Project Management Essay Example for Free

Project Management Essay Project management tool is important for any project management to achieve success. Effective management are with out doubt requires the use of a set of tools that enables plan development and tracking and to be able to foresee or predict the outcome of the project. Among the widely used tool of management is the Cost Business Analysis which is used to determine if a project will be worthwhile. The analysis is performed prior to implementation of project plans and is based on time-weight estimates of costs and predicted value of benefits. This management tool is very important because it provides necessary and precise information about the project cost factors that includes labor, materials, and resources. This tool also provide estimate of the cost factors in terms of dollar amounts and expenditure period. More importantly, it helps the management decide if the project will be implemented or if the project will be beneficial. Another important project management tools that could provide project managers gain insights of the potential success of the project is the Project Plan. Thomas Pyzdek stressed that project plan â€Å"shows the why and the how of a project† (p. 535). Pyzdek noted that a good project plan include â€Å"a statement of the goal a cost/benefit analysis, a feasibility analysis, a listing of the major steps to be taken, a timetable for completion, and a description of the resources required to carry out the project† (p. 535). But the most important benefit that the project manager can get from having a good plan is that it helps identify â€Å"objective measures of success that will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed changes† (p. 35). The importance of having a project plan is that it provides a vehicle for discussing each worker’s role and responsibilities; this helps direct and control the work of the project. It also provide idea how the parts fit together, for coordinating related activities, and it provides a clear of the objective when it is reached and when the project ends. Among the project management tools used by project managers are the PERT-CPM-type, Gantt chart, and other web-based applications such as Primavera Project Planner, Project KickStart, and many others. PERT-CPM-type is recommended for large-scale projects that require more rigorous planning, scheduling, and coordinating of numerous interrelated activities such as in military establishment. Gantt chart on the other hand is also a very useful project management especially in planning and scheduling projects. Its strength is in monitoring the progress of project from the start of the project until its finish date. Three of the leading software nowadays such as GanttProject, Primavera and KickStart are the number one choice of the professionals because they are very accurate and cost-saving. GanttProject is a Gantt chart based in Java; however, the project can run on Windows or Linux (linux. com). The tool allows for a wide-ranging activity such as breaking the activities into tasks and assign human resources to perform the tasks. Primavera (P3) is more affordable and it can manage the toughest kind of project and activities in a very short duration of time; information can be accessed throughout the company. Project KickStart on the other hand is easy to use and is designed for small to medium scale projects. This helps the managers to identify the different phases of the project such as goals, obstacle, and calendar (Project KickStart). Basically, each tool possesses strength and weakness; the project manager chooses the tool that suits the needs of the project. These tools provide the same services as the Office Project. They are simpler and convenient to use unlike MS Excel where some commands may not be provided to get the required information. Also, it is limited in terms of access to Web and multiple users.

Indigenous People of the Congo Essay -- Anthropology, Mbuti, Culture

The Congo is the home to a nomadic group of hunters-gatherers known as the Mbuti. The Mbuti are one of the oldest indigenous people of the Congo region of Africa. The Mbuti is an egalitarian society, and the band is their highest form of socialization. Bands are based on principles of teamwork and sharing. The bands are composed of about fifteen to sixty families. The Mbuti reside in the Ituri forest, a tropical rainforest in the northern part of the Congo River Basin. The forest is named after the Ituri River. The Mbuti have lived in the rainforest for more than six thousand years. According to Turnbull (1968), â€Å"The first recorded reference to the Mbuti dates back to a story of an expedition to the area by Egyptians around 2250 B.C. where the Mbuti were referred to as people of the trees.† The Mbuti see the forest as mother and father and themselves as its children. The Mbuti life cycle consists of birth, puberty, marriage, and death. Each transition corresponds with the defining child, youth, adult, and elderly age groups. Mbuti make three very significant transitions in life from childhood which includes birth, to youth including puberty, to adulthood containing marriage, and finally old age which eventually leads to death. The roles and duties found within each age group are important because personal identity is defined by Mbuti’s role in society. The term BaMbuti refers to all the different cultures within the Ituri forest. The forest region has rivers and lakes, and also has a high amount of rain. The dry season is short, and lasts one to two months. The country’s capital and larges... ...d propagating the Catholic faith and took Congolese to Portugal for study. The first missionary group arrived in 1491 and consisted of Franciscan and Dominican priests (Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2007) The Congo king was baptized and a large church was built at the royal capital, which was renamed San Salvador. The King’s son was concerted and sent away for training to eventually put the Catholic Church in power for many years. However, the Yaka invasion of the 16th century shook the kingdom. Toward the end of the century, traders who began buying and selling slaves drove missionaries out of the country. In the 19th century when the Belgians arrived there was not a trace left of this once influential kingdom or the two and one-half centuries of Catholic evangelism and church planting (Riddle, & McGavran, 1979).

