Electronic Health Records: the Good and the Bad Essay

The Electronic Health Record (EHR) is an electronic record of patient health information created by one or more encounters in any care delivery setting. The information included in an EHR are patient demographics, progress notes, problems, medications, vital signs, past medical history, immunizations, laboratory data and radiology reports. â€Å"EHRs are designed to reach out beyond the health organization that originally collects and complies information† (Zerwekh and Zerwekh Garneau, 2014 p.541). It focuses on the complete heath of the patient. â€Å"EHR introduction into the health care system can be viewed as an innovation† (Advanced Practice Nurses’†¦, 2013). Before EHRs, access to medical charts required a fair amount of time, every patient that visited the office or hospital, their file had to be physically pulled. EHRs have eliminated that hassle, not only do they reduce time, but also reduce errors. EHRs are more â€Å"legible because there is no hand writing and they are always up to date† (Zerwekh and Zerwekh Garneau, 2014 p. 542). The EHR has the potential to improve the quality and safety of patient care when used correctly. It can improve communication with medication safety. â€Å"EHRs improve safety by reducing adverse drug events with alerts, reminders, and potential drug interactions† (Advanced Practice Nurses’†¦, 2013). An important disadvantage of EHRs are HIPPA violations. Since EHRs allow for easier access to sensitive information, there is an increased risk of privacy violations. â€Å"Security policies must be explicit and well defined† (Zerwekh and Zerwekh Garneau, 2014 p. 535). HIPPA violations are not to be taken lightly, serious consequences can occur. The use of health information technology may improve health care quality,  but it has its disadvantages. Technology is growing and changing constantly, it important to stay informed. The good can out way the bad, as long as policies are followed. References Narcisse, M., Kippenbrock, T. A., Odell, E., and Buron, B. (2013). Advanced Practice Nurses’ Meaningful use of Electronic Health Records, Retrieved from www.elsevier.com/locate/apnr Zerwekh, J., & Zerwekh Garneau, A. (2014). Nursing Today: transitions and trends, Eighth Edition, 535-542.

The Digestive System and the Urinary System

Man loves food and loves to eat. His appetite is always good and in some cases, he will eat food even if he is not hungry especially if the food is tasty. Of course, food has to get into the blood to be carried to the body’s cells. Only soluble food or food which has already been dissolved can do this. Most of the food we eat, however, is insoluble. Even if you grind it down finely, it still won’t dissolve. And so, to make use of it, our body has to break it down into chemicals which can dissolve.This breakdown is called digestion, and it takes place in the digestive system. After our body completely utilizes the food and its nutrients or minerals, it becomes waste and this waste should be removed. It is now the part or role of the urinary system to control the discharge of certain waste materials filtered from the blood by the kidneys. Understanding these two systems, working hand in hand, would further improve one’s appreciation of how our body functions. Our d igestive system is a tube with two openings and many specialized organs.It extends from the mouth of the anus and is also called the gastrointestinal tract. An interesting fact about the gastrointestinal tract is that while food or food residues are in it, technically the material is still outside the body. Nutrients don’t â€Å"officially† enter the body until they move from the space inside the digestive tube, its lumen, into the bloodstream. From beginning to end, mucus-coated epithelium lines surfaces facing the lumen. The thick, moist mucus protects the wall of the tube and enhances diffusion across its inner lining.When we eat, the food advances in one direction, following the major components of the human digestive system, from the mouth or oral cavity, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestine and the large intestine or colon. The large intestine ends in the rectum, anal canal and anus. . If the complete digestive system of an adult human were fully stretche d out, it would extend 6. 5 to 9 meters or 21 to 30 feet; definitely one big tube. The mouth or the oral cavity is the entrance to the digestive system where the food is moistened and chewed. It can be said that the polysaccharide digestion starts in the mouth.The pharynx is the entrance to the tubular part of the system and to the respiratory system as well. It moves the food toward by contracting sequentially. On the other hand, the esophagus is the muscular, saliva-moistened tube that moves food from pharynx to stomach. The stomach is the muscular sac which stretches to store the food we take, faster than can be processed. Gastric fluid mixes with food and kills many pathogens. If the mouth is the place for polysaccharide digestion, the stomach is the place where protein digestion starts. It secretes grhelin.Grhelin is the appetite hormone which is responsible for those individuals who always want to eat. The small intestine on the other hand, has three parts. The first part of t he small intestine, namely the duodenum which is C-shaped and almost 10 inches long, receives secretions from the pancreas, gallbladder and liver. The second part, the jejunum which is almost three feet long, is the part of the small intestine where most nutrients are digested and absorbed. The third part is the ileum which is six to seven feet long and absorbs some nutrients and delivers unabsorbed material to large intestine.The large intestine concentrates and stores undigested matter by absorbing mineral ions and water. The large intestine of the adult human is about five feet long and it is divided into ascending transverse and descending portions. The last two major components of the digestive system are the rectum and the anus. The rectum is the distension which stimulates expulsion of the feces while the anus is the end of the digestive system and has a terminal opening through which feces are expelled. (Smith and Morton, 2001). The other system, urinary system, consists onl y of the two kidneys, two ureters, urinary bladder and the urethra.The two kidneys are shaped like beans, with the indentation or hilum, which faces medially. The kidney contains both excretory and collecting elements in the form of epithelial tubes and cavities, which are separated and supported by connective tissue laced with blood vessels. The two ureters, urinary bladder and urethra are all collecting elements. The ureters carry the urine from each kidney to the urinary bladder. A single urethra then carries the urine to the outside. We should be aware that the urethra is one component of the urinary system whose final development and location differ in the male and female.The ureters and urinary bladder are also lined with transitional epithelium. Surrounding this lining are thick walls formed by multiple layers of smooth muscle held together by connective tissue, particularly prominent in the urinary bladder. The urethra is lined by a combination of epithelial types, ranging f rom transitional to stratified squamous. The stratified squamous is the epithelium characteristic of structure close to or on the outside of the body (Premkumar, 2004). To sum the components and functions of the urinary system, the two kidneys produce urine while the ureters convey the urine to the urinary bladder.The urinary bladder in return stores the urine while the urethra transports the urine out of the body. The digestive system maintains the homeostasis in the human body through mechanical processing and motility, secretion, digestion, absorption and elimination. In mechanical processing and motility, movements of the various parts, such as teeth, tongue and muscle layers, break up, mix and propel the food material that we eat. In secretion, the digestive enzymes and other substances are released into the digestive tube.Digestion occurs when the food that we eat is chemically broken down into nutrient molecules until they become small enough to be absorbed. Following digesti on, of course, is absorption, where the digested nutrients and fluid pass across the tube wall and into blood or the lymph. Finally, elimination takes place when the undigested and unabsorbed residues are eliminated form the end of the digestive system or gastrointestinal tract. While the urinary system maintains homeostasis in the body by excreting and reabsorbing important electrolytes, compounds and water.Depending on the changes in the blood’s acid-base balance, the kidneys can either excrete bicarbonate or form new bicarbonate and add it to the blood. The necessary chemical reactions go on in the cells of the so called nephron tubule walls. For example, when the blood is too acid such as when we drink softdrinks or soda, water and carbon dioxide combine with the help of an enzyme. They form a compound called the carbonic acid that then can be broken into bicarbonate and H+. Then, the bicarbonate produced in the reactions moves into the interstitial fluid, and form there into peritubular capillaries.It ends up in the general circulation, where it buffers excess H+. H+ formed in the tubule cells is removed from the body. It is secreted into the nephron’s lumen, where it may combine with bicarbonate ions in the filtrate. Sadly for them, those ions can’t cross the tubule wall. But when bicarbonate is not available, the excess H+ combines with phosphate ions or ammonia and is excreted in the urine. This is how kidneys rid the body of hydrogen ions. On the other hand, when the blood is too alkaline, chemical adjustments in the kidneys normally ensure that less bicarbonate is reabsorbed into the bloodstream.Based on how the structure and function of two organ systems collaborate to maintain the body’s homeostasis, I think that a robot having a digestive system and urinary system exactly alike that of the humans is impossible. Robots can be used to cure or treat digestive or urinary system problems but robots having these systems seem impossible. More generally, robots are used to treat humans and help doctors in surgeries. This is evident in the use of robots in surgery or the so-called â€Å"Surgical Robotics† which is considered to be the â€Å"state of the art and future trend, especially towards autonomy† (Finlay, 2007).The examples of medical robot taxonomy are medical robots, surgical robotics, non-surgical robotics, image guided robots and multi-arm telemanipulators. They are also used in neurosurgery and there are new developments such as the developing strategic surgical robots and tactical surgical robots. On the contrary, robots may have a â€Å"digestive system or urinary system† that is similar or functions the same way as the digestive system or urinary system of humans, but not totally or exactly the same.If humans were to create robots with digestive systems of urinary systems, then that would be really difficult and the resulting project would be really complex. In addition to this, it would require us to develop sophisticated nanotechnology or use a lot of nanotechnology just to create one digestive system or one urinary system. After all, it is the body which secretes the enzymes or chemicals which conducts the bodily processes needed in the human body. A robot cannot simply produce the chemicals which are exactly the same as what our body creates or secretes.A hypothetical digestive and urinary system for a robot would look similar to the parts and processes that occur inside the automobiles. The gasoline is the robot’s food and the carburetor or the pistons are the teeth of the robot. An engine will serve as the stomach and in the case of a spark ignition engine, the spark will be similar to the chemicals or enzyme which the digestive system releases in order to digest or ignite the food. The gasoline which was not properly utilized or if incomplete combustion occurs, carbon dioxide or other gas emissions (similar to feces in the human body) will be released in the exhaust.

How Steinbeck Presents the Character of Curley’s Wife in of Mice and Men? Essay

In the John Steinbeckà ¢s novel à ¢of Mice and Menà ¢ he introduces us to the character of Curleyà ¢s wife. She could be interpreted as a mis-fitting character in the novel as no one relates to her. Steinbeck relates her to how women were powerless during 1930à ¢s and makes her seem desperately lonely and isolated from the others on the ranch. She has sexual power which she uses to get to the men on the ranch and she just needs someone to talk to. She dislikes her husband and had a desire to become a movie star. She is not seem as an individual and has no name. This shows how a woman belonged to their husband. This essay is going to examine in detail how Curleyà ¢s wife has been presented in this novel. Steinbeck presents her as a negative married woman. She has been presented first through the dialogue of ranch-hand Candy when he describes her to George. His opinion is very sexist towards Curleyà ¢s wife as he says à ¢Curley married†¦a tartà ¢. This shows Steinbeck presents her in a very crude manner. The word à ¢tartà ¢ shows the immediate impression and effect Curleyà ¢s wife has on the other men on the ranch. Steinbeck used this effect because he wants to show the reader the first impression the man have about Curleyà ¢s wife. This affects the reader to pre-judge Curleyà ¢s wife even before she entered. She has been portrayed as dangerous. When Curleyà ¢s wife first appears both George and Lennie notices à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¦the rectangle of sunshine in the doorway is cut offà ¢. This suggests that Curleyà ¢s wife is like darkness. She is also dangerous and brings only trouble to ranch hands because when she appears their à ¢sunshineà ¢ is cut off. Light represents hope in this novel. The fact that light/sunshine has been cut off links back to the idea that Curleyà ¢s wife will stand between their dream and future and may take away their happiness and dream just like darkness. Steinbeck presents her as being very flirty and in need for attention. She is described as à ¢she has full rouged lips and wide spaced eyes and heavily made up. Her hair was hung in little rolled clusters, like sausagesà ¢. This part about her hair could be taken as an insult and she has failed to make herself attractive.

