Saturday, March 21, 2020

buy custom Red Crescent Movement essay

buy custom Red Crescent Movement essay The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a non-making profit organization that operates in 186 countries. This organization kicks back its root in 1919, and its major goal is to provide aid to the victims of technological and natural disasters, and health emergencies as well as the refugees. The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement act as the main representative for its members in the international arena. In addition, it enhances the cooperation among the national societies, and assists in promoting their ability to perform disaster, health, social programmes and preparedness effectively. This organization has several substitutes that operate under the basic objectives, principles, statues, symbols and governing organs of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. These movements are; International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. The funds for supporting the ongoing activities of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement come from surplus revenues, donation from donors, and the governments. Although this non-making profit has existed for a long time, it faces many setbacks, which have been deeply analyzed in this paper. This paper will also scrutinize the internal and external factors that hinder this organization as well as its strength and opportunities. In addition, the paper will look at the current positions and select the one the fits my career. 1.0 Background The non-profit organizations are those that are aimed at enhancing all of the humanity aspects (Koteen 1997). Their objectives and goals are not aimed at attaining a return on investment, but rather promoting the goodwill and bettering the lives of others (Hartigan 2006). The profits earned by such organizations are not shared as dividends, but are rather reinvested into the organization (Koteen, 1997). They operate within various public beneficial aspects like, environmental protection, caring for the old and the disabled, community development, and the protection of animal rights among many others (Alvarado 2000). One good example of the non-profit organizations is the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, which is considered to be the largest global humanitarian network, with a mission of alleviating humanitarian suffering, upholding human dignity, as well as protecting health and life of the people, particularly during emergencies such as floods, armed conflicts, ear thquakes and epidemics (Neville 2002). This movement consists of about 97 million members, staff and volunteers globally, with three distinct organizations (Jean-Claude, 1999). The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is an impartial organization that is charged with the responsibility of protecting the lives and dignity of people affected by war or internal violence (Hans 1993). The second organization is the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and is charged with the responsibility of organizing and leading relief aid missions that deal with large-scale emergencies (Neville 2002). The third organization is the National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies that has been established in almost every country in the world. The National Societies work in their own countries depending on their capacities and specific circumstances. Most of their activities are closely associated with the provision of emergency medical services to the affecte d people during times of emergencies (Neville 2002). All of the three components of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement are guided by the same seven fundamental principles: humanity, neutrality, impartiality, voluntary service, unity, independence, and universality (Hans 1993). To achieve its mission of assisting without discrimination that is aimed at promoting peace around the world, the Movement has an important management strategy that gives it a clear strategic direction directed towards reconciling the diverse cultures and priorities of the National Societies, with the aim of being a global network for humanitarian action that works together as a Movement (ICRC Report, 1997). Furthermore, the Movement is guided by the Seville Agreement was adopted by the Movement through the 1997 Council of Delegates in Seville (Angela, 2005). This paper will basically offer an overview of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, analyzing its competitors through the Porter 5 forces, and trends through the force fi eld analysis. The paper will also look at the job opportunities available in this organization, along with the skills I posses and consider if I can qualify for the any of the advertised vacancies. 2.0 Competitors of International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement through porter 5 forces The non-for profit organizations have become one of the most significant driving forces behind the national economic and social development. However, considering the fact that these organizations are most of the time faced by scarcity of resources, it is viewed that competition is the major means and ways through which these organizations can attain their goals and objective (Porter 2008). Therefore, these organizations have to ensure that they will be able to continue providing for the community for the intended period of operation. 2.1 The threat of new entrants into the non-for profit organization Allowing new entrants into the non-for profit sector may imply increased competition for donations and memberships, thus decreasing the funds raised by the organization. For the case of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, having new entrants into this sector may provide a wider choice for the health insurance providers and government tenders , and thus the Movement may be forced to provide extra services for the same amount of funding. 