Cost-effectiveness of Gastric Bypass for Severe Obesity Case

In a three to four page report, as the Manager of Epidemiology, use the questions and answers provided in the Cost-effectiveness of Gastric Bypass for Severe Obesity Case Study, to evaluate the analysis that Craig and Tseng (2002) conducted.
Contrast and compare the data in Table 15.5 Health-Related Quality of Life, By Sex, And Body Mass Index answering the following questions:
1. What significant findings and results did Craig and Tseng (2002) identify in their study regarding the cost-effectiveness of gastric bypass surgery for severe obesity?
2. Do you agree or disagree with the answer provided to question 1. Which costs should be included in this analysis? Why?
3. Do you agree or disagree with the answer provided to question 2. How does the quality of life vary across BMI, age and gender? Why?
4. Do you agree or disagree with the answer provided to question 3. How does the life expectancy compare for men versus women, and for those with gastric bypass versus those without gastric bypass? Why?
The format of the report is to be as follows:
Typed, double spaced, Times New Roman font (size 12), one inch margins on all
sides, APA format. o Type the question followed by your answer to the question. o In addition to the 3-4 pages required, a title page is to be included. The title page
is to contain the title of the assignment, your name, the instructors name, the course title, and the date.
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Customer is requesting that (bolavens) completes this order.

The paper topic is open to the writer and must pertain to the concepts covered in the Cost & Economic Analysis class. The textbooks we use are:

Levin,Henry and McEwan,Patrick. Cost-Effectiveness Analysis 2nd Edition Sage Publications 2001.
Anthony Boardman, David Greenberg, Aidan Vining, David Weimer. Cost-Benefit Analysis: Concepts and Practice, 4/E

Here is from the syllabus:
Projects:
Research Paper on Evaluation: Each student in the course selects a topic of interest to them (policy or program), and prepares a paper on that topic using insights from the course and their own experience. The paper can be qualitative or quantitative. The study can be related to the student?s organization or an area of interest outside of their parent organization. A key element of the paper is to apply concepts and principles of cost analysis discussed in the course.
Research Paper?s Format: The paper is to contain at a minimum: 1) cover page, 2) short table of contents, 3) introduction & conclusions sections, 4) four references in the form of footnotes/endnotes, and 5) a bibliography page. The length of the paper is 7-10 pages (excluding the cover page, table of contents, endnotes page, and bibliography page). The paper is to be typed double-spaced and turned in on the date in the course schedule (above). The Student Drop Box in the course should be used to send the paper to the instructor. If you cite a reference from a download off the internet, please give the
appropriate citation including the date you viewed it on the internet.

Please assign to the writer with This is for assistance with a healthcare economics class. Please number the answers (no need to restate the question), and answer as much as you can in the number of pages requested. Thank you.

1. In your own words, describe the difference between cost benefit and cost effectiveness analysis.
2. Think of a situation in which cost effectiveness analysis and cot utility analysis would give you contrary results. Substantiate your answer.
3. Suppose you had the opportunity to organize the perfect health care system. Explain how you would organize the financing method, reimbursement method, mode of production, and physician referral procedure.
4. Answer the following questions pertaining to health care systems.
a. Why isn?t the market for health care services organized according to a typical
consumer (patient) and producer (health provider) relationship?
b. What are the basic differences between insurance premiums and taxes as
sources of medical care financing?
c. How might the reimbursement method differ among health care providers? Why
might the reimbursement method make a difference?
d. Point out some unique institutions (compared to the US) associated with the
health care systems of the various countries discussed in this lesson?s readings.
5. Which of the following reimbursement and consumer copayment schemes would have the greatest and lowest likelihood of producing high-cost, low-benefit medicine? Explain
your answers.
a. Fee-for-service plan with 40 percent consumer copayment
b. Prepaid health plan with 40 percent consumer copayment
c. Fee-for-service plan with no consumer cost sharing
d. Prepaid health plan with no consumer cost sharing
e. Fixed salary plan with 40 percent consumer cost sharing

Case Study 3: Cost-Effectiveness of Health Insurance
As the Senior Manager of Epidemiology for the Cost-Effectiveness of Health Insurance (2010) evaluation team, research to identify current Health Outcomes from the Early Release of Selected Estimates Based on Data from the January-June 2009 National Health Interview Survey 2003 National Health Interview Survey data, that you can access at: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis/released200912.htm. Use the following four (4) Early Release Measures: (1) Obesity, (2) Lack of health insurance, (3) Current smoker, and (4) Leisure time personal activity.
Using the Early Release Measures, build a table similar to the Cost-Effectiveness of Health Insurance Case Study, table (Table 9.6 in Chapter 9) with the four (4) selected Health Outcomes values and put them on the Y axis of the table you have created.
Use the following demographic values on the X axis of the graph you are developing: age, gender, smoker/non-smoker, and leisure-time physical activity.
Using the simple graph that you developed, answer the seven (7) Questions in the Cost- Effectiveness of Health Insurance Case Study.
Using the simple graph that you developed, analyze, identify, and report on the results of your analysis in a three to six page report (includes the graph page) that answers the following:
Analyze and report on the relationships between each of the health outcome values and the demographic values that can be identified in the table you developed.
2. Describe the relationship between the values in your table (analyze the relationship between the Y values and the X values).
3. What, if anything, can be determined from the relationships between the values in your table?
4. Are the differences between the values in your table significant and explain how they have an impact on the quality of life and/or the probability of a shortened life span?
The format of the report is to be as follows: o Typed, double spaced, Times New Roman font (size 12), one inch margins on all
sides, APA format. o Type the question followed by your answer to the question. o In addition to the 3-6 pages required, a title page is to be included. The title page
is to contain the title of the assignment, your name, the instructors name, the course title, and the date.
NOTE: You will be graded on the quality of your answers, the logic/organization of the report, your language skills, and your writing skills.
The assignment will be graded using the following rubric:
Outcomes Assessed
? Examine epidemiology, financial management and cost-effectiveness analysis. ? Use technology and information resources to research issues in managerial epidemiology.
Grading Rubric for Assignment #3 - Cost-Effectiveness of Health Insurance
Criteria
0 Unacceptable
20 Developing
30 Competent
40 Exemplary
1. Analyze and report on the relationships between each of the health outcome values and the demographic values that can be identified in the table you developed.
Did not complete the assignment or did not analyze the key healthy outcomes values and demographic values possible sufficiently; or, included irrelevant information.
Partially analyzed relationships between some of the key health outcome values and the demographic values possible from the table. Reported with 70 ??" 79% accuracy, insight, and logic.
Sufficiently analyzed relationships between most of the key health outcome values and the demographic values possible from the table. Reported with 80 ??" 89% accuracy, insight, and logic.
Thoroughly analyzed relationships between all of the key health outcome values and the demographic values possible from the table. Reported with 90 ??" 100% accuracy, insight, and logic.
2. Describe the relationship between the values in your table (analyze the relationship between the Y values and the X values).
Did not complete the assignment or did not analyze the relationship sufficiently; or, included irrelevant information.
Analyzed the relationship between the values in the table with 70 ??" 79% accuracy, insight, and thoroughness.
Analyzed the relationship between the values in the table with 80 ??" 89% accuracy, insight, and thoroughness.
Analyzed the relationship between the values in the table with 90 ??" 100 % accuracy, insight, and thoroughness.
3. What, if anything, can be determined from the relationships
Did not complete the assignment or did not identify what can be determined from
Identified what can be determined from relationships between the values in the table
Identified what can be determined from relationships between the values in the table
Identified what can be determined from relationships between the values in the table

Criteria
0 Unacceptable
20 Developing
30 Competent
40 Exemplary
between the values in your table?
relationships between the values in the table sufficiently; or, included irrelevant information.
with 70 ??" 79% accuracy, insight, and thoroughness.
with 80 ??" 89% accuracy, insight, and thoroughness.
with 90 ??" 100 % accuracy, insight, and thoroughness.
4. Are the differences between the values in your table significant? Explain how they have an impact on the quality of life and/or the probability of a shortened life span.
Did not complete the assignment or did not discuss the significance or values in table sufficiently; or included irrelevant information.
Discussed the significance of values in table and explained how they have an impact on the quality of life and/or probability of shortened life span with 70 ??" 79% accuracy, insight, and thoroughness.
Discussed the significance of values in table and explained how they have an impact on the quality of life and/or probability of shortened life span with 80 ??" 89% accuracy, insight, and thoroughness.
Discussed the significance of values in table and explained how they have an impact on the quality of life and/or probability of shortened life span with 90 ??" 100 % accuracy, insight, and thoroughness.
5. Clarity
Did not complete the assignment or explanations are unclear and not organized.
(Major issues)
Explanations generally unclear and not well organized. (Many issues)
Explanations generally clear and/or organized. (Minor issues)
Explanations very clear and well organized. (Added helpful details)
6. Writing ??" Grammar, sentence structure, paragraph structure, spelling, punctuation, APA usage.
Did not complete the assignment or had 8 or more different errors in grammar, sentence structure, paragraph structure, spelling, punctuation or APA usage. (Major issues)
Had 6 - 7 different errors in grammar, sentence structure, paragraph structure, spelling, punctuation or APA usage. (Many issues)
Had 4 - 5 different errors in grammar, sentence structure, paragraph structure, spelling, punctuation or APA usage. (Minor issues)
Had 0 - 3 different errors in grammar, sentence structure, paragraph structure, spelling, punctuation or APA usage.

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2 pages with 2 references from peer review journals paraphase only no direct quotes cite references in the text Read the article on hypertension that I have uploaded and the do a crosspost to the article written below try to bring up new material must be able to go through turnit in need 250- 500 words please
crosspost to follig paper:
Hypertension, a significant health problem in the United States, has detrimental economic consequences on health care. Even with technological advances and cost-effective analysis, the treatment of hypertension continues to be a burden. This paper summarizes the key issues surrounding the economics of hypertension.

Hypertension affects nearly one-third of the American adult population and is responsible for nearly 50% of heart disease and 75% of strokes worldwide (Stason, 2009). In modernized and wealthy countries, hypertensive disorder is among the top three leading causes of death that are directly related to a particular cause (Alcocer & Cueto, 2008). In poverty stricken areas, hypertension is the most common cause of death.

Hypertension cost the U.S. over $69 billion in 2008 (American Heart Association, 2008). Most of these dollars were spent on resource utilization. When compared to non-hypertensive people, people who are hypertensive are more likely to use extra healthcare resources including emergency room visits, home health visits, and inpatient visits (Alcocer & Cueto, 2008).

Most studies only investigate the economic impact of hypertension as a primary disease or diagnosis. However, many disease states such as diabetes, ischemic heart disease, and cerebrovascular disease are directly attributable to hypertension. Therefore, the costs related to hypertension as a secondary diagnosis should also be included to keep from underestimating the true economic burden of hypertension (Wang, Zhang, & Ayala, 2010). For example, many admissions have a primary diagnosis of cerebrovascular disease directly related to hypertension. In turn, approximately 13% of the total cost of hospitalization for a primary diagnosis related to hypertension goes to treating the hypertension itself (Wang, Zhang, & Ayala, 2010).

Various methods are used to evaluate the most cost effective method of treating hypertension. One study, the Hypertension Optimal Treatment (HOT) Study, compared the cost of various antihypertensive medications with progressively lower diastolic blood pressures (Hansson et al., 1998). As diastolic blood pressure goals decreased, the cost of the medicine regimen increased. However, the lower target blood pressures did not offset economic cost by reducing cardiovascular hospitalizations. The study concluded that the more aggressive method of hypertension treatment was not necessarily cost-effective in the long run.

Conversely, a second analysis of the cost-effectiveness of strict versus moderate control of hypertension in a patient with type 2 diabetes concluded differently. For people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, aggressive treatment of hypertension resulted in marked cost reduction and improved health outcomes when compared to those with moderately controlled hypertension (The CDC Diabetes Cost-effectiveness Group, 2002). Aggressive treatment of hypertension in these patients achieved a cost savings of approximately $2,000 per diabetic patient per year.

Even though the diagnosis and treatment of hypertension has made marked progress, economic challenges are still present. By analyzing the cost-effectiveness of various approaches to therapy and regimens for treatment, the health care provider can assist the patient in making the most economical treatment choice.


References

Alcocer, L. & Cueto, L. (2008). Hypertension, a health economics perspective. Therapeutic Advances in Cardiovascular Disease, (2)3, 147-155. doi:10.1177/1753944708090572

American Heart Association. (2008). Heart disease and stroke statistics ??" 2008 update. Circulation, 117, e25-e146. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.107.187998

Hansson, L., Zanchetti, A., Carruthers, S., Daholf, B., Elmfeldt, D., Julius, S., Menard, J., Rahn, K., Wedel, H., & Westerling, S. (1998). Effects of intensive blood-pressure lowering and low-dose aspirin in patients with hypertension: Principal results of the Hypertension Optimal Treatment (HOT) randomized trial. The Lancet, 351, 1755-1762. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(98)04311-6

Stason, W. (2009). Hypertension: A policy perspective, 1976-2008. Journal of the American Society of Hypertension, 3(2), 113-118. doi:10.1016/j.jash.2008.12.001

The CDC Diabetes Cost-effectiveness Group. (2002). Cost-effectiveness of intensive glycemic control, intensified, hypertension control, and serum cholesterol level reduction for type 2 diabetes. Journal of the American Medical Association, 287, 2542-2551. Retrieved from http://scholar.google.com
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1. Explain the differences between cost-effectiveness and performance management. Which performance elements are essential for assessing financial soundness of a nonprofit?

2. How do the board and audit committee utilize activity-based cost reduction information in governance?

Paper Topic:

Individual Automobile Safety Technology

As automobiles become more sophisticated with more and more electronics, the ethical issue has been raised as to whether or not all the electronics adds to or diminishes our safety in the car. Do we really need electronics in the dashboard that will allow the driver to update his or her Facebook page while driving? This group should examine, as part of their research, data regarding accident rates while talking on cellphones and engaging in other distracting activities. Where should society draw the line in allowing these technologies inside a car? [For $2,645, Lexus will be happy to supply you with Facebook, Bing, Sirius Sports and Stocks, etc. in your dashboard.]

Writing Prompt:

My assignment is to do a 9 page cost-benefit analysis of the new technologies and electronics in today's car. Here's the outline that I created for this assignment. Please follow this outline as best as you can.

A. Introduction
1. Current US socio-economy
2. Contribution of Automotive Industry to the United States
- Talk about how automotive industry affect United States overall GDP.
3. Current and future trends in automotive industry

B. Cost-benefit analysis for Automakers
1. Marketability of new car technologies
- Talk about how the new electronics/technologies added in cars attract consumer.
- Are these technologies affordable to consumer considering current US economy?
- Do cost-benefit analysis of developing and adding new technologies in car.
- Do these new technologies increase automaker's profit?

2. Significant loss due to product recall
- Research about any complaints given by the customers about these technologies in cars.
- Research about product recalls due to electrical failures, accidents, and safety risks of new technologies in cars.
- Talk about how product recalls/getting sued by the victim impact the automaker companies financially.

3. Business vs. ethical consideration
- Consider the Ford Pinto case.

C. Cost-benefit analysis for government
1. What's the impact of keep updating the regulation for new technology in cars?
2. Cost-effectiveness of a law banning the use of car technology by drivers
- Refer to one article that I uploaded about the cost effectiveness of a law banning the use of cell phone by drivers, and summarize it.
- Do cost-benefit analysis of government decision regarding law banning the use of technology by drivers

D. Conclusion

I will provide the pdf files of related articles for your reference. Thank you.