Public health Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Public health - Essay Example It is important for the public to continuously be sensitized on the impact that some of the common lifestyle choices such as physical activity, smoking, nutrition and diet can have on their health resulting in a higher risk of developing medical conditions such as cancer and obesity (Sattar and Lean, 2007). This paper will present a report analysis on the prevalence and impact Smoking, Obesity, Cancer and Physical activity across the United Kingdom. The immense benefits of a physically active lifestyle have been relatively well document and there currently exists a large amount of evidence that suggests that regular activity is closely related to significantly reduced risk of an individual developing a number of chronic conditions. Physical activity has repeatedly been shown to contribute to a wide range of health benefits and engaging in regular physical activity can have the effect of improving the health outcomes of an individual regardless of whether the individual is able to achieve weight loss (Dugdill, Crone and Murphy, 2009). According to statistics released by the UK Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC, 2014), a study conducted in the UK in 2012 found that an estimated 55% of women and 67% of men aged 16 years and over were able to meet the prescribed recommendations of aerobic activity while 26% of women and 19% of men were classified as being largely inactive. These figures are seen to be similar to those presented by in a 2013 press release by the UK Public Health Minister Anna Soubry. In the press release, pointed out that a quarter of the population are not doing even 30 min of physical activity a week and as such, these individuals are putting their health at risk (Department of Health, 2013). The survey by the HSCIC (2014) also showed that for both sexes the actual proportion of individuals that are able to meet the aerobic activity guidelines tends to generally decrease with age. The

Genetics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Genetics - Assignment Example Explain: This the coding sequence at any place of the gene and depending on the genetic material that is translocated an entirely new protein will be coded. Missense, point mutation, deletion of 3 bases or nonsense mutation at the end has a less severe effect. As these are all point mutation hence have a smaller influence on the entire structure of the protein. Explain: Cro- Magnon is also referred to as Homo sapien inhabited the earth approximately 10Â  000 to 40Â  000 years ago. This species lived in coexistence with the Neandethals in the Middle East and Europe for many years. The Neanderthal is assumed to have become extinct approximately 33Â  000 years ago. Australopithecus had already faced extinction by the time the Neanderthals came into existence. In addition, since Australopethicus had already become extinct it cannot coexist with homo erectus in the above mentioned time frame. Explain: Sickle cell anaemia is disorder that results from a monogenous disorder that leads to heterogenous clinical presentations. However, the disorder can be considered epistatic due to the fact that the phenotype of the disorder can be influenced by epistatic modifier genes Telomeres have repeated sequences and are located on the endings of each of the chromatids. They serve a protective role at these ends either from deterioration or fusing with the neighbouring chromosomes. In the process of cell division there is degradation of the telomeres which means that the repeated sequences are necessary to ensure that even after this process, there are still other sequences to protect remaining genes. In the Avery MacLeod and MacCathy experiment there were more possibilities and several techniques were utilized attempt to retrieve organic compounds and assess how the inheritance too place. These techniques were not yet present during the Griffith experiment. Griffith utilized heat in his experiment and live strains which

Could the Tide be Changing (Travel Agency Management) Essay

Could the Tide be Changing (Travel Agency Management) - Essay Example and Horner, S. 2006). However the recent proliferation of the e-commerce business model has challenged traditional adage that â€Å"location, location, location† is critical to commercial success (Chaffey, D. 2006); effectively undermining the traditional travel agency distribution model, forcing travel agencies to re-develop and reformulate competitive strategies to sustain growth (Zhou, Z. 2003). This is further evidenced by the recent merger of package holiday specialists MyTravel and Thomas Cook in 2007 (Taylor, I. 2007). It was reported that the merger was driven by business necessity in order to ensure survival in the competitive nature of the market facilitated by the e-commerce business model (Taylor, I. 2007). Moreover, it was propounded that â€Å"the merger is predicted to save  £75million a year by 2009/10 through cuts in duplicated services and assets including staff, shops, aircraft, offices and IT systems, particularly in the UK† (Taylor, I 2007). Whilst some analysts reacted to the merger as a further nail in the coffin of the high street travel agent, the alternative question posed is whether this in fact matters in the digital arena (Taylor, I. 2007). Moreover, it is arguable that the proliferation of the Internet and online growth could in fact have signalled a new tide against the recent trend of losses and closures within the industry. The focus of this analysis is to evaluate recent business analyst forecasts signalling the decline of the high street travel agency within the emerging online market as evidenced by the rapid growth of â€Å"virtual† travel agencies such as Expedia and lastminute.com (Evans, N., Campbell, D. & Stonehouse, G. 2003) Whilst, the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) figures indicate a significant reduction in high street travel agencies (www.abta.com), this analysis will evaluate whether such

Landscape regeneration project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Landscape regeneration project - Essay Example Landscapes are usually taken for granted and become so much a part of everyday life that they go unnoticed, till something happens to disturb the placidity. A landscape is never static; as cultures evolve, the concept and ideas underlying the definition of landscape also change. Landscapes contain myriad aspects, those of family history, familiar landmarks, historic buildings, art and antiques, plants and animals. Concerns with regard to landscape conservation are so widespread and growing so fast that it becomes extremely difficult to define a landscape. Most interpretations of the landscape reflect personal and collective self interest - things valued as mine or ours. Societies may be modest about what they are but are always proud of what they were. The Environment Act of 1995 places a duty on National Park Authorities aimed at 'conserving and enhancing natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the National Park' and 'promoting opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of areas by the public'. National policy explicitly defines 'heritage' as ancient archaeological remains, sites and historic structures, and thus largely conceives of landscape in terms of the role it plays as a setting or backdrop for these remains, structures or sites. The time-depth this framing brings with it is clear: 'heritage' is to be defined more closely in line with the impressions it has of the past, as opposed to the impressions it may leave in the present. As such, the idea of heritage, and thus landscapes, as a process in itself is overlooked (Ross, 1995). In recent years, the world's waterfronts have provided a particular focus for culture led regeneration. Marshall (2001, p. 3) describes the waterfront as space "in the city which allows expressions of hope for urban vitality". "These waterfront redevelopment projects speak to our future, and to our past. They speak to a past based in industrial production, to a time of tremendous growth and expansion, to social and economic structures that no longer exist. . . ." (Marshall, 2001, p. 5). In this paper, we revisit the regenerative development work carried out in Newcastle-Gateshead Quayside and the West End to discover whether the stated objectives of the project have actually been achieved and to examine how the new developments have achieved different results in localities adjacent to each other. Landscape and Regeneration The meaning of the English word landscape both encompasses framed views of specific sites and the scenic character of whole regions; it applies equally to graphic and textual images as to physical locations (Daniels and Cosgrove: 1989). Landscape holds a broad intellectual scope as a theoretical concept across the arts humanities, and social sciences. It is easy to theorise and redefine landscape into distinct parcels of 'culture', 'history', 'environment', 'prehistory', 'associations' and 'nature' (Cosgrove, 1998, Olwig, 2002, Corner: 1999, Smith: 2003, Bender: 1993), but what and how does one combine these to define a landscape that takes all these within its ambit. How a person interprets a landscape depends upon the individual's background, knowledge and experience. The opinion of the 'expert' and that of the 'common man' on the street may, and is most likely to, be substantially different as to what represents the landscape of a

Letter Requesting university to allow the reenrolment of the student Essay

Letter Requesting university to allow the reenrolment of the student who has failed the subject twice - Essay Example The only excuse for me is that there are great differences between educational standards of two counties and organization of the education process. During the first year of study, things were really different for me: I was deprived friends and family support. I had no one to give a piece of advice and emotionally support me. Within my class, I did not have a true friend to analyze and compare my educational progress and achievements. My life resembled a snow ball: one problem caused another problem, etc. It seemed reasonable to expect that there would be cross-cultural differences in homework preferences similar to learning style preferences. But I learnt the same way as I had taught it in my native country. I am grateful to Professor Antony who directs and supports me in my professional growth and career development. Professor Antony advised me to work with a construction company as an architect in order to improve my academic results and skills. On holidays, I went back to my home country, India, and worked under an architect office for two months. During this period, I worked hard on my weak areas due to which I was facing academic difficulties. I understand that there is growing need for highly trained staff specialists, as well as for architects to coordinate the work and construction projects. I am very serious about my career and this year is crucial and precious time for me. I ask you for a chance to continue education and develop strong personal skills and values important in my profession. Every vocation has its peculiar satisfactions and frustrations, when considered from the viewpoint of routines and rewards. If you give me a chance to re-enrol, I will take into account all my weak areas and previous problems: 1) my attendance is going to be 100%; 2) at least a week before or 4 days before, I will complete my submissions and show them to the tutor for his review; 3) as I already mentioned, I have worked on my weaknesses so I will not have any difficulties during this course; 4) by now, I am very comfortable with Australian cultural environment, and therefore will be making more friends within a class with whom I can compare my work and progress; 5) instead of working at home for my submissions, I will work on studio or cad so I can mix with other students and can compare my progress. In order to meet the challenge, it is important to compare your progress with other students. This plan will come true only if I could get your support at this last year of my studies. If still I find I am not suitable for this course I will withdraw from the course myself. From time to time, all of us have some difficulties and problems in our life and we really need a helping hand to solve these issues. In difficult life situation, every person needs a chance to prove his professional and personal strengths. This year was a real trial for me, but I achieved personal and professional growth. Please re-enrol me to prove I am a worthy student of the University. Please give me a helping hand at this difficult period in my

Consulting to Organisations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Consulting to Organisations - Essay Example The understanding of learning, the workshops and their technicalities are dealt with, accordingly and put into practice. The aim of the essay was to get the clear picture that what was the purpose of the student to learn this module, what was the objectives and the learning techniques that student used in order to get the full benefit of the module. I am writing this essay to express my views, my thoughts about this module. Sharing is learning, and I want to share with everyone, the experiences I have gone through while writing this essay, the tools and techniques that I have learned while I took this module. The competencies I felt inside, which was never there before, and the level of knowledge that I gained while learning this module, is way better than before. It feels so different to write this essay after all this learning, and I wish that I have an opportunity to write a whole another comparative essay to give the clear insight that what I have achieved after enrolling in this module. One another main reason is to share my experience of this module, and its learning, so that other students and people may get the full benefit of this module by reading this essay. My feedback on this module will help many others to understand the module better and the effectiveness of this module as a student, and as a learner. One of my learning objectives to enroll in this module was to learn about management consultant, and how to be an effective management consultant. Since my secondary school, I was good in consulting, and suggesting ideas and novelties to others, effectively. So, I was concerned to see how well I can be after this module, and how can I be a good management consultant in future. My second objective was to learn about leadership and team work. Although, I was cooperative and friendly, but somehow I was lacking the true spirit of effective team skills and team

