men have been seen as the cause and perpetrators of the down trodden image of women and therefore it is quite uncomfortable for some feminist at involving them in their fight. Perhaps questions like why these men should be involved in the first place, how are they to be involved, whether they are willingly and will be truly committed to the fight, why on earth will men be interested in empowering women considering the superiority, power and autonomy they enjoy, and what solutions, measures and prescriptions do they have to offer in empowering them as women repeatedly clouds the minds of many feminist. This suspicion also arise s from the issue of whether men will really welcome the idea and state of women being equal to them in terms of status, power, and leadership and decision-making, are men really determined to work with women without setting or prescribing boundaries and limitation to how, which form and the extent to which women can be empowered. It is therefore against this background that many if not all women view mens involvement in their empowerment with much suspicion, hostility and hesitations. For some their hostility arises from the fear that the involvement of men in their empowerment would overshadow their efforts with them selling out to a watered down agenda. Again, in working with men to empower women, most development institutions lack the needed determination and focus of working towards a more equal world where men will not be seen as superior to women. Certainly the way in which work with men has been taken up by development institutions has often been lacking in ambition and devoi d of political intent, preoccupied with creating more equitable men, rather that galvanizing mens activism for a more equal world.( Cornwall et al, Dialogues on womens empowerment). Gender equality work with men cannot expect to participate in efforts to secure gender justice simply on the basis of men being the other half of gender but an interdependent part. Personally, for the empowerment of women to be achieved, the role of men can never be overemphasized due to the fact that the lives of men and women are intertwined such that whatever affects one directly or indirectly affects the other. It is worth noting that men even in the most traditional and patriarchal societies believe and support womens empowerment and would want to see their mothers, sisters, daughters and wives live in a society where equity and justice is paramount. Many more men in our view are ready to lace with their women folk in their empowerment- this can clearly be seen around us with the increase in the number of feminist men who have joined in the battle. However if women and feminist want men to be truly committed and involved in their empowerment, then these men should be seen as allies and not competitors, thus men should be seen as complimentary to their efforts rather their challengers or rivals. Again, the tagging men as evil and destructive must stop; othe rwise men will continue to be defensive and resistant to the changes that women desire in them for their empowerment. If we want to reach out to men to influence change, we cannot portray men as evil, since no man identifies himself as such Instead, non-judgmental messages which can provoke thinking and reflection among men for change must be employed. Also, feminist suspicion of men on their involvement in the fight for womens empowerment must give way to trust through restructuring of their thought pattern and channeling their energies in reaching, encouraging, empowering and mobilizing men to become part of the movement which is committed to womens empowerment. Furthermore it is important to educate and sensitize boys in their formative years through both formal educational system and in informal setting through peer programmes and also efforts must be made to incorporate attention of men and boys in legislation, policies and programmes on womens empowerment and to develop ways t o ensure active participation. Last but not the least, many more men can be brought on board if they are encouraged, expose and educated on the need to empower women by their peers. It will be an easier effort if men speak to men on womens empowerment because men feel more comfortable discussing such issues with their peers and are more convince when their peers informs them on issues. Despite all the drawbacks and challenges outlined above, no responsible man would love to see the children and wife become paupers or marginalized. Considering the important role women play in the development agenda, it is only proper men get involved irrespective of how some women activist view it. Women have the primary task of child rearing and therefore need all the resources to execute this task in other to break the cyclical transmission of poverty from generation to generation. Women transmit values to the next generation therefore, to make the biggest impact on development; society must empower and invest in its women. The lives of men and women are interdependent and any benefit from women empowerment will go a long way to benefit both. Hence, it is no wonder that when the call was made on countries in 1994 at the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) to promote mens support in the struggle for gender equality and encourage their involvement and share d responsibility in all areas of family life and reproductive health many men accepted. With mens power in public and private life, their cooperation is indispensable in the domestic and community spheres, national politics, finance and governance. Consequently, the empowerment of women is very crucial for the development of any society considering the roles they play in society and the fact they form more than half of the human resource of a nation but their empowerment cannot materialize without men being involved. Men have been at the centre stage of the issue of societal inequalities and hence remedying the situation requires their involvement. However, some feminist have met this development with much suspicion, hostility and distrust for these men. On the other hand, some feminist are advocating for the involvement of men as a way of addressing gender inequalities and mobilizing resource for womens empowerment. Accordingly, there is the need for those who work in the field to reach, encourage, empower, and mobilize men to become part of the fight to achieve greater success.

