NonProfit Management Case Study Essay

Introduction The civil society has taken a very active role in the quest for democracy that continues to spread across the continents till it reached the Middle East region only recently. This is clear given the successive revolts that have taken place in many of the Arab countries calling for real democracy. Therefore, especially in Egypt, efforts should be directed toward defending civil society organizations and activists who are being threatened by the coercive authoritarian government actions over the past decades (Naidoo, 2007). The civil society as identified by Khallaf (2010) comprises â€Å"non-governmental organizations (NGOs hereafter), community groups, professional associations, trade unions, media organizations, research institutes/ think tanks, and advocacy and human rights civil society organizations† (p. 2). However, the current paper aims at focusing mainly on the role of NGOs in strengthening democracy. This is due to the major role NGOs play in several areas in order to enhance democracy. Among these are their role in: (1) allowing a wider range of interest groups to have a ‘voice’, pluralizing institutions to act in a ‘watchdog’ role vis-a-vis the state, networking and creating alliances of civic actors to place pressure on the state, (2) working with grassroots organizations comprised of poor and marginalized groups, and (3) exerting some pressures on the state by pressing for change and developing alternative policies (Mercer, 2002). Previous Studies of civil society in Egypt, over the past twenty years, have been both superficial and confined to only limited areas, namely (issue based publications, academic publications, training materials/ manuals, directories, conference publications, empirical comparative studies, civil society organizations’ (CSOs) publications, donor guide books and publications, CSOs coalitions occasional papers, evaluation studies, and web based sources) (Khallaf, 2010). (Figure: 1). Figure : The diversity of civil society research in Egypt Therefore, more detailed studies should be directed toward deeply investigating the civil society organizations operating in Egypt. Khallaf (2010) has mentioned that more research has been directed recently to track the actual magnitude of civil society through donor efforts in Egypt. However, the literature has pointed to serious gaps in the study of NGOs in Egypt. These include; First: Updated statistical information on number of NGOs. Second: The systematic evaluation of NGOs activities. Third: periodic assessments such as the CIVICUS or Civil Society Index and the Philanthropy study. Forth: studying participatory governance and the involvement of civil society in decision making processes. Fifth: changing Laws and regulations governing NGOs in Egypt. Sixth: An impact assessment of all new NGOs working in charity or development. Seventh: an assessment of aid effectiveness to Egypt (Khallaf, 2010). Finally: a detailed diagnosis of the NGOs operating in Egypt is needed. This should focus on both internal and external analyses of the selected NGOs and provide policy recommendations for possible improvements in the sector. The current paper attempts to draw light on how the civil society operates in Egypt. A well recognized Egyptian NGO was selected in this ethnographic research. It is called the Future Protectors Association for Care and Development or â€Å"Homat Al-Mostakbal†. The reason behind selecting it is the higher credibility and the good reputation it is enjoying. This is quite well perceived by the researcher based on her personal experience with this association. The current research can add valuable insights both theoretically and practically. Theoretically, it attempts to cover few of the gaps mentioned about the civil society research in developing countries and Egypt in particular. Practically, proposed recommendations can serve as strategic agendas for improving the performance of the selected NGO in particular and the entire NGO sector in general. The current paper is organized as follows; the first section will provide detailed information about association’s background. This will be followed by the analysis section which would sum up the major facts collected about the association. The analysis is based on qualitative in-depth interviewing1 conducted with five key persons in the association including its founder. Finally, conclusions and recommendations are presented, to guide future research directions, at the conclusion part here later. Background Future protectors association for care and development (homat al mostakbal) is one of the well known non-governmental organizations in Egypt. It is located at 425 Avenue Road, Roushdy, Alexandria, Egypt. It is a group of young people who work in the field of developmental work and volunteerism in for a better future and a true renaissance to Egypt. It serves in the great Cairo area and some other governorates including; Alexandria, Dakahleya, Gharbeya, Menoufeya, and others. It was originally founded on the 2nd of Novermber, 2004 by Eng. El-Dreiny and his daughter engineer Marwa El-Dreiny. It was mainly founded seeking community development. The vision of the association is to be one of the largest civil society organizations working in the field and leading the areas of development, community care, and voluntary work in Egypt and the Arab world by year 2020. The mission of the association is the development and care of the community through several dimensions including; raising the general level of education and the development of production philosophy, increasing awareness of drug taking problems, providing health awareness, raising the cultural level of young people, and providing a variety of social services. These are to be achieved while taking into account the mastery of work and commitment to the principles of ethics and team work cooperation. The primary objectives to fulfill the pre-mentioned vision and mission include the following; Providing guidance and better utilizing the power of potential volunteers in various activities of the association and developing their skills while strengthening their moral values. Increasing the awareness of community members about the dangers of drugs and training of cadres for different age groups. In addition to providing technical support to partners and trainers in the field of awareness against the dangers of addiction and drug. Training community members by spreading the production thinking and helping youth and poor families in establishing small craft projects to supply industries with high quality products at competitive prices. Providing social services (in kind – physical – technical) and the work projects for poor families, orphans, deaf and dumb cases. Developing different segments of the society, especially children and young people both culturally and scientifically. This would entitle them to acquire new skills, open their horizons to different lives, and raise the level of education among the educated classes with aim of bringing progress and prosperity to the society in large. The major values of the association comprise the following; Intentions precede action Our basic principles are our main priority. Understanding the priorities and giving a high commitment to them. Mastering our work. Best employing our resources. Our clients are our core interest. Team work spirit. Commitment to a safe environment. The association is registered under the old NGO law. This entitles the association to be under the scrutiny and supervision of the Directorate of Social Affairs. Here is the copy of the registration certificate. Figure : Formal Registration Certificate The association tries as much to manage its institutional memory. This can be manifested in the form of reports including information about what happened in the past. Other reports are prepared for each activity and collected annually to be archived and documented for each committee. Also, there are few attempts to record religious seminars and cultural meetings either video or audio. Sometimes the association registers the campaigns to serve the new members by providing them with information about the work flavor. These tentative mechanisms are aimed at saving association heritage of knowledge and transfer it to the future generations who would complete the mission. The organization chart of the association was revised recently. There are intentions to modify it also however some limitations hinder this at the current period. The chart is decomposed into the Chairman of the Board of Directors, the Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors, the Executive Director, the Chairmen of the various Committees – the Vice Chairmen of the various Committees -who are appointed by the administration according to experience and seniority- the executive management including Secretary, the financial management. There were areas for development and the last updated organization chart was reproduced recently in 2011. The association was built on the basis of predominantly volunteerism however; there are 17 formal employees who are getting paid monthly. There are mainly three managers; executive, financial, and legal affairs. Staff members do not perform overlapping roles, instead there is a clearly specified job description for each single role. This would allow the upper management to apply a strict accountability procedures based on assigned responsibilities. The association is able to deal smoothly with the threat of losing any/all staff member(s). Sometimes, the operations of a highly specialized department, which loses a key staff member, can be postponed until the appointment of a new person. However, in the key roles like secretarial work, work cannot be stopped and duties can be referred to any interested volunteer. The collectivity and shared team working spirit that characterize the association enable it to face sudden problems of this sort. The association is having a board of directors. It is composed of 9 members, 1/3 of them are dropped during each nomination period. The nomination is made for 6 upcoming years. It is preferred to nominate persons with strong public relations to offer some facilities and those who have the expertise and strong knowledge about association’s policies. The association is membership based. There are different types of members including volunteers, affiliated, and working member. The membership status is documented only for continuing members who are then entitled to receive a formal membership card. Members pay a symbolic annual fee of about 20 pounds which represents one of the financial resources received by the association. The following chart represents the progress that has occurred in association’s membership from 2004 to 2008. In 2010, the number of volunteers has reached 4000. Figure : The number of volunteers The following chart represents the geographic allocation of volunteers across the different governorates. Figure : The geographic allocation of volunteers The social and economic background of the members is diverse. Majority of members are classified to be from the middle to upper middle social class. They are almost well educated having a clear intent toward the importance of charity and development societal roles in their country. They have strong religious understandings which enable them to volunteer their efforts for the sake of making others happy while earning credits (thawab) and pleasing the only god (ALLAH). The association has completed a huge number of successful projects2 and some of which are seasonal. The seasonal projects include distributing El Kheir bags and Ramadan lamps. It is planning to undertake some continuous projects not to be owned by the association but by encouraging the youth to execute them and the association can be a partner by 10%. Attached here below in the appendices is a list of the projects and activities the association is involved in. The primary beneficiaries of the association are; Volunteers, university students, school children, widowed women, poor families, knowledge seekers, patients, orphans, and the elderly at large. The association is not specifying a certain population to focus on serving. Activities are therefore not based on the coverage of a particular area, but they are tailored to achieve certain goals across the various geographic segments. 3 The association has unique policy for recruiting both members and staff. For the former, recruitment is based on the real intention to perform volunteer work. For the latter, recruitment is based on the exact mission to be completed within the functional department the potential candidate will join. The association views the current recruitment policy to be an effective one. Therefore, there are no plans to change its policy during the current period. The ratio of association’s founders to its members is roughly estimated to be 10%. Taking into considerations that the number of registered volunteers is roughly 4000, only 100-200 of them are active ones. The association depends on a self financing scheme. Majority of funds come from membership fees, donations (in cash or in kind), and revenues from profit-based committees. There is one company which operates in the field of quality and 75% of its income is transferred to the association. There are some funding projects such as the share the good, CSR, and Ijada company. Only 10% of the directed donations are taken to cover a proportion of administrative expenses but the money of Zakat is kept untouched. The association collects money from Egyptians. The money comes in forms of Zakat, sadakat, and in cash or in kind donations. It utilizes no foreign funding alternatives except for the single initiative with the United Nations. This partnership agreement was made under pressures from Dubai police and entitled the association to receive a fund of $ 10. 000 in order to execute some projects. The association has neither an initial endowment nor an emergency fund. It depended mainly on donations during the initial construction phase. There is a bank account for the association where the money collected from the various sources is being deposited to or withdrew from when necessary. The association does not always profit from most of its projects because they have low profit margins. Some seasonal projects might generate profit like the partnership with Toshiba Company to distribute Ramadan lamps. Donations are considered as part of the revenues. The association uses money coming from donations, sadakat, and the yield of some revenue-based activities. The general overhead costs of the association are estimated roughly to be from 30-40% of the budget. The ways to manage costs to the least possible level include, inducing members to rationalize consumption rates, closely monitoring monthly expenses, rationalizing staff recruitment process, and covering the costs of high telephone bills, hospitality and administrative outlays through collecting in kind donations. The association does not recognize any kind of support offered by the Egyptian government. The old government has provided only some facilities to make agreements with some concerned authorities such as ministries. This was mostly perceived prior to the revolution. However, the picture of the new potential government is still vague and there is no assurance that the new government would adopt a pro-civil society philosophy or not. There are tentative expectations about possible cooperation from the ministry of environment in the future. Analysis Based on the results of the in-depth personal interviews conducted with key persons in the association two types of analysis were made. The following section starts by presenting the first type of analysis which is the SWOT. This will be followed by the PEST analysis. 