War on Terror Essay Example for Free

War on Terror Essay If I was the president of the United States in the present times I would use a very different approach in addressing the issue on war and terror. The phrase â€Å"war on terror† is not often used since America cannot win terrorism by the use of military means alone as terrorism is not against an organized enemy who has set out clear identities and has a set of objectives that are coherent. I will cautiously handle the issue with one thing in mind that the war on terror will not be resolved with an overwhelming single blow but this war will demand international cooperation and extreme patience. It would be my duty as the president of the United States of America to ensure that war on terror is not misguided and I would take the holistic approach in addressing the issue on war on terror as the emphasis today seems to be directed on the shutting down of the Al Qaeda cells in existence. I have a very strong believe that terrorist threats must be taken seriously and as a country we would not have any choice but to increase our investments in countering terrorism. As the president I would also make an effective responsive in relation to the modern day terrorism and not just concentrate on enhancing our capabilities on counter terrorism but also I would ensure that that as a country we are prepared to face up to the mistakes we have made in the past. I would use the holistic approach in approaching the issue on war on terrorism. My approach to war on terror In the holistic approach to war on terror I would mainly focus on the 3Dapproach which entails diplomacy, defence and development in pursuit of security objectives of America as a country. This approach will be designed as a strategy which will build its victory’s on the long term, medium term and even short term. I would initially fully embark on diplomacy and encourage peaceful negotiations with the relevant parties through an open discussion or dialogue. If this fails I will the further employ the defensive measures that will ensure the security and also the safety of my country’s citizens. I will take all the necessary measures and prepare my country such that incase of any form of attack my country will be ready to counter the same attack accordingly. I will then employ all the security measures as I ensure that the country’s security is not threatened at any given point. Personally as the president of the American people I would also make efforts in ensuring that there are very effective defenses against any international terrorism especially if it is targeting my country. After which I will focus on those particular countries that which harbors and host individuals and even groups that advocate, finance or even arm these groups thus supporting terrorism instead of stopping it. Also as the American president I would fully pursue the whole-of-system approach in handling the issue on terror which promotes democracy, the human rights and the rule of law and also good governance. To begin with I would establish democratic practices and institutions civil liberties and also political freedom to all the American citizens. I would also unsure that I rule with justice and exercise my power as the president with a lot of democracy. Similarly I would ensure that my government is not authoritarian since authoritative governments provoke a lot of grievances which buds regimes that are safety valves for all the collective anger. After the September 11th attack in America I would have declared the war on terrorism and the battle fields of this war would extend to wherever the terrorists run hide or even plan. Fighting terrorism in a fully democratic country like America has been and will always be a challenge since the actions taken by the American government on countering terrorism may be perceived differently by the public in general who would view it as an infringement on their human rights. I would also tighten the country’s security at the border points, the air ports, the ports and any entry points to the American land. I would be very strategic in presenting my plan to the congress so that I would get support from the majority of members of the house. Conclusion I will prepare a proposal plan which will effectively and strategically address the threatening issue. First of all, I will make it clear that as a nation whether we get involved in solving longstanding conflicts or we don’t involve ourselves at all we will still attract anger other nations who are not our allies. I will present a proposal that will encompass the diplomatic actions that we as a country should take in dealing with war on terror. Similarly the proposal will also outline the ways in which as a country we will defend ourselves in case of any form of attack from the terrorists and also how we will handle any terrorist threats. (Chasdi, 2002) In my proposal I will greatly emphasize on dialogue among civilizations which will further help in promoting the intercultural harmony and further diffuse the terrorism based on hate. I would also put across the fact that as a super power America needs both the military and police actions in combating the threat of terrorism internationally. The key points in my proposal would be the strengthening of the defensive shields that are territorial by the establishment of the multi yard system. I will also emphasize on the fact that the country’s improvement on its intelligence capabilities which is a major force multiplier. Reference Chasdi, R. (2002): Tapestry of Terror; A Portrait of Middle East Terrorism, 1994-1999. Lanham, Md, Lexington Books.