2.2 The Threat of Substitutes he availability of a substitute in the market can lower the amount of potential profits within the industry (Porter, 2008). For instance, enrolment into the schooling programme supported by a non for profit organization such as the American Red Cross may limit membership into the capacity-building programme supported by this Movement (Eugene Brown, 2011). 2.3 Buyer power For the non-for profit organizations, buyers include donors, philanthropic and government funders, and consumers (Porter, 1980). Therefore, buyers can exert pressure on the non-profit organization creating a situation where there is stiff competition for the same source of funding. 2.4 Supplier power Suppliers in this case refer to the government organizations, and other service providers. An analysis of the supplier power impact on the non-for profit organization demands an understanding of the pressures within the suppliers industry. The movement is required for instance to have an understanding of the medicine industry, as this can have power over this Movement. 2.5 Degree of rivalry Competition exists within the non-for profit sector for corporate sponsorship, consumers, donors and government grants (Porter 2008). An analysis of the number of organizations offering the same services compared to the number of individuals requiring such services can be used as a measure of the rivalry in the industry. For instance, the American Red Cross is also a humanitarian organization just like this Movement, and thus can used to determine how concentrated the sector is with regard to attracting donors. 3.0 Analyzing trends through Force Field analysis The concept of force field analysis was introduced by Kurt Lewin, and is still applied by most managers today to help understand the factors or rather forces influencing a situation or behaviour within the organization. Basically, the force field analysis looks at the forces that help in either driving or hindering the movement towards a certain goal (Lewin 1943). Therefore, conducting a force field analysis helps the organization to plan to build up on the forces that support a specific decision, and minimize the opposing factors. For instance, the Internal Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement can apply the force filed analysis to manage and understand the behaviour of its employees. The driving forces propel behaviour towards the desired direction. Such forces can either be extrinsic or intrinsic, or a combination of both, for instance, the desire to achieve the approval of co-workers and bosses, organizational rewards, and motivation (David 2005). However, the restraining forces of ten prevent the attainment of the desired behaviour, and incorporate such factors as lack of training, lack of motivation, and personal issues. Therefore, the understanding of both the restraining and the driving forces provides an understanding of the factors affecting the behaviour of the employees. For instance, if one employee is known to misappropriate the organizations resources, the organization can identify both the driving and the restraining forces in order to help change the behaviour of that employee. It is worth noting that to attain the behaviour change the organization should consider minimizing the restraining force and increase the driving force. In addition, it is worth noting that this Movement is often bound to encounter conflicts with other non for profit organizations that have similar objectives with this Movement. The Movement can therefore apply the force field analysis to analyze the driving forces and the factors that have made it difficult to attain coope ration with other non for profit organizations. There always certain misconception about such social trends and thus the force field analysis to determine the main elemental constructs (Lewin 1943). The Movement will therefore have to identify its strengths, for instance, the basic interest within the community it serves, as well as the challenges, such as competition for the limited space, that prevent it from cooperating with the other organizations. This will allow it to work on the identified challenges in order to increase on the strengths towards attaining cooperation. 4.0 Why I suit to work for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement: My key strength is my interest in IT and business management: I would like to transform this strength into visible and viable performance for an organization that will utilize and nurture my capabilities for our mutual benefit. We realize that the contemporary world is a competitive world where innovation is the major driving force towards attaining a competitive advantage. However, this is not only confined to the profit making industry, but also applies to the not-for-profit industry. For instance, technology is required to enable the organization track new developments, as well as to maintaining the collaborative networking. I believe that I will be able to apply my strengths to help the organization help move forward. Besides, I am a team leader and player and thus will be able to interact with different people from different backgrounds considering the fact that this is an organization whose main activities revolve around serving and interacting with different communities. I can also manage tasks without having to be supervised and I believe this is fitting for the organization considering the fact that most of its activities are not centralized and thus people are required to work without supervision. I also believe that my creativity will allow me to explore new opportunities for the organization, and my ability to solve problems will be of great benefit especially considering the fact that conflicts are often bound to happen at the community level, from individuals competing for the emergency aids. I believe the skills and abilities that I have make me fit to work for this organization. I have conducted a deeper analysis of the International Red Cross movement along with the targets the organization intends to attain during its period of operation, and this has given me the urge to work with it. I am basically interested in serving and helping the most vulnerable people in the society considering the fact that Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is an organization that is concerned with initiating emergency responses in challenging environments, then offering me an opportunity to work with the organization will help me explore my career objective. I have chosen to apply for a job in the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement because this is an organization that has gained a worldwide reputation for its exceptional services in serving the most vulnerable people in the society (Hans 1993). 