A Critical Analysis of the Procurement Policy for a Local Government Free Essays

string(92) " professionals in order to maintain high standards across the profession \(Loppacher et al\." Executive Summary This paper analyses the recent changes to the procurement strategy of Leeds City Council and how such changes are comparable to the procurement strategy of Staffordshire County Council. Important parameters of the procurement strategy of Leeds City Council are discussed, such as category management, whole lifecycle approach, skills and capacity of procurement professionals, and openness and transparency. These dimensions are compared to the principles and objectives listed in Staffordshire County Council’s procurement strategy. We will write a custom essay sample on A Critical Analysis of the Procurement Policy for a Local Government or any similar topic only for you Order Now In addition, the paper provides recommendations to improve procurement practices available at Leeds City Council. Eventually, a tender specification sheet is provided to invite bids from private players to run the woodhouse car park in front of the University. Key performance indicators to evaluate tenders are included. Introduction Leeds City Council has made certain changes to its procurement strategy recently. The council emphasised specific elements indicating the importance placed on ensuring high quality procurement services. Such elements refer to category management, whole lifecycle approach, skills and capacity of procurement professionals, and openness and transparency (Leeds City Council Procurement Strategy 2013). These dimensions are similar to the principles and objectives set in Staffordshire County Council’s procurement strategy. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to analyse the recent changes to the procurement strategy of Leeds City Council and how they compare to Staffordshire County Council’s procurement strategy. Leeds City Council’s Procurement Strategy Compared to the Procurement Strategy of Staffordshire County Council Leeds City Council demonstrates a primary objective to improve outcomes and value for money obtained from a wide range of goods and services it purchases. Therefore, the council’s procurement strategy is based on essential principles to include whole lifecycle approach, accountability to the public, openness and transparency (Hawkins et al. 2011). The strategy indicates the council’s concerns to rely on expertise in the field as well as utilise relevant examples of adequate practices maintained at local and national levels. The common expectation presented with the enforcement of the council’s new strategy is to realise its full potential within two years. The council extensively supports not only its ambitions but also the ambitions of its partners in the process of delivering quality outcomes for service users (Leeds City Council Procurement Strategy 2013). A relevant part of Leeds City Council’s procurement strategy is the adoption of a category managem ent approach, where procurement professionals tend to group together related purchasing. Such approach is entirely focused on exploring variances in buying needs and provider offerings (Iyer and Pazgal 2008). In this way, the council is concerned with maintaining high quality of services along with savings. Similarly, the procurement strategy of Staffordshire County Council presents diverse orientation in terms of proper identification of the goods and services purchased by activity and function. Staffordshire County Council also states the importance of achieving value for money. Another recent change to the procurement strategy of Leeds City Council is associated with the adoption of a whole lifecycle approach. It is essential to point out that such approach starts from ongoing evaluation of buying needs as well as analysing different options. In fact, the mentioned approach receives optimal application through careful preparation and procurement (Niezen and Weller 2006). Mobilising the council’s resources is a significant priority to the professionals responsible for the implementation of the procurement strategy. Such principle corresponds to Staffordshire County Council’s strategy of relying on the voice of all people of Staffordshire on specific issues that matter to them (Staffordshire County Council 2014). This shows a strong sense of collaboration with residents and communities in order to identify proper solutions to any emerging problems. Staffordshire County Council places importance on leading and influencing as well as sharing knowl edge with representatives from the public sector in Staffordshire (Kennekae 2012). Early engagement is crucial in maintaining savings and improvements that further reflect in