Postnatal Depression In Asian Women Health And Social Care Essay

Postnatal Depression In Asian Women Health And Social Care Essay Postnatal Depression affects around 10-15% of mothers having their first baby. Depression during this time is seen as putting the mother at risk for the onset of a serious chronic mood disorder. Studies have indicated that women who do suffer from postnatal depression have a history of depression and psychosocial difficulties (Oates, 2004). Overall South Asians in Britain make up a total of 4% of the ethnic minority population living in the United Kingdom and 50% of the ethnic minority population (ONS 2004). Thus tackling the mental health needs of different cultures is a major public health concern for both commissioning and provider services. Overall research indicates the rates of suicide amongst South Asian women are higher than any other ethnic group (Bhugra, Desai Baldwin,1999). Furthermore this rate is said to double for those women under the age of 30 (Bhugra, Desai Baldwin 1999). Oates (2004) states that these factors are further exacerbated during the postnatal period. Th us the need to understand the causes and origins of depression amongst this cultural group is essential in order for health visitors to provide effective assessments and appropriate interventions. However research looking at prevalence rates of Depression show little evidence of this illness amongst South Asians. For example this conclusion has arisen when looking at hospital admission rates. Cochrane (1977) found there to be lower admission rates for Pakistani Females and Males. This was further made evident in a follow up study conducted between 1971 -1981, which found that Pakistanis had low admission rates for all types of illness and disorders (Cochrane et al, 1989). Similar findings have been found in G.P admission rates. Gillam et al (1989) provided more generalised findings in which he found that Asian women in general have low consultation rates for depression and various other mental disorders compared to white women. Thus it would be valid to conclude at this point that hospital admission rates suggest that Asians do not suffer from depression. However Nazroo (1997) disagrees with these findings. He points out that the instruments which are used in the study fail to accurately assess the prevalence of mental illness within Asians. Similarly Brewin (1980) found that there was no apparent difference in G.P consultation rates for Depression between Asian women and White women living in oxford. He also stated that the figures which have indicated low consultation and admission rates, do not reflect low rates of psychiatric treatments. One could therefore suggest that there are flaws in considering admission rates and identifying mental illness amongst South Asians. The consideration of prevalence rates is not the focus of the present review, however the possible causes of low admission rates amongst South Asians shall be considered throughout the review in relation to the research findings. 2.1 Role of the Health Visitor in assessing Postnatal Depression The National Midwifery Council (2007) highlights Specialist Community Public Health Practitioner Nurses to be equipped with the skills and training to identify and assess mental health needs of mothers during the postnatal period. Furthermore, the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (2007) highlights the importance of health professionals identifying mental illness during the postnatal period and state: at a womens first contact with primary care health care professionals (including midwives, obstetricians, health visitors and GPS) should ask two questions to identify possible depression: During the past month, have you been bothered by feeling down , depressed or hopeless? During the past month have you often be bothered by having little interest or pleasure in doing things? A third question should be considered if a women answered yes to both clinical questions, such as is this something that you would want help with . Thus it is evident that identifying and assessing postnatal depression is pertinent to the role of the health visitor as they are in the frontline in providing early intervention and prevention. However, assessment of Postnatal Depression is challenging when faced with different cultural groups where behavioural, social, and cultural practices differ making assessment and treatments difficult. Aim The purpose of the present literature review is to examine the evidence regarding the causes of Postnatal Depression amongst South Asian Women. Thus through collecting and reviewing the research evidence is it proposed it will further expand our knowledge and understanding of Postnatal Depression amongst South Asian women. Furthermore, the review aims to make some recommendations for practice and identify some key areas in which the health visiting practice can further develop and propose various interventions which may be effective in addressing Postnatal depression amongst South Asian women. 4 RESULTS OF THE LITERATURE REVIEW Overall the final results included a total of 11 studies (refer to appendix) . The results indicated there to be a limit in the research on Postnatal Depression amongst South Asian Women. A total of two studies were identified within the search which had specifically looked at the origins of Postnatal Depression amongst South Asian Women . Furthermore these studies were conducted in Goa India, therefore there was question the generalisability of these findings being applied to population living in Britain. Thus it was decided to incorporate studies looking at Depression amongst South Asian women as it would contribute to understanding the origins of mental illness within this community. A number of categories emerged from the studies . These categories were further combined into a further sub categoroes (refer to figure )? categories. As a result the diagram shown (refer to Figure 1, p ) represents how the data was organised and the categories that emerged. The origins of Depression within South Asian Women Assessment of Depression within South Asian Women Diagram to show the how findings were analysed ORIGINS OF POSTNATAL DEPRESSION IN SOUTH ASIAN WOMEN a) Research Question: CULTURAL VUNERABILITIESb) Core Theme: c) Higher Order: ASSESSMENT CULTURAL EXPECTATIONS d) Lower order: Extended Family Living Cultural Expression of Depression Gender of the Newborn Stigmatisation 5 Chapter 1: THE ORIGINS OF POSTNATAL DEPRESSION IN SOUTH ASIAN WOMEN This chapter will examine the evidence available regarding the causes or origins of depression in South Asian women. Overall the results have indicated that that the causes or origins of depression are, due to the what the researcher describes as Cultural Vulnerabilities which mean that they are a result of being exposed to an environment of which depression is a unavoidable response. The results are presented the following format, description of each theme along with the supporting evidence. 5.1.1 The theme of Cultural Expectations: The theme of cultural expectations refers to those expectations formulated by the culture. Such expectations include conforming to cultural traditions. For instance living with the extended family aswell as pressures and expectations to have a male child. Living with the extended family largely refers to living with the mother and father inlaw, husbands brothers and sisters, which can lead to feeling oppressed with a number of family expectations. For example of the 11 articles reviewed the issue of extended family living occurred a total ? times within the studies as a cause of depression for South Asian Women. Shah-Sonuga-barke (2000) conducted a study looking at the relationship between the family structure and maternal mental health of two generations of Muslim and Hindu Women along with the influence this had on childrens behavioural problems. A total of 44 Muslim families and 42 Hindu families agreed to take part in the study. The mental health of the women was monitored using a Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale which is 14 item self report questionnaires. The results indicated that of 46% of the mothers and 40 % of the grandmothers scored above the scale for anxiety. Furthermore 29% of the mothers and 44 % of the grandmothers scored above the cut off point for depression, thus indicating that the majority of the randomly selected sample suffered from significant mental health issues. The findings indicated that grandmothers and children benefited from living in the extended family environment however it had detrimental effects on the maternal mothers mental health status. Thus suggesting that the traditional extended family, amongst immigrant communities is not always of benefit to its members and in may in some circumstances contribute to the risk in mental health. Similarly Hicks and Bhugra (2003) conducted a focus group study investigating the possible causes of suicide within South Asian women. A total of 180 South Asian women formed part of the convenience sample from 9 G.P practices and 24 South Asian community organisations in London area. The study was conducted in two parts the subjects were sent questionnaires focussing on the perceived causes of suicide and the findings from these results were formed the focus of discussion within the focus groups. The findings indicated that 90% stated a unhappy family situation to be causal factors. Thus further highlighting the family to be central in experiencing mental illness for South Asian Women. The possible explanation for these results is that grandmothers that may have grown up in their country of origin where such traditions may have been easier to conform to as there is no exposure to the western world. Thus in some cases failure to understand this concept they may project the same values to a generations that is growing up and being exposed to different cultures. In contrast to this study, previous research which has looked at the benefits of extended family living have shown extended families to be a protective factor in alleviating depression in women. For example, Birchwood et al (1992) elaborates on how extended family living reduces the likelihood of suffering with depression and suggested that the support and practical advice offered in an extended family can moderate the risks associated with the development of mental illness. Furthermore, on, Stainbrook (1954) suggested that the family structure plays a role in mediation of depression western cultures might be responsible for low levels of depression within South Asian Community . For example he stated that the frustrations and the problems which may be faced with in early life, for example marriage and new born are cushioned by the provision of many family members, who play a part in parenting within the extended family. Tseng and Hsu (1969) identified how the extended family setting brings about low levels of depression. They conducted some research on Twianese family and found that living within the extended family creates a feeling of togetherness and stability and there is a feeling of belonging. Similarly Violtles et al (1967) stated that the role of the family is important in the sharing of loss, it reduces a sense of isolation which can result in depression. It is acknowledged from the studies above that they were conducted on different cultural groups thus explaining the contrast in findings. However the implications of this in relation to health visiting practice and assessment of PND in South Asian women is that the perception of living with the extended family can be perceived as being positive it may be observed that these women living in a extended family setting are in a supportive environment however it is this environment which can initiate depression for South Asian women. Furthermore previous research that has highlighted the benefits of the extended have been conducted in 50s, 60s and 70s which poses question on the historical validity of these findings to the present day. The question of whether the findings are applicable to todays population are brought to light. Further on, the research has been conducted on specific cultures therefore is not applicable to all cultural groups, and further highlights the complexity of identifying causal factors. The limitations of the two studies are that they both used a small random sample thus posing questions on the generalisability of the findings. Furthermore the Hicks and Bhugra (2003) recruited only a English speaking sample thus the results are representative of those who are educated only , however recruiting from a sample that spoke little English would have increased the validity of the findings. However the validity of the study is increased as it is conducted in two parts using both a qualitative and quantitative approach thus increasing the validity of the findings. In contrast Hussan and Cochrane (2002) conducted a qualitative study using the grounded theory approach to explore the perception and causes of depression in South Asian Women. The researchers interviewed 10 women in Punjabi, Urdu and English who were suffering from depression, along with their carers who were also interviewed about the causes of depression . The results of the study indicated that conflicting cultural expectations were initiators of depression. The women stated that moving from their country of origin had fragmented the family set up therefore there was a sense of loss and lack of support from the extended family. They stressed that the extended family provided them with support when carrying out daily activities however moving to England there was too many expectations placed upon the women to fulfil the role of the mother, and wife and carrying out all the duties to maintain the respect of the family. This finding contrasts to previous findings which highlight the extended families to be contributory in initiating depression for women. A possible explanation for these results are that migrating from their country of origin involves the individuals leaving behind their homes and their culture. It is a period of adjustment into a new environment which can inturn lead to experiencing a sense of loss and isolation. In some cases this sense of loss can be like a mourning process which can take place at least until the new culture begins to replace some of the old ties. These feelings of loss are expected to be a normal process but if a women for example emigrates from her country of origin and fails to find a substitute for what she has left behind then it interfers with the adaption process. Thus these feelings of loss can inturn result in psychological and distress and illness. Therefore the role of the extended family in this case is protective. 