1. SWOT analysis The association enjoys a number of strength points. These strengths include, but not limited to, the following; a. Strong team spirit is a huge asset, good and efficient management system, good public relations, raising the skills of volunteers through gained experience, and very good reputation perceived by partners and the community at large. b. The presence of strong networks both locally and internationally. Locally with government institutions such as the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Higher Education, the Adult Education in Alexandria, the Ministry of Housing, the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the Ministry of Environment (protocol of cooperation),partnership training with the engineering industries sector TV ITV’s affiliated to the Ministry of Industry, Alexandria Biblotecha library (Department of Public Relations and Information), Morkoseya Church, the Food Bank, and the Egyptian (permanent agreement). Internationally, networks with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Organized Crime in the United Nations, the Dubai Police (working as technical/training consultants to raise awareness of the damages of drug addiction. c. Good coordination with other local and international organizations. Examples include organizing joint training programs with renaissance makers club in Kuwait, the Ministry of Awqaf in Kuwait, the American University of Kuwait, Gulf University, CID in Kuwait and the Ministry of Defense, Union of Arab Doctors (donations to Libya), the office of Dr. Muhammad Salim Al-Awa, Toshiba Arab company and Ocean Express Company and Isam Abu-setta for heavy transport, New Horizons and Xeon, Arab Academy for Science and Technology, University of Pharos, Alexandria University, Cairo University, Helwan University, Ain Shams University, Menoufiya University, Western University , Mansoura University, Assuit University. Alshanek ya Balady Association, Alexandria west investors association, and set your goal association, the future hands Hospital. In addition to cultural partnership cooperation with the Egyptian-Turkish Friendship Association. d. The presence of a strong infrastructure in the main headquarters in Alexandria. It is located in a prestigious location, well furnished, and highly accessible. However it is not a private property and thus imposes the burden of paying high monthly rent. This location is equipped by personal computers, laptops, wireless network, and they have electronic marketing forces empowered by strong specialists in the field. e. The presence of an independent financial management and independent social affairs and legal affairs units whose staff are paid. The recycling project, the specialized teams used in field case studies, the illiteracy teachers, and volunteers. f. The lack of specific religious or political directions and the presence of strong relationships with respectable figures in Alexandria. The inclusion of small associations in the many events organized by the association. Dependence on respectable personalities in providing certain services. g. Partnering with the association provides the partner several privileges and huge returns. A list of those privileges and returns to partners and individuals can be found later in the appendices. The obvious weakness points observed in this association include the following; a. Funding problems (almost self-financing by 99% from members) and the presence of many projects in second row but (senior management has recently begun to train the middle class members to complete these projects and continue the transfer of expertise to their followers). b. There are no integration links between the projects. c. Some personal conflict problems might arise sporadically among members. d. Administrative problems, and lack of strictness and formalization procedures due to a conflict between the role of leader and manager, but they overcome this problem by appointing an executive director. e. Inadequate promotion for the association in the media compared to other competitors. The reasons are mainly to reduce expenses and due to the imposed security restrictions. f. The absence of headquarters in some governorates like Dakahleya and Gharbeya which constitutes a big problem because the teams there are highly specialized and they need the proper setting to grow on it. g. The lack of specialization between the work forces in undertaking the projects. h. Some communication problems were present however, the Human Resources Director has solved them. i. Lack of volunteers and problems with their continuity/tenure. In some cases the volunteer has a desire to see the immediate result of his voluntary work which makes them less patient to continue. Most of the projects carried out by the association have longer term impacts and feasibility. j. Shortage in financial resources and operational tools. The major opportunities, brought from the external environment, facing the association for the time being include the following; a. Activating some agreements with the Union of Arab doctors, the Ministry of Environment, various associations, political awareness teams, in addition to different charitable and awareness-raising teams seeking support from the association in terms of logistics and training. b. A strong deactivated relationship with Al-Jazeera training center which is currently under study. c. The existence of many public figures, associations, and young modest advocates who have neither political nor religious direction. The association can take advantage of their cooperation efforts. d. A number of donors from America, Canada and Morocco who have appeared after the revolution as service volunteers like doctors. e. Localities and the Council of the People elections. This can be achieved by nominating independent members. Any successful nominated member can offer some facilities and services to the association. Also, this will give the chance for the association to be presented as one of the active civil society organizations participating in crafting the new constitution. f. Offering many partnerships to join the association with large well known institutions such as New Horizons, the Arab Academy for Science and Technology, and other new companies through exhibitions. Their offered contributions come mainly in the form of donations. g. The existence of promising facilities to complete some strategic projects through governmental entities. h. Reducing some of the strict scrutiny procedures imposed previously by the old government and the security apparatus. i. The expansion and proliferation in the environment of charity work, the launch of various public events and the intense presence of the civil society activities. j. The potential for participation with other unknown may be small, associations to perform some other projects outside the scope of work of the association. This represents the potential for diversification and expansion of work coverage. k. People’s Openness and their new reconciliation with the community with the desire to join the civil society institutions to provide charity services. l. The presence of various finance institutions through which the association can expand its operations scale after getting approvals from concerned authorities. m. The neutrality of the association both politically and religiously is a major strength. It is manifested in attracting bodies of various ideologies either as beneficiaries or participants. These include for example, Morosely Church or El-Azhar in my life project. The major threats or challenges, brought from the external environment, facing the association include the following; a. The societal openness can produce many competitors; some of them are supported by huge funding schemes and are biased toward the fulfillment of certain political religious agendas. b. Security threats to volunteers and the possibility of exposure to risk in places where they provide services. The possibility of being abused by law breakers due to the lack of security in the Egyptian streets mainly after the recent events. c. Exploiting association’s activities for the beneficial interests of others. This is totally rejected. This might impose the threat of diluting the association’s public image. Examples include candidates’ coverage for elections or political support using association’s name and good reputation. d. The presence of some competitors with high media coverage, such as resala. e. The culture of voluntary work is still somehow tentative. The lack of awareness of others about the culture of volunteerism and societal responsibility. f. The necessity to invest in volunteers to improve their skills and derive maximum value out of their participation. g. The unstable economic situation of the Egyptian State. h. The role of the Ministry of Social Solidarity has been hindering the progress of the work of the civil society for long years ago. i. The emergence of the Muslim brotherhood and the ancestors (salaf) as major competitors. j. Lack of human rights and political awareness and the prevailing unjustified freedom leading to chaotic results. k. The culture of the conspiracy against Egypt and the presence of some many unnatural Egyptian T. V talk show moderators. l. The owners of certain rented headquarters are drug dealers. This represents a major threat calling for immediate actions in moving those headquarters. 2. The PEST analysis a. Political Factors The political environment in which the association operates appears to be unstable. This status has recently turned to be much intense following the revolution due to the emergence of new political groupings. There are some promising expectations that the new democratically elected government will set new policies that are pro the civil society. The new policies are expected to contain modified laws that regulate taxation and provide more support and facilities to NGOs’ operations. The old government economic policies seemed to be incredibly inefficient resulting into a deteriorated national economic performance. This government had also no hand on regulating the marketing ethics of operating NGOs. Its major concern was on prohibiting religiously oriented activities and banning NGOs participation in the political life. b. Economic Factors The slowdown in Egyptian national economy has impacted the role of the association. This was reflected into low interest rates on savings and high interest charges on borrowings. The inflation rate continued to grow reducing the purchasing value of the Egyptian pound. The long-term prospects for the economy Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita and other economic indicators will depend on the policies and procedures adopted by the new elected government. c. Socio-cultural Factors The dominant religion in Egypt is Islam. The association is not discriminating against either religion or gender. The partnership with morkoseya church is an evidence to support this claim. The role of women continues to grow largely and rapidly in the Egyptian society. They are becoming well educated, highly paid, and having a self commitment toward volunteer work. The majority of people the association is targeting its services are illiterate. The general population lacks a solid awareness regarding green environmental issues. This is a very important role of the association in advocating for a green environment and promoting green activities. These include reducing consumption and disposal rates, saving energy, recycling disposed items†¦etc. d. Technological Factors Technological innovations make life easier for all. The association utilizes as many of the technological facilities like wireless connections, fax, and international calls to carry out daily activities. The emphasis should be directed toward strengthening association’s technological infrastructure to be able to do business through online communication channels. There are strong promises regarding what the future can bring to the civil society in general and to the association in particular. This is manifested in several key points. First: the majority of people are becoming motivated to volunteer work. Second: the increased public awareness of the importance of civic and collective actions in contrast to confining the role of the individual to achieve purely personal goals. Third: the strong promises and positive perception maintained by the majority of the poor toward the role of the civil society due to government failure to satisfy their needs. Forth: the diversity in working areas removes many of the restrictions imposed on the civilian work. Fifth: the potential for cooperation from the new elected democratic government. Sixth: the potential for receiving huge inflows of international donors’ funds. Finally, the presence of many initiatives aimed at community and society renaissance that could be built upon. Conclusion and Recommendations Based on the previous systematic analyses, the following conclusions are reached. The selected association is one of an above medium size. It has several branches covering a range of governorates in Egypt. In addition to that it has multiple international partnership agreements abroad with some countries like Kuwait and Dubai. It is innovative due to the creativity exercised by its members in proposing and launching new project initiatives given the limited financial and physical resources available to them. The diversity of its projects adds to its effectiveness by solving problems in multiple critical areas. Administratively, the association can be run more efficiently than its current status. The overhead costs can be controlled so that not to exceed 10% of the annual budget. This can be achieved through cutting back on hospitality, renting, and utilities expenses or finding a sponsor company to offer them for free. The remainder of the budget should be entirely devoted to implementing key projects and programs. Once those two objectives are met – keeping O. H costs to the minimum and maximizing the pool of resources available to projects – the association can enhance its reliability and credibility as perceived by the various stakeholder groups. It has to overcome one of its critical weaknesses which is the deficient public media coverage. Adopting innovative promotional campaigns, through media, flyers, and positive word of mouth, can bring in extra revenues, many volunteers individuals or corporations, government support, and a favorable public image. It has to integrate advanced sophisticated techniques to save institutional memory for the next generations. Applying digital archiving, video and audio recordings of important projects, seminars, and events, keeping records of association’s best practices are all effective methods to save memory beside the conventional paper-based archiving mechanism. Web presence is very critical to the association. It is not well developed because the current website is down and the main gate to potential members is through the social media like the face book. Thus, developing a full featured website can provide good communication channels for the association both locally and internationally. The association has to allow potential members to register online. The composition of the board of directors needs some adjustments. A combination of co-founders, highly prestigious figures, wealthy capitalists, experienced technocrats – given the fact that they are all politically and religiously unbiased – will allow the association to leverage each party’s privileges respectively. The reason is that co-founders are well informed about the association, its mission, vision, goals and have an intuitive inner commitment to achieve them. The highly prestigious, well known, famous, and rich members – who represent the status symbol – can bring in extra money through their special donations and strong contacts with bureaucrats. The wealthy capitalists can have a win-win situation. On the one hand, they can enjoy public credibility and commitment toward social responsibility and on the other hand they will cash in the association to derive this legitimacy. Experienced technocrats can propose better structural reforms, manage operational complexities, and implement strategies to improve performance by capitalizing on strengths and overcoming weaknesses. The association is membership-based and it serves multiple interests. It channels members’ annual fees to implement projects serving members of the poor communities. It also develops the skills and competencies of its members in return for their volunteer time, money, and efforts. The non-profit nature of the association should not hinder its attempts to implement profit-based projects. These projects are important to cover the high overhead cost, keep an emergency fund â€Å" to hedge against bad economic conditions,† invest surplus in revenue earning initiatives, finance new developmental projects, and finally keep work flow smoothly while enjoying the tax exemption privilege. Providing full fledged free support should be only restricted to severe cases. These include very poor, eldery, disable, and young sick children in highly marginalized areas. Otherwise, providing services should have something in return. For example, providing microfinance for poor families can be balanced against donating a certain percentage of periodical revenues to fund other projects. One more thing that should be emphasized specially after the revolution of January 25th is augmenting international funding options. The association has to devise an effective strategy to share a large portion of international donor money coming into Egypt to support democracy. Only with a clear schedule of valuable projects, the association can guarantee international donors’ support without facing the threat of policy conditionality i. e. , imposing a certain development agenda on fund recipient as a condition to be granted the money. This can secure association’s activities financially, allow it to cover O. H costs, implement expansion plans, and better serve society’s compelling needs. General recommendations to improve the civil society in Egypt; 1. The presence of a regulatory environment for transparency rather than for control. 2. Ensuring enough flexibility in law application and enforcement i. e. , the law versus the implementation issue. 3. Promoting an openness commitment to partnership between government and public institutions and the civil society. 4. Supporting a bottom-up approach to development from donors’ side. 5. Supporting the creation of institutions rather than only short or medium term programs to promote for sustainable development. 6. Mobilizing mechanisms to maximize the real value perceived by the beneficiaries from the donors’ dollars. Page (2011) mentioned that only 10 to 30 percent of this actual grant will go to the real beneficiaries. 7. Supporting the youth-led NGOs so that they can actually participate in leading the winds of change toward democracy in Egypt. P. S. for those interested in accessing the association for donations, or more research work, here are association’s contacts. Address