transformational changes in the council’s procurement strategy. The whole lifecycle approach adopted by Leeds City Council regarding its procurement strategy assumes that service delivery should not be compromised. Other significant dimensions of this approach relate to contact management and exit which contribute to achieving extensive value for many. In addition, the recent changes observed in the procurement strategy of Leeds City Council and that of Staffordshire County Council reflect the importance of the skills and capacity of procurement professionals. They are mostly responsible for ensuring the maintenance of a relevant procurement process based on supporting the council’s business continuity needs (Niezen and Weller 2006). The latter is extensively manifested in the procurement strategy of Staffordshire County Council. Procurement professionals structure arrangements with key providers in an attempt to manage the risks pertaining to the process of supplying goods and services. Thus, professionals in the respective field are expected to set high quality processes through cross-functional strategic activities that are evident in both Leeds City Council and Staffordshire County Council (Loppacher et al. 2006). Leeds City Council’s procurement strategy considers the significance of employing common principles a nd rules which are properly designed to correspond to the needs of all included categories. Emphasis is on reflecting the needs of the specific service areas along with stakeholder needs. This recent change in the procurement strategy of Leeds City Council is in line with ensuring quality outcomes (Leeds City Council Procurement Strategy 2013). Such procurement strategy is comparable to the one of Staffordshire County Council due to the process of aligning delivery of goods and services with the corporate needs identified by Staffordshire County Council (Staffordshire County Council 2014). The respective council utilises the expertise of procurement professionals to ensure social values outcomes as well as sufficient savings achieved through a balanced scorecard used for procurement. The focus on the skills and capacity of procurement professionals is among the improved areas of Leeds City Council’s procurement strategy. Having skilled and experienced staff is important in delivering high quality outcomes to local communities. Moreover, Leeds City Council manifests its responsibility to support the development and training of procurement professionals in order to maintain high standards across the profession (Loppacher et al. You read "A Critical Analysis of the Procurement Policy for a Local Government" in category "Essay examples" 2006). There is a solid sense of accountability evident in the practice of each procurement professional working at Leeds City Council. In comparison, Staffordshire County Council emphasises the capacity of its procurement staff in terms of providing legal training packages. This indicates an ongoing process of developing the knowledge and expertise of all professionals involved in the procurement practice (Arora et al. 2007). In this way, procurement professionals can work together with other experts in the field to implement the specific objectives listed in the procurement strategy of both Leeds City Council and Staffordshire County Council. One of the observable recent changes in the procurement strategy of Leeds City Council is that the central procurement function is projected to serve as a flexible source of excellence and thus is accountable for providing a substantial source of expertise. Procurement professionals working in Leeds City Council and Staffordshire County Council are extensively trained to demonstrate ownership and accountability to the public in their respective communities (Kennekae 2012). Elements of structured governance and assurance make Leeds City Council’s procurement strategy rather effective. However, the procurement strategy of Staffordshire County Council is oriented towards indicating a ‘customer of choice’ model of delivering services. This implies that procurement professionals working in Staffordshire County Council are responsible for the creation of greater visibility of the council’s requirements for goods, services and provider performance (Staffordshire C ounty Council 2014). Therefore, professionals are determined to ensure proper communications and organising skills that help them in the establishment and implementation of linkage. Similarly, procurement professionals in Leeds City Council are devoted to research good practice documents and toolkits while trying to reinforce their skills and capacity. Furthermore, the procurement strategy of Leeds City Council is comparable to the one of Staffordshire County Council in the aspect