Why do some parts of the world develop more quickly than others Research Paper

Why do some parts of the world develop more quickly than others - Research Paper Example The distribution of such resources as minerals and arable land thus made some regions advantaged over others thus become more developed. Man first relied on rain fed agriculture, most of the early civilizations relied on the trade of agricultural products. Such led to the development of market economies in different regions. Additionally, the subsequent development of both industrialization and urbanization followed the patterns of the availability of the natural resources. The environment is therefore an essential factor in analyzing the development rates of different regions thought the world. Diamond analyses the development pattern of the Eurasian society. He observes that the society was advantaged by the presence of suitable plant and animal species in their regions. The domestication of better animal and plant species facilitated the economic growth of the regions. Such regions as central Europe has no deserts implying that the region have cooler climates thereby enabling the domestication of stronger breeds of animals and better cash crops. With these, the societies pioneered the earliest civilization and the development of stronger market economies. Stronger economies facilitated the development of effective governments in the region to oversee the management of the resources thus facilitating the faster development of the Eurasian regions. Diamond further compares the rate of development in Europe to other Eurasian regions such as China and other parts of the Eastern bloc. The European regions had numerous natural features that enabled the establishment of boundaries. Such included rivers, mountains and other large water bodies including lakes and oceans. The presence of such geographical factors enabled the creation of smaller territories, which are easier to manage. Countries in the Eastern bloc such as China, India and Japan among others are larger with bigger populations. These are unlike the European countries that are smaller owing to the

Sexual Assault of a Child Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Sexual Assault of a Child - Essay Example Also, of the estimated 766,686 missing juveniles in the United States last year, including abductees, runaways and abandoned "throwaways," 16 percent likely were victims of sexual exploitation (Spun, 2002). Â  The clinical explanations of sexual abuse are linked to decrees, the directing the belief is whether the encounter has a shocking impact on the child. Not all sexual encounters suffered by children do. The distressing impact is usually influenced by the significance of the act to the child, which may alter as the child progresses through developmental phases. Â  Sexual abuse comprises of but is not restricted to, viewing a child pornographic resources, placing the child's hand on another person's genitals, touching a child's genitals, or penetration of any orifice of a child's body with a penis, finger, or an article of any kind. Penetration does not have to take place for it to be sexual abuse. Â  Sexual abuse can take place anywhere, at any occasion, including in front of other people who do not, or prefer to not see. Sexual abuse has horrifying consequences on children. Children who have been sexually abused undergo overwhelming mental breakdown and at times death. The children build up distrust and will have troubles in their future relationships. In addition, sexual abuse makes sexual abusers. Â  The impact of sexual abuse accomplishes all levels of a child's sentiments. Confusion is frequently the early response of the child. Once the abuse starts the victim undergoes an incredible disagreement with their emotions. They feel pleasing due to the awareness they are getting from the parent, as well as the bodily satisfaction. Conversely, they undergo pain, guiltiness, and annoyance for what is being done. Â  Child victims of sexual abuse suffer far worse trauma if they think images of their ordeals are distributed on the internet, a Welsh conference will hear today. The shame of being seen in pictures of abuse passed among pedophiles leaves children with a heavier psychological burden (Internet Images Make Child Abuse Trauma Burden Worse, 2004). Â  The abused will feel remarkable guiltiness for various reasons. They think they did nothing to prevent the abuse, as a result, they are accountable and it should carry on. They felt painful but the abuse was sometimes pleasing. They one way or another deserved or caused the abuse. Â  A victim will generally feel this manner when their confidence has reduced and they have no more responses to what is happening. Â  Another most important foundation of guiltiness comes from the mother. Frequently when the mother is told regarding the mistreatment she will not want to think the charges and will hold responsible the child. Â  

IT support for virtual teams Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