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Apply research skills within a contemporary health environment Written assignment - research proposal


ldentify one contemporary health issue that you would like to research. Examples of health issues could include but are not limited to:

childhood obesity

Prepare a research proposal for the chosen contemporary health issue. The research proposal is to include:

purpose statement

methodology

methods of data collection

schedule of events and funding

details of approvals required

client issues

strategies to ensure validity, efficacy and cost effectiveness of the study

ethico-legal and client guidelines.

ldentify possible barriers to undertaking this research.

Criteria
provides lntroduction

research purpose statement

research methodology

methods of data collection

research timeline and funding

details of approvals required

client issues related to the research

strategies to ensure validity, efficacy and cost effectiveness of the study

ethico-legal and client guidelines

identifies possible barriers to undertaking this research

provides a conclusion

The writer will choose one of the following topics for the essay:
1. Health Care in Canada
2. Canadas International Competitiveness
3. Global Warming and Canadas Energy Policy

The essay length is 3,500 to 4,500 words. The course is about cost-benefit analysis and risk assessment, so the writer must have sufficient knowledge in this area. Here is a direct quote from the course outline that might clarify what should write about:
The course is designed to maximize the interaction with government policy advisers on the above current issues and policy options listed above. For each issue, the course will examine how to bring economic theory to bear in developing sound policy including questions such as:

- what the economic problem really is
- what part of economic theory applies to it, if any
- the current approaches of federal and provincial governments
- the linkage between those approaches and theory, if any
- journalistic and popular fallacies clouding the issue
- improvements that might be possible, given economic theory
- gaps in knowledge that need filling for better policy

Cost-Benefit Analysis and Risk Analysis for Regulators will form part of the overall lectures on implementing public policy.
Recommended reference to use:(I will attach)
Choose the appropriate articles for the topic chosen. I will also attach the lecture notes for those articles.

Additional sources:
Browning and Zupan. (2006) Microeconomics: Theory with Applications, Ninth Edition. Wiley: 13-9-0-471-67943-1
Brander, James, Government Policy toward Business, Fourth edition, Wiley & Sons, 2006.
Wilson,James Q., Bureaucracy- What Government Agencies Do and Why they Do It, Basic Books, 2000.
L, Auer et al, Cost Effectiveness of Canadian Health Care, Queens-University of Ottawa Economic Projects, Cat.RA410.55C3C67 1995.
Energy Policy
North American Energy data: http://www.pi.energy.gov/pdf/library/NorthAmericaEnergyPictureII.pdf
Ontario Power Authority: www.powerauthority.on.ca. See, in particular, the proposed Integrated Power System Plan.
Under Supply Mix Advice Report read Volumes 1 to 5 inclusive.
Ontario Ministry of Energy: www.energy.gov.on.ca
Under Electricity find:
Electricity Conservation and Supply Task Force Report
Electricity Transmission and Distribution in Ontario: A Look Ahead (Dec. 2004)
Report of the Pickering A Review Panel
Transforming Ontarios Power Generation Company
Report on August 14, 2003 Outage
Preliminary Assessment of the Potential for a Clean Energy Transfer Between Manitoba and Ontario
MacDonald Report: A Framework for Competition (May 1996)
Direction for Change: Charting a Course for Competitive Electricity and Jobs (Nov.1997)
Electricity Restructuring Act, 2004 (Bill 100)
Ontario Energy Board Amendment Act (Electricity Pricing) 2003
See also: www.oeb.gov.on.ca and www.theimo.com
On Peak Oil see the following:www.energybulletin.net ; www.odac-info.org
Other energy related reading:www.eia.doe.gov ; www.iea.org ; www.nea.fr ; www.energy.gov.ab.ca ; www.aeri.ab.ca www.centreforenergy.com ; www.ksg.harvard.edu/hepg/ ; www.nrcan.gc.ca

The writer might also any references that s/he sees adequate.



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3-page Summary
This is a formal paper, use readings below to help aid in summarizing the reading. When summarizing the readings you must quote from the readings in order to substantiate your points. Use APA format when quoting from the readings. Do Not Use Outside Sources!

Moore & Kearsley

Strategic Planning
For the senior employees of an institution -- its managers -- 1 of the main responsibilities in strategic planning. This involves a number of processes, including: defining a vision and a mission, goals, and objectives for the institution or program regarding distance education, choosing among options so that the priority goals can be achieved with acceptable quality and with the available resources, continuous assessment of changing trends in students, business, and societal demands, tracking emerging technological options that might make for a greater efficiency, and projecting future resources and financial needs and taking actions to meet them.
Defining the Mission
at the institutional level and the same could be said of the state and federal levels strategic planning begins with the defining a mission, a long-term direction based on a concept of the place of the institution in society, usually based also won a self-awareness of its role historically. Not to have such a self-awareness levels of administrative and teaching staff of an institution without a secure point of reference when faced with decisions to be made arising from many changes that take place in the social and economic environment in which they have to plan and deliver their programs. Since there is an almost infinite variety of potential distance education market the organization leadership needs to be explicit about what is attempting to serve, how, and why. Otherwise as they tried to be all the things to all people they're likely to spread their resources to thinly to survive in a competitive educational market. Certainly mission statements must not become a drag on flexibility or readiness to respond to new opportunities and so should be reviewed periodically expressly by lawless tabs institutions were the size and location of their student catchment area is likely to change as technology changes. A good illustration of the importance of the mission as both an anchor for policy in the institution as well as a guide to decisions about change is seen in state universities that have their distance education programs historically grounded in the land-grant tradition of service and outreached residents of the state. It is the job of the institution management to supply of the resources of e.g. people, facilities, time, money needed to achieve its mission and to articulate policies that enabled administrators to select goals and objectives that are realizable within the limits of those resources.