of openness and transparency. Both councils indicate an ambition of being open and transparent which reflects in providing visible contracts as well as constantly updated management information (Kim and Netessine 2012). Leeds City Council places importance on presenting clear and accessible tender processes and documentation. Openness and transparency ensure the formation of a positive relationship between the council and its procurement partners. Likewise, such aspects are closely linked with instilling confidence in the public regarding the adopted procurement approach (McLean 2008). In comparison, the procurement strategy implemented by Staffordshire County Council indicates its staff’s commitment to ensure compliance and probity which may be associated with the principles of openness and transparency manifested by Leeds City Council. Recommendations The recent changes to the procurement strategy of Leeds City Council indicate that the respective council’s approach is comparable to the strategy of Staffordshire County Council. Yet certain recommendations are listed below to achieve further improvements in Leeds City Council’s procurement strategy: Procurement professionals should work on creating an inclusive procurement strategy in which smaller providers are presented with an opportunity to participate (McLean 2008); The council should constantly research and update its available procurement tools to guarantee competitively established standards in the field; The council should consider the removal of unnecessary restrictions which would allow the institution to evaluate suppliers in an objective manner rather than focus on limiting business criteria such as revenue (Loppacher et al. 2006); Professionals need to demonstrate sensitivity to financing issues to include established payment policies; It is fundamental to indicate potential hidden costs in terms of providing clear information on the actual insurance, liability as well as regulatory requirements; this practice would allow innovative suppliers to compete (Hawkins et al. 2011) Conclusion The paper indicated an analysis of Leeds City Council’s procurement strategy with special focus on its recent changes and how they are comparable to the procurement strategy outlined by Staffordshire County Council (Leeds City Council Procurement Strategy 2013). Thus, significant aspects of both procurement strategies have been discussed in order to identify the focus of procurement professionals working in the two councils. Certain aspects of the two procurement strategies were found similar especially with regards to category management and lifecycle approach. Moreover, the efforts of procurement professionals are equally important to the work of either Leeds City Council or Staffordshire County Council (Staffordshire County Council 2014). In this way, the paper ensured adequate arguments about the effectiveness of the procurement strategies adopted by these institutions. Tender Specification Sheet Leeds City Council is seeking tenders from various private providers for the maintenance and operation of the woodhouse car park in front of the University. The intention is that the car park will operate as a proper public amenity. There are certain standards of services that will be followed. The respective parking services are set at prices identified at proper market levels. Prices are competitive in order to encourage visitor parking regarding close distance to local businesses. Discouraging the practice of day-long parking is essential for the maintenance of the woodhouse car park. The park will be open 24 hours a day, seven days/ week. Personal security will be ensured to customers and visitors. They need to feel secure in the identified car park area. The integration of area security is a priority to the Council. All tenderers are invited to submit their applications by providing the following documentation: -Financial Proposal for a period of 3 years; -Details on the percentage of the turnover expected to be paid annually to the Council; -Evidence indicating previous experience in the area of car park projects; -Providing details of the resources available to complete the project; In order to evaluate the bids from the private players, it is important to provide a set of key performance indicators that will be consistently used (Iyer and Pazgal 2008). The first performance indicator is that the selected tender should provide the best value for money at reasonable cost. This may result from balancing cost and quality. Another key performance indicator that will be used to assess the bids is that of prequalification. Such indicator is implemented to make sure that only those who meet specific criteria will be considered for inclusion to bid (Loppacher et