5.1.3. Gender of the new born The gender of the new born has been highlighted to further initiate Depression for South women. Overall the studies indicated that there was a general preference for a male child. Being a female was considered to be a burden on the family. Thus the expectation to produce a male child places a huge expectation on the mother adding to her pressure to conform to these cultural expectations. Jambunathan (1992) studied 30 women in Madhuri India and examined social cultural factors in the development of depression. The interviews revealed that females were believed to be a curse on the family. For example one of the participants within the study stated that: instead of being born a girl it is better to be born a free sparrow or a crowor one should die (p264) . The participants within the study believed that females produced a burden on the family in relation to their marriage prospects aswell as financial stress in giving of dowries. The male was preferred as it was believed they would sup port them in old age and more importantly carry on the family name (Jambunathan 1992). Furthermore, Patel et al (2002) examined the cultural specific factors such as the gender of the infant and the association with Postnatal Depression. Indian women were recruited who were mostly Hindu in origin (89%) from Goa India who participated within the study. The results of the study indicated that at 6-8 weeks 23 % of the women had postnatal depression. At 6 months a total of 22 % of the women were depressed. 14 % of the women were considered to be chronically depressed. The results indicated that gender of the newborn was significantly associated with the development of postnatal depression. The results also highlighted marital violence to be significantly higher if the infant was a girl but lower if the infant was a boy. The results suggested overall there is a preference for a male infant within this cultural group. The data was collated over a period of 6 months using two different measures. Firstly the General Health Questionniare was employed and the EPDS was used postp artum. The problem with using the two different scales were that they may both measure different aspects of depression this is not made clear within the study. Furthermore the Konki version of the scale was utilized. The validity of the scale was investigated using a two stage pilot study thus there was no confirmation this was only a pilot study. The sample was located from a hospital setting therefore it puts question on the reliability of these findings to be generalised to the population of Goa, even though thes study concludes it to be representative of the population in Goa. Roderugues et al (2003) conducted a study which looked at the attitudes and perceptions of mothers towards childbirth. The results indicated that the poor relationships with the mother-inlaw, and husbands caused a great deal of distress for the women within the study. Furthermore the women in the study further claimed that the birth of a daughter further caused problems within their relationships with the family and the In-laws. Furthermore the gender of the infant was recognised by the fathers as being a possible cause of nerves for their wives. These findings further suggest that the cultural factors initiate depression. This study adds further strength to the previous study as the study incorporates the fathers and their perceptions. Furthermore the results are compared with depressed and non depressed women , increasing the generalisability of the findings to the general population. In contrast to these findings Goyal et al (2005) investigated whether such cultural factors such as the gender of the infant and arranged marriages are associated with the development of Postnatal. This was a quantitative study which involved administering the PPDS a Postpartum Depression scale to 58 self selected immigrant Asian Indian women between 2 weeks and 12 months postpartum livin in the USA. The researchers attached additional 14 questions including the age ethnicity and education , occupation, marital status and whether it was arranged and the years living in the U.S. Furthermore medical information regarding the pregnancy, type and the gender of the newborn was recorded aswell as the gender of the previous children. 69 % of the women reported in having an arranged marriage. Women were well educated with at least 50% having a masters degree 43% were described as house makers. A total of 59 % gave birth to a male infant and 41% gave birth to a female infant. Previous history of depression was reported in 7% of the women. The results indicated that 24% screened positively for symptoms of depression and the results indicated that there was no statistically significant difference in the level of depression of those women that had an arranged marriage compared to those who had not had an arranged marriage. Furthermore there was no statistical significance in relation to the gender of the newborn and depression. A possible explanation for the difference in these results are that three of the studies which have indicated gender of the offspring to be a initiator of depression were conducted in the participants country of origin, where such cultural traditions and beliefs maybe more prevalent. Whereas Goyal et als (1998) study was conducted on a sample of women who were educated and living in an environment where they were exposed to western beliefs and traditions thus such cultural beliefs were perhaps difficult for the participant to hold. In relation to the practice implications of these studies suggest that if gender of the newborn is a factor then the antenatal visits perhaps should question whether there is a preference for male child and whether there are any expectations and pressures placed upon them by the extended family. 6 Chapter 2 Assessment of Postnatal Depression in South Asian Women This chapter will examine the evidence available regarding the assessment of depression in South Asian women. Overall there is possible reasons as to why depression is difficult to assess these being the stigma surrounding the illness , the communication of distress, and the tools employed to assess depression in south asian women to be factors which can make assessment of cultural factors which have been discussed in the previous chapter difficult to detect. The results are presented the following format, description of each theme along with the supporting evidence. 5.1.1 Communication of Distress Words that represent emotional status in many European languages have been found not exist within the South Asian culture. Wilson and McCarthy (1994) found that South Asians living in the UK express their depression somatically. The study screened a total of ? patients in G.P practices It was found that Asian patients reported having a physical problem alone rather that a mental problem compared to White patients. Thus this may lead to the indigenous population being correctly diagnosed as having depression that the Asian population. Similarly Odell et al (1997) suggested that Asian patients tended to focus much more on the physical symptoms, thus it therefore made it difficult for G.Ps to detect depression. Thus suggesting that if the G.P is unable to detect depression accurately in Asian women they are less likely to visit their G.P. This suggests a possible reason for low consultation rates between Asian patients and Health professionals. Rack (1979) found that in the Asian Cultur e there is no acknowledgement for the word of depression being a mental illness. It was found that in the Asian culture Asians perceived illness as being judged by the degree of social dysfunction. Therefore if a women failed in her social roles then her illness would become apparent. On the other hand if a women expresses internal distress it is not recognised. Karaz (2005) compared depressive symptoms within two cultural groups. 36 South Asian immigrants and 37 European Americans were presented with vignette describing symptoms of depression along with a semi structured interview. The results indicated there were significant differences in the representation of depression. It was identified that depression for South Asian Women was measured through a breakdown of relationships within the family; in particular reference was made to their relationship with the extended family and husbands. In contrast European Americans characterised depression in relation to their biology and hormonal imbalances. This suggests that even if the symptoms of depression are prevalent . the recognition, and understanding and treatment of the illness is different across cultures. Gausia et al (2009) investigated the prevalence of PND amongst South Asian Women within the sub district of Bangladesh. A total of 346 women were followed from late pregnancy to early postpartum period. The risk factors identified were formulated using a questionnaire and women were followed up and administered the EPDS scale which was validated using the BANGLA version . they identified that PND could be predicted by a number of variables these being depression in pregnancy , prenatal death, poor relationship with mother in-law or husband mother or wife. It is evident from the literature that there are clear differences in the way in which depression is expressed within cultures. In order to diagnose the symptoms it is essential to have an understanding of the language, culture beliefs and values as it appears that these values play a part in the attitude of the sufferer. Therefore due to this in-depth knowledge of the persons culture there is question on the western diagnostic tools when interpreting illness, it is questionable whether these western diagnostic tools can be used with non western populations? Research has indicated that there are a number of problems of interpreting depression in different cultural groups, they have all concluded that there is a need to be more culturally aware and to consider social, cultural and economic aspects of a persons life as well as their attitudes and beliefs. Furthermore it highlights why depression rates are reported to be low in this community it is because of these cultural specific fac tors that rates of depression within this community may be lower or higher than originally assumed. Communication of distress Words that represent various emotions have been found not to be present within the some languages. Another possible reason for depression within the South Asian women is the issue of stigma Attached to illness within the Asian community. The illness of the mind is perceived as being madness within the culture and believed to be incurable. Therefore those suffering from the illness will not come forward for treatment. Furthermore those suffering from depression before marriage, their chances of getting married were reduced as the community was aware of this. I f the women however married and their depression arises there is pressure placed on the husband to remarry (Cochrane and Hussain 2002). Similalry Karaz (2005) further highlighted the stigma associated with the illness as South Asian women would refer to depression as being pagal or crazy which inturn affects her status within the family. These studies suggest depression is part of the living experience for these women for exampl e migrating to a new country or family. Thus it appears that asian women have internalised these beliefs , it then acts as barrier to them seeking any treatment or making their illness known. For this reason depression is likely to be high amongst this group . For example the role of the family again was a key instigator and asell a)s expectations placed upon the female to fufill the duties of a mother, wife and daughter -inlaw. Further areas identified to initate depression for women were migration from their country of origin Thus it is evident at this point there is a issue of personal space when living in this environment. The women may feel their personal space is expected to be shared amongst this environment. Thus in moving away from such traditions she is forced into their way of living thus creating a conflict between the generations and cultures. 6 Assessment of Postnatal Depression in South Asian Women Problems of measurement of depression across cultures: It is evident from the literature that there are clear differences in the way in which depression is expressed within cultures. In order to diagnose the symptoms it is essential to have an understanding of the language, culture beliefs and values as it appears that these values play a part in the attitude of the sufferer. Therefore due to this in-depth knowledge of the persons culture, it is questionable whether these western diagnostic tools can be used with non western populations? Research has indicated that there are a number of problems of interpreting depression in different cultural groups, they have all concluded that there is a need to be more culturally aware and to consider social, cultural and economic aspects of a persons life as well as their attitudes and beliefs. Furthermore it highlights why depression rates are reported to be low in this community it is because of these cultural specific factors that rates of depression within this community may be lower or higher t han originally assumed. This Chapter will focuss on the the validity of such tools such as the EPDS in indentifying Depression amongst South Asian Women.