Deciding Whether to Proceed
Before proceeding to invest in a distance education program and institution Management must first consider it distance education is appropriate at all in fulfilling its mission and if it is being to make choices among the various alternative courses that could be offered. One aspect of this checking that there is a real demand and one that is likely to be sustained for it. Generally this would be indicated by market research data showing that there is sufficiently large number of interests students it is also is necessary to examine demographic envisage trains see what changes might be expected in the future that might impact courses and programs. For example changes in immigration patterns that affect the multicultural makeup of the US population means that some colleges that have specialize in multilingual courses may see a new opportunity in distance education. For the trend for multiple to work at home or to have some businesses may create a bigger market for Oakley develop programs of distance education business topics specific to a particular region. In the past it was quite often found a greater demand exist for educational courses that revealed a normal market research procedures. In other words by supply new courses and institutions might stimulate demand for it with the ease with which programs can be offered through a new information and communication technologies the challenge now is correctly identified in a niche market; that is, the subject or population that an institution conserve better than any of its competitors. Also before deciding to proceed to design and to offer a course the manager must be convinced that there is both the technology and -- more difficult than it may appear the staff people will of designing and teaching the course. Unfortunately it is common for the decision to go hit to be taken after there has been a check of the technology but not at the human resources needed to use it properly. A surprisingly number managers seem to think that faculty and trainers can simply add teaching at a distance to their existing workloads. In equally surprising number of property and trainers think so, too. The result can be a low-quality program and eventually disillusionment that would have been best avoided not going into the distance education field in the first place. Further before proceeding managers have to decide if they will be able to recover the cost of investing in a course or program and how they would do it. We know that a considerable amount of investment costs will be involved as equipment is purchased, new staff hired, and other retrained. Some institutions have been able to obtain grants from philanthropic organizations while others have to come up with the venture-capital and worked out how to recover this in tuition fees after the courses are produced. Some projection on this issue is essential, therefore before the decision to proceed is taken. What is not possible is to expect income from tuition to pay for investment costs in the very short term. Again such a policy is a recipe for low-quality and disillusionment. Before deciding to proceed managers also have to consider issues relating to faculty, vertically the effect on workload, compensation, and ownership of course materials. In face-to-face institutions considering moving to distance education will a course be treated as equipment to teaching a traditional class even though more time in design and online interaction is likely? At the most extreme there are universities were faculties have gone on strike because the impact of their workload has been in and we considered prior to the decision to set up a distance education program. Other problems have arisen and are likely to arise in the future regarding who should own the ideas and information contained in the course, professional who created them, or the institution that publish them. Various solution to these questions have been arrived at but whether the solution they are questions that are best tackled before the decision is made to proceed into distance education. Finally before deciding to proceed managers must take a hard look at the problem of sustainability. As challenging as it is to get a distance education program started it is an even bigger challenge to sustain it over the long term. This is demonstrated by a study of Berge and Kearsley 2003, of 31 corporate nonprofit and government organizations that have previously been reported as having started online distance education programs. The authors describe the problems that follow a successful start a and reached the general conclusion that distance education has grown more slowly than predictions over the past decade because it has not been sustained in many organizations asked that is, it keeps getting reintroduced.
Tracking Technology
The quality of the course delivered at a distance of the quality of the students experience will to some extent and on the particular delivery system used so that the management decisions about what technology to purchase will have a significant effect on the cost-effectiveness of institution and its programs. In this periods of intense development of Internet based distance education the decision concernsthe relative merits of different course management systems. The administrators responsible for choosing from among various systems have been considered the merits of each system for presenting course materials and also for providing interaction between learners and teachers but they also have to consider differences in cost. For example, angel has an annual license fee determined by the number of users while blackboards fee structure is not tied to the number of uses in the course. Or help in deciding which manages system will be best for one's institution managers and their advisers can use an online resources that compares different systems.
Administering the Program
The administration of a distance education program includes all the major events and activities that support any formal educational process. They include: deciding what courses to offer, diminished during the process of designing and implementing the course, appointing, training, and supervising academic and administrative staff, informing potential students about what courses are available and how to join them, Registry applicants and administering admissions procedure, collecting fees, administering scholarships, and keeping accounts, setting up and running and structural and counseling services to students, administering student evaluation procedures, awarding grades, certificates, diplomas, and degrees, locating and maintaining library's and study centers, obtaining and maintaining technology, especially servers and other computer hardware, and continuously monitoring the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of the program. The extent and complexity of administrative activities will vary according to the type of distance education system thus, in many programs instructors do much of the administration of the courses linked to the resources of the campus administrative system. At other extremes in a single course mode institutions and an entire department will deal with a group of different administrative activities -- particularly recruitment, restriction, finance, and evaluation. As traditional institutions convert to dual mode they decide the special needs of distance learners make it more efficient to set up specialists administrative units alongside such traditional departments as the bursars office or registrar's office.
Staffing
Once the decision to enter the distance education feel has been taken one of the most important task for the miniatures is to identify from the existing staff -- or otherwise to recruit and in training -- the individual who will be needed to set up and run the program -- or to set up and run an institution if it is a new institution that is to be established. The staff that is needed includes: subject experts usually the academic of the teaching institution, instructional designers, instructors to teach courses once they have been designed, specialists and learner support, technology experts and technicians will set up and maintain the communication systems, administrator such as program directors, course managers, and site coordinators, clerks who process enrollments, grades, or materials, and managers such in Deans, presidents, and other executives.
Deciding on Full-versus Part-time Staffing
One of the most challenging questions associated with staffing is whether to appoint full-time or part-time employees and what combination of each. In general the higher the ratio of part-time to four times that the lower the average cost of providing the course teach student. The principal or division of labor that we introduced in chapter 1 supports the idea of having instructors with primary professional skill is interacting with students leaving other people to design, produce commented over the course learning materials. Such professionals become skillful at in a blink each students to have a high quality of personal relationship with a teacher in spite of distance. Because there is a limit to the number of students that instructor can interact with it becomes prohibitively expensive for institution to maintain a large number full-time instructors for this purpose as well as content experts instructional designers, learner support staff, technologist, administrative staff. It becomes more feasible to provide a good student instructor ratio if part-time staff can be engaged in this instructor role. Having part-time staff also allows the Organization to adapt is curriculum more quickly to changing needs and then maybe possible if it has a staff locked into a curriculum that may have been more relevant 10 or 20 years earlier. In general there for hiring instructors on a part-time basis makes for better quality as well as greater cost-effectiveness. But it is a difficult policy to implement in many institutions. In a single mold University it is the normal practice to have full-time staff develop courses usually supplemented with part-time consultants and the end to depend on part-time instructors (tutors) to teach the course. In American universities it is more common for full-time faculty for the university to provide both content and instruction, though it is increasingly common for part-timers including graduate students and adjunct faculty to act as instructors. Other organizations such as school district will corporate training departments may hire consultants as writers, editors, where producers, graphic artists and programmers to design and develop courses and use full-time teachers or trainers to provide the instruction. Managers and administrative staff are usually permanent full-time positions.
Training and Orientation of Staff
Whether full-time or part-time it is imperative that all staff understand distinctive character of distance education including an appreciation of many positive character was learning and distance home or work environment. They need to appreciate the difficulties that distance education students experience and must know how to be helpful, and want to be helpful. As compared with the past there are a few of faculty in traditional institution who disparage distance learner but good intentions are not enough to make good educators. Training is needed and organizing there is an important responsibility of administrators. After the initial training staff should be monitored continuously and provided with ongoing in-service training to enable them to develop their skills and keep up-to-date. Most training is likely to be in-house and on the job. Some members of the staff might be enrolled in one of the various online training programs.
Staff Monitoring and Assessment
Once appointed and trained both academic and other staff should be monitored and evaluated to ensure the quality and effectiveness of their work. The idea of the and systematically monitored has not been understood in academia as long as it has been in the business and industrial worlds or indeed in training departments of the Armed Forces or in school districts. It is essential part of the system approach however. A means has to be set up for gathering data readily and evaluating it so that interventions can be made for remedial training where weaknesses in the delivery system are identified. Among this kind of data to be gather and responses from students and faculty themselves about how satisfied they are with course products and be teaching procedures as well as the learning accomplished.
Learner Support Centers, Libraries, and Teleconference Sites
Although an increasingly large range of learning materials and services for distance learners and and now delivered by means of the Internet there are still some they cannot be inserting there are some services that are better provided face-to-face and/or in group settings by audio-or video teleconferences. A pure distance learning method may be unsuitable for teaching his subjects such as interpersonal relations for trainee counselors or for trainee teachers will need classroom practice or where potential dangerous results could occur without professionals provision as in teaching chemistry. In such cases administrators hve to identify laboratory facilities schools for teaching practice, and so on. Contracts may have to be drawn up, fees paid, and other responsibilities incurred in the use of these facilities that lie outside the immediate control of the distance teaching institution. Setting up and maintaining learning centers require many administrative decisions including: where learning center should located, when they should be open, what facilities and equipment are needed, what staff administrative and academic they should have, how they should relate to the main campus, and how they should be funded.
Libraries
most education certainly that University level requires students to undertake some research that uses materials beyond what is provided by the instructor. A great challenge foreign ministers of distance education has now been to provide library resources that could compare with what work available to students on campus. In 1967 the Association of colleges and research library's release formal guidelines for providing the needs of distance learners. These guidelines were updated in 1982, 1990, and in 1998 the Association of College and research libraries sections are guideline committee, in 1998. With the arrival of the Internet the problem has become much leisure to deal with. Academic libraries are beginning to add dedicated distance education Liberians to their staff. Central Michigan University for example employs seven full-time librarians for this kind of service. In Florida, distance learners anywhere in the state have access to dedicated distance education Liberians that the Florida distance learning reference and referral Center. Another way of academic libraries have responded to the needs of distance learners is through the formation of partnerships. Walden University and accredited distance base graduate school formed an alliance with Indiana University to allow Walden students to make full use of the Indiana University library's resources. ILLINET a consortium of 40 academic libraries in Illinois provides cooperative borrowing arrangements for members students as well as maintaining a common online catalog. In California, nine campuses of the University of California forms the California Digital library, which is accessible to the public, and provides online searches and periodical database indexing over 100,000 titles available throughout the state. He Pennsylvania State University is part of several library cooperatives including the virtual electronic library and the consuming academic library connection initiative. The virtual electronic library provides mutual borrowing among the Big 10 universities and the University of Chicago. Online catalogs such as library-spot, ECO (electronic collections online), and the world-cat (both of which are maintained by the online computer library center), provide online users with access to my very resources, catalogs, and information systems. In 1996 survey of academic libraries found that of the 74 respondents, only three indicated that they were not actively supporting their institution distance education programs.
Teleconference Learning Sites
With the arrival of the Internet there has been a decline in the interest on the part of many institutions setting of teleconference learning sites. It is certainly less trouble for the administrator in an institution that delivers instructional program to the students home computer than one that delivers by satellite -- at least regarding the arrangement at the interface between the learner and the system. There are still many programs delivered to learning sites, however, and in a good system there would be an integration of technologies. For an institution using this technology to major problem for administrators are to ensure that the learning site is in a good location that it is well-run and that the staff and equipment are working properly. The size of the learning site can range from a small conference room for a group to four to five participants to a large auditorium with hundreds of people. The most important administrative decision to be made is who is to be the coordinator. There are also many decisions needed about allocation of resources to this delivery system, levels of tuition fees, marketing strategies, and evaluations.
Budgeting
Of all of these areas that administrators must deal with the budgeting is probably the most difficult. Budget decisions are basically about priorities and resources allocations. Administrators should always be concerned with the question of cost effectiveness -- are they getting the best value for the money they spend? This question comes in when making decisions at the most general level of policy e.g. what types of courses the institution will deliver, the most specific e.g. whether the price of a proposed textbook might have a negative effect on the student enrollment. When making up the budget some of the most important decisions administrators make our how much to spend on: developing new courses, buying new technology, hiring academic staff, paying for student support services, running learning centers, running the administration, and marketing their program. The main question is what related proportion of funds and resources should allocated to each of these categories. For example should more of the budget goal toward developing new courses, supporting the existing one's, hiring more academic staff, or improving facilities? In theory, allocating funds among the different item should be based upon a careful analysis of the needs of the distance education program including current deficiencies and opportunities. For example is student evaluation data indicates that students are dissatisfied with the level of interactivity and courses more money could be allocated to buying a new delivery system that allows more interaction, two workshop to train teachers and interactive techniques or to simply hire more instructors to reduce the student-to-instructor ratio. On the other hand if the data from the market research indicates that more students will enroll will get more or certain courses were offered it could be argued that course development should receive a larger share of the budget. Decisions have to be made and in order to make the best decisions is necessary to have reliable evaluation data all aspects of the organizations distance education efforts.
Budgeting and Different Levels
Budget decisions must be made at many different levels: institutional, departmental, programmatic, and in administering individual courses. Each level of decision-making is likely to have different priorities. For example, senior administrators are likely to be concerned with preserving enough money to support marketing projects with a view of keeping up enrollments and thus revenue, whereas faculty are likely to take this background activity for granted and to be preoccupied with maintaining student support services or the number of academic staff which date associate with maintaining quality. Differences like these mean that budget decisions are often accompanied by power struggles within the organization as each constituency attempts to obtain as big a share of the budget as possible. To avoid the struggles turning into acrimonious conflicts administrators must continually emphasized that budget decisions will be made on the basis of data, and that all groups wishing to influence the budget must present data to justify the request or plans.
Budgeting the Administration
One of the most difficult budget categories for administrators to allocate funds is the administration itself. Most administrators feel pressure to run a lean and mean operation having the smallest administrative staff as possible l. If taken too far however this can be counterproductive if it results in an administrative function that is understaffed and not able to run things efficiently. Money spent in running a good performance marching unit would for example almost certainly be a good investment. Similarly good management means extensive planning and thisneed market research and other studies which are more difficult to justify to the faculty for the public van creating new courses, hiring more academics staff, or buying new technology. On the other hand, it is true the institution sometimes get top-heavy with administrations that consume an inordinate amount of the budget while producing less than an equivalent benefit. Just like administrators and other units in the organization's senior administrators must continually collect cost-effectiveness data on their ministry of operations justify the portion of the budget that they are allowing to spend.
Scheduling
Budgeting the resources of the time may seem a little strange to people who have only worked in traditional education whether all instruction is organized in a very familiar pattern of class sessions and semesters of fixed the durations. In schools and colleges most of the attention given to budgeting time is a matter of developing and reorganizing schedules timetables for students and teachers. Indeed more love for funding and accrediting such schools are usually based upon student attendance and scheduled classes. In most forms of distance education this kind of scheduling is far less significant. Instead of ministers have to budget the time of the many individuals that make up a course team during the often lengthy process of designing a course and then they have to schedule the instructional staff during its implementation. Because of course material must people peered in advance of their use -- and some of these, such as video recordings, may need Meany Munster produced -- it is essential that a well defined schedule be developed and maintained. Usually this takes the form of a work plan that lists all of the tasks that must be completed, the deadlines for each task, and who is responsible for completing the task. It is the responsibility of the administrator in charge of distance education program to ensure that development schedule is followed so the materials and programs all come together and are ready when the student and structure appears begin the interactive phase of the program. At that time there will need to be a widely distributed schedule for such activities as course registration and tuition payments; and a schedule of dates for the completion of the course assignments, examinations, and graduation procedures. Other major scheduling tests are involved if there is a teleconferencing, such as booking a room at teleconference site; and if the institution is delivering a program as well as receiving it, time on the satellite has to be scheduled with the telecommunications company. Popular methods applied in scheduling design of courses on the program evaluation and review technique, the critical path method, and the Gantt chart. Each technique results in a chart. Program evaluation and review technique charts show each task and its planned duration with each task connected to its successor in a network of nodes and connecting lines. A critical path method chart is similar to a program evaluation and reviewing technique chart, with a critical path showing the set of cash that together task of the longest time to complete and which receive special attention. A Gantt chart is the matrix with the past listed on one axis and with the horizontal axis indicating such variables at the time to be given to the task, and skill needed to perform it, and the person responsible for it.
Scheduling the Student
in correspondence courses students usually set their own schedules and pace themselves toward completing course. Most programs established a maximum period e.g. six months for one year within which time the course must be completed. With this time. Students can complete their assignments and examinations according to their own timetables. Some programs allow open enrollment, while others specify certain registration periods. On the other hand programs that involve teleconferencing or television broadcast usually have a fixed class schedule with well-defined beginnings and ending dates. The general practice with online distance education is to deliver a course according to a strict schedule with groups of students enrolled very much like they do for a conventional class. Most students find this more rigid structure and pasting to be helpful in completing the course. It is important that such schedules are reasonably planned and take into account the most amount of work involved and allows sufficient turnaround time for delivery of assignments.
Quality Assessment
Although everyone in it educational institution has a role to play in producing high-quality instruction, administrators are responsible for its measurement and for using the data gathered in taking action to improve. In one way or another all administrative activities discussed can be evaluated in the search for data pertaining to quality. There are a number of other factors that might be monitored, including: number and quality of applications and enrollments, student achievement, student satisfaction, faculty satisfaction, program/institutional reputation, and quality of course materials. Each of these factors reflects different aspects of the quality of an institution's products and services. Continually increasing or stable rates of applications and enrollments suggest the organization is doing a good job of tracking demographic and socio- economic variables and tailoring its offerings to real needs. It may also be considered to be an indicator of satisfactory teaching and good word-of-mouth promotion by satisfied students. Students achievement should be one other aspects of quality measurement that receives most attention. This is not difficult to monitor in the short-term -- but it is difficult to assess in the long term. In professional fields where students have to take certification exams e.g. law, medicine, engineering; it is possible to examine the achievement of students relative to other institutions. However, the kind of student achievement data that would be most valuable namely job performance or were confidence evaluation is almost impossible to obtain due to the complexities of conducting studies in the workplace. Most programs usually settle for anecdotal information about the impact of their courses, collected from interviews of graduates. Student satisfaction data is important and relatively easy to collect. It is standard practice for students to be evaluated course and its conclusion, being asked to rate or comment on the content, course organization, the instructor, instructional materials, and delivery system. Such data is usually scrutinized by the course manager and sometimes the department head or Dean. This provides at least a minimal check on the quality of course as far as the perception of students are concerned. However student satisfaction data is far from an infallible measurement of how effective the course is in terms of students learning, nor does it assess the validity or relevance of the content taught. Similarly, faculty satisfaction may be a useful measure provided its subjective character is also kept in mind. Faculty can access the extent to which existing teacher strategies and materials appeared to be effective whether student support services are adequate and whether courses appeared to meet the needs of students were their employers. Most faculty are concerned to be effective teachers and are likely to make recommendations that they believe will improve their effectiveness. Taken together the variables listed above that it to a general reputation for quality, which is to a large extent reflected in institution enrollments. If graduates are satisfied with their courses and employers who will hire of those graduates are satisfied with their job performance they will all speak well of the program and this will result in further enrollments. Institutions may spend considerable sums of money on marketing and promotional efforts aimed at establishing a brand image of being a high-quality organization. Finally it is possible for administraors and others to assess the quality of their course materials for their teaching in terms of standards established by a national associations. For example, the University continuing education Association has a distance learning community of practice, one of the purposes of which is to determine information about the practice. It encourages good practice with a series of awards, including a distance learning course or ward and a program of excellence award. The American Association of collegiate independent study evaluates independent study courses for its annual awards.
A Realistic Assessment of Quality
Following a study of six selective colleges and universities (Compora), and what is probably a realistic conclusion about quality beyond the specific cases he said he and pointing to areas in which all institutions would probably do better. He reported there appears to be a discrepancy between the literature cited and the actual practice of the institutions surveyed and concluded: programs specific mission statements are inadequately developed, programs are often implemented in the absence of the needs of assessments, program generally target and tailor programs to a certain type of distance education students, institutions overwhelmingly are creating their own online courses, courses are approved for distance delivery with little consistency and there is little use of carpal approval system, delivery methods are often selected based on availability of technology as opposed to a systematic design process, instructors generally teach distance education courses based on their willingness rather than their expertise, student to not appear to be getting the support they need, little data about matriculation is being gathered making evaluations of the effectiveness of program difficult, no specific trends are note regarding a dedicated budget for distance education programs, there is an absence of marketing strategies, and there is little consistency on how evaluation information is used.
Regional Accrediting Commissions
In higher education, the regional accrediting commission have published guidelines for institutions offering electronically delivered distance education that can be useful for ministers in their internal quality assessments. Most of the guidelines would apply equally well in the fields of practice the size higher education. Distance education and training Council commission was established in 1955 and is recognized by the US Department of Education and the Council for higher education accreditation to a credit distance education postsecondary programs including the first professional degree level. The commission established educational, ethical, and business vendors; it examines and evaluates distance education institutions in terms of these thunder; and a credits those who qualify. His accrediting program employs procedures to those of other recognized educational accredited agencies.
Policy: Institutional, State, and Federal
Some of the decisions that managers face mentioned earlier in this chapter, such as determining and modifying an institutions mission for deciding when to proceed in a particular programming direction our policy decisions. And institutions policy or that of a state, regional organization, or federal authority is relatively general set of principles against what administrators can test plans, proposals, or ideas for specific actions. If, for example, in institution has a policy agreed to with its stock which he that there will be a certain ratio of full-time to part-time teachers hired at that institution, distance education administrators know the limits of the options open to them in planning the human resources needed for the delivery of new courses. Or, to take another example if institutions make a policy that all its programs will be delivered on the Internet and do will be no video teleconferencing a boundary has been set within which they have to make their administrative decisions regarding the purchase of new technology. Making policy and ensuring it stays up-to-date requires a concentrated effort on the part of the institutions management. In fact it is too easy for managers to become so distracted by day-to-day administration that the attention they should give to renewing the policy framework on which everything else is founded can too easily become neglected. In dual mode institutions were distance education in balls, for example, new working arrangements that depend on collaboration among previous separated departments or where it might be necessary to divert resources of money in people's time from conventional teaching, it will be essential to have a systematic way of engaging the staff in the process of formulating new policies for renewing old ones on an ongoing basis. At the state and federal level there is a similar need for policy review and for setting up new policies that are appropriate to the electronic age. Since elected officials are likely to be involved in this process and they are, of course, not expected to be educational professionals, a process of explaining and educating has to go on to prepare them to consider the policy changes needed at those levels.
Policy barriers to distance education are failing -- in the first edition of this book we explained that among the reasons for this slow rate of development of distance education where barriers thrown up by policies that were designed to support an older model of education, which actually have impeded the evolution of new systems. These policy barriers could be found at federal, regional, state and institutional levels. It is now apparent that the situation has improved significantly.
At the Federal Level
THEN: barriers included the criteria used to determine what programs are eligible for federal funding, which are biased toward traditional provision. NOW: more generous treatment of distance education exists. In particular, there have been changes in the US Department of Education policy on the infamous 12 hour rule which stated that financial aid can only be given to students will attend a face-to-face classroom at least 12 hours a week. Another policy area at the federal level were there has been progress concerns changes in the copyright loans. Both the Digital millennium copyright act of 1998 and be technology in education and copyright harmonization act of November 2002 sets policy to restrictions on using materials in distance education courses.
At the Regional Level
THEN: criteria applied in giving institutions their official accreditation to teach are based on the practices of campus based learning, faculty centered teaching, and classroom base instruction. NOW: all regional accrediting commissions have adopted distance education criteria in their procedure for evaluating distance education programs when institutions in their jurisdictions undergo the accreditation process. At state level -- --THEN: there are mechanisms that drive continuing investment in brick and mortar education, and prevent the expenditures that would establish virtual universities based on telecommunications networks. The typical funding formula that states used to decide on allocation of resources, being based on numbers of traditional daytime students, systematically generates on-campus classroom space for 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. teaching, and under-provides not only the communications technology but also the building facilities needed for off-campus learner support and instruction for distance learners. NOW: most states are investing in statewide virtual delivery systems.
At the Institutional Level
THEN:... the barriers include some of the administrator structures and procedures that are supposed to serve students but often inappropriate for distance learners. They found in the rules and regulations concerning registration, tuition payment procedures, student support services, library services, examinations, and most especially the provision of instruction at times and places convenient to the learner. NOW: huge improvements at institutional level. Policy is obviously a dynamic concept; the following are some of the areas where policy is still unsettled and is being made as you read this.
Institutional: Faculty Policy
Among the most difficult areas regarding distance education policy in educational institutions concerns faculty especially their compensation, workload, and intellectual property rights. Policy varies considerably between institution and even within institution regarding the rights and responsibilities of Dr. regarding both courses nine and subsequent teaching of the course. At some institutions the policy on compensation for design is for the full-time faculty develop courses for no additional payment with this effort considered part of their normal workload. Other institutions recognize that the level of effort and creativity in designing distance education courses greater than preparing for a course in residence and have established an additional compensation policy when it comes to the delivery of courses one option is for full-time faculty to provide the instruction as part of their low, some institutions treat it as an overload for extra compensation while others depends on part-time faculty to do this. The impact of distance education work on the rental workload is matter of concern to most property. In particular at the university level faculty have to give a high encouraging to their research and to having the results that researched published. This is usually required for faculty to obtain a chain your position and to qualify for promotion. Whereas traditional measures of teaching, scholarship (publications in refereed journals), and services are included in the promotion and tenure formula, work related to innovative instructional products, including those for distance education are not generally given comparable recognition. Thus it becomes necessary if an institution is serious about distance education that it modifies its promotion and tenure policies to give credit for the time spent in designing and delivering course. Another aspect of the work problem in the instructors need for additional training on the use of technologies and learning the pedagogy of teaching at a distance. As the need for training becomes apparent a policy is needed that rewards participation in training and allows the allocation of resources for this.
Implementing Institutional Change
Most educational and training institutions share three significant problems in introducing distance education. They are: an academic culture that views teaching as an individual's act in a classroom, a policymaking structure dominated by staff were satisfied with the system that gave them power, and an administrative system in which technological and human resources are fragmented in a multilayered structure of faculties and apartments, each of which regards its own interests. There is no simple strategy for change for them ensured his face with these issues but there are some steps that seemed to be productive. The first step is to identify the innovator in the organization the small number of people at every level who are interested in change. These people should be encouraged with money and in other ways, to organize themselves and to develop a consensus of ideas about distance education and strategies for bringing change to their organization. The recognition of potential stakeholders is critical. The kind of change needed to establish in distance education system cannot be brought about entirely from the bottom of the institutions and definitely needs leadership from the senior management. On the other hand, low-level support from senior management has to be generated, true it is likely to be in a limited number of areas within the institution. The second step is for the innovator to be an able to undertake a demonstration project. Institutional change will not occur as a result of argument, reasoning, or persuasion alone. The majority of members of the institution will not become persuaded of the viability of distance education in show they see the process of work, see that he can prove a good standard of teaching, and see the achievements of the students. They will lose fear of change as they see the professional satisfaction of the peers who engaged in the distance teaching activity. It is vital that the demonstration projects are of the highest possible standards since failure or mediocre results will have exactly the opposite effect from what is desired. For this reason it is imperative that financial, technological, and human resources are ruthlessly focused. The temptation to spread resources over a number of projects must be resisted. For that to happen the organization needs what is probably the most important ingredient if change is to occur which a high level management with a strong vision of distance education encouraged to implement. Given such leadership and a team of innovators resources can be organized with the aim of showing how a distance education system works. All technologies of the institution must be brought into play; a institution that aspires to deliver programs on a national or even state level several million dollars are likely to be required to design, produce, and deliver a single demonstration project of sufficient quality.
A National Policy Issue: the Digital Divide
A relatively new problem that has been getting attention from policymakers at all levels is that of the digital divide -- defined as the gap between those who have and those who do not have access to the digital technology that is in an essential prerequisite for online learning. As described by Damarin 2000, there are several classes of access to digital technologies: those who state of the art computers and subscribe to an Internet service, those who have access to computers and the Internet at work/library/or other location/and know how to use them, and those who have rare or minimum access to computing technologies and little facility with them, and those experience their everyday lives untouched by computer and information technologies. The national telecommunication information administration has reported on specific groups in the US affected by the digital divide. An engine NBA report, falling through the net: defining the digital divide, describes accessibility by race, income, education, and geographic areas. The 1999 report also identified trends in connectivity from 1984 until the time of the study. Although the national telecommunication information administration found that the number of communications is on the rise, the number of connections for the haves are growing at a faster rate than the have-nots and thus has continued to grow. A study by the progressive policy Institute 1999 ranked the 50 states on how well they are adapting to the new economy. Using criteria such as the number of high-tech jobs, quality of education technology, percentage of population online, commercial Internet domains, and available venture capital, the report identifies a clear geographic pattern. The West Coast and eastern seaboard from New Hampshire to Virginia on the most privileged, and the deep South and the upper Midwest lagged far behind.
Policy Initiatives to Reduce the Digital Divide
The US federal government policy initiatives have included: the Department of Commerce has a strategy for making computers and the Internet accessible, and monitoring the levels of activities in relation to income, education, race, gender, geography, and age; encouraging applications that enable low income Americans to start and manage their own small businesses. The department of education's community technical Center program has provided money to develop model programs to demonstrate the educational effectiveness of technology, especially in economically distressed communities. The star school program has allocated more than 125 million since 1988 to support demonstration projects that use technology to provide programs and activities in underserved areas. The technology literacy challenge fund is allocating $2 billion over five years to help states and localdistricts meet the administration's educational technology goal. Lessons learned from grant programs and educational technology initiatives are disseminating, with an emphasis on underserved citizens. Giving tax advantages for businesses providing technology to school libraries, community centers, and individual in low income areas the E-rate. Private sector -- policy initiatives from the private sector include: providing low-cost Internet access and computers, funding community computing centers, and encouraging IT professionals to do volunteer training.
Case study in National Policymaking
To obtain an idea of the difference in approach to policy about distance education in the US compared to that of some other countries -- where it is not only the availability of technology that occupies policymakers, but the development and improvement of a system of program design and delivery -- considering the following, which contains extracts from an official government document from the Republic of South Africa. There, the national Ministry of education was considering a proposal to merge the country single mode distance education University, the University of South Africa, with its largest technical school (Technikon) and a teacher training program (Vista) into a single organization. The student body of the new organization would be over a quarter of a million students, generated nationwide. The difference between American priorities that focus on technology ahead of organizational change could hardly be more striking.