al. 2006). In addition, prequalification is associated with responses to a set of questions provided by the Council. Major questions should include elements of quality, capacity to supply and financial competence. The indicator of open and flexible communication is fundamental as no private player should be given preference. Even though meetings with tenderers who have placed their bids may be necessary at a cer tain point, they should take place solely for clarifying specific aspects regarding the tender (Hawkins et al. 2011). It is important to use recognised channels of communication in order to avoid confusion of private players or any misunderstanding of presented information. References Arora, P., Garg, A. K. and Vaidya, S. C. (2007), ‘Efficacy of Integrating Corporate Social Responsibility and Procurement Strategy’, South Asian Journal of Management, Vol. 14(1) pp105-119 Hawkins, T., Gravier, M. and Powley, E. (2011), ‘Public versus Private Sector Procurement Ethics and Strategy: What Each Sector Can Learn from the Other’, Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 103(4) pp567-586 Iyer, G. and Pazgal, A. (2008), ‘Procurement Bidding with Restrictions’, Quantitative Marketing Economics, Vol. 6(2) pp177-204 Kennekae, L. (2012), ‘Procurement Strategies to Serve the Public Good,’ International Trade Forum, 2 pp11-111 Kim, S. H. and Netessine, S. (2011), ‘Collaborative Cost Reduction and Component Procurement under Information Asymmetry’, INSEAD Working Papers Collections, 33 pp1-40 Leeds City Council Procurement Strategy (2013), Leeds City Council [Online]. Available at: http://www.leeds.gov.uk/docs/Procurement%20Strategy%20V1.0%20PUBLISH%2030.09.2013.pdf [Accessed: 29 April 2014]. Loppacher, J. S., Luchi, R., Cagliano, R. and Spina, G. (2006), ‘Global Sourcing and Procurement Strategy: A Model of Interrelated Decisions’, Supply Chain Forum: International Journal, Vol. 7(1) pp34-46 McLean, S. (2008), ‘Choice in Government Software Procurement: A Winning Strategy’, Journal of Public Procurement, Vol.8(1) pp70-97 Niezen, C. and Weller, W. (2006), ‘Procurement as Strategy’, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 84(9) pp22-24 Staffordshire County Council (2014), Staffordshire Procurement [Online]. Available at: https://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/business/procurement/homepage.aspx [Accessed: 29 April 2014]. How to cite A Critical Analysis of the Procurement Policy for a Local Government, Essay examples

Ustad Bismillah free essay sample

He was the third classical musician to be awarded the Bharat Ratna (in 2001), the highest civilian honour in India and gained worldwide acclaim for playing the shehnai for more than eight decades Early life and background Bismillah Khan was born at Bhirung Raut Ki Gali, in Dumraon, Bihar as the second son of Paigambar Khan and Mitthan. He was named as Qamaruddin to rhyme with Shamsuddin, their first son. His grandfather, Rasool Baksh Khan uttered Bismillah (the basmala) after looking at the newborn, thus he was named Bismillah Khan. His ancestors were court musicians and used to play in Naqqar khana in the princely states of Bhojpur, now in Bihar. His father was a shehnai player in the court of Maharaja Keshav Prasad Singh of Dumraon Estate, Bihar. At the age of six, he moved to his maternal house, located close to the Ganges at Varanasi. He received his training under his uncle, the late Ali Baksh Vilayatu, a shehnai player attached to Varanasis Vishwanath Temple. We will write a custom essay sample on Ustad Bismillah or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Religious beliefs Though a pious Shiite Muslim, he was also, like many Indian musicians, regardless of religion, a devotee of Saraswati, the Hindu Goddess of wisdom and arts, and often played at Hindu temples, including the famous Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi, on the banks of the river Ganga. He also performed for spiritual master Prem Rawat. Career Bismillah Khan was perhaps single handedly responsible for making the shehnai a famous classical instrument. He brought the shehnai to the center stage of Indian music with his concert in the Calcutta All India Music Conference in 1937. He was credited with having almost monopoly over the instrument as he and the shehnai are almost synonyms. Khan is one of the finest musicians in post-independent Indian Classical music and one of the best examples of Hindu-Muslim unity in India and had played shenai to audience across the world. He was known to be devoted to his art form that he referred to shehnai as his begum, wife in Urdu, after his wife died. On his death, as an honour, his shehnai was also buried along with him. He was known for his vision of spreading peace and love through music.