IT support for virtual teams - Essay Example There are a numerous reasons why virtual teams are turning out to be so popular these days. The basic reason is the reality that we live in the information age, as different to the industrial age. In view of the fact that the information travels at the speed of light, and those who have access to the most modern and fastest communication and collaboration technologies are capable to send data quickly. The capability to transmit data and information at fast speeds, combined with the power of the web, has caused the formation of "virtual corporations." However, the most influential aspect of the virtual team is that it is not limited to their physical location. In addition, virtual teams are as well extremely efficient for the reason that they do not have any "off" hours. For instance, in case of a traditional business environment, where all their staff members are available at the same location, has an 8 hour-work per day. On the other hand, in a virtual environment virtual team membe rs have a 24 hour-work per day. For instance, when the workers in one time zone are inactive, the others are operational. Thus, virtual teams are able to get more done in a small period of time as compared to the traditional teams. A virtual team can contain members from all over the world. It can comprise knowledge and expertise from any culture and any country (Exforsys Inc., 2009). Traditionally, a project team refers to a social group of individuals who are collocated and mutually dependent in their jobs. In fact, they carry out and organize their tasks to attain common objectives and contribute to task for effective results. Virtual teams have objectives similar to the traditional teams, however, they use different infrastructure as compared to traditional project teams. In this scenario, they perform their tasks without having the limitations of time, organizational boundaries and geographical locations associated with

The British government in the Second World War Essay Example for Free

The British government in the Second World War Essay However, many children had bad experiences of evacuation, and this would strongly suggest that evacuation was a failure. Source B is a description of evacuation from a teacher in 1988. It says how children were too afraid to talk and how the mothers were pressed against the iron bars calling Good-bye darling. This shows how scary evacuation was for so many children; as well as their mothers; many of them had no clue as to where they were going. As this is an interview with a teacher, it is likely to be an accurate and reliable, it also reflects the experiences of many evacuees. Source C is an account from childrens novel; it outlines the problems of communication between foster parents and their children evacuees. Oh, Im sorry, how silly of me, why should we have slippers? Many foster parents were surprised at how poor their children were and had to pay out for their requirements. Source E is from a Mass Observation Survey, it is an interview with a farther, he outlines the reasons why many parents think that there children will be better staying at home in the city. Where his children would be sent, in the shires, there is nothing for them; they were starving before the war. He also thinks that if he does die, at least friends and family can look after his children. This is very likely to be a reliable source, as it is from a mass ordinance survey, where the father would have no reason to lie. It shows how the government had failed to persuade people that evacuation is the safest place for their children. A womans institute report on evacuees in 1940 tells us how the uncleanness of children would have decreased morale within foster parents, this is another example of how disgusted many foster parents were at the condition of their child Some of the children were literally sewn in their ragged clothes. This is a very reliable source, again with no reason to lie, it reflects my own knowledge that the town children who came to stay with foster parents proved to the British public that slum conditions still existed in Britain. In an interview with Michael Caine, we hear how Caine was beat and locked in the cupboard after his brother Clarence had been found wetting the bed. This is an example of how the Government had failed to protect the welfare of the children who were evacuated into the country, some were abused sexually, but these were few in numbers. This was not a common experience, but the fact that it happened is very worrying that that the Government had failed to stop such events happening. An account from an evacuee tells us how he was evacuated from Gateshead, which was not bombed throughout the war to Dudley in the Midlands, which was bombed during his stay. This is an example of total failure with evacuation. Not only had the government unnecessarily sent children away from towns which were not bombed, which would decrease morale within the community as many families would wish to stay together during the war. Also, the children had been sent to an area which had been bombed, and had been unnecessarily evacuated from a safe area to an area where their lives were in danger. Though this is uncommon with experiences of evacuees, it could easily have been avoided. By 1944 the evacuation scheme had all but stopped, and not even the panic caused by Hitlers flying bombs and rockets could get it started. This is where the Government had failed to keep up the morale of the country and persuade people that evacuation was the best and safest option for their children and people no longer cared about the possible consequences. The evacuation process was efficient and with a quick response to war. With little notice, children were packed up with only one suitcase and sent to the railway station to catch a train that they did not know the destination of their journey. On arrival, they were lined up and picked out like slaves. Though many experienced a new life style, in the countryside learning new skills that they would never be taught in the city and they became more healthy and clean with their foster parents. Forced integration of people from very different backgrounds exposed the real divide present in the country. Evacuation was certainly the safest option for the children, and the majority experienced a happy new life, where they became healthier, however, no one was without their problems. Mothers, children and foster parents alike were not informed about what was involved in fostering children, in some cases the children were abused or made to labour on farms, in these cases the government had failed the children. Many however, were happy with evacuation but no one was un scared by the horrors of war.