Racial Discrimination in the Criminal Justice System | Essay

Racial Discrimination in the Criminal Justice System | Essay Abstract The importance of recognizing the fundamental concepts of issues in the Canadian criminal justice system is critical in the illustration of justice to minorities predominately Blacks and Aboriginal. Blacks and Aboriginals have been challenged socially, economically and politically. In examining the Canadian criminal justice system, it can be concluded there are many complications in attempting to justify the outcome of a case. It is imperative to recognize if the Canadian judicial system is simply responsible for the over representation of Blacks and Aboriginals in the justice system. This paper will further examine and critically analyze the flaws of the justice system. The processes of prosecuting an offender sometimes rely on the jurors. The importance of selecting jury needs to be further addressed. Thus, this paper will examine different aspects of the Canadian criminal justice system in relation to the existence of racial discrimination. The foundation of Canada was formed by the Aboriginals continuing to the colonial revolution to become a multicultural country. However the diverse races that are existent in Canada have been in conflict. Racism has lingered for countless years wherein complete abolishment will be unsuccessful providing marginalization and stereotypes are existent in society. It is noteworthy to recognize the race-related injustice minorities experience within the criminal justice system. Though the different systems and procedures in the criminal justice system are designed to protect society, minorities are often challenged with stigmatization. Evidence from the Canadian society indicates an over representation of minorities within the criminal justice system to the extent that there are concerns regarding wrongful convictions such as Donald Marshall, Jr. Prevalent oppression of these races lead to the failure of the justice system to be a reliable source of integrity to citizens, failing to build confidence. This paper will discuss the importance of fair and equal treatment in the justice system. The failure to recognize the injustice minorities encounter often results in the constant practice of systemic discrimination. Discriminatory practices such as racial discrimination and racial profiling are still prevalent within the Canadian Criminal Justice System. The significance of addressing this issue is having an impartial mindset in the judicial system when a minority is convicted. This issue can be addressed as systemic discrimination leading to the over representation of Black and Aboriginal in prisons in Canada. The key areas I will focus on are: the white dominated jury selection in trials involving minorities. I will examine if the criminal cases are a result of systemic discriminatory practices or if it is the complications within those cases. In addition I will also analyze the reason why there is an over representation of Blacks and Aboriginals within the Criminal Justice System and if Canada violates the legislated human rights identified under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and possibly the Criminal Code. This paper will consist of various studies conducted to examine whether racial discrimination is existent in society. Many studies have been conducted to determine if racial prejudice is present through arrests and court systems resulting in the over population of the prisons. In this paper I will analyze various sources of literature review, reports, articles, cases, theories and studies to enhance my arguments and persuade the reader to implement solutions to help reduce the partial treatment in all levels of the criminal justice system. By addressing the fundamental issue in society it raises awareness of the possible solutions that can be addressed. This is a topic of interest as I can relate as a minority. I hope to limit the partial practices in the Criminal Justice System. The analysis of criminal court cases such as R. v. Williams (1998), R. v. Khan (2004), R. v. Marshall (1971) will support my arguments regarding existing mistreatment of ethnic minorities with the Canadian criminal justice system. I will also discuss that stigmatization of blacks and Aboriginals are still prominent in todays society in the arrest and court processes. In this paper, I will explore why such injustice is still occurring and what actions can be taken to minimize stigmatization. I will draw attention to the various forms of injustice within the Canadian criminal justice system. Through analysis of particular cases I will draw attention to the types of discriminatory practice that exist. I will also make recommendation on how to bet ter address the existing racism problems within the current justice system as addressing such mal practices are vital in improving the justice system. Historical Concepts of Race: It is vital to consider the historical background of the racial backgrounds that will be focused on in this paper. It determines the fundamental cause of the problem today that affects many lives. It is imperative to recognize the aspects that will facilitate for a better understanding of the outcomes of cases. In addition this will confirm the challenges minorities have faced are still present today. Mosher (1998) has proven, The analysis of racial inequality in diverse historical contexts allows us to establish a perspective from which to view contemporary problems (p.28). Blacks in Canada As a result of colonialism, Canada has attracted immigrants from all over the world including blacks. In 2006, data collected through surveys concluded the black population increased to over three quarters of a million approximate 783,000 (Wortley Owusu-Bempah, 2010). Though the population increased significantly from the earlier years, the representation of blacks within the Canadian population remains at 2.5%. The black population in Canada fails to be equally scatter in population distribution, as a result only concentrated in specific cities. The migration of the black population is diversified from the country of origin with different composition of cultures, values and beliefs. The survey concluded Canadas black population suffers from economic and social disadvantage (Wortley Owusu-Bempah, 2010). The progress of multiculturalism in Canada through the colonial revolution significantly affected the black population. Historically dated, the prominent severe practice of slavery of black individuals was practiced in the United Stated and the Caribbean. Nonetheless, Canada also had some sort of involvement. It has been evident in the ownership of slaves by six legislators of Upper Canadas first parliament (Wortley Owusu-Bempah, 2010). This illustrates the foundation of collectively placing the black population in social disparity from the beginning. Thus, the impact of disadvantage continues to the present day. The poor treatment of white elites towards the black population often denied the basic rights of individuals. The stigmatization of blacks led to segregation in school as well as public life along with limitations of owning properties (Winks, 2008). The hostile treatment of the white population towards blacks was very explicit in comparison to todays society. Although issues of racial discrimination have been addressed it is still implicitly prominent today. Stereotypical views The historical perspective of the blacks in Canada can further illustrate the root of the problem of society today. The beliefs and stereotypes that have been the first perspective of whites towards the black population have been instilled in individuals continuing to carry those set of beliefs. According to a recent survey, results have shown one third of the Canadian population report being at least slightly racist (Leger, 2007). The mentality that has been created about the black population being socially and economically underprivileged has found a way to make members of society believe they are continually being stigmatized. On the earlier years, whites have always had the upper hand in contrast to blacks, this has implicitly continued by examining the members of the criminal justice system from the police system to the members of the judiciary. As racial discrimination has formed in various ways from the beginning, it has had adverse affects on the black population of todays so ciety and the law. Thus, the mentality from the slavery days have evolved and integrated into the justice system, affecting the method of serving justice to blacks. The issue of racial discrimination in Canada is a controversial topic. In contrast, the most common explicit evidence of racial discrimination is racial profiling evident through anecdotal accounts. The debate in Canada consists of the scepticism of the general public with focus on systemic discrimination that exists in the justice system and if there is equal access to services offered within the Canadian criminal justice system (Wortley, 2003). Canada in comparison to the United States lacks the resources for empirical evidence to further assess the amount of racial discrimination in the justice system. However, the minimal research conducted has evidently illustrated the prevalence of discrimination within the black and First Nation group of minorities. Indigenous First Nations suffered through a devastating history however one may not assume it has been completely stopped. Surprisingly, in the present day the mistreatment of police forces or other authoritative figures have not simply justified fair and equal treatment. Many scholars have attempted to study the relationship of the treatments of the criminal justice system through the communication processes (Roberts, Doob, 1997). Historically, Aboriginals were seen as a barrier to colonization and progress, as an outcome they were subject to unjust treatment and were forced to assimilate into Canadian life. They were also subject to convert from red men to white this was accomplished by forcing them into residential schools where they suffered a tremendous amount of torture (Dickson-Gilmore, 2005). During this process, First nations have been stripped away of culture: they were forced to surrender land and degraded to the reserves while they were prohibited to have an Aboriginal model of family, social life and spirituality (Dickson-Gilmore, 2005). As Indigenous have been rejected culturally, socially and politically it is a contributing factor to why society has stereotypical views. As the mandatory placement of Aboriginals on reserves, it has resulted in the constant use of drugs and alcohol as they are excluded from the rest of society. Aboriginals have suffered through a disadvantaged past from being stripped of all kinds of identity and being put aside into the reserves. It is very easy to stereotypically judge an individual. Players in the criminal justice system are also humans and are aware of the historically disadvantaged past of the First Nations. The assumption all Aboriginals are the same can affect the outcome of cases wherein an Aboriginal is involved. The stigmatization that has been established about the Indigenous continues to prevail in society today as it is evident in the criminal justice system. Media The media has become a significant influence on the general public. From the television shows, movies and news it has managed to instil certain information, perceptions in the heads of its viewers and/or listeners. Prominently, the media will portray all the negative characteristics of a certain race which leads to the creation of stereotypes. Studies have shown the biasness of the Canadian media and the unfairness of media representations (Mahtani, 2001). Considerably, the media is a powerful medium to deliver knowledge to the public, selecting certain images of minorities to govern the publics perspective (Fleras and Kunz, 2001). As a result, pessimistic representation of minorities includes stereotypes and beliefs such as: threatening, deviant, and irrelevant to the construction of the nation. The negative traits of minorities depicted in the media automatically become the everyday perception of the public. It is rare to see minorities on a television show, however if they are fea tured on a show they are depicted as criminals or deviant (Mahtani, 2001). Thus, the images or the actions/role of a minority depicted in the media is considered one sided portrayals or articles become reality in the minds of Canadians (Fleras and Kunz, 2001) in addition to confirmation of the stereotypes already created. The media often creates a picture of poor black men involved in drugs or violence. Chances of a successful black man being featured in a news broadcast have decreased in the likelihood. The media generates a subliminal message of stereotyping black men. Focusing on a particular race stories emphasizing certain characteristics and eventually transfers those characteristics into a social norm (Fleras and Kunz, 2001). In addition, Aboriginals who have claimed the land of Canada primarily are also portrayed as alcoholics and violent individuals facilitating in the general stereotypes. These stereotypes are consumed in individual beliefs including the police and judicial system. According to Scot Wortley and Akwasi Owusu-Bempah (2010) media analyses have depicted Black people in Canada have a heightened chance of being portrayed as criminal offenders rather than victims. The Black population have often complained regarding the news media and other forms of popular culture (film, music, etc.) about the portrayal often enhancing the stereotypes that already exists. This depiction of the particular race usually places a strain on the treatment of the members of the criminal justice system. Scot Worley (2002) has performed extensive research within the Toronto star. In his findings, he discovered almost half of all stories depicting Black people are related to crime and violence, in comparison to 14% of its counterparts of white victims. In addition to the results, he also found that white victims received more media coverage than Black victims. These biases of large mediums affect an individuals sub consciousness. Treatments of minorities According to Nelson (2004), extensive research of the differential treatment of Aboriginals has been ongoing historically to present. A summarization of the results consists of similar cases of confrontations between first nations and the police due to harassment, racism or aggressiveness through force to restrain the fighting of Aboriginal groups for treaty rights and land claims. Government has imposed solutions in an attempt to reduce incarceration rates for First Nations. The method of restorative justice is encouraged to decrease the over representation of Aboriginals in the entire Criminal Justice System (Nelson, 2004). In addition, scholars have also studied the perception of police and interactions with the black community. Henry Hastings (1996) has conducted a research of how criminal activities are racialized resulting in the confirmation of negative perceptions affecting the treatment of blacks in the criminal justice system. Chart above (Wortley Owusu,-Bempah, 2009, Unequal before the law: Immigrant and Racial Minority Perceptions of the Canadian Criminal Justice system: http://www.springerlink.com/content/036768l1221r238m//fulltext.html#Fig2): Percent of respondents who believe that a black person would receive a harsher sentence than a white person convicted of the same crime The chart above is a depiction of the confidence of the general public in the justice system. As previously mentioned, the perceptions of society towards the Black population have not changed. As a result a survey has been conducted based on perception of three major ethnicities: White, Chinese and Black. The public beliefs of mistreating Blacks had forced the police enforcement to implement the idea of designing strategies to eliminate or reduce the belief of targeting racial minorities. An action plan of recruiting minority groups in the police force has been implemented. Evidentially, these anti-racism programs have not been well examined, due to the significant amount of increase still prevalent in this survey. Stenning (2003) has stated, if such efforts are effective, perceptions of racial bias in policing and the courts should have decreased significantly over the past 10 to 15 years. Racial Profiling A prominent form of racial discrimination is racial profiling. Evidence of surveys conducted still find racial profiling to be a common problem. An academic literature definition of racial profiling is defined as: significant racial differences in police stop and search practices, significant racial differences in Customs search and interrogation practice and particular under or sting operation which target specific racial/ethnic communities (Wortley Owusu-Bempah, 2010, p.17). Various studies conducted in the United States, Great Britain and Canada have all concluded that Black people have an increased chance of being stopped, questioned and search by the police (Tanovich, 2006). This issue has been brought to the attention of the Ontario Human Rights Commission in 2003 with a compilation of detailed testimonial from over 800 individuals in Ontario with a majority composition of black felt they have been a victim of racial profiling. If racial profiling exists it is evident that rac ial discrimination also exists and is somewhat visible in the justice system. Racial profiling within in the society by police, at every level of the justice system influences the statistical information of minorities in the Canadian criminal justice system. Players in the Criminal Justice System The explanation of the over representations of black and Aboriginals in the criminal justice system can simply be explained through the thorough analysis of the judicial system. Canada was originally established in a Eurocentric focus presently continuing justifying the flaws of the criminal justice system and the ignorance towards minorities. The limited representation of minority in the judiciary contributes to the factor of the lack of recognition of minority needs. Essentially, it is vital to implement affirmative action in the courts to avoid stigmatization of race (Crenshaw, Gotanda, Peller, 1995). In addition, in the event of final decisions in court, majority of jurors selected are of a white decent while the criminal offender is often black or Aboriginal with programmed stereotypes. As a result, jury decisions often incarcerate blacks and Aboriginals creating the over representations in prisons. By examining the judicial system it is easy to conclude the racial consistency is prominently white males. This reflects not only the European colonization in early years but the current patriarchal society. According to Hamalengwa (2003), a white lawyer had stated, bringing the racial animus in a criminal case will alienate the judge, police, prosecutors and the jury, all of whom are most likely White and will likely ensure a conviction (p.9). The credibility of this statement is accurate as it is a primary source. When the issue of race is raised in the court systems, it is often denied the attention and action for equal justice