The Cold War and U.S. Diplomacy the Truman Doctrine free essay sample

They viewed communism as a secular, millennial religion that informed the Gremlins worldview and actions and made it the chief threat to American security, liberty, and world peace. They rejected the moral equivalence of democratic and Communist governments and concluded that until the regime in Moscow changed only American and Allied strength could curb the Soviets. In early 1947 the British government, which was socialist but anti-Communist, secretly told Washington its treasury was empty and it could no longer give military and economic aid to Greece or Turkey, requested the U S. Sake over. Achaeans convinced Truman to act quickly lest Greece be taken over by its communist artisans who were at the time strongly supported by the Soviet government working through the communist Bulgarian and Yugoslav governments. If Greece fell, Turkey would be helpless and soon the eastern Mediterranean would fall under Stalins control. Following Cohesions advice, Truman in 1947 announced the Truman Doctrine of containing Communist expansion by furnishing military and economic American aid to Europe and Asia, and particularly to Greece and Turkey. We will write a custom essay sample on The Cold War and U.S. Diplomacy the Truman Doctrine or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The Republican Congress, after extensive hearings, approved this historic change in U. S. Foreign policy in a bill signed May 22, 1947. To whip up American support for the policy of containment, Truman overstated the Soviet threat to the United States. In turn, his statements inspired a wave of hysterical anti-communism throughout the country and set the stage for the emergence of McCarthy. Containment also called for extensive economic aid to assist the recovery of war-torn Western Europe. With many of the regions nations economically and politically unstable, the United States feared that local communist parties, erected by Moscow, would capitalize on their wartime record of resistance to the Nazis and come to power. Something needed to be done, Secretary of State George Marshall noted, for the patient is sinking while the doctors deliberate. Marshall was formerly the highest ranking officer in the U. S. Armed forces and credited as the chief organizer of the American military victory in World War II.In mid-1947 Marshall asked troubled European nations to draw up a program directed not against any country or doctrine but against hunger, poverty, desperation and chaos. The Soviets participated in the first planning meeting, then departed rather than share economic data on their resources and problems, and submit to Western controls on the expenditure of the aid. The remaining 16 nations hammered out a request that finally came to $17 thousand million for a four-year period. In early 1948 Congress voted to assist European economic recovery, dubbed the Marshall Plan, and generally regarded as one of the most successful U.S. Foreign policy initiatives in history. He followed up with the Marshall Plan, which was enacted into law as the European Recovery Program (ERR) and led ultimately to NATO, the North Atlantic Alliance for military defense, signed in 1949. Soviet domination of Eastern Europe alarmed the West. The United States led the effort to create a military alliance to complement economic efforts at containment. In 1949 the United States and 11 other countries established the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), an alliance based on the principle of collective security.An attack against one was to be considered an attack against all, to be met by appropriate force. The next year, the United States defined its defense aims clearly. The National Security Council (NCSC) undertook a full-fledged review of American foreign and defense policy. The resulting document, known as NCSC-68, signaled a new direction in American security policy. Based on the assumption that the Soviet Union was engaged in a fanatical effort to seize control of all governments wherever possible, the document committed America to assist allied nations anywhere in the world which seemed threatened by Soviet aggression.The United States proceeded o increase defense spending dramatically in response to Soviet threats against Europe and the American, British and French presence in West Berlin. United States support for the partition of Palestine was crucial to the adoption Of the UN partition plan and to the creation Of the State Of Israel. During World War II, the USA was anxious to maintain good relations with Saudi Arabia. President Roosevelt had promised King Saudi that the USA would make no policy decisions about Palestine without consulting the Arabs, though Roosevelt tried to enlist Saudi support for allowing Jewish immigration to Palestine.Following Roosevelt verbal promise to Saudi to consult the Arabs about Palestine policy, he reiterated the promise in writing on April 5, 1945. However, a week later, Roosevelt was dead, replaced by Vice President Harry S. Truman, and the end of the war created a different political reality as well as bringing the revelation of massive murder of Jews in the Holocaust. Traumas support for a Jewish state had evolved over time, shaped by a number of factors. Though LOL Henderson and others in the StateDepartment had insisted that a Jewish state would compromise the position Of the US in the Middle East, the opposite position was equally tenable. The notion that Henderson and Marshall advocated, that the Zionists were communists and would therefore side with the USSR was founded on personal prejudice rather than fact, and backfired when the possibility was raised that the USSR would intervene on behalf of Israel, absent IIS support The idea that Truman had initially entertained, and that the State Department encouraged, that a Jewish state could only be defended by hundreds of husbands of US troops, proved to be groundless.It is probably this realization more than any that turned the tide, and overcame the single greatest objection. On May 14, 1 948, Truman announced recognition of the new state of Israel, making the United States the first major power to do so. We can see that Truman decisions of containment were successful in stopping and preventing the USSR to take over or influence Turkey, Greece, and Israel. This alone is a great victory for democracy. These three countries also were able to joined NATO.