Changes to the Role of a Quantity Surveyor

Changes to the Role of a Quantity Surveyor When trying to gather information on the origins of the quantity surveying profession it is not simple, several different authors have different theories on where the occupation arose from. Some feel that it is a 19th century creation, were others seem to think that the birth of quantity surveying stretches all the way back to ancient Egypt. However to attempt to obtain knowledge about quantity surveyings past I must assess all the theories to distinguish which seems the most viable. The Kenyan branch of the RICS opens the website speaking of quantity surveying being used in ancient Egypt, and also references a quote from the bible which was mentioned in Chapter 1; Suppose one of you wants to build a tower, will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it. (Luke, 14:28). Seeing this as the start of the quantity surveying profession I feel is inaccurate but it can be seen as a basis from which it could have rose from. The act of planning ou t all you need has always been used in construction as well as other lines of work, for example a baker would not start baking until he has all the ingredients he needs. Nevertheless it may have been in such a case as the pyramids that some one person may have been assigned to ensure all materials where present and that every that was needed to construct them was there. If this were the case then it may very well have been the first use of quantity surveyors (QSs). The authors who have written about the subject of quantity surveying give little mention of this as their professions origin and choose to focus on more recent history to find their career roots rather than to early empires grand construction projects. Allan Ashworth and Keith Hogg are two well respected authors on the subject of quantity surveying and value in construction, so much so that they have taken over the mantle of writing the new versions of Williss Practice and Procedure for the Quantity Surveyor, a book seen as one of the best in quantity surveying circles. In the 2000 book Added Value in Design and Construction Ashworth and Hogg speak of the possible beginnings of quantity surveying: According to Thompson (1968), the roots of quantity surveying go back to the seventeenth century and to the Great Fire of London. There is evidence to suggest that firms of QSs were in existence at the end of the eighteenth century. According to Seeley (1988), the earliest records of a quantity surveying firm were in Reading, Berkshire, in 1785. There is little doubt that other firms were also in existence at the same time. In 1802, a number of Scottish quantity surveying firms gathered to produce the first method of measurement of buildings. In St Lukes Gospel (14:28) a story is recorded of the importance of counting the cost before you build implying that some form of these practices existed even in biblical times! (P 12-13) These authors seem to have no direct opinion on the matter but they do offer up the opinion of others as well as the aforementioned biblical quote. Thompsons belief was that that after the Great Fire of London in 1666, there was such a vast amount of work needed done and that the usual way of paying tradesmen by daily rates was unfeasible due to the amount of labour used. So it was deemed that a measure and value system would be best to allocate payment. This job was entrusted to architects but since they were so busy designing all the new buildings they employed other men to do the job; these men became known as measurers. Seeley and Winfield (1999) state that this method of measure and value surveying was common practice up to the middle 19th century but vaguely describe the aftermath that resulted in the creation of bills of quantities and competitive tendering. The origins of quantity surveying and indeed all surveying are detailed heavily in F.M.L Thompsons 1968 book, Chartered Surveyors, the growth of a profession. The opinion shared by Thompson (1968) and Seeley and Winfield (1999) is a popular one among authors however this opinion is not shared by Colin Dent in his book Quantity Surveying a Fully Metricated Text. In his eyes the birth of quantity surveying came in coincidence with that of the bill of quantities. Dent puts it that the bill of quantities arose from costly nature that was involved in pricing jobs in the 19th century. General contractors in this era where becoming aggravated with spending money measuring, pricing and preparing a tender for a job only not to get and have to incur the costs of an unsuccessful bid. It then left the contractor having to price in the cost of unsuccessful bids into his successful ones; this did not sit well with clients who were disgruntled that they had to pay for a contractors previous losing bid. It was heavily thought at this time that the lowest bid was the best, but it was often the case that the lowest bid came from an omission in the contracto rs own bill of quantities. This would leave the contractor the task of attempting to make the money up from somewhere else in the project. Again clients were displeased with this so it was decided around 1850 that a universal bill of quantities would be made from the client and sent to the contractors to price. Ferry, Brandon Ferry, 2006, see it differently; they believe that it was contractors who first used surveyors to draw up bills of quantities for them to price. A group of contractors would perhaps employ one surveyor with the winning bid then paying his fee. Architects suspected foul play in these bids with excessive wastage allowed and the possibility that contractors would fix so that one bid