of minority groups such as Aboriginals and Blacks Police According to Parker et al (2005), there has been sufficient evidence to conclude police have an increased likelihood of making arrests in cases involving whites compared to non white victims as well as scenarios with a white victim and a black offender. These results show that whites are much more favourable within the justice system emphasizing on the higher value placed on them in comparison to blacks. Further analytical examinations of police biasness of whites during arrests have been studied. In Toronto during the period of 1996 throughout 2001 there have been 10,000 arrests involving drug possessions which was composed of 38% of black suspects and 23% whites. All accused persons were taken to the police station for report processes. However accused white individuals were likely to be discharged in contrast to black individuals who were most likely to be detained overnight for a bail hearing. As there is an overwhelming over representation of Aboriginal people in the criminal justice system, over and under policing contribute to these statistics (Rudin, 2005). Over policing refers to the practice of policing targeting people of particular ethnic or racial backgrounds or people who live in particular neighbourhoods (Rudin, 2005, p.1). This results in the police structuring a different approach towards Aboriginals with the assumption they are violent, dangerous and more likely to be involved in criminal activity. In contrast to the over policing, Aboriginals are underrepresented to being victims by police. This a reflection of the government who often disregard the Aboriginal rights claims and ignore the suffering they continue to experience (Rudin, 2005). Though there have been collective efforts to strategically reduce racial bias in the justice system, it is still questionable whether it is actually effective. One of the approaches that has been recently been put in effect is minority recruitment. It is the idea of hiring minorities to diversify policing and the other sectors of the justice system (Stenning, 2003). Results of this strategy have improved in diversifying the police. In 1994, the police force was composed of 6% minority members compared to the significant increase in 2009 to 19% (Wortley McCalla, 2008). Diversity has evidentially been proven to exist as the two out of the four Deputy Chiefs are black as well as the September 2009 graduates reported to have been the most multicultural class of recruits (Wortley Owusu-Bempah, 2010). As the police are creating a racially diversified environment there is no guarantee that minority members are free of racial discrimination in the work force. The problem of racial discrimination will be difficult to completely eradicate, considering the historical aspects of Canada and the existence continuing into the workforce. Police are a vital variable to consider when dealing with the racial background of one of the primary source for arrests and convictions. As mentioned previously, the police force had been historically composed of a majority of white racial background until recently creating bias to those minorities from internalized beliefs. Jurors Critical Race Theory was created in the 1970s acknowledging racism adopting the ideology from the United States. It is a socially constructed concept attempting to show the structure of law including antidiscrimination law accommodating and facilitating racism (Aylward, 1999). The implication of the Critical Race Theory intensifies the application of power within the criminal justice system. Initially, the aims and objectives of the Critical Race Theory emphasizes on race and power. It fundamentally deconstructs society by categorizing racial hierarchies. However, the recognition of racism reproduces inequality, further minimizing minority rights. The concept deconstructs position of minorities while reconstructing juror bias (Aylward, 1999). In the Canadian context critical race theory is often applied to the races that are more prominent to racial discrimination, Blacks and First Nations. Jury Selection In addition, the jury selection process is most likely to reflect the judiciary representation. National Law Journal conducted a study containing a sample of 800 jurors, 42% were White jurors in contrast to the 25% of Black jurors teaming up with the police officers rather than defendant present in the case (Hamalengwa, 2003). In circumstances of cases wherein race is involved, it is often a minority attempting to indict a representative of the criminal justice system such as the police with an all white jury. The study observed that jurors are more biased by empathizing with victims of their own race and lenient of defendants of the same racial background (Hamalengwa, 2003). Thus, to achieve an equal administration of justice it is essential to select a racially mixed jury. In the case of R. v. Williams jury selection depicted the flaws of the criminal justice system. Victor Daniel Williams, an Aboriginal accused of a robbery charge denied accusations. At the primary trial, the judge permitted questions posed to potential jurors. As a result of this, the Crown had applied for a mistrial on the basis of procedural errors and the unfortunate publicity of the jury selection process (R. v. Williams, 1998). At the second trial the judge had dismissed any motion from the accused. In conclusion of this trial the court had admitted to the widespread of discrimination against First Nations within the community. In cases where the defendant believes the jury might have prejudiced towards the particular race such as Aboriginal, the prosecution and defence have the right to challenge potential jurors for cause on the ground of partiality (R. v. Williams, 1998). Questions the defendant may ask the potential jurors whether they have already possess a prejudice towards the racial group altogether if so, if it is possible for the jurors to make decisions without the bias they posses. The case was a lengthy process of arguing why the jurors were questioned as it is presumed that jurors will function without biasness. Counter arguments have stated it if the prejudice of society is widespread how are the jurors able to remove it for the trial defeating the purpose of section 638(1)(b) (R. v. Williams, 1998). As the case concluded, extensive bias continues to uphold against Aboriginals. In contrast, British Columbia and the attending judge held the evidence was not sufficient to determine potential ju rors prejudiced. The R. v. Williams case has depicted the outcome of jury bias. However, this could be further prevented if the jury selection process was racially mixed with different backgrounds and a variety of perspectives. The outcome of the case would differ greatly. This case could be referred back to the stereotypes instilled in individuals. The general public assumes Aboriginals and prisons are constantly correlated. The implication of this stereotype can be further expanded to the uncivilized and lack social and moral order essential in society (R. v. Williams, 1998). In the case of R. v. Williams jury selection depicted the flaws of the criminal justice system. Victor Daniel Williams, an Aboriginal accused of a robbery charge denied accusations. At the primary trial, the judge permitted questions posed to potential jurors. As a result of this, the Crown had applied for a mistrial on the basis of procedural errors and the unfortunate publicity of the jury selection process (R. v. Williams, 1998). At the second trial the judge had dismissed any motion from the accused. In conclusion of this trial the court had admitted to the widespread of discrimination against First Nations within the community. In cases where the defendant believes the jury might have prejudiced towards the particular race such as Aboriginal, the prosecution and defence have the right to challenge potential jurors for cause on the ground of partiality (R. v. Williams, 1998). Questions the defendant may ask the potential jurors whether they have already possess a prejudice towards the racial group altogether if so, if it is possible for the jurors to make decisions without the bias they posses. The case was a lengthy process of arguing why the jurors were questioned as it is presumed that jurors will function without biasness. Counter arguments have stated it if the prejudice of society is widespread how are the jurors able to remove it for the trial defeating the purpose of section 638(1)(b) (R. v. Williams, 1998). As the case concluded, extensive bias continues to uphold against Aborginals. In contrast, British Columbia and the attending judge held the evidence was not sufficient to determine potential jur ors prejudiced. Though, the case itself was based on the conviction of robbery, it is imperative to note and understand the trials by judge and jury as there is an increased likelihood the outcome of the case is based on systemic discriminatory practices. Systemic Discrimination It is not surprising to see the prominent race in Canadian prisons consists of the minority groups that are often faced with obstacles. Both Blacks and Aboriginals have suffered through a disadvantaged history mirroring the result of how they function in society leading them to prison. However, as these groups are prone to committing more criminal activities in comparison to other races, the partial verdicts of judges and jurors are significantly influenced. Hence, it results in the over representation of Blacks and Aboriginals in Canadian prisons. Canadian Prison System The table below illustrates statistics of the composition of the Canadian prison system. It can be concluded through examination of the charts that Aboriginals and Blacks have the greatest amount of incarceration into prisons. The general population of Blacks and Aboriginals composed in society compared to the ratio that are incarcerated have significant differences and make up majority of incarcerated individuals. The over representations of these particular races in the prison system can cause the general population to question the justice system. Inevitably, factors to consider when analyzing this chart include the consideration of the actual crime committed or the injustice of the courts to properly provide justice to offenders due to racial bias or discrimination. R. v. Marshall (1971) Donald Marshall was an average seventeen year old. As a youth, it is more likely to get in trouble with the law for petty crimes such as consumption of alcohol or smoking. He was the typical young man who would break the law and participate in underage drinking and smoking. He was walking down the street and coincidentally had an encounter with one of his friends whom was African Canadian. The two individuals were involved in a conversation until two other gentlemen from across the street decided to ask for a lighter. As youths it is also most likely individuals are more violent. As a result one of the two males had stabbed Marshalls friend resulting in his death the very next day (R. v. Marshall, 1971). Marshall was not arrested long after the incident. Shortly, he was arrested and charged with murder with a three day trial. He was then acquitted as were the police in his arrest. The police had strongly believed Marshall was responsible for his own conviction and miscarriage of justice was visible. As years passed, the man who actually committed the crime was charged with manslaughter sentenced in prison for 3 years. A Royal Commission had identified Marshall as a victim of wrongful convictions. Marshall was then compensated a total amount of $700, 00.00 upon his release for wrongful convictions (R. v. Marshall, 1971). In this case of wrongful convictions, the integrity of police discretion can be questioned. There are many factors that have resulted in the wrongful conviction. Though everyone posses internalized beliefs, the criminal justice system should attempt to avoid partial judgements. In careful investigation and examination of this case, there is a great possibility of avoiding the problem. It is imperative for the criminal justice system to reduce judgements based on colour. Lack of analysis in cases are leading to the over representations of minorities such as Blacks and First Nations in the prison system. Systemic discrimination exists in society and addressing the problem should facilitate in reducing the problem. As the historical perceptions of social disparities of the black and indigenous population of Canada continue to be a factor in being racially discriminated, it is vital to recognize the foundation of systemic discriminatory practices in the Canadian Crimin Emirates Stadium: Project Management Emirates Stadium: Project Management 1.0. Introduction The PMI defines project management as ‘the art of directing and coordinating human and material resources through the life of a project by using modern management techniques to achieve pre-determined goals of scope, cost, time, quality and participant satisfaction (Smith 2002) â€Å"Through the project management process, business needs and requirements are transformed into deliverables or outputs the project will provide to meet; this transformation process is made up application of constraints such as time, cost, quality, motivation and application of project management tools and technique.†(APM 2002) According to Dinsmore, and Cabanis-Brewin (2006), project management processes are grouped into the following areas: they are initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling and closing. A good project manager must be skilled in applying this knowledge and be able to integrate these activities as the project moves through its life cycle. The aim of this report is to critically evaluate the project management challenges and the management approaches in the construction of Emirate Stadium described in the groups presentation. Some of the challenges identified in group discussions includes; time constraints, planning approval, design and site constraints, procurement path, organizational/stakeholders management..This report compares some of the identified challenges with the established best practice in project management. The second part of the report is develop guideline for the 2012 Olympic Stadium which will include an overview of the difference between managing a single, simple project and a project that is part of a large complex programme of work, also to outline the project management challenges of the 2012 Olympic Stadium. 2.0 The Emirates Stadium 2.1 Background of the Emirate Stadium complex The need to generate additional revenue from the football event and also to provide a state- of the- art facilities for the fans is identified as the requirement for a new football stadium to replace the existing one .by Arsenal Football Club The Emirate Stadium is located in Holloway in London Borough of Islington town. The stadium is located in a high density residential area therefore restricting feasibility of increase capacity. Over 2000 new homes were built in Islington as part of the project. Two of the key points in the club brief to design team were for the pitch to be as good as Highbury, and to create an exhilarating stadium atmosphere through the design. Over 2,500 legal documents were signed in order to give the project full clearance. The overall project put at about 390million pounds. . It was opened in July 2006, with seated capacity of 60,432 making it the fifth largest football stadium in the UK 2.2 Main Project management challenges identified by different groups Based on the group presentations some of the main project management challenges identified include: * Time constraints, * Planning and consent approval, * Design and site constraints, * Procurement path, * Organizational/stakeholders management * Document control 2.3 Some of the management approaches considered by the group include; * Involving contractor in early stage of the process * Design and Build contract * Site investigation * Collaborating planning and possible overlap during construction to meet deadline * Several procurement path * Involvement of the stakeholders * Redesigning to suit the shape of the site * Understanding of the scope of the project. 2.4 Evaluation of project management challenges and approach in the group work 2.4.1. Involving contractor in early stage of the process. This can help in integrating the contractors idea and expertise in the planning and design process, although, Austin, Baldwin and Wasket (2000) identified that it might result in uneven design workload while they wait for consultant and other contractors to develop their own design, this result in the client paying for retainer while the project is yet to start, thereby increasing the cost of the project. Therefore it might be beneficial to delay the introduction of contractor early 2.4.2 Time constraints It can be seen that in the case of Emirate stadium, delivering the project on time is very crucial; to enable the club to meet up with football season, Harrison and Lock (2004) stated that delivery a project on time is an extremely important objective to client as well as avoiding the risk of being skimped in respect of quality and reliability of being close to the budget but most time all the objective of the project cannot be met. 2.4.3 Planning and consent approval. Two sets of people are involved in planning; they the client and the contractor .Obtaining the consent approval and satisfying planning requirement as well as defining the project goals, ensure availability of funds and selecting the design is the primary responsibility of the owner, this is one aspect that group presentations did not consider. On the side of the contractor, proper planning and scheduling contributed to their delivering the project on time. 2.4.4 Contract /procurement strategy The contract strategy used in the construction of Emirate Stadium is identified as Design and Build. The type of contract is assumed to be the best when time constraint is considered, Rowlison and McDermontt (1999) reported that Design and Build approach involving overlapping of design and construction phases leads to economics and fast project, though the client has to limit the variation to minimum , finds evaluation difficult and also have to make early decisions. However, Aritua, Bower and Turner (2006) reported that Design and Build procurement options has been criticized for being cost rather than design quality driven. Chan and Yu-Ann 2005 identified design liability as the most important practical problem encounters in design and build system. 