How to Write an Essay on Application of Teaching Standards

How to Write an Essay on Application of Teaching Standards Essay about Application of Teaching Standards How to start How to write the introduction How to compose body paragraphs How to finish the essay: Conclusion writing Essay revision Outline sample A reflective essay about application of teaching standards (Sample) Writing an essay about the application of teaching standards is certainly purposeful. The number one aim of such an essay is that it calls the readers’ attention for a closer look at the serious issue of the application of teaching standards which is a topic that is open to various opinions and stands. An essay on this theme scrutinizes the applicability of the very standards and questions their suitability for the current advancements and circumstances. It could also be considered as an attempt to question their effectiveness. How to start First of all, you should think about the meaning of teaching standards and look for some authentic definitions that could make you understand what such standards could be. After you have taken notes of certain teaching standards, try to look at them with a critical eye so that you detect if any of them does not seem to be that effective. Think about a possible structure on which your essay will be based; for instance, compare and contrast, argumentative, or explanatory scheme. How to write the introduction A general introduction about the application of teaching standards could start with the general theme of school and teaching. Proceed progressively while you narrow down your focus until you reach the crux of the matter which is the application of teaching standards in this case. You could define the key term briefly in the same part, as lay readers could enquire about its meaning. The last element of the introduction consists of the thesis statement where you clearly state the essential features that your essay paragraphs are going to revolve around. How to compose body paragraphs A topic sentence is necessary for the opening of the paragraphs that will explain your main points. It is important to make sure that the body elements reflect the same scheme announced in the thesis statement, otherwise you would fall in incongruity. Consistency of thoughts should be carefully maintained when you go around illustrating and linking information. Thus, abrupt change of ideas is not something you might want to consider doing. Unless you are emphasizing one particular message by means of highlighting, you are not going to benefit from the repeated ideas; then, try to avoid redundancy and needless repetitions. While you are tackling your personal reflection on the application of teaching standards, it is advisable that you stick to your own point of view, which is either for or against the application of such standards, otherwise you would distract the reader. Hook your readers through the incorporation of appeals that could make them embrace your opinion and adhere to it. How to finish the essay: Conclusion writing Have a second look at the content of your body paragraphs so that you are fully aware of what you have included in your essay. Briefly summarize the principle arguments in a way that does not seem too much explanatory. Link the very summary of your personal behavior and experience, as you show how the application of those teaching standards have proven to be successful or ineffective according to your own educational experience. Essay revision It is recommended that you read each and every word when you revise your essay. Remove the unnecessary lines that make no sense or that could only complicate the picture. One important step is to look for the most repeated terms and replace them with suitable synonyms. The second look at your cohesive devices is a plus point. Outline sample I. Introduction General introduction: school and teaching Thesis statement: three main arguments II. Body Paragraph 1: benefits of the application of teaching standards Paragraph 2: disadvantages of the application of teaching standards Paragraph 3: suggested solutions to optimize teaching standards. III. Conclusion Brief summary of the three body arguments. Call to action through the proposition of fresh solutions to improve teaching standards and learning. A reflective essay about application of teaching standards (Sample) Almost in every country all over the globe, there some teaching standards followed in the academic field. In fact, such standards could vary depending on many factors, mainly cultural ones. But, the concept is the same; it is the idea of respecting certain teaching norms and applying them by hook or by crook to reach a the desired learning goal. In this essay, you could find a reflective account of the benefits of teaching standards, their disadvantages, and suggestions on how to optimize them. From a positive angle, one could attest that the application of teaching standards is beneficial in a variety of ways. Indeed, beginner teachers seem to always resort to them on the account that they offer an accessible database-like wealth of tips, methods, and techniques that just need to be followed. Apart from that, teaching standards are destined to the production of particular learning effects. Thus, teaching standards are not disconnected from learning standards, eventually. Through the application