would win before all would get a pay out from the contract sum. The architect then took over employing surveyors to draw up one bill of quantities for all to price. Either way the bill of quantities system was seen as fair competition between contractors and gained recognition by 1880, and after it was used in the building of the Houses of Parliament and was successful it was then accepted as the most efficient and economical way of building. It is probably most likely from this point of the evolution of the bill of quantities that surveyors shook off the term off measurers and gained the term QSs as their job title. Another contrasting view is that of Duncan Cartlidge the author of New Aspects of Quantity Surveying Practice 2nd edition. The basis of his opinion also comes from the 19th century and the formation of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) in 1834. This move was made by architects to further them surveyors/contractors and their obnoxious commercial interest in construction. In his view the greater responsibility for the business side construction now given to surveyors/contractors created the need to have someone in charge of the managing of capital and quantities, thus the QS was born (Cartlidge, 2006). There are several views regarding the origin of the quantity surveying profession as I mentioned above. However when all views are looked at; an almost direct line events can be seen to occur where every stage seems to be a step in the evolution of quantity surveying. In this readers opinion the act of assessing material amounts for building and also the cost goes back to early civilisation. But it was not until after the Great Fire in 1666 that a full time job was created for someone to measure and value work done. Client and contractor dissatisfaction with payment of the final account and a fair method of tendering led to the birth of bills of quantities and it is the basis of measuring and value and the drawing up of bills of quantities that produced the traditional QS, which still exists today. This form of quantity surveying worked well in the late 19th century and early years of the 20th century, so much so that in 1909 the RIBA incorporated the bills of quantities into its standard building contract, thus making it a legally binding document (Dent, 1970)(Ashworth Hogg, 2000). In 1922 the first edition of the British Standard Method of Measurement of Building Works (or SMM) was adopted into the contract as a means for which works were measured. Its introduction was to alleviate confusion about which quantities were measurable (Ashworth, 1981). The practice of quantity surveying remained very much unchanged for many years; in fact it was not until after that Second World War that the traditional techniques came into question. The government began its task of rebuilding the country after the war and gave heavy public spending during the 1950s and 1960s for rebuilding of houses, schools, hospitals, roads, etc. (Ashworth, 2004). This in turn saw work for QSs rise as the government had spend huge sums of money on the war and had incurred large international debt, so keeping buildings cost low was a top priority (Thompson, 1968). In order to plan this spending properly and achieve value for money in the various projects, something additional needed to be done other than simply to measure and value the works as was the traditional method. The then Ministry of Public Buildings and Works and the RICS began to develop systems of financial control and evaluation for new buildings. This laid the foundation for further exploration into cost control techniques (Ashworth, 2004). In 1957 the Ministry of Education issued a bulletin that was a milestone in the practice as it introduced new methods of working and new principles of cost analysis and cost planning (Building Bulletin No.4 Cost Study). The bulletin initiated the idea of cost planning which set about to compare the cost of different design solutions and also designing within an overall cost framework. This meant that QSs would for the first time have to manage costs all the way through a construction project, whereas a previously they simply a drew up quantities from architect drawings at the start and helped settle accounts at the end. QSs would now have to compare different designs and different elements of buildings in an attempt to obtain cost efficiency, and then manage the expenditure throughout to ensure that the project was not over budget. This was the first use of elemental cost planning or designing to a cost and formally introduced the QS into the design team (Ashworth Hogg, 2000). The 1970s saw a huge increase in the amount of universities offering quantity surveying as an undergraduate course, in 1970 alone 30 polytechnics formed (Willis, 1987). Not only were there more quantity surveying students but there were more quantity surveying lectures, this meant that more research was being done on the profession, finding more and more ways to better itself (Ashworth Hogg, 2000). It was in this research that the holes began to be exposed in the traditional procurement method. Studies showed that clients wee not always obtaining value for money in the procurement of their buildings (Ashworth, 2004). In 1970 -1974 the UK seen a property boom so developers were anxious to get building, this forced fast track methods of procurement to develop as the traditional method was seen as too slow. Management contracting and forms of design and build were introduced. These methods did not require a bill of quantities so QS involvement was left to cost plan and try and keep the budget. These were unchartered water for QSs and there was