Law Assignment for Child Protection

Law Essay Case Study of Stephanie and Stephen. This essay shall be based on the assumption that I am a Local authority social worker given the case referral of Stephanie and Stephen. The essay shall be focusing on the laws, policy and procedures that will guide through the assessment process of this case and how these can be used to meet the needs of all concerned. The assignment includes discussions on some of the key aspects of framework for the assessment of children in need and their families and The Children’s Act 1989, in particular section 17, duty to safeguard and I will incorporate anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory practice.Stephanie and Stephen are under the age of 18, this therefore puts them into the category of both of them being classed as children. Under the Children Act 1989 it clearly states that any person under the age of 18 and 16 if married is seen as a child. This consequently places a statutory duty on any local authority child social care worker t o protect them from any harm and promote their well-being. Section 17 (1. ) of the Children Act 1989 says that â€Å"Local Authorities, have a general duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children within their area are in need† Subsequent to receiving this referral and acting in agreement to the primary aims of the Government Policy, my role and responsibility is to make sure that both Stephanie and Stephen are protected from any harm and that their development needs are met accordingly and appropriately. In the course of this, if I believed that a crime had been committed, I would have a duty to report this immediately to the police.Section 47 of the Children Act 1989 states that â€Å" Children's Social Care Services must inform the police whenever they receive a referral, which may constitute a criminal offence against a child, even when they have decided that they are dealing with the referral as a Section 17† (www. Proceduresonline. com) It is my duty to e stablish if any, the level of risk to Stephanie and Stephen and to use legislation where necessary. The identification of a high-risk individual provides the mechanism for ensuring that children are protected hile avoiding unneeded intervention. (Parton et al. 1997) To try and establish the course of action, I will be guided by the Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families and Working Together to Safeguard Children to help me in my decision making, planning and if any the intervention that may be required. These are two acts that were issued under Section 7 of the Local Authority Act 1970 which required Social Services to act under there general guidance.This Framework of Assessment will take into account the development needs of the child, unlike the Children Act 1989 that until the mid 1990’s mostly focused on the incidents of abuse rather than the development needs of the child. (Department of Health et al. 2000) By use of taking a holistic view t o the ‘Assessment Framework’, information will be gathered and analysed within three domains of the Assessment Framework namely: the child’s developmental needs, the parent’s capacity to respond appropriately to those needs and the wider family and environmental factors.The Framework is also linked closely to Every Child Matters which aims to ensure the well-being of children and young people from birth to 19. This means that the Government aim is for every child whatever their background or circumstances have the relevant support they need in order to be healthy, stay safe, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution and achieve economic well-being (Every Child Matters and Outcomes) It is important that all agencies collaborate and work together to share information.Working Together to Safeguard Children document sets out how all agencies and professionals in the statutory, voluntary and independent sectors should work together to promote children's w elfare and protect them from abuse and neglect requires those agencies to share information. The first point of contact I would make would be with the school and learning mentor. Under s. 27 (7. 4) of the Children Act 1989 the school is obliged by law to assist me with any additional information that might be of help to this particular case. (www. legislation. It is the school that expressed concern and by acting upon this they then completed and sent a Common Assessment Framework (CAF) â€Å"The CAF is a shared assessment and planning framework for use across all children's services and Local areas in England. It aims to help the early identification of children's additional needs and promote co-ordinated service provisions to meet them† (www. cwdcouncil. org) I may also make enquires to the police as to whether there has been any reported incidents, especially taking into account that there is issues of substance misuse and domestic violence.When domestic violence is added into the equation it is clear that the children could be at risk of significant harm. â€Å"Child witnesses of domestic violence greatly impacts upon children’s development causing emotional harm†. (Mullander et al 2002: 6) Under Section 120 of the Adoption and Children Act 2002 states that: â€Å"Children living in households where domestic violence is happening are now identified as â€Å"at risk† under the Adoption and Children Act 2002.From 31 January 2005, Section 120 of this act extended the legal definition of harming children to include harm suffered by seeing or hearing ill treatment of others. (www. womensaid) Additional information may be gathered from other professional such as the child’s General Practitioner (GP) and dentist. Neglecting to take a child to see the doctor or dentist can be seen as neglect in some cases. I would also read through old case notes and talk to previous social care professionals that were involved with the family w hen they were accommodated.Section 20 of the Children Act 1989 defines â€Å"the term accommodated child refers to a child or young person for whom the Local Authority has provided accommodation with parental consent† (Children Act 1989) This is something that can be done without the need to apply to court and it is a way of working in partnership with the parents and empowering the parents to be involved in the ongoing plans for their child. This can be reassessed if the parents becomes uncooperative or inconsistent or commitment to the child.In the event of this the need for care proceeding may be required. (Legislation. gov. uk). From the information already received I notice that both Stephanie and Stephen wish to remain with their parents. The intention of the Children Act 1989 is to keep families together and it should only be that a child is removed as a last resort. Section 47 (5a) of the Children Act 1989 (inserted by the Children Act 2004) says that we need to take account of the wishes and feeling of the child.It is important that in the incident that further action is needed I take into account the fact that the children want to remain where they are but I must balance the risk over the choice. Under the Children Act 1989 (6. 1) â€Å"A decision to remove a child from home must balance the likely immediate and long-term effects of removing the child against the possible harm if the child is left at home. This decision should also take into account the need either to secure evidence of criminal offences or arrest suspects† (Children Act 1989)My next course of action would be to visit the family home and carry out an initial assessment. If I did not feel the children were at immediate risk, I would get in touch with the parents and arrange a time and date for me to visit, however if believed I would be putting the children at risk by doing this, I would consider a unannounced visit. I need to be aware that I will be intervening in the p ersonal lives of Stephanie, Stephen and their parents and my visit may not be welcomed by the family and viewed as a huge invasion and deprivation of their human rights.Article 8 of the Human Rights Act 1998 it states that; â€Å"(1) everyone has the right for his private and family life, his home and his correspondence. (2) There shall be no interference by a public authority with the exercise of this right except such as is in accordance with the law and is necessary in a democratic society in the interests of national security, public safety or the economic well-being of the country, for the prevention of disorder or crime, for the protection of health or morals, or for the protection of the rights and freedoms of others† (news. bbc. o. uk) They are within their rights to refuse me entry into their home and as a social worker I do not have the power to enforce this. The police would have to be called if I alleged the children were at immediate risk they would then have the power to remove under Section 46 (6. 7)† These are to be used in cases of immediate emergency where the delay of applying for an Emergency Protection Order would pose significant harm to a child. This Order should not be used where a Local Authority can apply for an Emergency Protection Order and has sufficient time to do so. Children Act 1989) The reason for the initial visit is so I can establish if there are concerns and what action if any would be required next. I would need to talk to all concerned and maybe possible extended family to fully understand what is happening within this family. It is important to â€Å"Ascertain the wishes and feelings of child, parents and others relevant to fully address the problems experienced†. (Brammer, A (2003) p, 128) Throughout this assessment it imperative that Stephanie and Stephen remain paramount and the focus of this investigation. Working with family members is not an end in itself; the objective must always be to safegu ard and promote the welfare of the child. The child therefore must be kept in focus. It requires sensitivity and understanding of their circumstances of families and their particular needs† (Framework for Assessing Children in Need and their Families, p. 13, 1. 45) Stephanie and Stephen have rights and it is important that as a social worker I strive to ensure that they are treated as individuals and without discrimination and take full account their wishes, feelings and experiences.By not respecting the children and listening to them because of their age could be seen as discrimination, people are often discriminated because of age whether this being young or old, as social workers it is important that we apply anti-discriminatory practice at all times and to challenge others who discriminate against others. Section 12 of the United Nation Convention on the Right of the Child, (UNCRC) states, â€Å"Children and young people have a right to express a view about things that af fect them† (United Nations Convention on the Right of the Child)I would not withhold any knowledge that I believed may be beneficial to Stephanie and Stephen and their parents. The family may require legal advice and may need sign posting to other outside agencies that could offer independent advice and support. By withholding any information I run the chance of the family being oppressed and as a social worker this is something we would not do. â€Å"A social work practice that does not take account of oppression cannot be seen as good practice no matter how high its standards in other respects. † (Thompson, N. 2000) pg11) For children to enjoy and achieve they need to attend school, this will give them the chance to reach their full potential and the opportunity to improve their life chances. It is the parent’s responsibility to ensure that Stephanie and Stephen attend school. â€Å"The law requires parents to make sure their children receive a full-time educa tion suitable to their needs. For most children this means attending school regularly. As a last resort, schools and local authorities have legal powers to deal with poor attendance. † (www. direct. gov. uk)Stephanie has also told the school that she and her brother are often left home alone. The law of the Government in the UK does not have an age limit for leaving children alone. To ensure they are safe, I would need to explore the level of understanding and maturity of both children, the Children and Young Person’s Act 1993, â€Å"parents in England and Wales can be prosecuted for wilful neglect if they leave a child unsupervised in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or harm to health† (Children and Young Person Act 1993) The other issues of the cooking and home conditions would be explored.It might be that Stephanie likes to cook and this has been her choice, but I would need to ensure this was not something she was being made to do and it is agai n safe for her to do and are they having a healthy diet. The home conditions will be something I will be taking notice of during the visit. Not everyone has the same standards of living and what one person sees as unacceptable is not necessarily the case. Is the home weather proof and free from damp and cold, is it free of hazards, such as syringes left around or illegal substances, is the home clean enough to prevent any infection of any kind.The visit could result in a number of finding and each one is different: It could be as simple as I have found no concerns and no further action is needed. (NFA) Section 17 Children Act 1989- Child in Need Section 47 Children Act 1989-Duty to investigate- Section 31 Children Act 1989-Interim Care Order Section 20- Accommodated- Section 44- Emergency Protection Order So as you can see there is no way of saying which way a assessment will turn out, every case should be treated individually. In conclusion to this essay, I have discovered the impo rtance of understanding the laws that surrounds child protection.Child protection is very complex and our service will not always be welcomed by service users, but it is hoped that through good practice and guidance of the laws, Framework Assessment and Working Together to safeguard children, we are able to keep families together and only remove children as a last resort. It is however evident that this will not always be the case and children will have to be removed against their wishes and the wishes of their families but as it is important that the child remains the focus and in the centre at all times.I managed to establish the significance of practicing anti-discriminative and anti- oppressive practice whilst promoting the rights of children. Families will no doubt feel powerless within this situation and we must continue to empower them at all times. Social Workers are inclined only to get the bad press, but can they win the vote of the public? Time will tell so for ++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++now; we are damned if we do and damned if we don’t. + – .