5.0 The Graduate Job I could apply for The organization advertises all its vacancies publicly on its job prospects site and they are open to both the external and internal applicants. The Movement only allows applications for the advertised vacancies and this can only be done online. The organization acknowledges any placed application immediately via an automatic email and provides the on line monitoring of the status of the vacancy. However, it is worth noting that the organization aims at to attract a qualified workforce and to create a performance-driven work culture by rewarding its staff on a merit-based and non-discriminatory manner (Koteen, 1997). The job that I am interested in is the Deputy Programme Coordinator (Grade 4). This vacancy is available in the Pakistan office, which seeks to offer continued implementation, and finalize on the Integrated Recovery Program that basically seeks to help the victims of the monsoon floods that occurred in 2010. Some of the specific tasks and responsibilities include acting as the managerial focal point when it comes to the running of the daily operations of the Integrated Recovery Program, with the specific focus on the integration and coordination of activities carried out by the different programs. This is aimed at ensuring that the goals of the program are attained. This job position requires a professional in social sciences, for instance in humanitarian or development affairs, or management. In addition, the post requires an individual who has worked in disaster management for five years. Some experience is also required in managing and supporting staff, working for the International Federation and National Societies or a humanitarian organization in one of the developing countries. The individual has to have worked at a local level with the communities and developing partnerships at the national, state of the local level. Besides, the applicant is required to be self-supporting in computers, particularly, in windows, word-processing and spreadsheets. Strong skills are also required in supporting, developing and training staff. In addition, the applicant is also required to have a valid driving licence. Besides, the applicants are required to have strong communication skills, and be able to work within a multi-cultural environment. Trust-building and teamwork are also some of the most important skills the interested applicants of this post should have. Also worth noting is the fact that applicants should be able to effectively network and influence others. Some competence is also required in management of resources, supervision and control, management of budgets, planning, leadership, monitoring, and self-management. 6.0 Comparative analysis Looking at the job specifications, some of the skills required match with the skills that I possess. For instance, the organization requires that the applicant should have good communication skills and the ability to head strategic meetings. I believe I have good communication skills for example my ability to speak in five different languages (Pashto, Persian, Urdu, English, Arabic) fluently and I can as well chair meetings within the organization. The organization also requires an individual who can team work. I have worked as a sales assistant at AFZAL Carpet and I was able to relate with the members of staff, as well as the customers effectively, and thus I am sure that I will be able to work with this team effectively. Besides, part of my course entailed working on team projects and I got the opportunity to head my group, a task I managed successfully considering the fact that I was able to influence my tem members to work on time and complete the tasks we had been allocated. Bes ides, the post requires a professional in management and considering the fact that I have pursued a degree in International Business Management, I believe I will be able to fit in this post. I am also proficient in computer programmes, such as windows installation, word-processing, spreadsheets, internet, web designing, which are some of the skills required to qualify for this post. Furthermore, my ability to relate and work effectively with people from diverse backgrounds will be an important asset considering the fact that the organization requires an individual who can work with teams within a multi-cultural environment. The fact that the post is available in the Pakistan office makes it appropriate for me as this is my home country. It is worth noting that, there are various skills and experiences that I am lacking, which are required by the organization for the applicants. The organization requires some experience in working for the International Federation and the National Societies, but I have not had such an experience since I have not worked for this organization before. In addition, the post requires and individual with five years experience in disaster management, an experience that I also lack. However, with some training I believe I will be able to acquire some skills that will help me function effectively in this position. However, despite the gaps I believe I can apply for the job because I posses most of the skills required by the organization. With some training and gaining a master degree in project management in 2013, I will improve and add on the skills I am lacking. Buy custom Red Crescent Movement essay