Abrahamic Religion Essay

Religion is the one element of life that has connected the races and societies of the world for hundreds of years. It has given meaning to lives that may seem otherwise hopeless. Out of the 5 religions I have looked at, I think 3 of the religions are the most alike. Christianity, Judaism and Islam are all very closely unified as Abrahamic religions because they share tons of common beliefs and thoughts. My investigation is on some of the similarities and differences of these three religions. All three religions believe in one God and the same God, the God of Abraham. So how do they differ? The Abrahamic faiths are strictly monotheistic. Even though Christians believe the Holy Triune (God as the Father, the Son and the Hoy Spirit.) they still consider God as one. Despite the many similarities between the Abrahamic faiths, there are some differences. For instance, Judaism denies that Jesus was a prophet while Christians and Islam acknowledge Jesus as a prophet. Also, the three religions all have their own special worship days. The Muslims worship on Fridays, the Jews have their worship on Saturdays and the Christian one is on Sundays. See more: The Issues Concerning Identity Theft Essay The Jews, the Muslims and the Christians all worship in different places and have different religious texts. The Jews worship in a place called the synagogue. In some synagogues, men and women have to sit separately. The Jews study the Torah. Torah is part of the Tanakh (Hebrew scriptures), which is compromised, with the five books of Moses. (From the Old Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.) The Muslims on the other hand worship in a building called the mosque. Like the Jews, Muslim men and women are not allowed to worship and pray in the same place. The Muslims’ religious text is called the Qur’an. The Qur’an is written 600 years after the books of the bible. It entails several dozen pestles, greatly differing in length. They have ostensibly dictated by Muhammad (The man who claimed to be a prophet.). And lastly, the Christians worship in the church. The church is often recognized as God’s body on earth. Unlike the Jews and the Muslims, the Christians come together in a group but they are allowed to worship God on their own in any place. The Christians study the Holy Bible. The Bible is the Tanakh that’s reordered and now called the Old Testament, complemented with the New Testament which consists mainly of the Gospels and a bunch of letters written by the followers of Jesus to other followers of Jesus. The Abrahamic religions believe that there will be a Day of Judgment where God or a prophet will come down to Earth and judge everyone. Even though the three religions have the same basic view on it there are some differences in what they believe will happen on that day. The Christians believe that on this day, God will judge all people. They believe there will be two judgments, the first one is the entry to heaven based on faith and the second one is the position in heaven based on deeds. Like the Christians, Muslims believe that the present life is only a trail preparation for the next realm of existence; this life is a test of each individual for the life after death. The Jews on the other hand has a totally different view on this day. They believe that Muhammad will come to judge them instead of God. They also believe that the people will be categorized into 3 groups. The first group will be immediately inscribed for everlasting life they are the thoroughly righteous people; the second group will be doomed in hell, they are the thoroughly wicked people and the third group will go down to Hell and squeal and rise again, these are the people in between bad and good. In my opinion it is so interesting to see how three different religions can be so similar but also at the same time.

What can the public sector procurement learn from the private organisation procurement teams?