Economic Issues Simulation Paper Essay

The Financing of Health Care Economic Issues Simulation Paper Health care system has evolved tremendously in the last few years, with many changes with the health care laws including but not limited to Universal Health Care, many individuals have choices when it comes to their coverage. According to healthcare. gov, in January of 2015, an employer with 50 or more full time employees will have to make an Employer Shared Responsibility Payment if a full time employee gets a lower health coverage premium cost if insurance is purchase in a marketplace. However, employers are not subject to this law if the numbers of employees are lesser than 50 but are still expected to offer coverage for their employees. (healthcare. gov) Employers must make sure that when choosing coverage for their employees, these should be within their needs; within health care requirements as well as inexpensive keeping in mind that lower cost may not necessarily mean better. With many varieties in health care plans such as Preferred Provider (PPO), Point of Service (POS), and Exclusive Provider Organization (EPO); the Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) is the most preferred and utilized group health insurance plan. As a HMO representative of Castor Insurance, health care coverage will be built, including the potential utilization of the services by different enrollees. Castor Collins Health Plan Castro Collins Health Plan is a regional HMO that was founded in 1999. As a HMO, they provide health care services as well as health insurance to individuals in its statewide network of physicians and hospitals utilizing a capitation model to compensate their network of providers. Currently, there are 100,000 enrollees and these numbers are increasing. The responsibility of a Vice President in Strategy and Financial Planning is to interact with new clients and formulating health plans that will suit their needs. With the help of colleagues such as the Chief Financial Officer Helen Fouerman, the Chief Medical Officer Jonathan Wikes, and the Executive Vice President of Planning and Development, Adam Hunter, a plan will be put together that will include pricing and setting insurance premiums. In January of 2006, Castro Collins was approached and met with two groups of people for health insurance coverage. These groups are Constructit and E-editors, neither of them have group employer’s insurance. Constructit have 1000 people and they are willing to pay a maximum of $4000 per person as an annual premium, meanwhile E-editors will pay a maximum annual premium of $4500 per person with 1,600 people. Castor Collins offers three types of health plans: Castor Standard, Castor Enhanced, and the customized plan called Castor Enhanced Minor. The standard plan does not cover pre-existing medical conditions, the enhanced plan, however, cover pre-existing medical conditions and offers more services. Castor Enhanced Minor is a customized plan that is almost equivalent to Castor Enhanced with somewhat lesser services that requires high utilization. Demographics  and Health Care Risk Factors There are 550 men and 450 women employees in Constructit with ages 26 to 45 and 60 percent from this age group ranging from 26 to 42 are married. This means, spouses and children need to be considered in getting health plan. Also, great physical activities are involve within thirty- two percent of the people at Constructit, while 25 percent of the people has moderate physical activity. The remainder which is 43 percent of the people involves activities that are sedentary. There are no major health risks out of the thirty-eight percent an equivalent of 170 men and 210 women in the workforce. Injuries, respiratory system diseases, digestive disorders, migraine and allergic conditions are the major causes of absenteeism in Constructit. Obesity related diseases such as hyperlipidemia, high blood pressure, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases are moderately high for this workforce that consists of 36 percent of men and 43 percent of women. In E-editors, there are 750 men and 840 women with ages 35 to 54 and most of them are married. For the past ten years, ninety-five percent in the workforce have largely been sedentary; their job involves sitting in front of the computer for long periods of time. Only five percent are required moderate activity. Stress related injury (SRI) and problems with vision were acquired by at least 95 people who had this job for a while. There are no major medical health risks for the 170 men and 182 women (22%) from this group. Respiratory disorder is the 26 percent of the group problem because they are heavy smokers. There are 720 people who are obese in this group because of the heavy sedentary lifestyles, eating habits, and lack of exercise. This also means that there are increased risk of diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol and cardiovascular diseases. Plan Analysis Based on the plans, I would recommend Castor Standard to Constructit and not to provide insurance to E-editors. Since Castor Standard does not cover pre-existing conditions, the risks of providing this plan are low. The premium that Constructit will be responsible annually is $3,428, with Castor Collins Health Plan earning $3. 43 million. Given the health profile and the expected utilization of services for E-editors, I think that not providing insurance is the right decision. There is a high risk of insuring this group and whatever Castor Collins earns from this group are inadequate to cover those risks. The goal is to maximize earnings. If E-editors are willing to pay a different premium they will be considered by providing an appropriate plan that minimized risks and increased earnings. Risk-averse consumers buy health insurance to avoid losing income or wealth when they are unwell. In other words, consumers pay insurance premium to transfer their risks of medical expenses to the insurance company. The premium that Castor Collins receives is a source of revenue. It is compensation for bearing risk and for bearing expenses such as payment to health care providers. If Castor Collins know that a particular group of enrollees is more susceptible to a particular disorder, its risk for providing coverage for that disorder is higher. However, if, as in the case of Constructit and E-editors, a group of individuals is not willing to pay a higher premium to cover greater risks, Castor Collins may not be able to provide coverage for greater risks. Therefore, while selecting a plan and the services to provide under that plan, Castor Collins has to weigh various considerations – the premiums that enrollees are willing to pay, the risks of providing a particular plan or service, the expected utilization and hence, the costs, of providing various  services in the plan, and the premium Castor Collins needs to charge to maintain profitability.

Is Marina Pisklakova The Reason Why Laws Against Domestic...

â€Å"A woman called the hotline and said her husband planned to kill her. I called the police but the officer immediately called the husband, saying, â€Å"look if you do it do it quietly.† and I realised there was no hope† (RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights â€Å"MARINA PISKLAKOVA†). Every year in Russia, almost 15,000 women are killed by their husbands, and over 50,000 are hospitalized from abuse; 85% of these victims are female. In countries such as America, these numbers are far lower, and there are many ways to get help. Many people don’t realize that in places such as Russia, if you are a victim of domestic violence, there is very little you can do to help yourself. In fact, up until recently, there were no laws prohibiting abuse. Marina Pisklakova is the reason why laws against domestic violence exist. She has helped thousands women break free of abusive relationships, and has saved countless other women’s lives. Marina is one of the w orld’s most prominent feminists. she encouraged many women to stand up for their rights, and has paved the way for other feminists in countries where equality is nothing more than a dream. Domestic violence is a reality for thousands of women around the world. Domestic violence is when one member of a family physically or mentally harms another member of the family. While abuse such as this can happen to men, 85% of domestic violence victims are women. More than 70% of victims don’t report the abuse, and every year thousands of women are