Please answer each question with one page answers, each page should be in APA format with 2 references per page (question)with references listed at the end of each question. If possible please use the following book as a reference for every question.: Blanchard, N.P., & Thacker, J. (2010). Effective training, systems, strategies and practices (Custom 4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Other references are your choice and may be used more than once for listed questions.



1. Name and briefly describe the three components to organization structure that are discussed in the text.
a. Organizational Design
b. Decision Autonomy
c. Division of Labor

2. Describe how the model of training processes serves as a problem solving tool. Include a brief explanation of each of the five phases. (needs analysis phase, design phase, development phase, implementation phase, and evaluation phase)

3. Explain Social Learning Theory.

4. Two definitions of learning were presented in the text, one was behavioral and one was cognitive. Explain each and indicate the major difference between the these definitions and what the training implications of each are.

5. Discuss the proactive approach and the reactive approach to TNA.

6. Compare reliability and validity.

7. What type of learning style best describes you and how does it help you learn? Is it possible to learn when being instructed in your non-preferred learning style?

8. What is a sit in and what are the conditions necessary for it to be effective?

9. What are some points that should be taken into consideration when selecting an IM training program?

10. Define a role play and in doing so, be sure to identify and explain the five different types of role play.

11. What is transfer of training and what are the factors that impact transfer of training?

12. List and give a short explanation of three of the techniques discussed by the authors for maintaining interest in training.

13. Describe the cost benefit evaluation and cost effectiveness evaluation methods of evaluation whether training was worth it.

14. Describe the three kinds of knowledge that can be evaluated in training and how they can be measured.

15. What is the value of orientation training? How can you make sure it is effective?

16. List three reasons, and a short explanation of each, why management development is an important focus.

I desperately need your help. I went through another service initially and spent $200 on a paper that was completely wrong and not at all what I asked for even after the revision. I had to take an incomplete for the course because it took them 4 weeks to revise my paper and it's still wrong. This is a grad level nursing finance class. I have to write a 20 pg paper that discusses nursing budgets and my topic is how nursing depts in the acute care setting can budget their money (and I have to design a budget) so that they can offer their employees (nurses) to work and pick up extra time so that hopsitals can use less per diem/agency nurses, travel nurses that are much more costly to hospitals.(This paper has NOTHING TO DO with per diem rates in extended care facilities and medicare reimbursement-which is what I could't get through to that other service). This paper is supposed to include a lot of my own opinions and experiences-which I will add after you submit the paper to me. It should be a combination term paper along with professional journal references to support ideas and theories. The professor wants these objectives met as well: 1)"synthesize knowledge from at least 3 different discipline (e.g medicine, law, theology, respiratory or physical therapies)in the design of a nursing budget. 2) critique nursing research in administration (and patient care service and systems)with emphasis on efficiency, cost effectiveness, cost containment and quality control".I couldn't even understand the paper the other service wrote and there would be no way the professor would ever believe I wrote it.I could never have explined to her what I meant if she asked me to clarify something. I hope you can help me. I have wasted enough time and money and can't afford to waste anymore. If you have any questions about the specifications, please don't hesitate to call me or email me. Thank you.

Textbook: tietenberg, environmental and natural resource economics, seventh edition.

You should not attempt to do a large amount of library research investigating the
intricacies of the policy option(s) you select. Instead, spend a reasonable amount of time
familiarizing yourself with the important features of the policy and then evaluate the policy using the economic analysis and policy evaluation tools we have been discussing.
Environmental policies can be analyzed along a number of dimensions. One key consideration is
efficiency: the aggregate net benefits relative to the status quo. One could compare a few policy
alternatives in terms of their net benefits. Another possible consideration is cost-effectiveness: the
policys cost of meeting a given environmental quality target, compared with the cost under
alternative policies. Another important set of issues surrounds the distributional implications of the
program. Who are the winners and losers from the policy in question? And are the distributional
effects ethically justifiable? Closely related to the distributional issue is the question of political
feasibility: does the program have a reasonable chance of being politically acceptable?
You need not cover all of these dimensions. An excellent paper could focus on just the efficiency
dimension, for example.

Format & Organization

The font should be Times New Roman 12-point. Margins should be one inch (top, bottom, left, and right). Double space all text. We offer the following guidelines in organizing your paper. First, provide a very brief introduction section. This section should (1) identify the policy issue, (2) motivate the reader by making it clear why the issue is important, (3) indicate what the main objective of the paper is (for example, to identify and assess the distributional impacts of a carbon tax imposed by the U.S.), and (4) provide a road map indicating how the rest of the paper will be organized, that is, what each remaining section of the paper will do. If necessary, the introduction could be followed by a brief presentation of further background information. The middle section of the paper should provide the main analysis. This section should make up most of the paper. The final section should summarize your findings. In this conclusion section you can also, if desired, draw some broad conclusions about how the policy you are examining connects with broader policy goals or environmental issues.




There are faxes for this order.

Question # 1

Part A
The text speaks of health care quality beginning on page 515. The importance of quality in health care delivery was brought to the attention of the American public with the publication of a monograph issued by the Institute of Medicine in 1999. The monograph entitled ?To Err is Human? stated that between 44,000 to 98,000 patients died each year in American hospitals as a result of medical errors (depending on which study was quoted). This has been further extrapolated to 225,000 deaths due to medical errors from both in-patient and out-patient exposures in the U.S. annually.

In a second monograph entitled ?Crossing the Quality Chasm? (2002), at http://www.iom.edu/CMS/8089.aspx. the Institute of Medicine listed six criteria (defined as the six dimensions of quality) in defining health care quality.

Question 1a . Research the report, list the dimensions (criteria) and define them in no more than one paragraph each.

Part B.
In a different study, several definitional attributes have been assigned to health care quality. These include: technical performance, management of interpersonal relationships, amenities of care, responsiveness to patient preferences, efficiency, and cost effectiveness. How health care measures up with each of these categories depends upon which stakeholder in the delivery system is being asked to define quality (therefore quality may be prospectival).

Question 2b In no more than one paragraph each, please evaluate the importance of each attribute from the perspective of: a. the clinician, b. the patient, c. the payer (insurance company or cms), d. society. RATE the importance of each attribute to each of the stakeholders. For example, does the clinician rate cost effectiveness or efficiency as first, second, third, etc??). PLEASE DO USE THE CRITERIA FROM PART A AND NOT STATE THAT EACH STAKEHOLDER RATES EACH VALUE EQUALLY. THEY DON'T!!
Which is the most important attribute for each stakeholder. Choose one!!

Your answers to this question should alert you to some of the problems with the definitions and also with the reason that no one solution will improve ALL aspects of health care quality.

Question # 2

In 2009, Congress passed the Affordable Care Act of 2009 in an attempt to correct many of the problems in our current health care system. Because it was a compromise to appease the various stakeholders who wish to retain the current system, it has left many areas uncorrected.

Question 2a Please list the key points of the law, particularly as it relates to the health care insurance and explain them. http://www.healthcare.gov/law/introduction/index.html

Question 2b
Twenty six states are opposed to the Affordable Care Act, including Florida. The Attorneys General of these states have filed suit in Federal Court to overturn portions of the statute.
Discuss the Constitutional issues raised by these states and how it will affect the remaining portions of the law.

Please review the resoruce and as closely as possible paraphrase.

Scenario:

You have been retained by a group of investors who plan to manufacture and market a line of power hand tools, including electric drills, saws, and sanders. The investors would like you to guide their decisions regarding how they should design and organize their supply chain and how they should approach the operations management aspects of the production facility, as well as operations issues related to the success of the entire supply chain that they should consider and attempt to influence in their role as a major and critical component of the supply chain. The investor group will own and operate the production facility and are willing to consider ownership of any other component of the supply chain that you recommend they own and manage.

You are to prepare a business report that addresses the challenges of ensuring all business units in the supply chain have the right amount of the right product in the right place at the right time and at the right cost. The operation of the supply chain should achieve synergistic results that provide sustainable dominant competitive advantage. The business report should focus on the concerns that the investor group has expressed and include, but not be limited to, any additional concerns the investor group has not yet considered.

Task:

Create a business report based on the above scenario in which you do the following:

A. Recommend, with sufficient support, the adoption of one of the following strategies by the power tool company: a Keiretsu network, a virtual company, a vertical integration, or a different supply chain strategy.

B. Discuss metrics that could be used to measure performance of the supply chain.

C. Discuss three of the following issues that could complicate the development of an efficient, integrated supply chain: local optimization, incentives, large lots, and the bullwhip effect.

D. Recommend two tactics or methods which are opportunities for effective management in an integrated supply chain.

E. Explain the actions that should be taken to mitigate one clearly identified possible risk for each of the following areas:
1. Process
2. Control
3. Environmental

Note: Please clearly identify the risk you are addressing with each mitigation plan.

F. Recommend a hierarchical functional organizational structure for the power tool manufacturing company.
1. Discuss what departments might be included in the operations function of the company.

G. Discuss strategic operations management decisions related to at least three of the following concepts that would support the implementation of the companys mission and strategy:
Design of goods and services
Design of process and capacity
Quality
Location
Layout design
Human resources and job design
Supply-chain management
Inventory
Scheduling
Maintenance
1. Discuss whether the company should adopt a consumer-focused mass customization process.

H. Recommend actions to improve cost effectiveness for each of the following:
1. Manufacturing facility
2. Supply chain



Use the following headers.

A. Supply Chain Strategy
B. Metrics
C. Issues
D. Concepts and Methods
E. Three Risks
F. Organizational Structure and Components
1. Functional organizational structure-
2. Organizational Components of the Operations Function-
G. Strategic Operations Management
H. Recommend actions to improve cost effectiveness for each of the following:

There are faxes for this order.

Customer is requesting that (flw
There are faxes for this order.

Customer is requesting that (flwriter2011) completes this order.

I need to do a Program Evaluation on a University Theater program and the importance of having one on campus. Basically the four program goals I want to focus on is: 1) to improve the quality of shows/performances so that it would be interesting for people to attend and buy tickets; 2) to increase sponsorship to help support the theater program; 3) to reach out to students to attend the performances since they are the focus of the school; and 4) to improve marketing strategies.

I need help in creating the following (one-page each):

1) Objectives ??" the purpose of the theater program.
2) Program Process Theory ??" how the theater program is designed.
3) Program Structure ??" why is there a need for the theater program; what does it provide.
4) Impact Theory ??" what is the social impact/target of the theater program.
5) Stakeholders ??" those involved with the theater program (i.e. staff, patrons, community members).
6) Methodology ??" what evaluation would be administered (cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness).
7) Summary and Recommendations ??" what the evaluation has shown and what to do.