buy custom Red Crescent Movement essay

buy custom Red Crescent Movement essay The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a non-making profit organization that operates in 186 countries. This organization kicks back its root in 1919, and its major goal is to provide aid to the victims of technological and natural disasters, and health emergencies as well as the refugees. The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement act as the main representative for its members in the international arena. In addition, it enhances the cooperation among the national societies, and assists in promoting their ability to perform disaster, health, social programmes and preparedness effectively. This organization has several substitutes that operate under the basic objectives, principles, statues, symbols and governing organs of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. These movements are; International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. The funds for supporting the ongoing activities of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement come from surplus revenues, donation from donors, and the governments. Although this non-making profit has existed for a long time, it faces many setbacks, which have been deeply analyzed in this paper. This paper will also scrutinize the internal and external factors that hinder this organization as well as its strength and opportunities. In addition, the paper will look at the current positions and select the one the fits my career. 1.0 Background The non-profit organizations are those that are aimed at enhancing all of the humanity aspects (Koteen 1997). Their objectives and goals are not aimed at attaining a return on investment, but rather promoting the goodwill and bettering the lives of others (Hartigan 2006). The profits earned by such organizations are not shared as dividends, but are rather reinvested into the organization (Koteen, 1997). They operate within various public beneficial aspects like, environmental protection, caring for the old and the disabled, community development, and the protection of animal rights among many others (Alvarado 2000). One good example of the non-profit organizations is the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, which is considered to be the largest global humanitarian network, with a mission of alleviating humanitarian suffering, upholding human dignity, as well as protecting health and life of the people, particularly during emergencies such as floods, armed conflicts, ear thquakes and epidemics (Neville 2002). This movement consists of about 97 million members, staff and volunteers globally, with three distinct organizations (Jean-Claude, 1999). The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is an impartial organization that is charged with the responsibility of protecting the lives and dignity of people affected by war or internal violence (Hans 1993). The second organization is the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and is charged with the responsibility of organizing and leading relief aid missions that deal with large-scale emergencies (Neville 2002). The third organization is the National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies that has been established in almost every country in the world. The National Societies work in their own countries depending on their capacities and specific circumstances. Most of their activities are closely associated with the provision of emergency medical services to the affecte d people during times of emergencies (Neville 2002). All of the three components of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement are guided by the same seven fundamental principles: humanity, neutrality, impartiality, voluntary service, unity, independence, and universality (Hans 1993). To achieve its mission of assisting without discrimination that is aimed at promoting peace around the world, the Movement has an important management strategy that gives it a clear strategic direction directed towards reconciling the diverse cultures and priorities of the National Societies, with the aim of being a global network for humanitarian action that works together as a Movement (ICRC Report, 1997). Furthermore, the Movement is guided by the Seville Agreement was adopted by the Movement through the 1997 Council of Delegates in Seville (Angela, 2005). This paper will basically offer an overview of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, analyzing its competitors through the Porter 5 forces, and trends through the force fi eld analysis. The paper will also look at the job opportunities available in this organization, along with the skills I posses and consider if I can qualify for the any of the advertised vacancies. 2.0 Competitors of International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement through porter 5 forces The non-for profit organizations have become one of the most significant driving forces behind the national economic and social development. However, considering the fact that these organizations are most of the time faced by scarcity of resources, it is viewed that competition is the major means and ways through which these organizations can attain their goals and objective (Porter 2008). Therefore, these organizations have to ensure that they will be able to continue providing for the community for the intended period of operation. 2.1 The threat of new entrants into the non-for profit organization Allowing new entrants into the non-for profit sector may imply increased competition for donations and memberships, thus decreasing the funds raised by the organization. For the case of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, having new entrants into this sector may provide a wider choice for the health insurance providers and government tenders , and thus the Movement may be forced to provide extra services for the same amount of funding. 