Analysis of Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren

The presidents have always played a crucial role in American politics and are known for their roles in unifying the nation. They are glorified for their charisma and ability to lead, but even these brilliant men make economic, political, and social blunders. Andrew Jackson, who was in office from 1829-1837, was a president of many firsts as he was the first frontier president, first to have a kitchen cabinet, and first to use a pocket veto. Jackson was later succeeded by his vice president, Martin Van Burden. Van Burden, who was in office from 1837-1841 , was known for his shrewd political skills.Both these men laid down the foundations for a stronger, more centralized national government with methods that garnered mixed responses. Andrew Jackson was a war hero turned president, but his battles did not end with his election. One type of problem Jackson faced was economic. South Carolinian planters saw that the protective tariff, passed by Congress in 1 824, as oppressive since most of the revenue made from it was invested in the northeasts manufacturing industry. They were more infuriated when the tariff was raised in the summer of 1828 (Brinkley 207).The South Carolinians and Vice President John C. Calhoun saw the taxes as blatantly unconstitutional, exceeding Congresss powers to raise necessary revenues and oppressing one section of the country while enriching others (Willets 63). A nullification document written by Calhoun known as the South Carolina Exposition and Protest was passed by the state legislature in 1 832 as a response. This text announced that any state could declare its original sovereignty and disregard federal laws that are found offensive in their borders.In retaliation, Jackson sent federal troops to South Carolina to enforce the law, but before any violence could ensure the state backed down Brinkley 207). This created a strong rift between the Jackson and his vice president that turned in to a bitter rivalry between the two. Jacksons strong approach caused the executive branch to become unstable and eventually Calhoun and he split in 1832 (Willets 64-65). Another negative economic event that Jackson faced was his clash with the Second Banks of the United States. The Second Bank of the United Sates was a privately owned institution with an outrageous amount of public influence. With a congressional charter, it was the national governments sole fiscal handler and could use public ends without interest for its own discretion (Brinkley 211). Due to this, Jackson saw the Bank as an unconstitutional aberration and an affront to popular sovereignty (Willets 75). There was also opposition of the Banks by advocates of soft money, who were mainly state banks, and advocates of hard money, who were people that disapproved all banks and believed only in coins for currency (Brinkley 211). O when it was time for the Banks charter to be renewed in 1832, Jackson. He removed all federal funds the following year and when the original charter expired in 1 836 all operations as a national bank ended. This would subsequently cause the economy to become unstable a year later (Willets 79-80). Although there were no wars during Jacksons administration, there have been close calls. A treaty was created, in 1831 a year before Jackson took office, whereby France agreed to pay reparations for damages made on American shipping under the reign of Napoleon.The French Chamber of Deputies, however, later refused to allocate the appropriate funds. Jackson infuriated with this called on Congress to allow for reprisals should the French not pay. Both nations refused to back down and the bickering spiraled to the point where they recalled their ministers and a war seemed imminent (Willets 138). The crisis was averted with the French eventually ceding with urgings from Britain. Jacksons stubbornness and refusal to back down landed the United States in hot water, especially in provoking a nation like France that she would not be able to fight. Jackson also faced the issue of American advancement into the west. The removal of Indians was a major concern of his administration and management of the situation was the most notable gaffe of his administration. Like many other Americans at the time, he believed that the Indians were inferior to white men and saw them as savages. Once in office, Jackson urged the Indians to move westward and give up their land, but he was adamantly opposed. The first of the land battles began with Georgia when the state claimed millions of acres of Indian land.The Indians responded with a suit in the Supreme court that was ruled in their favor, stating that Georgia had no authority over their land. The Georgians ignored this and a white invasion of the land ensued. Jackson did nothing to enforce the ruling and there was no consequences to the blatant disregard of the Supreme Court (Ermine 60-61 Later, the Indian Removal Act of 1 830 was eased and signed by Jackson which gave him the authority to make treaties that would exchange land in the west for Indian land east of the Mississippi.It also stated their relocation would be paid for by the federal government. The Indians opposed this act because although it seemed peaceful, they were removed forcefully. This led to many bloody conflicts in which one side would try to seize the land while the other side tried to protect it. The struggle continued and many citizens were polarize on the issue as some saw the Indians as hindrances to American expansionism while the others saw it as outright disrespect of the Indians rights.Eventually in 1835, after the anti- treaty supporters negotiated better terms, a treaty was signed in which the Indians would give up their land in exchange for other lands wes t of the Mississippi (Willets 139-141 This later led to the Indians large exodus where thousands suffered. Although Jacksons decision allowed for the nation to expand, it was at the enormous expense of the Indians. He forcefully kicked them Off their land and treated them as if they were livestock that did not deserve basic human rights. Jackson served for two terms and remained incredibly popular even after resigning.He was the true epitome of a poor, country boy who grew up to become president. He was a self-made man that used his presidency to help ordinary people rather than the rich. Although he had he helped the nation to grow, it came at the sacrifice of so many innocent lives. His popularity with the people led to the election of Martin Van Burden, who was his vice president and once the most powerful member of Jacksons cabinet as Secretary of State. At the very beginning of Van Burdens presidency, he faced the first major economic crisis that America had experienced thePanic of 1837. This fiscal fiasco was triggered by Jacksons withdrawal from the Second Bank of the United States and deposition into state banks of federal funds. Consequently, there was reckless speculation by the banks in lands westward (Willets 1 19). The bubble finally burst in 1837 and hundreds of businesses and banks failed, causing the worst depression of the economy at the time. Van Burden did little to relieve popular misery as he called for less government intervention and created no programs to help with the massive unemployment rate (Wider 102).He later proposed for the rancher of federal funds to an independent treasury. This bill would eventually be passed year latter, but many blamed him for the crisis and inadequate response to it. It ultimately led to his crushing defeat by the William Henry Harrison, the Whig candidate, in the following election (Wider 103-104). During his presidency, Van Burden also faced raising tensions with Great Britain as there was a heated border dispute near the Canada-Maine border. This skirmish brought the two on the brink of war. However, Van Burden sought to revolve this conflict before violence resulted.General Winfield Scott and an envoy were sent to Britain to negotiate a treaty, which subsequently concluded the conflict. Many criticized Van Burdens cautious diplomacy as they felt that he should have taken a stronger stance against Britain and assert the United States as a force to be reckoned with (Wider 131). Slavery at the time was a controversial topic as many northern cities saw it as an abomination that should be abolished while in the south it was the center of the economy. Starting in 1836, many slave owners looking for space to expand saw Texas as the solution to their problems.