Please feel free to use a fictional university theater program that exist. Thank you.

Issue: New Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines; Mammography ??" Should Women Begin Tests At 40 or 50?

Issue paper: You should present a description of the issue and its importance to healthcare professionals and consumers. Then present alternative views of the issue (in some cases, these will be pro/con arguments--e.g. should assisted suicide be permitted; in other cases, these will be presentations of alternative possibilities--e.g. what represents the most effective/efficient reimbursement system). Your paper should follow the format:

Introduction: Why is your topic important? Why did you choose it?
History: What social, scientific, and/or policy events contributed to the current status of the issue? How did we get where we are?
Analysis: What is the current status of the issue? In what ways does it affect your discipline?
Future: What are the potential future scenarios for the unfolding of the issue? What data are available to suggest with scenario will be the one that happens? Which seems best; for what reasons? What could be done to shape the future?

Include citation and references that are formatted consistent with the AMA citation guideline.

7 sources to be used:

Cancer Weekly. Concerned Federal Screening Mammography Guidelines to Limit Access for Younger Women. Susan G. Komen for the Cure. 2010: 1665.

Earthtimes.org. Stick With Older Mammography Recommendations, Stanford Experts Say. March 3, 2010 (Press Release from Stanford Hospital & Clinics).

Hoppel, Ann M. To screen, and when to screen: the mammography age divide. Clinician Reviews. 2009; 19.12.

Journal of the American Academy of Physicians Assistants. USP-STF: no routine mammography for women younger than 50 years. 2010; 23.2, p. 66.

Robb-Nicholson, Celeste. A doctor talks about: Screening mammography. Harvard Womens Health Watch. 2010; General Reference Center Gold.

Sutton, Sharyn M., Eisner, Ellen J., Bloom, Diane L., and Bloom, Paul N. The Mammography Guidelines Controversy: What Do Women Think? Advances in Consumer Research. 1994; 13: 387-391.

Urrea, Jamee. Mammography: Testing the changes: Survey finds state-run program has scaled back; director cites funding. Lancing State Journal. February 28, 2010.

***With the remaining 3 sources, aim to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of breast cancer screening for different age groups in the new vs. old guideline with a specific focus on research findings (i.e., sensitivity, specificity, etc.) regarding screening outcomes in different age groups.

Introduction:
In 1997, Dr. John T. Krimmel published an article titled The Northern York County Police Consolidation Experience: An Analysis of the Consolidation of Police Services in Eight Pennsylvania Rural Communities. His study reviewed the experiences of the Northern York Regional Police Department in York County and similar police departments in Lancaster County, both of which are rural counties in Pennsylvania. The article also contained a review summarizing several police department consolidations across the United States.

Dr. Krimmel's study identifies several advantages and disadvantages of consolidation.
Tasks:

Read the following article. The article contains the information you will need to complete this assignment:

"The Northern York County Police consolidation experience An analysis of the consolidation of police services in eight Pennsylvania rural communities." Krimmel, John T. Policing. Bradford: 1997. Vol. 20, Iss. 3; p. 497

On the basis of your reading and research, answer the following questions:

What are the pros and cons of consolidating police agencies?
Who will be in charge of the merged departments?
Identify examples of problems dealing with educational levels, pay scale, and seniority.
Which hiring standards related to the different departments in the merged cell are affected?
Polygraph and psychological exams are not required for some police agencies. Will all the agencies be required to take the exams after the merger?
How will you evaluate the merged police departments on the following criteria:
Efficiency
Fair play
Accountability
Cost effectiveness


Introduction

Across the nation, municipalities are struggling financially. In Pennsylvania, for example, the state sets taxation caps and regulates real estate tax limits. The only remaining revenue generating option for Pennsylvania communities seems to be an earned income tax, which is, in many instances, politically dangerous. A portion of this economic struggle may be eased, somewhat, if municipalities consider regionalizing their departments or consolidating police services.

In addition to the tax savings objectives there are several other reasons why jurisdictions consider consolidating police services. Consolidation may result in a more effective delivery of police service by eliminating duplication of efforts between police departments. Smaller departments may find consolidation increases their efficiency by providing resources previously unavailable to them. Municipalities, for example, may be able to take advantage of centralized record keeping systems, crime laboratories, or other specialized services not readily available to smaller police departments.

Consolidation may yield better trained personnel and a lower personnel turnover rate due to increased opportunities created in a larger "merged" department. Finally, consolidating police services presents the opportunity for innovation. It may alter the structure of existing police departments and improve the quality and delivery of police services.

The logic for consolidating municipal police departments is simple. For example, in smaller, "low-crime" towns with total populations of 25,000 and a total area of nine square miles, why support the costs of five police stations and five police chiefs? (A scenario suggested as commonplace in Pennsylvania and New Jersey by a New York Times reporter, September 17, 1995.) In addition to providing municipalities the opportunity for innovation and improving service, opportunities for better quality of proactive policing will emerge. Specialization of investigative techniques will result when officers have more access to more training and options to ply their skills in larger, more flexible and diverse departments. These skills can include arson investigation, investigating hate crimes, developing juvenile units, better burglary investigations, career criminal apprehension programs, and the like. Improved services will result as costs for equipment are reduced, communications systems are streamlined, and centralized record keeping is improved. Hiring can become more efficient and purchases done in bulk. Specific crime control strategies (e.g. hot spots) can be more vigorously employed while at the same time the bonds between police and prosecutors can be strengthened. If the interagency bonds are improved, theoretically, better networking will result and municipalities will participate in the development of community relations programs which hopefully will become critical to the department as the planning process improves. Furthermore, the better the inter-agency cooperation, the more likely the community will be to share other services such as fire and rescue operations, resulting in further efficiency of municipal service.

On the other hand, there may be reasons why a municipality would not desire consolidation. There may be a history of strong community autonomy. Community members and police officers may value their unique characteristics and identities. Perhaps nobody in the community wants change. Residents may wish to retain direct control over police supervision in one form or another and maintain the character of the police department. Citizens may not care to risk the chance that police will no longer provide service to the community in the manner that they have always done. Generally, community members feel that police should provide more services than arresting people. A suburban Pennsylvania police chief, for example, was quoted in the local newspaper regarding police consolidation "someone always loses when departments consolidate" (Pilla, 1995). Citizens may distrust big government. They may fear that political monopolizing will take place after the consolidation and drive taxes even higher.

It is, in fact, the fear of losing local control that most often derails attempts to eliminate or regionalize police departments. Police officers feel that their jobs are threatened and elected officials do not want to lose jurisdiction over what is probably the biggest service they control (Orndorf, 1995). Police officers will understandably be concerned about their retirement systems, job security and benefit packages.

Crawford and Jones (1995) studied negative aspects of agency consolidation and concluded that current multi-agency forums brought together to combat crime resemble neo-corporatist administrative arrangements and discretion becomes invisible and remains unaccountable. Thus, unregulated power differentials between agencies may result in some loss of control and can become a factor in a police agency consolidation.

Sampson et al. (1988) caution that conflict may arise in those multi-agency projects were one agency is more powerful than the other(s). State agencies, for example, tend to dominate the agenda. Police are often very enthusiastic about multi-agency approaches to crime problems but the larger agencies tend to prefer to set the agendas and dominate forums. Sampson et al. conclude that they would not advocate an overblown, all-encompassing, multi-agency approach as a panacea to all problems in all localities, but rather a more narrowly focussed approach, with specific forms of inter-agency relationships, on specific themes and problems. In short, where the problem calls for a directed police response, a multi-agency approach may overcome inter-agency conflict.

DeRoche (1994) in her study of regionalized health care systems found that "expansionist approaches that seek to derive the local system from some larger system will not adequately comprehend the local system." Regional health care strategies have emerged as a cost saving strategy and this trend to regionalize continues. Where cultural analysis of regionalizing is, for the most part, absent DeRoche concludes that workers feel less estranged from work that allows them some latitude in problem solving and decision making. Police officers should be permitted these kinds of latitude despite the regionalized strategy. They will feel less estranged.

Some plice experts argue that no real savings will be seen in the long run. "Personnel cuts will be made from the bottom of the roster and not really show savings" (Fisher, 1995). Those fearful of consolidation have sincere reasons for their trepidation. However, the literature suggests positive outcomes overall.

Literature review

Kenney et al. (1982) studied a five-municipality consolidation project in California. They found police consolidation of small departments to present an opportunity for innovation, that is, "alter the structure of police departments and thus improve the quality and delivery of police services" (Kenney et al., 1982, p. 466). This California consolidation project offered the police departments involved the chance to shift their priorities to a proactive crime prevention priority, a strategy based on crime suppression. Their strategy included the development of improved community relations along with the use of community service officers. The Kenney study also recommended the use of contract personnel and employment of officers on a yearly (contractual) bases. The initial use of contract personnel allowed the police executive greater flexibility in filling positions and provided for greater accountability. The study concluded that consolidating police services provides alternative staffing methods, creative financing, and more control over effective police services.

Richard Rubin (1984) in his study of municipal consolidations demonstrated that the rising costs of maintaining and manning two separate public safety departments is the major reason city officials seek alternatives to the standard organization. He postulates that consolidation can be successful if, at the same time, the cities can cut costs and maintain the quality of their protection. Rubin's research located a number of cities including Sunnyvale, California; Clifton, New Jersey; Flagstaff, Arizona; El Dorado, Kansas and Glencoe, Illinois where police consolidated services on some level. The benefits of these consolidations included lower insurance costs along with increased police protection. Accordingly, better management practices led to improved police performance.

In Crank's (1990) assessment of consolidated police departments he found lower insurance rates, a higher quality of police training, and a resulting need for higher quality police personnel and increased salaries for police officers. The police departments that offered more training opportunities and higher salaries eventually demanded a better qualified recruit.

McAninch and Sanders (1988) employed a survey to measure the attitudes of police officers toward consolidation and how consolidation would affect their personal benefits. Also measured was the officers' perceptions of how much of an impact such consolidations would have on police professionalism. The study found that police were more likely to support consolidation if enhanced professionalism was perceived to be in the future. That is, if crime control efforts were improved, departmental operational costs reduced, and initial start-up costs were kept at a minimum, then the police officers tended to support consolidation regardless of any threat to personal benefit.

Research of municipal consolidations include those efforts to combine police and fire services. Sobba (1991) introduced conceptual levels of consolidation and examined the issues and concerns that involve the consolidation. Sobba investigated the consolidation of police and fire services. Although there is not enough published research to reveal the exact number of consolidations at each level, various municipalities have selected the best level suited for them (Sobba, 1991, p. 7).

Levels of consolidation can vary from community to community. Some administrators believe that consolidation is a more productive and efficient way to manage employees. In a study in Morganton, North Carolina, for example, city officials conducted a survey to determine if the creation of a public safety department would benefit their city. It was proven that 60 percent of the calls received at the fire station were false calls and considered unproductive (Sobba, 1991, p. 7). Therefore, a consolidation of police and fire services would in fact save money. Police trained in fire detection could respond first and eliminate the need for fire equipment to respond.

Staley's research (1993) included an analysis of several different police departments that have attempted to consolidate. His objective was to identify the long-term patterns of change among consolidated organizations. It was found that the consolidated departments realized quicker emergency response time in departments where police and fire services have been combined. If a police officer was trained as a fire official, he would be able to act on arrival. When there is a fire, the police are initially called. They then contact the fire department who acts and responds as quickly as possibly. However, if these agencies were consolidated, any communication gaps between the police and the fire department would be eliminated.

Municipal consolidation has recently occurred at the national level. In 1989 the Labor Party in New Zealand passed the Local Government Amalgamation Act which called for the reduction of local governments nationwide from 290 units to 87 units thus creating regionalized governments. Local governments were reduced by 67 percent (Elsass, 1991). Planners were faced with increased costs for merging communication systems and some immediate unemployment problems as governments workers were laid off. However "there appeared to be more accountability on the part of the local government boards and managers as a result of the act" (Elsass, 1991, p. 18). For the first time, governments were forced to do long-term planning. Prior to the consolidation, local governments were not inclined to plan and they were under no pressure to conform to modern accounting systems. The regionalized approach to government eventually led to lower costs of planning, administration, public health, and more. Police and fire service were already nationalized. For the first time in ten years "the country's budget was not in deficit, but was in surplus, by 0.6 percent of the GNP" (Wellington, 1994). The growth in the country's economy is attributed to a more flexible labor market as a result of "liberalized" government. Planners are better able to keep control of spending as a result of the consolidation, studies revealed.

Despite the lack of research in the area of municipal consolidation the literature strongly predicts the benefits of consolidation to include a proactive shift to crime fighting, better overall management practices, quicker response rates, better training, lower insurance rates, better salaries leading to higher quality personnel, increased planning capacity and more accountability.

Methodology

This study was conducted in York and Lancaster Counties in rural Pennsylvania. The Northern York Regional Police Department has been a consolidated department since 1972 and currently consists of eight municipalities. The Northern York Regional Police Department is the study population (experimental group). The comparison group consists of eight similar police departments in Lancaster County, a contiguous rural geographic area. The primary objective of this study is to compare the operational costs of the consolidated department in York County to eight similar municipalities in a neighboring county. (A preferred methodology might have been to compare operational costs prior to and after the Northern York County Regional Police Department (NYCRPD) consolidation but this information was not available.)

This study was operationalized as a quasi experimental design. Quasi experiments are distinguished from true experiments primarily by the lack of random assignment to experimental and control groups (Babbie, 1995). Further, a common strategy for evaluation designs is the construction or identification of groups of nonparticipants which are to be compared in critical ways (Rossi, 1985). Thus, the value of using comparison groups depends on how similar the groups are on key variables to the treatment group (Hagen, 1995). The focus then becomes the comparison of the experimental group and the control group (or comparison group). The primary dependent variable (or outcome) is the cost of operating the police departments.

The first task in this research was to find and compare our comparison group to the experimental group. The experimental group has been defined as the eight municipalities that make up the Northern York County Regional Police Department. This study considered the NYCRPD as a whole and compared the eight "comparison" municipalities as a whole. In other words, this study treated the comparison group as a similar consolidated police department, even though they are not consolidated. They are eight separately operating police departments. This approach allowed for the comparison of group means, a calculation of the standard deviation and a student's t-test. Therefore, conclusions can be drawn as to whether or not the eight consolidated rural police departments are, in fact, more efficient to operate than the "independents."

Eight municipalities, similar to the municipalities in NYCRPD, were located (see Appendix). The comparison variables considered were population, land area and density, income tax level, the market value of the real estate, and other tax rates. Table I provides a display of the variables used to compare the regionalized group to the control group. Notice that none of the t values are significant, suggesting that the NYCRPD and the comparison municipalities are equal for purposes of this comparison.

The second group of comparison variables focussed on the operations of the municipalities. Variables such as the dollar amount of the municipality's general fund, the expenditures for the police department, the per capita expenditure for police, the number of police vehicles, the crime index and the number of incidents handled by the police were analyzed. Table II provides a display of the variables used to compare the NYCRPD to the comparison group municipalities. Again, we see no statistical differences between the two groups. There is no significant difference between the NYCRPD and the control group.

The above data show that the municipalities identified as comparison municipalities are comparable. Therefore, we can safely proceed to the next phase of this study which considers the aggregate differences between the comparison group and the NYCRPD. The aggregated data, as they appear in Table III, are population, land area, roadway miles, real estate value, police costs, per capita police costs, costs per officer, costs per incident, costs per call, number of officers per 1,000 population, the number of vehicles and the number of police officers.