a lack of cost certainty but it was tolerated as property values were rising so quickly (Cartlidge, 2009). The 70s also seen the introduction of computers something which many believed over time would end QSs. Sir John Egan, author of the wide reaching report Rethinking Construction, once told a group of graduates in 1999 that the construction industry will no longer be needing them to count the cost of a project computer technology would be doing it instead (Carvill, 1999). Adrian .J Smith, author of Computers and the QS, puts it that: The QS and the computer have been partners in an intense love hate relationship for over 30 years; indeed, it would be difficult to find any other profession in which the relationship between man and machine has generated, by turns, so much discussion; hope and optimism; disappointment and disillusion, (Smith, 1989) Of course they were not very well advanced in this era however they did give insight into how projects may be calculated and determined and began to challenge the perceived wisdom of the traditional methods (Ashworth, 2004) During the 1980s the quantity surveying profession started to witness radical changes to their traditional ways of working, and much of the change stemming from new procurement methods which seemed to spell the end for the bills of quantities. Procurement, a term not used until the 1980s, became an important area of activity, largely because of the increasing array of options available (Ashworth Hogg, 2006). These options came about as clients became dissatisfied with amount of time taken to procure through traditional tendering methods (i.e. bills of quantities). So new forms of procurement arose to try and meet client requirements, the main forms that were on the increase were Design and Build (D B), Management Procurement. Clients seen these methods as more beneficial for time and also because it handed more risk to the contractor in D B and to a management contractor in management procurement (Cartlidge, 2009). (The benefits of these types of procurements are discussed for lat er in this chapter). Some quantity surveying companies were very respondent to the change that management procurement brought about and began to adapt their practices, as D B hadnt much use for professional QSs. However it did create an opening on the contractors side for more cost control as they needed to manage their own construction costs. The practice of cost modelling which was introduced in the previous decade had been studied further. While the profession was looking for new ways of estimating away from the bill of quantities, the cost modelling method was, and still is, seen as too radical and requiring too much practice from the security of a reasonably reliable yet imperfect system of the bill of quantities (Ashworth Hogg, 2000). The emphasis of building costs was high on the agenda and it was also during this time that attention shifted from initial construction costs alone to a more comprehensive overall view of the costs over the entire life cycle of the project. Who le life costing takes into consideration the initial procurement, design and construction costs as well as fees and charges. It also takes into account the operational costs such as maintenance, repairs and energy expenses, and the cost of disposal and recycling of the building is also included (Cartlidge 2009). Eventually all of these aspects would be considered within the emerging practice of facilities management. These considerations provided yet another shift towards adding value to the industry and its clients. This recognised that to examine the initial costs of construction within the context of whole costs that it might yield an overall better financial situation for the client (Ashworth Hogg, 2000). Two other new aspects of costing that came about in the 1980s were value management and facilities management. Value management or value engineering arrived in the UK in the 1980s but in some sense it already existed, as mentioned earlier the government wanted cheaper building s after the war, so cost planning in this era focused on acceptable products for the least cost which in essence is what value can be defined as (Kelly, Morledge, Wilkinson, 2002). Facilities management was also introduced as from of project management that went much further than just managing the construction. Aspects of the building such as its infrastructure, its environmental impact, its maintenance and its communication links all came under the role of a facilities manager (Ashworth 2004). Basically it was not just managing the buildings construction but managing the building as a whole. Value management was a natural progression for QSs as they were the experts on buildings product costs so they were able to inform the client on all options and help provide the selection which bore the most value. The RICS recognised this change when it published its report of a study of Value Engineering and Quantity Surveying Practice in 1987. Facilities management was further away from the traditional QSs way of working and closer to a profession which specialised in project management, however with many believing at this time that QSs were heading down that route this line of work was seen as a future possibility for QSs. During the 1990s several key reports were produced that assisted in the new directions of the QS profession, they helped to formulate a future direction and strategy, emphasising the changing nature of society in general and the construction industry and the profession within it (Ashworth Hogg, 2000). The first in 1991 was made by Davis, Langdon Everest, one of the largest QS firms in the world at