Simply viewed, purchasing is ultimately purchasing. Procurement specialists in the two sectors and even from the third sector of charitable, non-profit, and volunteer groups order their purchases from the same suppliers. Both the private and the public sectors pursue value for money. Towards this end, they plan responsible efficient and flexible procurement systems. However, few differences draw the distinction between the two sectors. This is reflected in the radically different dynamics in the two sectors’ operations. As the paper unfolds, it emerges that there is a lot which the public sector can learn from the private sector if it is to achieve the same level of success enjoyed by the former (Barrett and Hill, 2004). The volume or size reflects on one of the commonly touted differences in the procurement sectors (Braczyk, Cooke and Heidenreich, 1998). However, it is inevitable to examine differences in reporting, competition, trade agreements, accountability, corporate culture, tendering processing, awarding tenders, and performance. It is also important to look into professionalism across the two sectors. The commonality or difference in skills is critical also. Ethical considerations across the two sectors are equalled examined with a view to raising valuable information whether the public sector has something to learn from the private sector or not. The public sector management environment is heavily regulated by policy, legislation, and specific processes while on the other hand, the private sector remains more receptive to enterprising and entrepreneurial dynamics as exhibited by their differences in corporate culture (Braczyk, Cooke and Heidenreich, 1998). It is true that the private sector is also subject to certain rules and regulations but the difference rests on the nature of the regulations. The entrepreneurial dynamics are apparently an absent phenomenon in the public sector apart from few instances. This entrepreneurial focus is an area where the public procurement sector needs to learn and improve on based on the private procurement sector model. However, the sector may be impeded by the political influence, as the partisan nature of political processes is influential. The professionals who work in the public sector procurement need significantly more than the regular amount of diplomacy, patience, communication skills, and political intelligence if it is to prevail (Barrett and Hill, 2004). On the other hand, private sector procurement operates in more advanced challenges in the form of bigger risks, more recognition, among other issues. It is on this premise that the view that private sector pays more recognition to competence as key towards success in comparison to the public sector is held. The public procurement sector should minimise the diplomacy and political leanings and focus on competency just as the private procurement sector. Such focus should ensure bigger and attractive returns. Accountability and transparency present other areas of concern in reference to procurement (Barrett and Hill, 2004). This is influenced by the fact that the stakeholders in the public sector procurement come from diverse circles and do not stand a meaningful chance in influencing it. The stakeholders largely composed of taxpayers, clients, elected officials, and in other instances; vendors, underscore this realization. On the converse, the private procurement sector employs up-to date mechanisms to ensure accountability ad transparency in engagements. Most private procurement entities also focus on specific markets, an aspect that the public procurement sector can only attain through the establishment of specialised separate units to address the various aspects of procurement demands. It is thus not surprising that before procurement decisions are made, it is preferred that consensus is struck. Public organizations thus focus on consensus building rather than working competitively (Braczyk, Cooke and Heidenreich, 1998). Public procurement officers are as a result under an obligation to work cooperatively as opposed to doing so competitively. This is further under-lied by the idea that public enterprises engage in the sharing of some information, as it is a requirement in most public organisations. Ontario Public Buyers Association offers an example of organisations, which operate under these conditions. Consensus building is desirable towards appeasing contending stakeholders but this holds limited economic sense. This holds true since consensus building does not factor in the essence of time and other factors, which influence business in a positive manner. As proposed earlier, public procurement should be split into specialised units to deal with specific issues in procurement as it happens in the private sector. The freedom and flexibility to conduct business is absent in the public sector (Earl, 2002). On the converse, the private sector enjoys the presence of these attributes, which constitute the dream pursuits of every buyer. Flexibility is examined in reference to the kind of red tape associated with the public sector procurement. The procedural rules negatively influence the procurement process as the lengthening of the exercise proves an unattractive proposition. The red tape as a result puts constraints and unnecessary demands on the process of procurement. Red tape was intended to ensure observance of set rules ad regulations, but this s no longer congruent with emerging trends in business. As a result, doing away with the unnecessary procedural demands is desirable if the public procurement sector is to make progress. The absence of purposeful negotiations, discussions, leniency measures further compounds the shortcomings associated with public sector procurement. It is notable that public enterprises do not take