Based on the information gleaned from Table III, this study concludes that the NYCRPD provides police coverage to the same geographic area and population density as the comparison municipalities, only they do so for 28 percent less total aggregate costs. In addition, the per capita cost in the NYCRPD is 25 percent less than in the comparison group. However, the cost per officer is higher (by 13 percent) in the NYCRPD. (This difference may be attributed to accounting practices by the individual municipalities. Some municipalities could not separate police costs accurately from their general operating budgets.) The officers in the NYCRPD earn higher salaries than in the comparison group. The cost per crime incident is 50 percent less in the NYCRPD. The cost per call is 70 percent less in the regionalized department. The number of officers per 1,000 population is 34 percent less in the NYCRPD and the NYCRPD patrols with 56 percent fewer vehicles. Overall, the NYCRPD is providing police patrol and investigatory functions at the same level as the comparison municipalities but with 37 percent fewer police officers. The comparison municipalities require 52 officers and the NYCRPD is staffed with 33 officers.

Ancillary effects of the Northern York experience

According to the police chief of the NYCRPD, the citizens served by the Northern York County Regional experience have benefited by the combination of eight small rural police departments into one. He stated that the regionalized approach has provided citizens with a more effective delivery of police services simply by eliminating duplication of effort. Since 1972, when the departments originally merged, the service provided has become more sophisticated as records became centralized and communication systems were streamlined. The police department offers citizens specialized service such as a grant funded proactive policing unit, a canine unit, an investigations unit (detectives) and juvenile specialists. "It is doubtful that the individual departments would have had the means to provide this type of specialization, independently," said Chief Segatti.

Segatti further stated, "The amount of necessary equipment was reduced. The savings in vehicles alone is noteworthy." The regionalized project also saw better training opportunities. Prior to the regionalization, small departments were hard pressed to release patrolmen to attend training seminars. Thus, the regionalized department is able to offer more training opportunities. One important benefit the NYCRPD realized was strengthening specific crime control strategies. The NYCRPD was able to mobilize patrol functions and create hot spot enforcement strategies, drunk driving details and narcotics investigations. These efforts have served to enhance the bonds between the police department and the district attorney's office

The management style of the NYCRPD board contributed to the success of the consolidation. In Northern York each municipality involved in the police consolidation project appointed a representative to the Police Board of Directors. Each board member acted on behalf of his or her municipality as well as on behalf of the consolidated effort. The result is each board member is acutely aware of the service provided to his or her community as well as the services received by other municipalities.

This resulted in a management strategy that is closely connected to the community, perhaps even closer than before the consolidation. Chief Segatti stated that the Northern York Regional Police Department feels no pressure to fix tickets or alter investigations of any sort. This is due, at least in part, to the management style of the police board. Segatti said, "Each board member protects their individual turf while at the same time maintains an awareness of the turf of the others."

The NYCPRD experience has demonstrated that a regionalized approach can do more for less. The NYCRPD polices the same type of community and area as the comparison group with a third less manpower. At the same time the NYCRPD offers more specialized services to the communities they serve.

The NYCRPD experience has provided to their community a more effective delivery of police service, better crime control strategies and a more coordinated approach to police-fire-rescue operations. At the same time, the police are able to offer a formal proactive police strategy to the citizens, where prior to regionalizing no department would have been able to staff such a program.

In addition, the police officers have been able to take advantage of more training opportunities. Also, the interaction of the Police Board of Directors has created a positive management atmosphere. The bonds between the police department and the district attorney's office have been strengthened.

Discussion

The primary goal of this study was to assess the costs of police operations in a consolidated police department and compare them to a comparison group of similar "unconsolidated" municipalities. The bottom line for the NRCRPD experience is that the consolidated department does the job for less money than the comparison municipalities. There are some other reported benefits to this particular police consolidation experience.

According to the NYCRPD police chief, in addition to the cost savings realized by the consolidation, the experience permitted the department to receive more training opportunities, created more professional choices for the officers as well as higher salaries. The department was also able to compete for state grant money and received funding for proactive policing programs and a state-of-the-art fingerprint system.

Consolidating police services is not necessarily the fiscal answer for every struggling municipality. Research has identified some negative aspects of inter-agency approaches to policing. They include management problems with discretion and accountability and the inability to settle conflicts, especially when one agency dominates. The more powerful agency may tend to dominate the agendas. Small municipalities will give up control of their police operations if they consolidate. They risk loss of autonomy and realistic comprehension of the special needs of the smaller unit. Additionally, if departments consolidate without a careful plan they may not realize any fiscal benefits.

In addition to the type of municipal consolidation described in the Northern York County experience, Crank (1990) offers a description of possible variations. Municipalities may opt to consolidate fully as did Northern York County. They may select partial consolidation in which some of the municipality identities are retained. Municipalities may also consider selected consolidation strategies such as special units made up of officers from different municipalities (e.g. multi-jurisdictional drug task forces). This may allow municipalities to evolve slowly toward consolidating services.

Another negative aspect of consolidations is the potential loss of employment for some police officers. In general, the research on consolidation offers no counsel on this. However, in the Kenney et al. (1982) study the authors suggest contracting, on a yearly basis, with individual officers at the same salary and benefit level prior to the consolidation. Any contractual renewal after one year will be based on the performance of the individual officers. Thus, any employee not performing as specified in the contract can be eliminated after a trial year.

In closing, police consolidation may provide a viable alternative strategy for smaller municipalities searching for ways to control rising taxes. The research offers a cautionary note, consolidation may not be for every municipality. The experience in York County appears to be a positive one. The police department remains small (around 30 officers) and keeping a small-town police philosophy was not difficult to do. This may not be the case in every consolidation.

References

1. Babbie, E. (1995, The Practice of Social Research, Wadsworth Press, Belmont, CA.

2. Crank, J.P. (1990, "Patterns of consolidation among public safety departments 1978-88, " Journal of Police Science and Administration, Vol. 17, pp. 277-88.

3. Crawford, A. and Jones, M. (1995, "Inter-agency co-operation and community-based crime prevention, " British Journal of Criminology, Vol. 35 No.1, Winter, pp. 17-33.

4. DeRoche, C. (1994, "On the edge of regionalization: management style and the construction of conflict in organizational change, " Human Organizations, Vol. 53 No. 3, pp. 209-19.

5. Elsass, D. (1991, "Upheaval in New Zealand local government: wave of the future in the USA?, " PM, July, pp. 16-18.

6. Fisher, W. (1995, New York Times, September 17..

7. Hagen, F. (1995, Research Methods in Criminal Justice and Criminology, Macmillan, New York.

8. Kenney, J.P., Adams, G.B. and Vito, G.F. (1982, "Consolidation of police services: an opportunity for innovation, " Journal of Police Science and Administration, No. 10, pp. 466-72.

9. McAninch, T. and Sanders, J. (1988, "Police attitudes toward consolidation in Bloomington/Normal, Illinois: a case study, " Journal of Police Science and Administration, Vol. 16 No. 2, pp. 95-104.

10. Orndorf, D. (1995, Bucks County Courier Times, October 30, Levittown, Pennsylvania.

11. Pennsylvania Department of Community Affairs (1992, "A study of the cost effectiveness of the Northern York County Regional Police Department, " an unpublished state document.

12. Pilla, B. (1995, Bucks County Courier Times, October 31, Levittown, Pennsylvania.

13. Rossi, P. and Freeman, H. (1985, Evaluation: A Systematic Approach, Sage, Beverly Hills, CA.

14. Rubin, R.S. (1984, "Consolidation of police and fire services, " Journal of Police Science and Administration, Vol. 12, pp. 221-6.

15. Sampson, A., Stubbs, P., Smith, D., Pearson, G. and Blagg, H. (1988, "Crime, localities and the multi-agency approach, " British Journal of Criminology, Vol. 28 No. 4, Autumn, pp. 478-93.

16. Sobba, R.L. (1991, "Public service consolidation, " FBI/Law Enforcement Bulletin, Vol. 9, February, pp. 6-10.

17. Staley, S. (1993, "Bigger is not better: the virtues of decentralized government, " USA Today, March, pp. 10-15.

18. Wellington (1994, "The New Zealand success story, " The Economist, Vol. 332, p. 40.

Appendix. Pennsylvania municipalities compared in the study

The program municipalities in the study were:

Dover Township;

Dover Borough;

Manchester Township;

Paradise Township;

Conewago Township;

North York Borough;

Franklin Township;

Dillsburg Borough.

The comparison municipalities in the study were:

Conestoga Borough;

Fairview Township;

Manheim Township;

Marietta Borough;

Penn Township

Quarryville Borough;

West Manheim Township;

Wrightsville Borough.

Keeping the following in mind:

Technology is a growing phenomenon within the field of education, and educational communities continue to struggle with padagogy, delivery, assessment, and accountability. There is still a sizable community of users and learners who remain deeply dissatified with the cost and performance of currently available learning options. Our educational community's strategic plan is currently under revision not only to keep up with the technological demands of a global society, but to synergize cost effectiveness and quality instruction that reflects a changing curriculum.

With the above in mind, evaluate 1. online learning and 2. Microsoft PowerPoint utilized in the classroom. References must be cited in document in APA format (at least 12).

Essay type:

Case study - Project management, budget management and cost management. Chain of retail stores.

Students can use case study in their own organisation. I prefer a chain of retail stores that operates internationally.

Part 1. Managing Project
Apply the project management techniques to a past, present or future project in your organisation. Comment on the appropriateness of the application of each of the five phases in the successful management of the project. Suggest ways in which the project management process could be improved. 1,800 words. 10 references to be used.
References:
1. Badiru, A. (2009). Science, technology and engineering project methodology. STEP project management: Guide for science, technology and project management (pp. 1-42).
2. Field, M. & Keller, L. (1998). 4 common types of project team. Project management (pp. 242-245).
3. Frame, J. (1994). Managing risk. The new project management: Tools for an age of rapid change, corporate re-engineering, and other business realities (pp. 80-89).
4. Portny, S. (2010). Establishing whom you need, how much and when. Project management for dummies (3rd ed., pp. 129-150).
5. Baker, S. & K. (1998). The network diagram: A map of your project. The complete idiot's guide to project management (pp. 85-100).
6. Thomsett, M. C. (2010). Establishing a schedule. The little black book of project management
(pp. 94-108).
7. Biafore, B. (2007). Introduction. Microsoft project 2007: The missing manual (1st ed.).
8. Cleland, D. I. (1994). Project control. Project management: Strategic design and implementation (pp. 285-298).
9. Cleland, D. I. (1994). Project Termination. Project management: Strategic design and implementation (pp. 285-298).
10. Staw, B. M. & Ross, J. (1997). Knowing when to pull the plug. Project amangement: Aharvard Business Review Paperback, No. 90053
(pp. 57-63).

Part 2. Managing Budget
Discuss the major behavioural issues associated with budgeting in this project. Critically evaluate what you would do to avoid any negative effects (e.g. motivation, participation, rewards conflicts, etc..). 700 words. Five references to be used.
References:
1. Drucker, P. F. (2001). Be data literate - know what to know. In S. M. Young (Ed). Readings in management accounting (pp.2-3).
2. Parker, D., Ferris, K. R. & Oatley, D. T. (1989). The impact of accounting information on managerial behaviour and performance. Accounting for the human factor (pp.65-88).
3. Steele, R. & Albright, C. (2004, Spring). Games managers play at budget time, MIT Sloan Management Review (pp. 61-64).
4. Weygandt, J., Kimmel, P. & Kieso, D. (2008). Budgetary control and responsible accounting. Managerial Accounting: Tools for business decision making (4th ed.. pp. 414-439).
5. Etherington, L. & Tjlsvold, D. (1998). Managing budget conflicts: Contribution of goal interdependence and interaction. Review Canadienne des Sciences de l'Administration: Jun, 15(2) (pp. 142-151).
6. Anandarajah, A., Aseervatham, A., & Reid, H. (2005). Prepare and manage budgets and financial plans (3rd ed. pp. 266-275).
7. Hart, J. , Wilson, C. & Keers, B. (2000). Budgeting principles (2nd ed., pp. 4-6).
8. Neely, A., Bourne, M., & Adams, C. (2003). Better budgeting or beyond budgeting. Measuring Business excellence, 7(3), pp. 22-28.

Part 3. Managing Cost
Locate or draw a cost report or variance report, either for this project or for another, or identify future expected costs. Identify the various cost categories (eg. fixed, variable, direct, indirect and overhead) and comment on how effective these are in managing the costs that relate to this specific project. Discuss how these could be improved to enhance the management of costs associated with this project. Include in your comments the relationship between ensuring quality outcomes for the project and the importance of controlling costs. 700 words. Five references to be used.
References;
1. Anthony, R., Dearden, J. & Govindarajin, V. (1992). Relation to planning and control. Management control systems (pp. 17-22, 967-970). Sydney: Irwin.
2. Toan, A. (1968). Uses of current information. Using information to manage (pp.4-11).
3. Goldman ,T. (1969). Introduction and overview. Cost effectiveness analysis (pp.1-5).
4. Shim, E. & Sundit, E. (2001). How manufacturers price products,. In S. M. Young (Ed.), Readings in management accounting (pp.126-128).
5. Nimocks, S., & Rosiello, R. L. & Wright, O. (2005).Managing overhead costs. The Mc Kinsey Quarterly, (2), pp. 106-117.
6.Anandarajah, A., Aservatham, A., & Reid, H. (2005). Prepare and manger budgets and financial plans (3rd ed., pp. 328-332).
7. Welsh, G., Hilton, R. & Gordon, P. (1988). Performance evaluation and management control. Budgeting: Profit planning and control (5th ed., pp. 542-554).

This paper is just a study into mental health housing. It should be written from two points of view: Psychological effect of housing difficulties on the mentally ill and Sociological factors that determine how mentally ill people are incorporated into society. I would prefer most of the paper be relevant to Tennessee, but federal references can be used as long as they are relevant. Please follow the basic proposal below, as I will be adding interviews at relevant places in the finished paper. I also need to use most of the sources listed below in the way I have outlined for each. Please maker sure I can access all of the resources you use other than those below in case I need to add information later (either a nonsecure site, or attach a PDF, please).

Here is the basic proposal to follow:
A major problem for many mentally ill people is dealing with day-to-day problems unrelated to their illness, one of which is securing and maintaining a residence. Facilities local to Tennesseans attempt to secure patients with housing, but often meet obstacles such as budget cuts, rising costs of living, and opposition from insurance companies. My study will examine this phenomenon, expose redundancies and waste, and propose some ideas for solutions. I chose this issue because it involves both of my concentration areas of Psychology and Sociology. I am considering entering this field and the research will provide me with insight into the day to day of social work and the needs of mentally ill patients who require assistance. Many aspects of providing Psychological treatment is realized through social involvement. Mental health providers help relieve some pressure by integrating patients into group homes, teaching them to interact accordingly, and building essential skill sets to meet the norms of our society. Social environments have a great impact on Psychological wellbeing.
Here are some sources Id like included with some notes on how Id like them used:


Betts, V.B. (n.d.) Housing and Homeless Services. Department of Mental Health and
Developmental Disabilities. Retrieved June 22, 2010, from
http://state.tn.us/mental/recovery/housing2.html.

The Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities have statistics listed in their website related to the price of housing and the income of disabled Americans. The numbers show that there is a large deficiency in the income of disabled persons for the acquisition of descent housing. There are recommended ways in which government officials can help in the housing and a plan for housing through social services with an explanation of the cost effectiveness of this proposed program.