present, wrote the report QS2000: The Future Role of the Quantity Surveyor which focused on the changes in the construction industry and how it was affecting the profession. The important point stressed in this report was that QSs needed to learn to manage more effectively the time and quality as well as the cost in an attempt to add value into a clients business and construction project. The report also identified widening markets and diversification for the quantity surveyor, suggesting three key areas of future activity: value management, procurement management, and facilities manageme nt. The idea of more research and development into better QS practices was promoted as it was as another way of adding value for the client (Davis, Langdon, Everest, 1991). The RICS The core skills and knowledge base of the quantity surveyor report released in 1992 affirmed a lot of the points raised in the 1991 Davis, Langdon and Everest report. It also raised point that QS may need to change the way they address clients and professionals to try and make clear to clients the services they offer (RICS, 1992). Constructing the team was a report written by Sir Michael Latham in 1994 which had far reaching consequences on the construction industry and those employed in it, including quantity surveyors. The report called for more standardisation of design and construction by establishing more functional and efficient supply chains. More transparency in costing between the professionals and clients was seen to be needed; this was of particular interest to QSs as target of reducing cost by 30% was set by the report. The report also encouraged more teamwork in all construction teams to produce a product that all, including the client, could be justifiably happy with. This point also highlighted QSs as they did at this time have a reputation as difficult to deal with professionals for the client (Cartlidge 2006). Sir John Egan, a keen advocate of Sir Michael Lathams report and known to be a person to be a person convinced of the need of change in the industry was appointed as head of the Construction Task Force (Cartlidge, 2006). It was Egans opinion; that while some of the construction industry learned from the Latham report, not enough was done to meet the targets set out within it. In 1998 Sir John Egan published his own report titled Rethinking Construction. This report was seen as the blueprint for the modernisation of the systems used in the construction industry to procure work. The Egan report revealed in a survey of major UK property clients that many still dissatisfied with the services performances offered by both contractors and consultants. These clients revealed that: More that a third of them thought that consultants were lacking in providing a speedy and reliable service They felt they were not receiving good value for money insofar as construction projects did not met their functional needs and had high whole life costs They felt that the design and construction should be integrated in order to deliver added value There was a failure to keep within agreed budgets and the completion schedules. (Rethinking Construction, Sir John Egan, 1998) These points were damaging to consultants and in particular quantity surveyors who a lot believe were one of the guiltiest of these failings in the industry. Responding to this report, in 1999 Building magazine published the article The QS: a profession on the brink. The magazine conducted its own survey of over 12,000 QSs and the overwhelming feeling was one of anxiety about their future. The survey shows that QSs are concerned about the rapid erosion of their traditional role, their inability to persuade clients that they can significantly contribute to their projects, and the threat posed by acquisitive rivals and by other professionals such as management consultants and accounts 75% of QSs asked believed at this stage that new software packages were replacing their traditional cost modelling role; in fact a senior partner of Davis, Langdon Everest is quoted as saying that traditional quantity surveying, especially the calculation of BoQs, is on the way out. Many senior QSs in large firms such as Cyril Sweet and Bucknall Austin believed the profession was heading into management consultancy that specialise in construction. The latter in fact now referring to themselves as construction economists. This article seemed to spell the end for the QS as it was followed by more articles that sang from the same hymn sheet (Building, 1999). Adapt or Die (2000) called on QSs to find a new niche in the industry as their traditional role of measuring and drawing up BoQS was fading fast. It referred to QSs as an endangered species and that it was a case of survival of the fittest, the fittest being the surveyor who adapts and diversifies to a changing industry. Many practices have already evolved, reinventing themselves as cost consultants or construction cost advisors, or diversifying to become project managers, construction managers or total service providers offering professional management services to the industry not a word about cost in there at all. (Building, 2000) A year later (2001) a further article entitled What is the use of QSs stated through a survey that the general public had little or no idea of what a QS does. The author suggesting that construction law was an appropriate landing spot for diversifying QSs citing that their cost expertise could be a valuable tool in dispute resolution. The article also followed the theme of others implying that the traditional role was dying (Building, 2001). A lot of the articles around this time were in response to the 1999 survey carried