Policy Change Proposal Section I Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Policy Change Proposal Section I - Assignment Example If changed, businesses will have to issue form 1099 to all corporations and individuals that give $600 or more in merchandise or services annually to the business. The Health Care Act has expanded, in two meaningful ways the obligation to give form 1099s. In the first instance, businesses are required to issue these forms, not just to individuals, but also to corporations. In the second instance, the threshold of $600 is triggered by merchandise purchases, as well as for services (Estes & Williams, 2013). Starting in 2013, therefore, all funeral parlors will be required to issue forms 1099 to utilities, phone companies, and insurance companies, auto dealers, embalming fluid suppliers, monument companies, cemeteries, vault sellers, and casket sellers. The small problems faced by funeral homes in January is set to become a nightmare with regards to paperwork, especially since the payments need to be tracked, tax ID addresses and numbers collected, as well as issuance of multiple form 1099s. This onerous provision needs to be repealed by congress through advocacy by business groups and other independent workers (Kluwer, 2012). The issue should al so be brought to the attention of the Small Business Administration of the United

International banking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

International banking - Essay Example Having considered these two versions of definition for funding liquidity, it is also worth noting here that some experts (Brunnemeier and Pedersen, 2007; Strahan, 2008) have defined liquidity from traders and investors’ perspectives, by stating that it refers to their capability and potential to raise funds in short term. In cases when banks are unable to make timely payments or traders or investors are unable to generate funds from the market, as readily as they could have, there is a situation involving funding liquidity risk. International Monetary Fund (2008) defines funding liquidity risk by stating that it is the lack of capability of a financial institution to discharge its liabilities or financial obligations in due time. Normally, funding liquidity risk emerges from availability issues pertaining to the following sources of funding liquidity: Trading of Assets; Securitization; Loan Syndication; and Obtaining loans from Secondary Market. Having considered these factors , it is not a simple task to measure funding liquidity risk. ... t process for funding liquidity, Drehmann and Nikolaou (2008) have suggested a more simplistic measure for funding liquidity risk while keeping in view the central bank as the source for funding liquidity. The adjusted bid is denoted by the following expression: On the basis of this adjusted bid determination expression, Drehmann and Nikolaou (2008) then constructed a proxy for the funding liquidity risk, which is the sum of all bids made by all banks. The proxy is presented as follows: Or in other words: The review of theoretical and empirical literature pertaining to funding liquidity risk shows that increased risk associated with funding liquidity reflects an increased valuation of bids in the market, as investors and traders seek more return for higher risk assets. In order to normalize the bid price, Drehmann and Nikolaou (2008) have introduced the concept of adjusted bid, which is ultimately used in the measurement of liquidity funding risk. Having discussed funding liquidity, funding liquidity risk and its measurement, it is now relatively a simple task to describe and understand market liquidity, which in a similar manner, refers to the ability of traders to sell and/or buy assets in the market with no or little influence on its price and at lowest possible costs (Hooker & Kohn, 1994). Market liquidity relates directly to the cost of an asset in the market. It is the bid-ask spread aimed at determining the loss caused to sellers upon selling an asset in the market and purchasing it again at the same time. Another factor which relates to market liquidity is the â€Å"market depth†. Market depth is depictive of the number of units of an asset traders are willing to trade while keeping in view the existing prices, i.e. both for bid and ask, provided that no changes

Television programming Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Television programming - Essay Example These questions are basic essence of my research conducted and ABC channel being my prime lab rodent to experiment upon. What programs they air, why they air them and what strategy they are implying to attract the maximum number of audience in the post-dinner time. TV Ratings Any guesses how the intelligent people sitting in the ABC production offices know, when to air what, when most people are tuned in and most importantly which slots to offer the highest advertisement rate to add agencies and commercial vendors. The answer to this question lies in the name â€Å"Nielsen ratings†. It is an audience measurement system developed by Nielsen media research to do exactly the magic described above. The program uses set-meters, small devices installed behind television sets to monitor the channel activity and record time data of TV programs being watched at what time. A further sophisticated method implies that what audience is watching what. This is done by the help of viewers inp ut in the very same device. The audience enters this survey voluntarily and is a big help to create a data base and analysis which helps in securing maximum advertisement rates for the prime time slot (Frank, 20). American Broadcasting Company The TV channel under research is ABC. Some of the basic questions mentioned in the start of the paper will be answered with the help of forensic research into the media world of today where people can choose to record there TV shows and watch them add-less. What are they trying to accomplish? The basic purpose of any television broadcast company, to earn maximum profits. For that purpose on Thursday nights ABC airs the program â€Å"wipeout† to kick-off the evening. This reality game show has fast gained popularity to an extent that it is the second most watched TV show in the American TV broadcasting. They follow it up with â€Å"Grey’s Anatomy†, a well renowned serial related to doctors practicing and their issues. A tru ly griping hi-paced drama of common people saving people’s lives and complicating their own in the process. This medical drama is followed by a follow-up medical drama named private practice which is a spin-off of grey’s anatomy. A wide variety of household people have a keen interest in every new upcoming episode that is being shown. The people targeted with this include adults and also the ones in the bracket of being grandparents. Do not bold, italicize or underline the subheading. What audiences are they targeting and how? If you compare the first hour of the prime time with other network channels being broadcasted, ABC has created a clever strategy by targeting the young and adult audience by broadcasting wipeout, a funny reality game show whereas the other channels are broadcasting one after the other serious genre serials which are not a huge attraction to children and young alike. After that, they target the sample of audience that is parents and grandparents b racket by airing similar set up medical dramas. Coming to the fact that how did they end up devising a clear edge among the top ranked broadcasters? The answer lies in the post writers strike era, when a new team was formed to sail them out of a storm without a lot of financial blocks crumbling over them and sailed they did. They indeed came out on top of the storm and ended up being the most watched channel according to the post wipeout season ratings. The team had a

PsyInfo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

PsyInfo - Essay Example This entails applying social work ethical principles, applying critical thinking, accepting diversity and difference, advancing human rights and social and economic justice, and engaging in practice that is research-informed among other things. 3. The primary functions of the National Association of social Works include, advancing sound social policies, maintaining professional standards of practice and providing services that protect the members and their status as professional social workers. 4. Clinical social works have master's or doctorate degrees in social work with an emphasis on mental health services and clinical experiences. 5. The history of social work is intimately tied in with helping poor people. It is possible to say it some its formal origins as urban missions came together to help people during the early years of the Industrial Revolution and mass migration during the 19th century. Eventually professionals came together in New York City and in 1889 with Jane Addams and the Hull House in Chicago. Adams also created the settlement house movement that involved providing assistance to the poor. Ida M. Cannon developed and head a multi-disciplinary social work department at a Boston hospital that become influential.

Representation on the Partition of India Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Representation on the Partition of India - Essay Example For this purpose, the written piece by Anita Desai under the tag of Clear Light of Day and the film Earth by Deepa Mehta can be regarded as pioneers regarding the subject matter. This paper aims to assess the subject of India-Pakistan separation and its impact on the creation of identity by comparing the work of Deepa Mehta and Anita Desai. Talking about the film by Deepa Mehta, it was surely an attempt of showing the cultural differences which ultimately became the reason behind the complication for people to actually being individuals. In a simpler manner, it can be well said that the after the two-nation separation, there was a lot of struggle t hat was witnessed in becoming individual identity. The impact of the separation between the two nations was so horrific in the history of subcontinent that it almost became critical for people to get over with the changes which were marked in the name of two-nation separation. As depicted in the movie by the narrator â€Å"It was 1947 rum bling of the British government into division of Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs entity into the two states, Pakistan and India. The pieces of India were being clamored†. The audiences will note that the director has projected the incidents of the separation as of the Jews holocaust. The usage of term holocaust has been done by the director Deepa Mehta many times after the film was launched at the international film festival. The astounding director noted that since Jews consider the holocaust as the most brutal memory of their history, in the similar manner, the separation of India and Pakistan was their holocaust. This shows the intensity of the separation as evident from the movie. It should be noted that the movie was basically a depiction of the Novel named Cracking India. The director Deepa Mehta has shown that the relationship between different cultural communities was not so enraged until the politics became severe in the subcontinent (Mehta). The director have made sure tha t the viewer are able to understand the history of the India and Pakistan easily for which she had made her characters to speak of the context to the historical background. Furthermore, it can be well-stated that the audience can pin point the difficulties that people underwent during the time of separation. Undoubtedly, the literature which was published so far after 1947 made evident that the separation was not an easy event. But the movie rather takes an in-depth assessment of the ways in which people questioned about their identities. Despite the fact that people did not have to worry about their identity after the separation as they were in their own homeland, there was still an air of discomfort. The characters that have been shown in the movie have rather noted a more positive relationship between people from different cultures until the call for separation (Mehta 76). After the dreading events of mass killing of Muslims and Hindus, it was rather noted that the relationship b etween different cultures were divided on the basis of identities. Also, the furious yet brutal incident that have been projected in the movie such as the train in which the lead actor’s sister had to travel reached the railway station in a situation of no human being alive. The director has communicated with the audiences that on the basis of identities, women from both nations had to undergo rape. The train incident marked the holocaust act of the murderers where four

The Fragility of Doubt Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Fragility of Doubt - Assignment Example When Sister James says that she can handle her class, Sister Aloysius makes her doubt herself by saying: â€Å"But perhaps you are wrong. And perhaps you are not working hard enough† (Shanley 18). She wants Sister James to doubt her performance as a teacher, so that she will never stop criticizing her abilities and so that she will continue growing as a teacher and as a nun. Sister Aloysius, furthermore, doubts those who violate moral codes. She has an instinct for detecting suspicious behavior. She could be right because Father Flynn has been defensive when asked about what he did to Donald Muller. Instead of simply saying he did nothing, Father Flynn answers: â€Å"Whatever I have done, I have left in the healing hands of my confessor† (Shanley 49). The way he gives vague answers confirms that he has done something wrong in the past and that he might as well have done something wrong with Donald too. Besides doubting others, Sister Aloysius shows her Socratic side when she doubts her teaching abilities. Socratic means she knows that she knows nothing. She reveals to Sister James that she has been married before taking the habit, but she admits that she â€Å"would feel competent to lecture tittering girls on the subject of womanhood† (Shanley 23). Sister Aloysius is aware of her weaknesses as a teacher, which is quite important because doubt can be used as a means for self-improvement. Like Sister Aloysius, Father Flynn also doubts others. He doubts his team of basketball players for not giving their best. He believes that they should set high social stands and excel in their performances.