Creating Homes Initiative. (2010). TN Department of Mental Health and Developmental
Disabilities. Retrieved on June 23, 2010 from http://www.tennessee.gov/mental/recovery/CHIpage.html

The Creating Homes Initiative (CHI) pledged to create 2005 homes for those with mental illness by 2005. The original goal was exceeded by 100% and a new goal was set to build 1,100 new or improved permanent housing options each year. I will document how helpful this program has been as well as its limitations. I will also try to discover what levels of mental illness patients these homes assist.

Fair Housing. (2010). U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Retrieved
June, 23 2010 from http://www.hud.gov/library/index.cfm

This website is an online resource library for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. I intend to use this site information about housing discrimination complaints, accessibility guidelines, funding availability, and program descriptions.


Good Stories Collection. (2010). U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Retrieved June, 23 2010 from http://www.hud.gov/library/bookshelf14/index.cfm

This site is dedicated to public awareness of good things accomplished with HUD funds. I will extract a few relevant examples of successful programs and events to compliment my other research.

Housing Within Reach: Permanent Housing Solutions for Tennesseans Diagnosed With a
Mental Illness or a Co-Occurring Disorder. (n.d.). Retrieved June 22, 2010, from
http://www.housingwithinreach.org/index.asp.

Housing within reach is a website intended to help people diagnosed with mental illnesses find and obtain affordable housing. The website lists common misunderstandings and stigmas involved in finding housing for mentally ill individuals, laws that are meant to prevent discrimination on the basis of mental health and resources that are helpful in finding affordable housing. This website contains information of the problems that people diagnosed with mental illnesses face when trying to obtain housing.

Policy Topics: Housing. (2010). National Alliance on Mental Illness. Retrieved June 22,
2010, from http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=Issue_Spotlights&Template=/TaggedPage/TaggedPageDisplay.cfm&TPLID=5&ContentID=15943

The National Alliance on Mental Illness has a policy fact sheet that lists NAMI support facts concerning housing and housing government policy. The website also has links to news concerning housing funding levels and NAMI backed Housing Acts that have been proposed to the government for approval.

The Severely Mentally Ill Homeless: Housing Needs and Housing Policy. (n.d.). Retrieved
June 22, 2010, from http://ips.jhu.edu/pub/The-Severely-Mentally-Ill-Homeless-Housing-Needs-and-Housing-Policy.

Johns Hopkins University reviewed research on the subject of Housing for the mentally ill and put their findings together for writing policies that address the problems that the mentally ill face in finding housing. Listed within this site are reasons that mentally ill persons have difficulties finding housing, when mentally ill persons most often become homeless, what type of assistance is needed to correct the problems and housing policy challenges.


Customer is requesting that (Triscuit) completes this order.

This custom write order requires a writer who can write on a Master's level. The content must be substantive and succinct and not merely repeating the obvious that has already been stated or repeating the instructions in an attempt to add filler to the project or fluff up the project. This is a Capstone Project Professional Paper discussing the benefit of hiring or using a Nurse Practitioner in the emergency department to reduce wait times (overcrowding) in the emergency room. It is important to keep the focus of the writing on the role of the nurse practitioner and not get distracted or off topic.
I wrote a proposal for the paper which is uploaded for your review with citations to give you an idea of what to write. Please read it. The literature articles to cite in the paper are also uploaded for your review. Please feel free to add articles and citations that you feel are relevant and not more than 5 or 6 years old. This is supposed to be a ?publish quality? paper.
I have already conducted most of the literature research and development of the paper with the proposal that I wrote. The paper should consist of but not be limited to the following components:

? Abstract
? Introduction- What is the problem, need, area for study?
? Rationale and significance for advanced practice nursing (nurse practitioners)? (the so what factor)
? Major review of the literature--this should be an integrated review which means that you have analyzed the literature you have selected and then plan your review according to the major components you have uncovered in your search to develop a general outline of the topic. Then within each level of that outline you will write what you have synthesized in each area using your literature to support your synthesis.
For example, your outline for the review of the literature could have several sections:
The first section could be What the problem is ?overcrowding? and how hiring a nurse practitioner is the answer to the problem. Start by defining the problem and talk about crowding in the emergency room and what that means to patients and the hospital and the staff in the emergency room and how hiring a nurse practitioner helped the problem and reference articles that have researched that topic already and what they have said, such as crowding causes poor outcomes- are people waiting so long they die? or get worse so the treatment becomes more expensive and more complicated (cite the articles that have researched this and what they said) and then talk about how using a nurse practitioner in the ED reduces poor outcomes and reference articles that state that fact; talk about how crowding makes unsatisfied patients- are the patients complaining about how long they have to wait and the hospital is getting a bad reputation or losing customers and then talk about how hiring a nurse practitioner will reduce unsatisfied patients and reference articles that state nurse practitioners get good satisfaction scores from patients; problems with patients leaving without being seen (LWOT?s) the initials mean left without treatment- this is a measurement that hospital ED?s keep track of and report to Medicare that serves as a quality marker for how well the hospital ED is moving patients through the emergency room and then talk about how if a nurse practitioner was hired in the ED this helps reduce the number of patients leaving without being treated and site the articles that have researched that fact; if the hospital has long wait times or a lot of LWOT?s then there are costs to hospitals in Medicare payment cuts- hospitals must keep track of quality measures like wait times and LWOT?s and report the data to CMS or face reimbursement cuts, this means meeting quality assurance measures by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid and reference the article by CMS that is uploaded and quote Medicare guidelines and then talk about how hiring a nurse practitioner in the ED will save the hospital Medicare money and cite the articles that have researched this and what they said; staff morale (overwhelmed ER physician?s become less burdened if the ED physicians group hires a nurse practitioner to help treat patients. Hospitals do not staff physicians or providers like nurse practitioners in the emergency room. The emergency room is considered an ?outpatient? area and therefore hospitals contract with an outside physicians group made up of physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants that are separate from the hospital but work in the hospitals facility so Emergency Room physicians groups are who actually hire nurse practitioners to work in their group and then the Group is then contracted with the hospital); reduced cost to the hospital or ED physicians group because nurse practitioners cost less to hire. Nurse practitioners do not make as much money as an emergency room physician so reference articles that have researched the cost effectiveness of hiring a nurse practitioner to work as opposed to paying for a physician?s salary. Remember to keep the majority of the writing focus on the role of the nurse practitioner.
The next section in the literature review outline could be Hiring a nurse practitioner in the ED reduces wait times (overcrowding) and cite all of the reference that have researched this already and what they said and remember to keep the focus of the writing on the role of the nurse practitioner.
The next section in the outline could be Nurse Practitioners Scope of Practice and how broad it is and how it is ever changing, meaning that as higher education (master?s and doctorate level education) for nurse practitioners advances so does the scope of practice. Reference the Texas State Nursing Board and the National Council of State Boards of Nursing and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and talk about nurse practitioners education and scope of practice and how they have primary care education and training and have autonomy (which means they are governed by their own Board. They are not governed by the Medical or Physician?s Board. They are governed by the Board of Nursing in each state.)
The next section could discuss what kinds of nurse practitioners are being hired in the emergency room and list them and their certifications and reference the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners who certifies these specialties such as Family Nurse Practitioners, Emergency Nurse Practitioners and Acute Care Nurse Practitioners. List articles that have researched this and cite them in the paper and what they found.
This should all be an integrated review whereby you have synthesized in each area using your literature to support your synthesis and making an analysis and writing your ?critical thinking? ideas so that the majority of your citations in the literature section therefore, could have multiple authors within a single citation.
Example: (Smith, Brown & Green, 1999; Fox, 2004; Law, 2002; White, 2005) When you have a single piece of literature that deals with only one aspect of your work then of course you will have only one citation for that particular area.
In other words, the literature review needs to demonstrate your analysis and synthesis of ideas. It should NOT be a ?laundry list? that reads like this; Black (1999) said?? ?Green (2004) said?.? ?White (2005) says??, etc. Literature reported in this fashion is just that, a report of what was found and does not reflect your critical thinking about what you read.
? Summary
What did you plan to do with this paper, what did you find in your research. Some English professors would call this the ?tell them what you told them? part of the paper.
? Conclusion and Recommendations
Again here is where you can talk about why this information is important in advanced practice nursing and to others. You could also add some thoughts of your own relative to how this information could/should be used or what needs to be done if there is a gap in the research and literature on a particular subtopic.

Financial analysis paper on a proposal that would have multiple-year cash flow impact on a personal financial situation for purchasing rental property. One-time purchase, with three alternatives with differing benefits and/or cost for each. Evaluate the alternatives using criteria like present worth, future worth, IRR, benefit-cost, or cost effectiveness using Excel software equations. Description of the proposed project, the financial analysis, and the conclusion. The finished paper should include a cover page, and an abstract. Paper should be balanced, for example, five pages of text, and two pages of financial statements.

This is a nursing scholary project

The name of the project is Community Nurse Diabetic Clinic

The target market is the Hispanic Community in Allentown Pennsylvania.

I need a Table of Contents Introduction , Scope of Problem , Project( Business Plan for a Nurse Managed Free Diabetic Community Clinic) , Literature Review( please include stats ) , Demographics etc , everything that is needed in a thesis and also the Appendix( demographics) , charts, tables. i don't need a Hypothesis Chapter or a Methodology chapter or Discussion Results , I do however need the other chapters.
I will send over the corrected version from my professor , please include my own notes and build upon it, unfornately a lot of things are not cited so you may or may not be able to use it , but you'll have a general idea. This paper is like an introduction to the Business Plan , so it has to lead into the Plan that I have written to create a Nurse Managed Diabetic Clinic.

Please see below notes , it is choppy , wordy and the transitions are not there.

I really need help . Please make sure it is in APA with page # and Title Page included . Please make sure works cited throughout paper are all listed on the Reference Page. Please also check for all of the other items your company has stated they would include.

Please see below notes:



Community Nurse Diabetic Clinic

Renee Wilson



Introduction


Scope of the Problem

Roughly 41.3 million people in the United States today are Hispanic. That breaks down to one in every seven people. Hispanic Americans represent the second-largest and fastest-growing minority group in the United States.
According to the 2003 U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report, more than 1.5 million Hispanic Americans had diabetes, up from less than 1.2 million in 1997. This high rate of diabetes does not include undiagnosed cases.

Disease Prevention and Treatment by the Life Extension Foundation states that roughly 5.4 million people in the United States have diabetes and are unaware of it. "Minorities are at particular risk. Compared with Caucasians, blacks have a 60 percent higher risk of developing diabetes and Hispanics have a 90 percent increased risk." According to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NDIC), Hispanics are 1.9 times more likely to have diabetes than whites.

Pennsylvania had a significant rate of increase in diabetes hospitalizations; accounting for more less than ten per cent over the last two years. Eight per cent of adults of this state are affected by diabetes, which is higher than one per cent above the national average. Moreover patients from various counties in Western Pennsylvania have high rates of end-stage kidney disease , one complication of diabetes.

In 2004, diabetes was the principal diagnosis in 23,725 admissions in Pennsylvania hospitals, accounting for 132,000 hospital days and more than $673 million in hospital charges. 15.4 percent of patients with diabetes were hospitalized two or more times. Multiple hospitalizations were more common among certain populations, such as Hispanics and including Medicaid and Medicare recipients.

In the United States, one especially important determinant of access to care is whether or not one has health care benefits. In 2005, there were 46 million uninsured people in the United States (about 16% of the population). The uninsured rate and number of uninsured increased from 2002 to 2003 for non-Hispanic Whites (from 10.7 % and 20.8 million to 11.1 % and 21.6 million, the number of uninsured increased for Hispanics (from 12.8 million to 13.2 million), their uninsured rate was unchanged at 32.7 %. The number of people who are inadequately insured is much larger. There are 52 million people in the U.S. who are uninsured or underinsured. The development of community based diabetic clinics aims to focus on those that are at the greatest risk; the uninsured and underinsured. This project will aim to address those needs by providing free diabetic health care.


Project
This project is to develop a business plan targeting the Hispanic Community of Allentown Pennsylvania; this business plan will guide the development of a community nurse managed diabetic health care center. This project will serve as a basis for further DNP work and implementation of this business plan.


Literature Review

Diabetes is a chronic disease affecting approximately 760,000 Pennsylvanians . Many people have no symptoms and learn they have diabetes only when they seek help for one of the many complications. At the present time there is no cure for diabetes, but research has shown that complications of diabetes can be greatly reduced with proper blood sugar control through healthy eating, physical activity, and use of medications. Still, diabetes is one of the leading causes of death in the United States and is responsible for nearly 3,600 deaths in Pennsylvania each year. (PA Department of Health, Bureau of Health Statistics and Research).

Diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults and results from the bodys failure to produce insulin. Type 1 account for 5% to 10 % of all diagnosed cases of diabetes (Centers for Disease Control, National Diabetes Fact Sheet ). The most form of diabetes is Type II, this type accounts for about 90 to 95 % of all diagnosed cases of diabetes (Centers for Disease Control, National Diabetes Fact Sheet ). Pre- diabetes is a condition often present prior to the development of Type II diabetes. In pre-diabetes blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be considered diabetic. Pre-diabetes does not have to lead to the development of diabetes to controlling weight and increasing physical activity can prevent or delay the onset of diabetes. There are 41 million Americans who have pre-diabetes (Centers for Disease Control, National Diabetes Fact Sheet). There is extensive documentation regarding the correlation between diabetes and the increased death rates among Hispanics. In California where there is a large Hispanic community, diabetic related deaths are on the rise.
Collins (2009) noted that diabetes is killing Latinos in Ventura County at twice the rate it is claiming lives in other racial and ethnic groups. Nearly 6 percent of Latinos who died in Ventura County in 2005 and 2006 were killed by diabetes. The death records by The Star and Scripps Howard News Service indicate that the diabetes death rate is more than twice the rate for non-Latino whites and African-Americans. Doctors say those numbers are alarming but hardly shocking. (AMA, 2010) Diabetes has been increasing for years among Latinos, they say , not only among adults but also teenagers and young children. The diabetes death rate is at 10.4% for Hispanics because people with the disease often die from other conditions. (American Diabetic Association 2010) In those cases, diabetes would not be listed on the death certificate as the cause of death, although it often is a contributing factor.

Diabetes is an urgent health problem in the Latino community. The rates of deaths are almost double those of non-Latino whites. Disbursement of information to the Hispanic community about the seriousness of diabetes, risk factors and ways to manage the disease is essential
.

Demographic Profile of Spanish/Hispanics by State/County/SMSA is based on the 2000 Census. The Bureau of the Census classified Hispanic origin as those reporting their race as Mexican, Mexican-American, Spanish-American, Hispanic, Hispano, Latino, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Chicano, and "other Spanish/Hispanic" categories. This means that persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race. The Demographic table below provides some useful statistical data that reflects the geographical profile of Hispanics. Hispanics have been and will continue to be a major segment of the consumer market that is evident by the product information on many consumer products. See Table 1.

The Pew Hispanic Center released an extensive study of young Hispanics, thoseaged 16 to 25 and their uneven assimilation into mainstream American society. The Pew Hispanic Center points out that Hispanics accounted for roughly 60 percent of the growth of America's uninsured between 1999 and 2008. By the end of that period, Hispanics represented less than 16 percent of the overall U.S. population but 31.4 percent of those who lacked health insurance at any given time, according to the Census Bureau . The 2008 National Health Interview Survey found that 34 percent of non-elderly (under age 65) Hispanics reported being uninsured, compared with just 14 percent of non-elderly non-Hispanics. About 43 percent of those uninsured Hispanics said they had never been insured, compared with only 15 percent of the non-Hispanic uninsured. As Samuelson i ndicates, the uncertainty of immigration flows makes it difficult to predict how many of the Democrats healthcare legislation would reduce the number of uninsured. Over the past few decades, the Hispanic population has exploded. Latin America provided half of all the immigrants who came to the U.S. between 1965 (when LBJ dramatically liberalized the immigration system) and 2008; Mexico alone provided 29 percent. While stronger border enforcement and the economic downturn have contributed to a steep drop in Mexican immigration since the mid-2000s, a July 2009 Pew study concluded that there had not been an increase in migration back to Mexico. Foreign born and less assimilated Latinos , those who mainly speak Spanish, who lack U.S. citizenship, or who have had only short tenures in the United States are less likely than other Latinos to report that they have a usual place to go for medical treatment or advice.
The Pennsylvania Commonwealth Fund 2002 report states that Hispanics are less involved in their health care than they would like, Hispanics find it harder to understand instructions from their doctors and do not fully understand their treatment plans. Hispanics also had more communication problems with their doctors and less satisfaction with their quality of health care.