out by Building magazine, so in that respect their fear inducing titles seemed to be on the mark. But five years on the same magazine was speaking quite differently. From forecasting that the QS profession may be on the brink, they were now stating that not only were QSs in high demand, but that their services were on the rise all over the world. The 2004 article Rocking All Over the World tells of how some of the UKs largest QS firms were expanding into foreign markets such as the Middle East, China, North America, Europe and other Commonwealth Nations. Richard Steer, senior partner of Gleeds a large QS firm, commented Just as were trying to lose the name quantity surveyor we are getting requests for QS services. It should be highlighted from the article that while there was an increase in QS demand, it was not for the traditional QS services. The industry was interested in professionals with expertis e in sustainable construction, dispute resolution and adjudication, cost control techniques, procurement advice and also the need for an independent voice in the construction process (Building, 2004). It is not surprising that QSs were in high demand in this era. The world was on the forefront of building boom as property around the world went up at a dizzying pace in places like Dubai and Beijing (for the 2008 Olympic games) for example. What should be noted form this was the services they were offering. Williss Practice and Procedure for the Quantity Surveyor 12th ed (2007) depicts how the role of a QS had evolved from the traditional in 1960 into the present (see Fig. 1.1) Single rate approximate estimates Cost planning Procurement advice Measurement and quantification Document preparation, especially bills of quantities Cost control during construction Interim valuations and payments Financial statements Final account preparation and agreement Settlement of contractual claims Fig. 1.1 Traditional quantity surveying activities 1960 Investment appraisal Advice on cost limits and budgets Whole life costing Value management Risk analysis Insolvency services Cost engineering services Subcontract administration Environmental services measurement and costing Technical auditing Planning and supervision Valuation for insurance purposes Project management Facilities management Administering maintenance programs Advice on contractual disputes Planning supervisor Employers agent N.B. some of traditional activities may still be part of a present day QSs role such as procurement advisor or cost planning. (Ashworth Hogg 2007) Williss book also gave insight into what the future may bring for the QS, all of which are spoken about today and are considered to be the most recent QS responsibilities to have developed. Activities such as: Environmental and sustainability analysis Supply chain management Facilities management Legal services Quality management Automated measurement and quantification Taxation and investment advice relating to projects (Ashworth Hogg, 2007) (Cartlidge, 2009) When looking at the list of traditional of activities for quantity surveyors compared to the present day role which the practice, it shows up a profession that has vastly evolved in the amount of services that it has the potential to offer to the construction industry. Yet still today QSs are challenging themselves to take on more as to stop other professions poaching their business. Stuart Earl of the RICS in this article in the Construction Journal speaks of the need to adapt to stop outside intrusion. His article New tools for the trade covers the topic of the rules of measurement issued by the RICS. The new rules of measurement: order of cost estimating and elemental cost planning is set of comprehensive rules for calculating the cost of the whole project, not just the building works which the Standard Method of Measurement (SMM) currently does. This initiative is a bid by the RICS to incorporate whole life costing into the framework of the QS role and to promote value for money thinking. Stuart Earl describes the rule as: our professions statement of the minimum technical standard required to carry out measurement at all stages in the life of a building. If we do not rise to the challenge, others may do it for us, or worse, we may find ourselves losing out to accountants. (RICS Construction Journal, Aug, 2009) Michael Sullivan, the chairman of the QS Construction Professional Group of the RICS, details a similar problem for QSs. His article from the Construction Journal, The vital link, he tells of QSs need to embrace sustainability in the industry so that it becomes a part of the quantity surveying framework for the future professionals to adopt rather than another profession. the next generation of QSs will want to know what you are doing about sustainability, expecting you to understand it more than others, like management consultants (RICS Construction Journal, Dec, 2009) Ever since quantity surveyings traditional practices were questioned in the wake of the Second World War, QSs have been faced with the challenge of diversifying and justifying their profession. Although on the small to medium scale the traditional practices are still alive (with some modern innovation, e.g. Information technology advancement), the large scale projects and firms are very much different (Cartlidge, 2009). And it is no surprise that the companies that have done the best are those that have adopted the Egan ethos of value for money and became more client focussed thus changed and added to the QS services they offer. It seems possibly that to succeed the QS industry hinges on the amount of services you can provide to fulfil a wide variety of client needs.