Trends in porting existing PC applications to the mobile environment Research Paper

Trends in porting existing PC applications to the mobile environment - Research Paper Example This makes porting existing PC applications to the mobile environment an uphill task for the developers (Damianos Gavalas and Daphne Economou) Interoperability is by far the largest impediment in application development. There are so many devices that run on totally different operating systems, having different screen sizes among other local requirements of the markets. Mobile app developers are therefore faced with a unique challenge of making apps that will work flawlessly across the different platforms. That is why porting of applications is probably the most important concern for app developers today. When porting of applications, there are three important considerations to make. The first is the device type. You have to consider that the app will be running on smart phones, brew devices, or J2ME devices. The second consideration to make is the operating systems used. Quite a number of mobile apps usually need some native functions of a specific operating system. This makes it almost impossible for developers to write code only once and reuse it across the different platforms. Thirdly, you need to consider the device features. Different mobile devices have different features like screen size, keyboard types, and internal memory. A good app must put the variations into perspective (Damianos Gavalas and Daphne

Mis Used in Libraries Essay Example for Free

Mis Used in Libraries Essay Information systems are the software and hardware systems that support data-intensive applications. An information system is a collection of methods, practices, algorithms and methodologies that transforms data into information and knowledge desired by and useful for the individual and the group users in organizations and other entities. This system can involve a combination of work practices, information, people and technologies organized to accomplish goals in an organization. All businesses today utilize some form of a technological information system in their company. Using an automated system to record and process business transactions is essential to running a profitable company and responding to market fluctuations. However, information systems are best for just collecting and reporting company information; management must still review and use the information for achieving company goals. As information systems have enabled more diverse human activities, they have exerted a profound influence over society. These systems have quickened the pace of daily activities, affected the structure and mix of organizations, changed the type of products bought, and influenced the nature of work. Information and knowledge have become vital economic resources. Yet, along with opportunities, the dependence on information systems has brought new threats. Intensive industry innovation and academic research continually develop new opportunities while aiming to contain the threats. A management information system (MIS) is set of internal controls that aid company management in running a business on a daily basis. The MIS is not just a computer information system that gathers information, but an overall decision-making tool used by management. The information reported by the MIS will help management find areas that need improvement in their company. How this information is used to correct business operations relies on the style of management used in a business. Using a de-centralized management style allows for corrections to be made by the front-line manager; this allows for a great deal of autonomy in management positions. Centralized management styles rely on top-level managers to correct business operations. NEED FOR INFORMATION SYSTEMS IN LIBRARIES. Information systems are electronic databases that manage large amounts of information, often for a business or large organization. You might not initially associate information systems with libraries, as libraries at first glance seem like buildings filled with paper books. However, many libraries use information systems to help them complete various tasks. There are a few key advantages for libraries that use information systems. Keeping Stock †¢One of the challenges for any library, especially large ones, is keeping track of all the books, CDs, DVDs, maps and other materials. Information systems can be used to put an indentifying code on each material that allows a librarian to look up where a material is, who took it out, and when. If a book is missing, the information system can help the librarians find it. Building a Collection †¢Whenever a librarian is choosing which materials to buy to add to the librarys collection, he must research what, if any, similar materials already exist. Information systems allow librarians to access easily information about what materials the library already owns on a particular subject or time period. This expedites the purchasing process. Customer Service oA library can use information systems to make it easier for customers to offer comments on how the library can change or improve. Customers can send an email or fill out an online form and an information system can collect all the comments and send them to the right person. This not only helps keep track of customer opinions, it also allows the librarian to receive a daily or weekly comments email rather than deal with multiple messages per day. Money Management oWhile books at libraries are usually free, libraries run on money. Information systems, including simple systems like spreadsheets, help libraries manage their budgets and plan their finances for the future. Large libraries with endowments rely even more on information systems to keep track of their investments and expected dividends. Traditionally, libraries have been aligned with the collecting, organizing, archiving, disseminating, and sometimes evaluation of data and information. Libraries are not about books. They are about information and knowledge. In the past libraries has been associated with books only because books were the primary manifestations of information. In todays world, information manifests itself in many more mediums. Most notable is the electronic medium. Integrated library system, or ILS, is another enterprise resource planning system for a library. One word, ‘INTERNET’ has completely changed the way Libraries operate. Today’s libraries are having a paradigm shift towards web-based e-resources. The conventional bibliographic resources are now fast supplemented by the e-resources. It is huge task for librarians to maintain a supply chain that moves shoulder to shoulder with a global information generation rate that doubles at every 20 months. Management Information Systems (MIS) have emerged as a solution to this capacity expansion requirement of Academic Libraries. According to McClure (1990), Management information systems are tools designed to improve management decisions. †¢Integrated Library System Modules module = a portion of a program that carries out a specific function Acquisitions: select, order, budget, receive, pay for materials; claim or cancel orders that were not received. Cataloging: create records which describe and classify materials Serials: describe and check-in serials (periodicals, magazines, journals) †¢5. Integrated Library System Modules (pg. 2) 4. Circulation: record the check-in and check-out of materials to patrons 5. Interlibrary Loans: lend and borrow materials from other libraries 6. OPAC (Online Public Access Catalog): display materials to patrons The Main Functions of a Library Knowledge is for all, but to be indeed for all, it should be accessible for all those who seek it regardless of their mother tongue. Consequently, libraries as the organizers and heralds of this knowledge, adding value to it by cataloguing and classifying, should, in turn, be Universal; i. e. provide equality of access for all. Today, Information Technology has converted the world into a global village and libraries, as part of this age, should make use of these technological advancements in achieving the Universality goal and quenching the generations thirst for knowledge. This means that traditional libraries should change into well-equipped interconnected digital libraries Libraries should be so organized and the staff so trained that they become relevant to user communities (including special groups) in every respect. Primary Functions of Integrated Library Systems 1)Ordering and receiving materials. 2)Recording financial information 3)Storing information about the library’s collection of materials 4)Recording the borrowing of materials . The objective of an MIS based Library is to be an effective library through: (1) Providing convenience and justice to its readers. (2) Attract non-readers to become readers. FEASIBILITY STUDY Key Features 1Tracks number of books and subscribers in a library 2Add manage books categories 3Manage and edit books 4Search books by name 5Add book details with category, price and purchase date 6Maintains book issue date, return date and overdue days. 7Maintains employee details who borrows the books Benefits 1User friendly interface 2Subscribers can easily check availability of books, CD’s, DVD’s in a library 3Reporting of overdue books 4Cost effective 5Efficiency in speed and operation 6Elimination of duplication of Books, CD’s and DVD’s 7Security of Library 8Better inventory preservation because of less handling by staff 9Time saving 10Easily locate books, CD’s and DVD’s on racks SOFTWARES USED IN LIBRARIES VOYAGER: Voyager is broken down into different modules that are focused on helping with certain tasks commonly done in a library. The modules are the main way that library workers interact with the system. They are implemented as custom Microsoft Windows programs that talk to a centralized server and database. The modules are as follows: 1. Circulation The primary use of this module is charge and discharge items to library patrons. It allows for the creation and maintenance of patron records, fine processing and request processing of library items. 2. Media Scheduling (optional) lets people reserve videos and media equipment ahead of time as well as equipment maintenance. The types of items allowed to be reserved are only limited by what library staff have added to it. 3. Web Voyage This is the web based interface for use by patrons to search, renew items, and request items from the libraries collection. 4. Access Reports Not officially a module, Voyager does allows for an ODBC connection to its main database. This allows library staff to create custom Statistic and usage reports. 5. Reporter One of the purposes of this module is to generate email and print notifications to patrons informing them of, recalls, overdue items, courtesy notices and fines. Reporter also generates exception reports, which are violations of system policy, Transaction reports, and some statistics, which are used by library staff. 6. Cataloging This is the main module used by Library Technical Services department. It is used to create and edit records for all the items in a libraries collection. 7. Acquisitions Lets staff track orders and assign money to funds and ledgers. 8. Call Slip (optional) Allows patrons to request items to be transferred between different units in a library system. 9. Self Check provides and interface for Self Check stations. 10. Voyager Inter-library Loan (ILL)- (Optional) Allows library patrons to request items from other institutions. 11. System Admin Used to add system users, set up circulation locations, and policies as well as setting up location calendars. Alexandria: Alexandria efficiently manages modern libraries, freeing up administrators, technology coordinators, and librarians for more important tasks. Library Automation Software Benefits to IT Managers You are tasked to do more with less, and you need library automation software that can answer the call. Alexandria will enable you to: †¢Relieve the support load of your staff. In addition to ease-of-use and stability, Alexandrias unmatched technical support team is available any time you need them via phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, providing end-user support directly to your users, and IT support to you when necessary. †¢Minimize the resource drain of multiple servers at multiple sites. Alexandria gives you the ability to update/upgrade and backup your entire district from one primary location. †¢Eliminate upgrade and backup hassles. Alexandrias update, upgrades, and critical data backups are all done automatically within the software. Library Automation Software Benefits to Administrators Alexandria library automation software allows you to efficiently manage your varied library education and management responsibilities with the following unique capabilities: †¢Improve reading scores. Alexandrias built in Lexile capabilities actually improve reading scores †¢Universal access from home. With Alexandria, there is secure access to your library—24 hours a day. †¢Relieve the resource drain of extra support staff just to manage your library automation software. Alexandrias automatic updates, 24/7/365 technical support, and renowned ease-of-use allow you to re-deploy valuable resources to more important areas. †¢Alexandria is the only library system that provides a live 24/7 help line for any librarian or tech person in your facility who needs assistance. e-Granthalaya e-Granthalaya is a library automation software from National, Department of Electronics Information Technology, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Government of India. The software has been designed by a team of experts from software as well as Library and Information Science discipline. Using this software the libraries can automate in-house activities as well as user services. The software can be implemented either in stand-alone or in client-server mode where database and WebOPAC are installed on the server PC while the data entry program is installed on client PCs. The software provides LAN/Web based data entry solutions for a cluster of libraries where a centralized/Common database can be created with Union Catalog output. The software provides Web OPAC interface to publish the library catalog over Internet/Intranet. The software runs on Windows paltform Only, UNICODE Compliant, thus, supports data entry in local language.. Distribution Policy The software is provided at zero cost libraries. The support, training, Data Entry, Maintenance, Migration, etc are provided on Payment basis by the NIC/NICSI Empanelment Agency. System Requirements Hardware: the computer itself, (CPU), and all of its support equipments. Among the support equipments are input and output devices, storage devices and communications devices Connectivity: LAN/Internet Connectivity. BarCode Printer (Any Model/Make) with Barcode Reader Software Components 1. Database (MS SQL Server 2005/2008) on Server PC (Windows 2003/2008) 2. Web OPAC on Server PC 3. Data entry program on client PCs For the details and information with regards to our project , the following libraries have been visited THE AMERICAN LIBRARY The American Library, Mumbai is one of the divisions of the American Center, which carries out a variety of activities aimed at promoting a better understanding of the policies, values, institutions, and culture of the United States. The American Library, Mumbai provides you with a wide range of current, accurate and authoritative information from a vast selection of print and electronic resources using state-of-the-art technology. The American Library collection focuses primarily on U. S. foreign policy, business and economics, management, law and legislation, human rights, environment, and life and culture in the U. S. It maintains a collection of approximately 13,000 volumes of books, government publications, and think tank reports. It has 89 U. S. magazines and 3 newspapers titles in hardcopy. They provide timely, reliable and comparative information on a variety of topics ranging from American politics, culture, history, economy as well as international relations and global issues. With books, journals, English language learning materials along with DVDs, newspapers, U. S. government publications, there is something for everyone. Even the young reader will find more than 1,000 titles of fiction and non-fiction at the American Library. This library uses Voyager as its software . It is a centralized network . oVoyager automates many of the processes necessary for libraries to function smoothly, such as circulation. o Voyager is capable of managing a variety of formats, such as print and online resources. oIt addresses recent concerns for patron information privacy and privacy related to circulation history oGives more options on user/patron service (e. g. alerts for pending transactions for a patron) oImproved search tools for staff and patrons, including enhancements for subject headings searching (controlled vocab), where patron doesn’t have to know starting words or word order of headings to look them up oAcquisitions: select, order, budget, receive, pay for materials; claim or cancel orders that were not received. oCataloguing: create records which describe and classify materials oSerials: describe and check-in serials (periodicals, magazines, journals) MMRDA LIBRARY Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority commonly abbreviated as MMRDA, is a body of the Government of Maharashtra that is responsible for the infrastructure development of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. MMRDA was set up on the 26th January, 1975 under the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority Act, 1974 Government of Maharashtra as an apex body for planning and co-ordination of development activities in the Region. The MMRDA comprises 17 members and is chaired by the Minister for Urban Development in Maharashtra Prithviraj Chavan (who is also the current Chief Minister of Maharashtra). It is also the richest state owned organisations in india. on the similar lines to this, recently government of maharashtra has announced to establish pmrda and nmrda for pune and nasik respectively. Mmrda uses e granthalaya. It consists of an isolated network design  omulti-lingual version supports data entry in all the 10 Indian Scripts/languages oHigh security for library data and members’ accounts oFine calculation for late receipt or lost or damage of items oEasy way to take Database Backup and Restore the database oTimely reminders will be given for the periodical subscription of items oImproved circulation and tracking oEasy access to all information BIBLIGRAPHY The American Library MMRDA library http://egranthalaya. nic. in/ http://www. exlibrisgroup. com/category/Voyager.