Given the increasing growth of the Hispanic population in the United States, it is imperative that the American health system continue to develop cultural competence policies that address attitudes, knowledge and skills about cross-cultural education .

Hispanics are regional and sub-group dominant with their own cultural peculiarities that health policies should include. Hispanics have demographic trends, historical traditions, traditional medicine knowledge, fundamental values and beliefs, legal status , language/communication needs that must be addressed.
Previous research by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has shown that Hispanics are about twice as likely as non-Hispanic blacks and three times as likely as non-Hispanic whites to lack a regular health care provider. Hispanics are a diverse community, and the 2007 Latino Health Survey explores not only their access to health care, but also their sources of health information and their knowledge about diabetes at greater depth than any national survey done to date by another research organization or the federal government.
The survey finds that among Hispanic adults, the groups least likely to have a usual health care provider are men, the young, the less educated and those with no health insurance. A similar demographic pattern applies to the non-Hispanic adult population that lacks a regular health care provider.
Four-in-ten (41%) non-citizen, non-legal permanent resident Hispanic adults state, that their usual provider is a community clinic or health center. Some 15% of Latino adults who are neither citizens nor legal permanent residents report that they use private doctors, hospital outpatient facilities, or health maintenance organizations when they are sick or need advice about their health.
An additional 6% of Latino adults who are neither citizens nor legal permanent residents report that they usually go to an emergency room when they are sick or need advice about their health .
Some 37% of Latino adults who are neither citizens nor legal permanent residents have no usual health care provider. More than one-fourth (28%) of the people in this group indicate that financial limitations prevent them from having a usual provider 17% report that their lack of insurance is the primary reason, while 12% cite high medical costs in general. This is where nurse managed centers and free community clinics could play a crucial role in the delivery of diabetic preventative care.
Nurse managed centers working collaboratively with physicians, clinical nurse specialists and other healthcare providers provide health care for the uninsured. Federal and state funding along with corporate grants, assist in providing primary, non emergent-care services that vary according to the healthcare needs of the communities served (Fox Rose, 2009).
Among those treated are people of low income who cannot afford health insurance, the underinsured, homeless people and those who have immigrated to the U.S. without financial resources or English skills. The promotion of disease prevention and wellness are universal clinic goals, as health teaching is central to care delivery systems (Joan Fox Rose, 2009).
In response to this problem, hundreds of communities across the country have found solutions by developing and supporting free clinics. The Free Clinic in Doylestown is an example of a successful clinic. Peggy Dator MSW is the Executive Director and founder of the clinic. Ms. Dator stated that this clinic was one of the first free clinics in Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1994 by local nurse practitioners and a local community hospital, to meet the medical needs of low income uninsured and underinsured, adults and children residing in the central Bucks County community. The Free Clinic of Doylestown provides free medical care to adults and children. Ms. Dator is the only paid full time staff and there are five nurse practitioners who volunteer in the clinic and two of which provide free care in their offices upon referral. Annually they serve 1,000 adults and children. To date they have served over 7,300 individuals and have provided almost 30,000 patients visits in their free clinic program.

Another example of a free clinic is the Diabetes Drive-Thru. This may conjure up images of fast-food indulgences and insulin overload, but the blood-sugar screening program at Kings Daughters Hospital in Temple, Texas, actually serves up something sweeter. In about five minutes, customers drive through three nurse-staffed stations and receive free tests, results, and information without leaving their cars (Nursing Spectrum Staff, 2009). Nurse-managed health centers have been the catalyst. They proved they're effective, that they provide high-quality care. Over the past two years there's been a lot of political support that recognized the importance that providers such as nurses can help strengthen the safety net. Funding is crucial for a successful clinic. Federal funding is limited however there is donations grants and philanthropy .

The Independence Foundation, a Center City-based nonprofit philanthropic organization founded in 1932 by steelmaker William H. Donner, has invested millions of dollars in twelve areas nurse-managed health centers (George, 2009). We are proud of our support of this innovative model of care, but our support is not enough to sustain these centers, said Susan E. Sherman, the foundations president, speaking at an American Academy of nursing media briefing earlier this year. We need federal funding to bolster the private sector (George, 2009).
Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell spoke in favor of nurse-managed health centers, a component of his state health-care reform plan, at the same briefing. Greater nurse practitioner involvement in chronic care and rapid response is the inoculation we need to prevent rising health-care costs and ensure greater access to health care, Rendell said (George, 2009 ).
Generally free clinics focus on filling gaps in local sevices instead of attempting to provide comprehensive care so as to conserve their resources on unmet needs.
Pennsylvania free clinics care for an average of 1,128 patients annually, of which 530 are new patients. Annually, Pennsylvania clinics provide an average of 2,175 medical visits and 339 dental visits. The mean operating budgets of free clinics are $287,810 with a mean for Pennsylvania clinics of 223,868 and a median of 96,000. Only 69 % of Pennsylvania free clinics have any paid staff, and of those that have paid staff, 55 % have any full time paid staff and 48% have part time paid staff. Ms. Daton stated that 55 % of the funding came from individuals and their annual special events with the rest from foundation grants. They typically received only a small amount from local and state government sources and they receive a onetime grant from the federal government to reconstruct space for the clinic.
Another unique feature of free clinics is that free clinics tend to be highly collaborative with other organizations. Most free clinics have some arrangement with local hospitals to provide free or low cost outpatient testing. Most work with the pharmaceutical companies to obtain free medications. Most collaborate with other community agencies to maximize access to services. The Free Clinic of Doylestown, for example, shares space with the Lower Bucks YWCA to provide medical services at a low-income apartment complex.

Nurse managed centers of primary health care have emerged as one of the newest innovative models. With Managed care systems and state level reforms being introduced in an attempt to control health care costs, the nursing profession has increasing opportunities to demonstrate, the ability to contribute in the area of health care access, quality and cost effectiveness . This project will provide quality comprehensive diabetic health serviced to all people served with special attention to the uninsured Hispanic community of Allentown, Pennsylvania.


There are faxes for this order.

I?m requesting a grant proposal written using the following Guidelines and Hypothesis
The FREE bibliography will also need to follow the following guidelines (there is a section on this below-about mid ways down) ?..One full page will need to be designated to the Methodology. Also one full page will need to be designated to the Literature Review all at which using the guideline below?.this is very important otherwise it will need to be rewritten.

The scenario is that I?m submitting a grant proposal to the NIJ:
The NIJ (The National Institute of Justice ) is the research, development, and evaluation agency of the U.S. Department of Justice and a component of the Office of Justice Programs (OJP).

The problem that I want to address:
Is on delinquent/criminal behavior or evaluation of prevention programs, interventions, and strategies; studies of crime prevention in specific situations or environments using physical design, access control strategies, and technologies; research on community-based and faith-based approaches that prevent crime; research on deterrence mechanisms that prevent crime; and studies that develop cost-benefit methods that can be applied to crime prevention or control programs or that assess the cost effectiveness of specific crime prevention strategies, programs, and technologies

I want to propose that the ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) programs in Alabama be made more readily accessible and offered in all if not most high schools as a credit with incentives (incentives such as extra credit or exemptions for exam etc etc)
Hypothesis: Providing accessible skill and character building ROTC programs as a high school credit with incentives would entice high school students to take the program which in turns will lower the statistics of juvenile criminals and future laws breakers.


General Requirements and Guidance
The proposal will need to state the problem under investigation (including goals and objectives of the proposed project) and the relevance of the project to public policy, practice, or theory. The program narrative section should state the research question and objectives and explain how the work will contribute to knowledge and practice. It should describe in sufficient detail the research methods and analytic strategy.

Your project should include these elements:
The Program Narrative which includes:
a. Abstract
b. Table of contents.

c. Introduction
? State the topic or problem
? State the research question or hypothesis
? Explain the significance to general knowledge (why is this research important?)
? Literature Review
? Previous research
? Methodology
? State your approach to data collection
? What data to you plan to collect
? What analysis techniques do you plan to use



c. Main body, which includes:
? Problem, purpose of this application, goals, and objectives.
? Review of relevant literature.
? Research design and methods.
? Implications for policy and practice.
? Dissemination strategy

Explain what your dependent and independent variables will be. Write the appropriate number of hypotheses for your topic and your variables. Explain why you are doing this research, why this is a problem that, in essence, you need money to solve. Remember that you are writing a grant proposal and your proposal is being written to lay out your study design in a persuasive manner

? State what the dependent and independent variables will be for your research project phrase a testable hypotheses
? Program Narrative
? Goals
? Objectives
? Steps to be taken to accomplish the Goals and Objectives (Research Design or Methodology)
? Evaluation


? The proposal should introduce, define, and contextualize the topic.
? Give an overview of the topic and highlight its relevance through the use of valid scholarly resources.
? The proposal should suggest why the researcher wishes to investigate the topic by commenting on why the proposed research is important.
? The proposal must describe a detailed methodology for conducting your research
? The objective in writing a proposal is to describe what you will do, why it should be done, how you will do it and what you expect will result from your research. .


Methodology portion: This is the guts of your research project. You must describe the methodology you would employ if you were actually conducting the research. Tell me what you are investigating and how you are investigating it.

Are you doing:
? A qualitative or quantitative study
? A descriptive or exploratory study
? Do you want to predict something
? Are you using a sampling technique and if so, which one
? Why did you choose this one over the other sampling procedures
? How will you get your sample
? What will you do to ensure internal and external validity
? How will you collect the data you will analyze
? If you are using a survey or questionnaire, provide the major questions either as an appendix or included in the narrative
? How will you account for non-response issues
? If you are using secondary data or meta data, how ill you ensure reliability and validity
? Explain what the data was originally collected to show and how you are using the data to answer your research question
? What levels of measurement will you use and why
? What scales will you use and why
? Explain how you will code your data


A literature review describes what other researchers have found about a topic. They can help you with your operational definitions as well as helping you decide on your variables. Your literature review should discuss the methodology and the findings/conclusions of other researchers.

These may be contradictory articles. This is fine. Discuss the articles and the findings. It is acceptable to explain in your literature review how they differ. The operational definitions could differ; was the study a probability or non-probability investigation?

Some sources for your literature review could include:
? Criminology
? Journal of Crime and Justice
? Journal of Crime and Delinquency
? Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice
? Journal of Quantitative Criminology
? Journal of Criminal Justice Education
? Various studies of the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics


? Variety of sources
? Reference materials
? Books
? Journal articles
? Government publications
? Government publications
? Include data from all three branches of government
? Most are available free of charge
? State and local government documents also available
? Rate the source on a variety of criteria
? Is the source scholarly or popular?
? Peer reviewed or commercial
? Is the author an expert?
? Author bio
? Does the source seem objective?
? Does the author or publisher have a vested interest?
? Does the author benefit from the work
? Does the text cite its sources?
? Check bibliography
? Do other scholars cite the text?
? Number of times a source has been cited
? How did you find the source?
? Library searches more reliable than Google
? Is the source well written and edited?
? Accurate- is it true?
? Reliable ? how consistently does the evidence support the claim?
? Balanced ? present all credible angles
? Sufficient ? enough evidence been gathered
? Relevant ? logical connections
? Untainted by stakeholders? investments ? is there bias
? What does it involve?
? Quotation
? Copy the language of a source exactly
? Citation
? At the place in your text where you borrowed language or idea you MUST cite to the source
? How you cite depends on the style
? Documentation
? Works cited, reference list, bibliography
? What must you cite?
? Quotations
? Paraphrases and summaries
? Ideas and information that are not common knowledge





May be helpful???
? The statement of the problem is the focal point of your research.
? It is just one sentence with several explanatory paragraphs.
? You are looking for something wrong (problem).
....or something that needs close attention
....or existing methods that no longer seem to be working.
? Questions to ask (yourself or whoever):
? What's the problem we are addressing? (Remember - the problem is not your need - it's the community's need)
Who else is addressing, and what are the gaps in how it is being addressed? Gaps can be programmatic, population, time/seasonal, or material. Gaps are the reason that you have a need!
? The problem statement is just one sentence but it is always accompanied by several paragraphs that elaborate on the problem.
? Present persuasive arguments why the problem is important enough to study.
? Include the opinions of others (politicians, futurists, other professionals).
? Explain how the problem relates to business, social or political trends by presenting data that demonstrates the scope and depth of the problem.
? Try to give dramatic and concrete illustrations of the problem.
? What do you need in order to try to solve the problem? This must tie to the approach you have already described. It's an opportunity to once again describe what you will be doing.
? What resources do you already have? From whom? Don't forget volunteers, donations and in kind services. Show the community participation in your project.
? The purpose is a single statement or paragraph that explains what the study intends to accomplish.
? A few typical statements of purpose are:
The goal of this study is to...
... overcome the difficulty with ...
... discover what ...
... understand the causes or effects of ...
... refine our current understanding of ...
... provide a new interpretation of ...
... understand what makes ___ successful or unsuccessful
? It is important because it shows what previous researchers have discovered.
? It is usually quite long and primarily depends upon how much research has previously been done in the area you are planning to investigate.
? If you are planning to explore a relatively new area, the literature review should cite similar areas of study or studies that lead up to the current research.
? A definition of terms section should be included when appropriate.
? Include it if your paper uses special terms that are unique to your field of inquiry, or
? Terms that might not be understood by the general reader.
? "Operational definitions" (definitions that you have formulated for the study) should also be included.
? An operational definition helps us measure our variables
? An example of an operational definition is: "For the purpose of this research, improvement is operationally defined as posttest score minus pretest score".
? The literature review should point to the most recent and relevant studies related to your topic of interest.
? Each research study discussed should be clearly and thoroughly explained in its own paragraph or set of paragraphs, and should give a complete description of that study?s findings.
? The methodology section describes your basic research plan. It usually begins with a few short introductory paragraphs that restate purpose and research questions.
? State exactly when the research will begin and when it will end.
? Describe any special procedures that will be followed (e.g., instructions that will be read to participants, presentation of an informed consent form, etc.).
? Define the population
? Draw a representative sample from the population
? Do the research on the sample
? Infer your results from the sample back to the population
? Describe in minute detail, how you will select the sample.
? Use specific names, places, times, etc.
? Don't omit any details. (This is extremely important because the reader of the paper must decide if your sample will sufficiently represent the population).
? The analysis plan should be described in detail.
? The research questions should be addressed one at a time followed by a description of the type of statistical tests that will be performed to answer that research question.
? Be specific.
? State what variables will be included in the analyses and identify the dependent and independent variables if such a relationship exists.
? If you use tables or graphs, refer to them in the text and explain what they say.
? Outlines the project?s activities
? Explains expenditure of funds
? Improves policy-making
? Project Implementation
? Realizing unintended consequences of the project
? Describe your criteria for success.
? What do you want to happen as a result of your activities?
? How will you measure these changes?