Decision-Making Models Essay -- Responsible Decision-Making Model

Decision-Making Models   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are several decision-making models to choose from in any given situation. Some of these models available on the Internet are the Responsible Decision-Making Model, the Ethical Decision-Making Model, the Ethics Toolkit PLUS Model, the Vigilant Decision-Maker Process, and some basic ones as well. In general, all decision-making models are the processes we use to make well-thought out decisions. There are three major elements of all decision-making models. These three elements are: how are criteria determined, how are alternatives generated, and how are alternatives evaluated against criteria (Scholl, p. 1). In this paper, we will use the Responsible Decision-Making Model to explain how the process works to help us make better decisions. The Responsible Decision-Making Model   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Responsible Decision-Making Model is a Power Point presentation that was on the Internet (Scarbo, slides 1-18). There are six steps to this decision-making model. The first step is to clearly describe the situation either in writing or aloud. The second step is to list any possible solutions to the situation. The third step is to share the list of possible solutions with another responsible person because he or she may have other solutions to add to the list. The fourth step is to carefully evaluate each possible solution using the six criteria. We will look at these six criteria in the next paragraph. The fifth step is to make a final decision on which sol...

Are Zoos Unethical to Animals Essay

Recently, contentious debates have risen over the ethical dilemma that zoos pose regarding animals’ rights, freedoms and natural behavior. Many people consider zoos amoral and cruel while others have the notion that they are ethical because they help in research, conservation and proper treatment of wild animals. This sensitive topic has induced different reactions and sparked great debates as people strive to do the right thing. According to Tuyl (2008), Zoos are enclosed spaces and cages that abode animals. Hutchins and Keele (2006), argue that, zoos provide excellent conditions for wild animals, as they are liberated from their natural habitats, which are harsh and unforgiving. They argue that wild animals are better placed in the zoos because they are provided with free meals and a life that is free from parasites, and harsh weather and predators. However, there are various reasons that explain why zoos are unethical. This paper explains why zoos are unethical to animals. To confine wild animals in enclosed spaces, denies them freedom and the ability to develop their natural behaviors. In addition, zoos promote the transmission of zoonotic diseases (Tuyl, 2008). Therefore, concerning animal rights and freedoms, zoos are highly unethical and should be banned to endow wild animals with an opportunity to lead lives free from human interferences. It is amoral to keep animals in the zoos because they act as cages that retract the wild animals’ freedom. Various animal rights organizations advocate for the freedom of animals, a condition that is only attainable when they are in their natural habitats. Zoos act as prisons because of their small sizes and restraining the ability as compared to wild jungles, therefore, denying wild animals their freedom to roam and act naturally. It is unethical to keep wild animals locked up in a cage, especially in this era when people have realized that every living being should be allowed to have its freedom. All living beings are entitled to their rights. Wild animals have liberty to live in the jungles because that  is their natural habitat, which is a fundamental right. To take animals away from their usual environment and confine them in cages and enclosed spaces provided by the zoos is a complete violation of animal rights. This denies wild animals the chance to act naturally and engage in the relationships that nature intended for them. Wild animals are unable to lead quality lives when they are taken to the zoos (Jensen & Holmes, 2007). They infringe on animal rights due to restrictions, therefore, causing some wild animals such as elephants to develop depression because of detachment from their herds (Hutchins & Keele, 2006). Human beings should allow wild animals to live in their natural habitats, in the same m anner that no individual would love to be transferred from the comfort of their home and re-located into the jungle. People claiming that it is just to keep wild animals in the zoo have the notion that this action is purposeful for research and the conservation of endangered species. However, appropriate actions can be taken in the wild animals’ natural habitats, therefore, leading to better results. It is unethical for human beings to interfere with the lives of wild animals for research. It is inappropriate to transfer a wild animal from its habitat to study it. The results would be skewed because the animals’ natural behaviors would change with the changing environment. Human interference is also leading to the cause of animal extinction (Tuyl, 2008). Therefore, the appropriate and ethical action to take in the interest of extinction and research is to reduce human interference to obtain the best results regarding both issues. In conclusion, it is not ethical to keep wild animals in a zoo. As indicated in the paper, zoos interfere with the wild animals’ freedoms, rights and the ability to live naturally. Some people argue that zoos are helpful in animal conservation regarding endangered species, but it is also crucial to consider the main problem, which is human interference (Jensen & Holmes, 2007). Zoos are unethical to animals. References Hutchins, M., & Keele, M. (2006). Elephant importation from range countries: ethical and practical considerations for accredited zoos. Zoo Biology, 25(3), 219-233. Jensen, D., & Holmes, K. (2007). Thought to exist in the wild: awakening from the nightmare of zoos. Santa Cruz, CA: No Voice Unheard. Tuyl, C. (2008). Zoos and animal welfare. Detroit: Greenhaven Press.