Adolescent Substance Essay Example for Free

Adolescent Substance Essay In my teen age, I was exposed to a different atmosphere from Mark Spencer’s. For example, my parents who were very strict about my welfare did not accord me any freedom as Spencer’s parents do. Further, my parents were very concerned about my associates and therefore never accorded me any free time to go anywhere without their permission. They tried to make sure that all their views were imposed onto their children. Due to their strictness, my siblings and I used to clandestinely slip to the neighborhood. We would then enjoy the little free time we acquired via sneaking. This phenomenon had a lot of significance with regard to what activities we engaged in as well as whom we associated with. Although we used to hang around with girls, I used to make sure that my parents never discovered this for such awareness could cause a lot of negative consequences to my wellbeing as well as to my relationship with my associates. If a familiar grownup met me in such funny corners, and I could make sure that they did not report me to my parents because it was suicidal to have been caught in such places. As time went by, I became rebellious to my parent’s so-called rules. I thus started to secretly take drugs at some funny hideouts until I got addicted l. Eventually, I could not hide my drug addiction any longer. Consequently, my parents tried to groom me by the use of the cane but this was of no use to me for I had been hardened with this kind of habit. My parents thus had to send me to a rehabilitation center but again, this action was not significant to me. After spending a year at the center, I pretended to be reformed and was sent back to my parents. At home, I joined some of my old friends and we started to rob people of petty objects. We could then sell such items so that we could sustain our drug habit. I was arrested and taken to child custody where I was reformed and thus became a good teen. At the age of 17, I had reorganized my life and could systematize myself well. The problem that is seen in Mark’s kind of world is that his parents are providing all that he asks for. They erroneously think that denying him some privileges can cause disaster. This is the reason why he is given a car and is allowed to go out on his own. Further, the parents are not aware of the kind of people that Mark is associating with (Steinberg, Fletcher Darling, 1994). Such parental oversight has caused him to indulge in drugs to the extent of bringing drugs into the house. Conversely, due to the strictness of my parents, rather than seeking appropriate ways to curb my defiant behavior, they caused my hardening. It is notable that my case only needed to be addressed with love, understanding, and support from my parents (Gallo Matthews, 2006). In my time, I could not do anything without first consulting my peers. I was thus always struggling not to displease them. In my world, I could not be allowed to go to any overnight party, a privilege which was awarded to Mark (DiClemente et al. 2001). The influence brought about by the environment that I was growing in made my life to change. I thus became a hard nut to crack. This development was brought about by the strict environment in which I grew. Due to Mark’s associates segregating him, because he does not associate with them, he feels rejected by the whole world (Coleman, 196I). This viewpoint makes him to have a negative opinion about all people a disposition that makes him to be very bitter. Further, Mark does not want to be under any authority. The act of purchasing a car for Mark by his parents facilitates him to get back to his friends. Moreover, he is willing to do anything so as to please the associates. Mark therefore starts to take drugs when his parents allow him the freedom to go out with his friends. Instead of the parents in both cases offering guidance to us, they started devising alternative mechanisms to curb our behaviors. This was just a straight way of strengthening our bond with our â€Å"good friends† who were teaching us the so-called â€Å"good habits†. In both cases, parental neglect caused failure in school performance since it made myself to be jailed, while to Mark, it seems boring to go to school (Mak Kinsella, 1996). This disposition has made Mark’s performance to greatly drop from an above average student to merely maintain an average of grade C. References Coleman, J. S. (196I). The adolescent society. The social life of the teenager and its impact on education. Psychoanalysis Quarterly, 32, 126-128. DiClemente, R. J. et al. (2001). Parental Monitoring: Association with adolescents risk behaviors. Pediatrics, 107, 1363-1368 Gallo, L. C. ; Matthews, K. A. (2006). Adolescents attachment orientation influences ambulatory blood pressure responses to everyday social interactions. Psychosomatic Medicine, 68, 253-261. Mak, A. S. ; Kinsella, C. (1996). Adolescent drinking, conduct problems, and parental bonding. Australian Journal of Psychology, 48, 15-20. Steinberg, L. ; Fletcher, A. ; Darling, N. (1994). Parental Monitoring and Peer Influences on Adolescent Substance Use. Pediatrics, 93 1060-1064.