their time in responding to issues like requests for proposals. Precision and detail must be presented to every relevant department before a decision is arrived at. On the converse, in the private sector procurement, the clients’ issues are keenly attended to as required. In the entrepreneurship spirit, private sector procurement allows for the negotiation of deals on the basis of fees and terms of work which appeal to both parties, as a result, growth in private procurement in tandem with quality of work (Earl, 2004). The focus is on building a good and long lasting working relationship between customers and private organizations. In the private sector procurement, if a company or client secures a satisfactory engagement, when similar projects emerge, the need to go through the same sieving exercises are not considered. The basis upon which tenders are given rests o the previous records of accomplishment. The solid ethical and moral aspects, which governmental organizations lean on, account for some unnecessary engagements. Public sector procurement demands that adherence to rules and procedures are unquestionable (Edquist, 1997). The formal protocol on responsibility, liability, accountability, and the need to protect government information constrains public procurement. On the other hand, the private sector procurement extends freedom on contractual engagements. The private sector clients focus on the market share, competitiveness, and visibility, fees, and contracts act as a measure towards achieving these goals. The moment corporate professionalism is established with a private sector client, the credibility set is useful in determining fruitful future engagements. Of late, governments are embracing e-Procurement; this embracement is based on the realization made concerning the beneficial attributes arising from both administrative and cost reductions associated with such in the private sector (Malerba, 2002). Tendering platforms, desktop purchasing systems, and e-marketplaces, features common in private sector procurement have been adopted in the public sector procurement. This is a positive step, which should pave way for similar improvements towards the promotion of efficiency and effectiveness. The nature of public sector procurement goes through rigorous bureaucratic procedures based on institutional demands (Miles, 2004). The regulation process of public procurement, which witnesses different roles played by international, national, and regional authorities, implies that this type of procurement faces a number of hurdles to overcome. This regulation is meant to ensure competition and transparency in the procurement exercise. To cite an example, public procurement in the UK has to be consistent wit the European Union procurement guidelines, which offer a framework of rules on the issue. These rules and regulations deter EU member countries from distorting competition in public procurement on the basis of geographical or national basis. The creation of the European market provides an avenue for getting value for money in the procurement sector. Apart from adhering to the European Union policy on public procurement, the public institutions must also comply with the requirements imposed by the government as reflected by the Value for Money policy. This policy demands that procurement choices should be premised on whole life cost assessment as opposed to lowest price only. On the basis of this synopsis, it is clear that government procurement is diverse in respect to what it has to cover. This extension and complexity implies that achieving efficiency and lower costs is hard to make operational. Reducing the complexity characterising public sector procurement is thus a challenge. The tendering process is designed in a way that ensures that work done by the government is given out fairy. The government considers the pricing and the nature of the entity offering the required services. The aim is to ensure that tender processing is fairly done based on governmental policies. Though important, pricing is not the major focus in public procurement (Malone, 2001). On the other hand, private sector tendering focuses on fairness and effectiveness in reference to competition. This is based on the drive towards achieving the most cost-effective outcomes in the tendering process. The primary focus is the cost effect, an attribute the government needs to learn from the private sector tendering (Malone, 2001). The political elite holds a lot of power when it comes to public tendering. This is partly due to the fact that the political class hold executive powers in country leaderships. On the other hand, in the private sector, key officials of companies who hold the required expertise holds the power of making decisions on the tendering processes (Malone, 2001). The public sector should learn from the private sector by fully authorising the bureaucratic experts to control the tendering process. If the public sector is to be in a position to operate competitively, it needs to posses buyer power. As in the case of the private buyer power, the public purchasing power may rise from the size of demand in reference to the public sector against the total market demand or due to strategic importance (Cohen and Levinthal, 2006). The size of the market however big, it may be affected by the uncoordinated and fragmented approach by the public procurement sector. This uncoordinated approach lowers the purchasing power of the public procurement sector. This presents one area the public sector needs to learn from the private sector. Towards this end, the public procurement sector should learn how to coordinate its activities properly in order to take advantage of its aces to big markets. The public procurement sector is fraught with unnecessary restrictions