of teaching standards, a teacher rests assured that their students are being taught conformably with their grade level so that they become able to make it when it comes to standardized assessments. However varied teaching standards are, they have many aspects in common. Their shared attributes manifest themselves in terms of content, structure, design, and learning purpose. What makes them effective enough is that they draw on the categorization by subject areas. It is almost the case in all schools to find subjects like Maths, English Language, History, etc. The positive aspects of teaching standards could not succeed in concealing their disadvantageous aspects that never cease to erode the authenticity of learning. Such standard teaching norms may not be as effective as they are thought to be. I am a firm believer that a course design should be flexible enough to comprise the various needs of diverse learners. To apply teaching standards that stretch the students’ abilities and push them to work harder may turn out to be counter-productive, especially in the case of low-functioning students who have learning disabilities and disorders. As a matter of fact, the pursuit of excellence is not available to all types of students, if teachers stick solely to the application of teaching standards. Information processing does not go at the same pace for all students. I remember when I was at school, the teacher used to ask us â€Å"is everything clear?†, not all the students said â€Å"yes†. Though not all, some of those silent students have not grasped the essence of the ideas explained, and for some reason hesitated to say that they did not understand. Those little details make it necessary to stop by, forget about teaching standards, and look at the learning needs, in particular. Teaching standards should be reconsidered. Many of them have been in use for ages. Some of the teaching standards are transferred from one generation to another and from one school to another in an arbitrary manner, just as heritage is transferred. Yet, the modern developments, mainly at the technological scale have brought innovative and creative approaches to learning. It is for this reason that teaching standards have to be refined according to the actual circumstances. Some would argue that the programming language has to be learned as a second language just like a natural language is learned. This idea triggers the flame of change towards more innovative and fine-tuned perspective towards the application of teaching standards. They could be developed through a recategorization of subject areas to keep the balance between what is theoretical and what is applied. Educational consistency and equity should be taken into consideration as well to improve those standards. To put it in a nutshell, the application of teaching standards remains an inevitable operation that schools and colleges rely on. A scrutinizing eye could not overlook the advantages and disadvantages of such measures. Yet, one could continue to propose practical solutions for the improvement of teaching standards in one way or another.

Multi-threading in C# With Tasks

Multi-threading in C# With Tasks The computer programming term thread is short for  thread  of execution, in which a processor follows a specified path through your code. The concept of following more than one thread at a time introduces the subject of multi-tasking and multi-threading. An application has one or more processes in it. Think of a process as a program running on your computer. Now each process has one or more threads. A game application might have a thread to load resources from disk, another to do AI, and another to run the game as a server. In .NET/Windows,  the operating system allocates processor time to a thread. Each thread keeps track of exception handlers and the priority at which it runs, and it has somewhere to save the thread context until it runs. Thread context is the information that the thread needs to resume. Multi-Tasking With Threads Threads take up a bit of memory and creating them takes a little time, so usually, you dont want to use many. Remember, they compete for processor time. If your computer has multiple CPUs, then Windows or .NET might run each thread on a different CPU, but if several threads run on the same CPU, then only one can be active at a time and switching threads takes time. The CPU runs a thread for a few million instructions, and then it switches to another thread. All of the CPU registers, current program execution point and stack have to be saved somewhere for the first thread and then restored from somewhere else for the next thread. Creating a Thread In the namespace System.Threading, youll find the thread type. The constructor thread  (ThreadStart) creates an instance of a thread. However, in recent C# code, its more likely to pass in a lambda expression that calls the method with any parameters. If youre unsure about lambda expressions, it might be worth checking out LINQ. Here is an example of a thread that is created and started: using System; using System.Threading;namespace ex1{class Program{public static void Write1(){Console.Write(1) ;Thread.Sleep(500) ;}static void Main(string[] args){var task new Thread(Write1) ;task.Start() ;for (var i 0; i 10; i){Console.Write(0) ;Console.Write (task.IsAlive ? A : D) ;Thread.Sleep(150) ;}Console.ReadKey() ;}}} All