The Importance Of Irrigation Agriculture Environmental Sciences Essay

The Importance Of Irrigation Agriculture Environmental Sciences Essay The importance of irrigation agriculture for a country having agricultural lead industrialization policy and rainfall dependent community to cultivate is not far from anybody. Ethiopia recently has a population of over 80 million. Of these 80 percent are living in rural area and their day to day breath is depend on rain-fed agriculture and not food self sufficient. To make theses community food self sufficient irrigation agriculture can be one way conjunction with rain-fed agriculture. The country has huge water potential that can be used for irrigation. Thought the countries water potential for irrigation is high, due to many reason the countrys capacity to support agriculture through development of irrigation has been weak (Mengistu, 2000). Ethiopia endowed with relatively higher amounts of rainfall in the region and has a surface runoff of about 122 billion m3 of water and 28,000 Mm ³ ground water (GoE,1999). The abundant water resources have earned Ethiopia the name the water tower of East Africa (United Nations Development Programme 2006). However, even had this estimated water potential, the country cannot assure its food self-sufficiency. If the country uses all its efforts to collect all available water resources for crop production, there is a possibility that the country can cover its food deficit and can also export some crops like oil crops and cereals. Thought water resource potential is significant in Ethiopia, use of this resource especially for irrigation agriculture is not that much as its water potential. Cognizant to this fact, the government has taken initiatives towards developing irrigation schemes of various scales (Desta, 2004) Recently the government look at towards irrigation development projects from small scale to large scale to become food self sufficient. Ethiopia indeed has significant irrigation potential. Realizing the potential irrigation development can contribute towards food security and improved welfare, the Government has embarked on wide range of water development efforts throughout the country. In the last decade, small-scale irrigation and rainwater harvesting were the government agricultural policy to increase crop productivity and reduce water shortage for crop and animal production. In some parts of the regions, where there are scarce and erratic rainfall, there is evidence that irrigation has achieved positive impacts: better opportunity for production, better income, reduction of risks, and hence generated benefits for poor rural communities. Ethiopians population increases averagely 3% per year. To feed these rapidly increase population as a country rain fed irrigation alone can not a solution rather intervention of irrigation agriculture can be a solution for the country having huge water potential for irrigation. Many developing countries cannot meet their food consumption using rain fed agriculture that is why many of them Intervening irrigated agriculture in the economy to feed their rapidly increased population (Hailemariam, 2008). Irrigation is needed at any time when the moisture of the soil is not capable for plant growth while the water is available. Once if the soil moisture cannot supply enough moisture to the plant, the plant cannot grow or if it grows it cannot bring expected production. Therefore to avoid crop production failure due to moisture stress and increase crop production applying water to the crop is important. But the main determinant of irrigation projects in developing countries are its need of high cost of initial investment capital and operating and maintenance cost in case of construct huge dames or high river diversions. On the other hand if we see small scale irrigation projects they may not asking huge investment capital and operation and maintenance and it should be recommended for those developing countries which cannot stand with two legs in irrigation agriculture sector. But when we start intervening irrigation to the area we should start from suitability of available water resour ces. The country has highly-diversified agro-ecological conditions which are suitable for the production of various types of crops. The crops are produced under rain fed and irrigated condition. The government of Ethiopia(2010) in its Agricultural sector and investment framework policy, 2010-2020 stated that Cereals dominate Ethiopian agriculture, accounting for about 70 per cent of agricultural GDP Over the past decade, cereal production has more than doubled to nearly 15 million tones, as a result of horizontal expansion and increased yields. Even thought the government of Ethiopia (2010) in its Agricultural sector and investment framework policy, 2010-2020 stated that the food self sufficiency issue is still critical for many households and for the country as a whole (Tadesse, 2009). To challenge food security problem recently promotion of irrigation agriculture is given priority (Mekuria, 2003).Thus, implementation of small scale irrigation including hand dug well construction has become one of the activities both by the individuals as well as the government according to water potential of the area (Tadesse, 2009). Agriculture and rural development has been the central pillar of successive national development and poverty reduction plans and remains so under the new five year growth and transformation plan (FYGTP) announced in August 2010. There is a need, however, to increase development efforts and resources targeting high-potential rain fed areas and irrigation development, in order to accelerate productivity growth, agricultural led industrialization and long-term food security. Thus groundwater has become an important source for irrigation and it has become an integral part of the irrigation strategy to overcome food scarcity in many developing countries including in Ethiopia. Such efforts have helped to expand irrigation with time particularly from 1950s the expansion has been rapidly increasing (Rosegrant et al., 1999). Most agricultural production is used to meet household consumption needs and, for a very large number of households, there is a prolonged hunger season during the pre-har vest period. In all increasing productivity in smallholder agriculture is Governments top priority, recognizing the importance of the smallholder sub-sector, the high prevalence of rural poverty and the large productivity gap. Productivity enhancement however, must be complemented by efforts by introducing effective practices towards the farmer to help farmers from purely subsistence farming to semi-subsistence/ semi-commercial status practicing farming as a business and to adopt more sustainable natural resource management practices in order to arrest and reverse environmental degradation. But this may not achieved only by using rain fed agriculture, rather by conjunction use of surface water and ground water without affecting the environment. Therefore In order to achieve these far-reaching and ambitious objectives, Irrigation development perceived as one of the strategies with the potential for solving this problem and to be food self-sufficient. The government of Ethiopia has an irrigation development strategy, which aims to develop over 470,000 ha of irrigation by 2016 as promulgated in the Water Sector Strategy of 2001. Of this development, 52% will be large and medium scale schemes while the remaining 48% will be small-scale schemes (Government of the Republic of Ethiopia 2001). Because of the ambitious government plans to expand small scale irrigation in Ethiopia, and in view of increasing demand of water for various purposes like agricultural, domestic, and industries, a greater emphasis is being laid for a planned and optimal utilization of water resources. Even if Ethiopia has high surface water potential, due to uneven distribution of rainfall in both time and space, the surface water resources are unevenly distributed coupled with increasing water user sectors, may lead to conflict among water users, especially agricultural sector. To narrow this gap and increase productivity per drop of water, surface water alone is not the best solution. Considering this issue; giving emphasis on development of ground water resources for those areas having high ground water potential is crucial. Problem Sstatement Water for agriculture is increasingly recognized as a major constraint to improving the lives of the rural poor and is an important component of rural livelihood programs that need to be yet strongly established in Ethiopia. Irrigation has contributed significantly to poverty reduction, food security, and improving the quality of life for rural populations. The majority of existing traditional and modern irrigation schemes are micro level in size. Most of these schemes are used stream, river and lake diversions but some may be dependent on small dams and perennial springs which show ground water potential for irrigation did not get emphasis. Fogera is one of Blue Nile basin area in Ethiopia and known by flooded plain. The woreda has high ground water potential. Now a day there is irrigation practice in the area for production of vegetables, horticulture (onion, tomato and purple) and in some extent maize. Even if there is such practice in the area, beside high ground water potential almost all farmers are used two perennial rivers called Rib and Gumara as a water source for their irrigation crop production using motorized pump. But the beneficiary farmers are those having farm land near or around streams, while those farmers bounded with these rivers and have not farm land around the stream waiting until the rainy season to cultivate crops. Recently increasing in number of water users for crop production and other uses; the stream flow become drying the downstream especially starting from February to April. This leads to crop failure and reduction in crop production plus conflict among the up- stream and downstream water users. To solve this problem and participate on irrigation those farmers have not farm land around the streams and bounded by two streams, conjunction use of ground water and surface water for irrigation crop production is important. However, to assure these identifying opportunities and major constraints of the community that makes passive on ground water uses for irrigation crop production is primary task to the area having high ground water potential. Researchable Qquestions For a specific study of ground water constraints linking with issues of the use for irrigation crop production, a number of questions can be raised. The study tries to address the following major research questions: What are major constraints of the community to use ground water for irrigation crop production? Are the communities aware about their ground water potential for crop production? What types of practices were implemented in the area to promote ground water uses for irrigation crop production by different Governmental and Non-Governmental Organizations? General and Specific Oobjectives In the Fogera plain groundwater is important source that can be used for irrigation crops year around. Reducing dependency on rainfall and stream water for crop production little has known about the potential use of ground water in the area. Rain fed agriculture alone cannot be insuring food self-sufficiency for the country having uneven distribution and erratic rainfall. Rather in addition to rain fed, implementing irrigation schemes according to water source potential weather surface or ground water is important. For those areas having high ground water potential, ground water may serve as a water source for irrigation crop production and increase income. But to use this precious natural resource actively and efficiently tackling obstacles related to ground water use for irrigation crop production is the primary task. This paper will investigate constraints in the Fogera Woreda on ground water uses for irrigation crop production. In particular it will:- Identify major constraints why farmers are not used ground water for irrigation crop production. Identifying major constraints of the community on ground water use for irrigation crop production, makes easy to decision makers to understand communitys problem on ground water irrigation and searching methods to solve the communitys problem on it. Evaluate communities awareness about the area ground water potential uses for irrigation crop production. It is important to the community to make them self-confident about their natural resource. If they are sure about their resource potential for irrigation crop production, they can through their doubt about ground water production potential and can cultivate crops like any perennial (chat) or seasonal which makes them profitable using ground water. Assessing best practice if there is, to promote ground water use for irrigation crop production in the area by different Governmental and Non-Governmental Organizations. Assessing best practice done in the area on ground water use for irrigation is important for the community to scale up from one kebele to another. These practices also stimulate communities towards ground water use. Significance of the Study The government in the Plan for Accelerated and Sustained Development to End Poverty policy (PASDEP, 2010) states to increase its total area of irrigated land from the current 640,000 hectares to about 1.8 Mha to the next five years. The intervention of the plan is to address most of the supply-demand gap within 15 years time through increasing the number of large, medium and small-scale irrigation schemes. But to make this dream fact the government should also use all available ware resources including surface and ground water. Fogera woreda has huge potential of ground water and an area of 76%flat which is suitable for irrigation. So the main objective of the study is identifying opportunities and major constraints of ground water use for irrigation crop production in the ground water rich area. once identifying major constraints and solve them the community involved completely on the use of ground water use for irrigation crop production and can play their role to the government pl an pulse increasing their income. The use of available water resources especially stream water is critical issue in the area for irrigation crop production and is source of conflict in the area. The study can also important to avoid and manage conflicts and ensure the participation of low level communities in the area if we can solve the communities problem on ground water use for irrigation. Scope and Limitation of the Study The study covers the time period of 2010/11in Fogera flood plain to identify opportunities and major constraints of the community on ground water use for irrigation crop production. There are more than 27 kebeles in the Fogera woreda but only six of them which are Kokit, Kideste Hana, Sena,Shaga,Nabega and Wagetera are only part of the study because of their natural location on the flood plain. But to do this the study also has its own limitation including, unavailability of ground water recharging rate and other related issue of ground water to show ground water potential of the study area, proper document on of training that farmers took on irrigation, yield of last season production of the farmers because farmers are not comfortable when they ask about their amount of income, The specific types of soil at the flood plain, water yield of wells and others. However to hit the target of the study, the study uses main questions and available secondary data which are use fill for the study.