on participation (Cohen and Levinthal, 2006). The sector is also characterised with cost escalation. This especially affects small bidders. Such represent the level of discrimination in the sector. Large firms who are at a sound financial standing are thus the ones favoured in the public procurement sector. Towards reducing the chances of participation from the procurement process, the nature of restricted communication as reflected in the limited publication of contracting opportunities, this coupled with the narrow based qualification criteria place too much focus on firm size and experience. There are both benefits associated with increasing the number of bidders. However, the question of whether the government attains the balance between increased costs due to the higher number of participants and the expected drop in the prices as a result of the fierce competition both within the short term and the long-term. The pursuit of value for money should ensure the correct trade off is made, however, this may never be the case. This is attributable to the fact that the administrative costs are more visible as compared to the cost savings obtained from intense competition. Further, afield, risk aversion may lead to favouritism in which case, well-established companies and incumbents take the opportunities ahead of new entrants. Incumbency may limit participation. This is possible if minor suppliers believe that the public procurement sector is friendly to senior suppliers. This implies that some suppliers may boycott the bidding exercises, as they fear their success chances are limited. Such boycotts may in turn trigger price increases due to lowered competition (Cohen and Levinthal, 2006). Openness and publicness pass as challenges on the public procurement sector. Everything, which is done by public procurement, is subject to scrutiny from the public. The public purchases are normally orchestrated through invitations for bids. This opens the process to public bidding. In public procurement, public bid tabulations, which are posted on government websites. This implies that everybody understands what is going on. Overall, the private sector procurement focuses on profit, which is achievable through fierce competition. In practice, there is great variation in the way in which private managers go about establishing links with the customers. This is captured by the pursuit of firms’ attempts to lock opponents out of the market (Malone, 2001). Some firms operate in unstable environments, others like do like monopolies, while others operate in relatively protected niches where entrants find it difficult to make inroads, this under-lies the kind of challenges facing private businesses. Some sectors and businesses adopt methods, which are technologically advanced than others, further compounding the challenges (Egeberg, 1995). On the other hand, the public sector passes as a more homogeneous entity operating in a placid environment. Bureaucratic organisations are in most cases long establishments, which act, as monopolistic suppliers. The supply is to the society as opposed to the market, further to this, the pursuit of profits do not take precedence ahead of the provision of services to the citizens. The assumption that the public sector has been lacking in innovation is often advanced. However, Tan, (2004) notes that the spur of competition lacks in public procurement, a stark contrast with the private sector procurement. The public procurement sector should embrace new technological innovations like e-Procurement if it is to gain from benefits associated with such advancements, as is the case in private procurement (Fagerberg, Mowery and Nelson, 2000). Conclusion The drive towards introducing private-like procurement style into the public procurement sector is a plausible effort as this in the end translates into a number of benefits desirable to the needs of the clients its serves. Such adoption is bound to increase efficiency thorough cost reductions and improvement on service provision. The social responsibility is the major bottleneck affecting the public sector procurement. The public institutions remain accused of being irresponsive to the needs of the people they serve. However, all public organisations exist in a global setting, which heavily bears on how operations are conducted. This co-existence; between public and the other sectors imply that there is a lot to be passed or transferred through learning. The continued nature of existence of the public sector also indicates that learning through experience is a possibility since the various governments institutions are in a position to determine what works and the others which fail. The role of competition however desirable it is may prove inapplicable to the public sector procurement. This is the case in reference to when the public institutions are bidding for example, weaponry and other sensitive products. The public sector is also charged with diverse responsibilities, which are not based on economic terms but rather on the social responsibility aspect. Despite this, the public sector should learn from the public sector on how to become competitive on various fronts. On the basis of the above realisation, it is hypothetically presented that adopting measures to delink the public procurement sector from the diplomatic and political machinations presents a way out in the area. The sector should also encourage more competition in terms of recruiting skilful personnel and in allowing a level playground when it comes to the tendering process. The sector is equally expected to alter the procedural requirements, which mire the biding and tendering exercises. Such a move should lead to a flexible system, which paves way for the achievement of efficiency and effectiveness in the sector.