this example does is write 1 to the console. The main thread writes a 0 to the console 10 times, each time followed by an A or D depending on whether the other thread is still Alive or Dead. The other thread only runs once and writes a 1. After the half-second delay in the Write1() thread, the thread finishes, and the Task.IsAlive in the main loop now returns D. Thread Pool and Task Parallel Library Instead of creating your own thread, unless you really need to do it, make use of a Thread Pool. From .NET 4.0, we have access to the Task Parallel Library (TPL). As  in the previous example, again we need a bit of LINQ, and yes, its all lambda expressions. Tasks uses the Thread Pool behind the scenes  but make  better use of the threads depending on the number in use. The main object in the TPL is a Task. This is a class that represents an asynchronous operation. The commonest way to start things running is with the Task.Factory.StartNew as in: Task.Factory.StartNew(() DoSomething()); Where DoSomething() is the method that is run. Its possible to create a task and not have it run immediately. In that case, just use Task like this: var t new Task(() Console.WriteLine(Hello));...t.Start(); That doesnt start the thread until the .Start() is called. In the example below, are five tasks. using System;using System.Threading;using System.Threading.Tasks;namespace ex1{class Program{public static void Write1(int i){Console.Write(i) ;Thread.Sleep(50) ;}static void Main(string[] args){for (var i 0; i 5; i){var value i;var runningTask Task.Factory.StartNew(()Write1(value)) ;}Console.ReadKey() ;}}} Run that and you  get the digits 0 through 4 output in some random order such as 03214. Thats because the order of task execution is determined by .NET. You might be wondering why the var value i is needed. Try removing it and calling Write(i), and youll see something unexpected like 55555. Why is this? Its because the task shows the value of i at the time that the task is executed, not when the task was created. By creating a new variable each time in the loop, each of the five values is correctly stored and picked up.

Marketing and PromotionBuilding the image and the brand Essay

Marketing and PromotionBuilding the image and the brand - Essay Example To begin with, it is simple. The simplicity is evident by the choice of two colours; whereby, purple is the background, and white represents the wordings. Thus, it makes it easy to describe and memorise. Second, the logo is timeless. Reason being, it is less trendy therefore it would be relevant for a long time. Third, the logo is versatile. Thus, it makes it possible to be printed in diverse sizes; over various mediums; and dissimilar purposes without losing its significance. Finally, the logo has entirely targeted its audience. This is evident by the use of purple and white colours. Purple meaning royalty and nobility whereas white meaning brilliance and safety. (Mallon) On a personal perspective, the logo for the Art Gallery of NSW would not benefit from any modification. Reason being; it has fully utilized the qualities of a good logo. These qualities include being simple; versatile; appropriate; memorable; timeless and distinctive. Consequently, they will have more customers; because they will have a good feeling towards the Gallery.

Using Your adopt a Business Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Using Your adopt a Business - Assignment Example On that note, pre-purchase involve an awareness of the clients such as the products and services they want. Additionally, in sensitization of awareness, the retailer must learn the preferences and tastes of clients and receive a reliable feedback (Jefferson). That aspect brings us to information search. In order to gather a database related to customers, the business retailer should venture in the field and ask questions. Similarly, after information search an evaluation of alternatives and decision concerning purchase is significant. Furthermore, in a service encounter stage, an evaluation of contacts in terms of low and high should be considered. This assists in understanding of the servuction system and implications on service delivery in the business and how it affects clients. Additionally, in the post-purchase stage, a strict analysis of service performance is imperative in order to plan for future intentions. However, in Flower of Service Model there are various dimensions of how the business fits. For example, starting with business core service, payment before any delivery is extended to the customers. Furthermore, in terms of customer satisfaction, when one petal of the flower is broken such as hospitality during service, clients are bound to complain. Therefore, in applying Flower of Service Model, the retailer receives information through consultation from various sources (Mary). In addition, the retailer should consider taking orders earlier to avoid running out of stock. This will involve recording billings of stock and purchases made and profits and losses incurred. Alternatively, in terms of enhancement and facilitation of customer processes, the model, customers need to given relevant information connected to commodities and services offered by the retailer. Additionally, information should cover issues of sales, product change, warnings and reminders among others. There are numerous