2.5 Best practice in project management The best practices in project management are those practices that are generally agreed that their application in the project has shown to enhance the chances of success over a wide range of projects. (PMBOK, 2004) Atkinson (1999) queried, if successful project management means doing something right, that result in a project which was implemented on time, within cost and to a quality parameters requested, but which is not used by the customers, not liked by the sponsors and does not seem to provide either improved effectiveness or efficiency for the organization Kerzner (2006) affirmed that best practices in project management are those actions or activities undertaken by the company or individual that led to a sustained competitive advantage, it can be learned from both failure and success. Defining project objective at the outset and establishing relative importance of these objectives is crucial (Smith 2002). The Primary objectives of the project are usually measured in terms of time cost and quality, whilst it may be possible to meet one or two of the objectives, meeting all three of them is almost impossible. (Smith, 2002). However, the general knowledge, skills and processes described in general agreement documents of project management should not always be apply uniformly to all projects, the project manager and the team is responsible for determining the appropriate process and tailored it down to suit the specific project, because every project is unique on its own. (PMBOK, 2004) 3.0 The 2012 Olympic Stadium complex 3.1 The background of the 2010 London Olympic Stadium. The 2010 London Olympic Stadium is located at the south of Olympic park Stratford, East London. The EDAW consortium working with Arup and Atkins was appointed by Olympic delivery Authority (ODA) to develop the master plan and the design of the Olympic Park, while the design of the Olympic venue or the Athletes Village was tendered separately. In 2007, The Olympic Delivery Authority Signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the consortium known as Team Stadium to design and build the Olympic Stadium. The consortium is made up the designer, Hoks sport. Main contractor Sir Robert McAlphine, structural engineer Burro Happold, service engineer and landscape designer. The project was estimated at 498miliion pound. The stadium consists of a lower tier of 25000 permanent. Seats set into the landscape with an upper tier of 55000 temporary seats. The sunken bowl built into the ground will contain the field of play and lower permanent seating. However, facilities for athletes within the Stadium include changing rooms, medical support facilities and an 80m warm-up track. Spectator services, refreshments and merchandise outlets will be located outside the venue on a ‘podium that will surround the Stadium, rather than being located within the Stadium itself. Constructions began three months ahead of schedule and it is expected to be completed by 2011. In addition, construction works in other parts of the Olympic village is still on-going, while some are close to completion, others are yet to start. This is based on the planned milestone schedule set out by the Olympic Delivery Authority., According to the chairman of the Olympic Delivery Authority, some completion date has been moved further, this is to avoid the venue been completed and standing idle in the years before Olympic, as this call for additional cost of maintenance. (Culled from official site of 2012 Olympic). 3.2. The outline of the Olympic Stadium â€Å"People will be able to see with their own eyes a stadium which is designed to be different: an innovative and sustainable design which uses temporary elements to meet a complex brief, a stadium built for both Games and legacy†.(Olympic Delivery Authority Chairman John Armitt). The design of London 2012 Olympic Stadium is much more than dazzling or ‘out of this world Architectural structure that is norm of modern day Olympic stadium. â€Å"The emphasis in the design has been on minimizing the quantity of material, whilst still producing the required performance, ensuring the sustainability of the stadium after the games give rise for incorporation of some temporary structures. However, design and construction of such large and complex project need effective and efficient management to deliver the agreed scope of the project. The management approach in multi-projects is generally different from single project. Flexibility management process with explicitly define rules and procedure can be a source of success with large complex project. (Dietrich and Lehtonen 2005). Baccarni (1996) defined project complexity as project that consists of varied interrelated parts and be operationalised in terms of differentiation and interdependency .On the hand Coffman believed that complex project comprises of subset of project that are composed of so many different facets that no individual or small team possesses all of the knowledge, experience, or skills required to design and implement them. Considering 2012 Olympic Stadium as a part of Olympic park which consists of interrelated and multidisciplinary projects that demand exceptional level of management and system approach which will be described to be inappropriate for a single project Looking at the technical and organizational complexity of the Olympic park, it is clear that it requires involvement of lots of multi-disciplinary contractors, sub contractors, supply chain, trade, different technology and specialties. Williams (1999) sees technical complexity as a three-fold concept: the variety of task as the degree of interdependencies within these tasks, and the instability of the â€Å"assumptions upon which the Tasks are based.† Complex project requires proper structuring and scheduling in terms of Work Break down Structure and further down into related bid package for the qualified construction firms .to bid .For effective organizational management, the services of a planner, scheduler, contract administrato r, legal adviser, procurement engineer, accountant will be require in a complex project unlike a single project where all the task will be handle by the project management.. Moreover, managing a large, multi-projects environment or complex projects is refers by some author as programme management, Fern(1991), stated that the common theme of programme management can be identified as the co-ordination of projects to gain benefits that it would not be possible to obtain were the projects managed independently. He also defined programme management as the coordinated support, planning, prioritization and monitoring of projects to meet changing business needs. Pellegrinelli(1997) pointed out that programme management is not same as multi-project management, that the nature and practice of program management are much more than resource management though management of scares resources or the establishment of appropriate information system is identified as core elements of programme management. Fern (1991), proposed single objective programme model as one of the generic models to describe how organizations define and practice programme management. According to Fe rn (1991), programme with single objective are often called macro-project or simple project which consists of large numbers of project which run concurrently, often employ large numbers of contractors and can benefit from programme management techniques. Furthermore, the differences between managing a simple project and a project that is part of a large complex programme, can be identify in the description of project and program by Pellegrinelli(1997) and Fern (1991), which states that project is a group of related task(activities) which together satisfy one or more objectives, while programme is a frame work for grouping existing projects (or defining new projects) and for focusing all the activities required to achieve a set of major benefits. Some of features of managing a simple single project include project manager been responsible for directing and coordinating human and material resources throughout the life of a project by using modern management techniques to achieve predetermined objectives, while a large complex programme involves having a programme manager facilitates the interaction of other managers and team manager responsible for work package. In addition, a single simple project have a set objective and self dependent for delivery, which entails, ensuring that trade-offs between scope, quality, time and cost are satisfactory and acceptable(Wideman,1990), while multi-project is interrelated and interdependent with other project in the programme. Significant increase in the number and independence of element between disparate project within a programme raise structural complexity to a level higher than that of single projects (Blismas et al 2004) A single project has a linear life cycle and fixed duration in which performance of the project is measured; while in multi-project duration depends on the delivery of the entire project in the programme Single project involves one main contractor with few sub contractors while multi-project involves large number of contractor, sub contractors and supply chain. Other features of a single project includes managing risk and uncertainties in line with the project scope and objectives, abbreviated planning process and Single client management In addition, scheduling and resources allocated is more complex than that of a single project the need and priority of a particular project is considered, detailed communication, organization and strategic management, multi-stakeholders management, development of software for project planning/scheduling and system control. 3.3. GUIDELINES FOR 2012 OLYMPIC STADIUM The purpose of these guidelines is to help in organizing, planning and control 2012 Olympic Stadium to achieve the project objectives. The guideline covers the life cycle of the project from initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and controlling and closure of the project. 3.3.1 Initiation * This is the beginning of the planning phase, the need is identified, resources, preliminary drawing and block diagram is produce, analysis including budget estimation, project charter including cost, task, and deliverable schedule, scope is defined and impact assessment initiated, conceptual design created followed by detailed design and planning 3.3.2 Project planning This include developing management Plan, scope planning and definition, creating a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), activity definition and sequencing, Resource estimating and allocation, Estimating budget and cost control, activity duration estimating, schedule development, human resource and communication planning, risk management planning, contracting, purchases plan (PMBOK, 2004) * Management Plan: is necessary for the development of preliminary project scope statement, project management processes, environmental factors and organizational process assets. (PMBOK, 2004) Scope planning and definition is essential for creating project scope management plan that documents how the project scope will be defined, verified and controlled and also the creation and definition of WBS. Secondly development of detailed scope statement as basis for future project decisions. (PMBOK, 2004) * Work Breakdown Structure (WBS): â€Å"Developing WBS with a corresponding project organizations and functional responsibility chart (Wideman,1990) Establishing the programme work breakdown structure and breaking it into work package for contract purposes†. (Wideman,1990) Activity definition and sequencing is crucial in identifying specific activities that needs to be performed to achieve project deliverable and also identifying and documenting dependencies among schedule activities. It contains the activity list and attributes, milestone list, requested change and approved change requests project schedule network diagram. (PMBOK, 2004) * Resource estimating and allocation is important in estimating the type and quantities of resources required by each work package * Estimating budget and cost control: Each work package is treated essentially as a separate and autonomous effort requiring resources and input from variety of source (Clough et al, 2000).†At the earliest possible time, an acceptable program budget breakdown must be established, which properly reflects the best estimate of the work required to achieve the overall project objectives. This will form the basis for regular cost monitoring and reporting† (Wideman, 1990) * Contracting, purchases plan: Laws and regulations will require public bidding procedure in the government owned project. Advertisements of the project are required to ensure that all contractors who might have interest are offered equal opportunity to bid. A number of work packages may be assembled into a contract package for procurement purposes(Wideman,1990) Type of contract strategy and procurement route to be use and allocation of risk of project is identified * Human resource and communication planning: this is necessary in identifying and documenting roles and responsibilities and reporting relationships, secondly. Information and communication needs of the projects stakeholders are determined. (PMBOK, 2004) * Risk management: The purpose of risk management process is to make effective project management decisions about what happens on the project in future. This consist of risk source identification, risk impact assessment and analysis and managerial response to risk in the context of the project (Smith, Merna, Jobling, 2006) 3.3.3 Execution stage This involves coordinating people and resources, integrating and performing other project activities. Some of the activities of this stage include Directing and managing project execution, performing quality assurance, acquiring and developing project team, information distribution. Selection of consultant, supply chain contractors and sub contractors. (PMBOK, 2004)  · Directing and managing project execution. This process is necessary for directing the various technical and organizational interfaces that exist in the project to execute the work defined in the project management plan. Some of the activities here consist of approving corrective and preventive actions, approving change request and defect repair, validating defect repair, administrative closure procedure. (PMBOK, 2004)  · Acquiring and developing project team: this is essential for obtaining human resources needed to deliver the project and also for improving the competencies and interaction of team members to enhance project performance. (PMBOK, 2004)  · Information distribution: design and foster intensive, open and timely communication within the project stakeholders. Employ multiple channels and mediums, in particular modern information technology and extensive face-to face interactions. Prepare systems that prescribe for most processes simple and brief procedures for flexibility of details. Restrict optimization to the essential. * Selection of consultant, supply chain contractors and sub contractors. This process is essential for reviewing bids and proposal, selecting from among the potential contractors and negotiating a written contract, it also entail risk allocation between the client and the contractor. (PMBOK, 2004) 3.3.4 Monitoring and controlling This process is crucial for collecting, measuring and dissemination performance information, and assessing measurements and trends to effect process improvement Integration and ongoing progress is monitored against agreed milestones, results reported in accordance with mechanisms identified in the communication plan.Secondly monitoring changes and recommending preventive action in anticipation of possible problem is an important element of monitoring and controlling (PMBOK, 2004) 3.3.5 Health and safety and environment Maintenance of health and safety on the site is vital for a successful project delivery. Mandatory personal protective equipment for all the workers on site is necessary Also all the site machine and equipment should be working properly. Workers should be properly trained to use the equipments. 3.3.6 Project closure: this involves closing of project and contract closure. It is necessary for finalizing all activities, completing and settling each contract, including the resolution of any open items and closing each contract applicable to the project. (PMBOK, 2004 3.4 Outline of Project Management Challenges 2012 Olympic Stadium Some of the project management challenges: Design constraints: * This involves getting an aesthetics design which depicts legacy of modern day and world class Olympics, as well as being iconic, environmentally friendly and sustainable in terms of future use and maintenance. * Time constraints; Meeting deadline for the project for the Olympics events is very crucial and one is of the major indicator of measuring success or failure of the project. * Site constraints The soil/site ground is poor from engineering and environmental viewpoint. Owing to past use of the site which resulted in uneven settlement that can only support very light construction. Site is located between two branches of River Lea an old embankment containing sewage artery. The above constraints call for redesigning to suit the site location and environment. * Complexity of the project The multi-project nature of the project involves managing large numbers of subcontractors and supply chain. The construction of the stadium is just one component in the Olympic park, * Resource allocation and scheduling Efficient allocation of resources in multi-project environment is a major challenge facing the programme manager, as this can lead to success or failure of the projects. * Global recession and price inflation The world economic crisis of 2009 is a major challenge for the project, as this will cause price inflation for goods and services required for the project. The initial project estimate will no longer be feasible. * Stakeholders management The project has different level of stakeholder. They include the financier, the host community, the supporters, the critics, the press and the general public. * Project Co-ordination and document control.. The complexity of the project comprises large number of document which might have minor and major changes from the initial design that need to be communicated to people involve with the project. * Logistics Challenges Transportation of huge numbers of workers and materials to the site using the existing means of transportation, amid the busy city of London. * Health and Safety Maintaining safety in the site is a major challenge in construction site with large number of workers and ensuring that all contractors adhere to the health and safety rule in the site. 3.5 Conclusion The facts remains that projects are distinctive and unique in their own way. Project life-cycle as well as their requirements is different from each other. What worked for one organization in a particular project might not work for another; it all depends on the organizational culture and values, project environment, interpersonal skill, etc. The general guideline as contained in the Project Management Body of knowledge is only to serve as a guide that needs to be tailored down to suit a particular project. Also it can be seen that project management is more of a practical discipline than theoretical, this can be deduce from the uniqueness of every projects, because change is inherent in any project. There must be a change from the laid down planned and schedule strategy, change therefore cannot be eliminated, most especially in construction because of the project uncertainty, it is expected that plan must change. The ability of the project manager to apply the principles of risk management and improve effective change management will determine result of the project. 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