2.2 The Threat of Substitutes he availability of a substitute in the market can lower the amount of potential profits within the industry (Porter, 2008). For instance, enrolment into the schooling programme supported by a non for profit organization such as the American Red Cross may limit membership into the capacity-building programme supported by this Movement (Eugene Brown, 2011). 2.3 Buyer power For the non-for profit organizations, buyers include donors, philanthropic and government funders, and consumers (Porter, 1980). Therefore, buyers can exert pressure on the non-profit organization creating a situation where there is stiff competition for the same source of funding. 2.4 Supplier power Suppliers in this case refer to the government organizations, and other service providers. An analysis of the supplier power impact on the non-for profit organization demands an understanding of the pressures within the suppliers industry. The movement is required for instance to have an understanding of the medicine industry, as this can have power over this Movement. 2.5 Degree of rivalry Competition exists within the non-for profit sector for corporate sponsorship, consumers, donors and government grants (Porter 2008). An analysis of the number of organizations offering the same services compared to the number of individuals requiring such services can be used as a measure of the rivalry in the industry. For instance, the American Red Cross is also a humanitarian organization just like this Movement, and thus can used to determine how concentrated the sector is with regard to attracting donors. 3.0 Analyzing trends through Force Field analysis The concept of force field analysis was introduced by Kurt Lewin, and is still applied by most managers today to help understand the factors or rather forces influencing a situation or behaviour within the organization. Basically, the force field analysis looks at the forces that help in either driving or hindering the movement towards a certain goal (Lewin 1943). Therefore, conducting a force field analysis helps the organization to plan to build up on the forces that support a specific decision, and minimize the opposing factors. For instance, the Internal Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement can apply the force filed analysis to manage and understand the behaviour of its employees. The driving forces propel behaviour towards the desired direction. Such forces can either be extrinsic or intrinsic, or a combination of both, for instance, the desire to achieve the approval of co-workers and bosses, organizational rewards, and motivation (David 2005). However, the restraining forces of ten prevent the attainment of the desired behaviour, and incorporate such factors as lack of training, lack of motivation, and personal issues. Therefore, the understanding of both the restraining and the driving forces provides an understanding of the factors affecting the behaviour of the employees. For instance, if one employee is known to misappropriate the organizations resources, the organization can identify both the driving and the restraining forces in order to help change the behaviour of that employee. It is worth noting that to attain the behaviour change the organization should consider minimizing the restraining force and increase the driving force. In addition, it is worth noting that this Movement is often bound to encounter conflicts with other non for profit organizations that have similar objectives with this Movement. The Movement can therefore apply the force field analysis to analyze the driving forces and the factors that have made it difficult to attain coope ration with other non for profit organizations. There always certain misconception about such social trends and thus the force field analysis to determine the main elemental constructs (Lewin 1943). The Movement will therefore have to identify its strengths, for instance, the basic interest within the community it serves, as well as the challenges, such as competition for the limited space, that prevent it from cooperating with the other organizations. This will allow it to work on the identified challenges in order to increase on the strengths towards attaining cooperation. 4.0 Why I suit to work for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement: My key strength is my interest in IT and business management: I would like to transform this strength into visible and viable performance for an organization that will utilize and nurture my capabilities for our mutual benefit. We realize that the contemporary world is a competitive world where innovation is the major driving force towards attaining a competitive advantage. However, this is not only confined to the profit making industry, but also applies to the not-for-profit industry. For instance, technology is required to enable the organization track new developments, as well as to maintaining the collaborative networking. I believe that I will be able to apply my strengths to help the organization help move forward. Besides, I am a team leader and player and thus will be able to interact with different people from different backgrounds considering the fact that this is an organization whose main activities revolve around serving and interacting with different communities. I can also manage tasks without having to be supervised and I believe this is fitting for the organization considering the fact that most of its activities are not centralized and thus people are required to work without supervision. I also believe that my creativity will allow me to explore new opportunities for the organization, and my ability to solve problems will be of great benefit especially considering the fact that conflicts are often bound to happen at the community level, from individuals competing for the emergency aids. I believe the skills and abilities that I have make me fit to work for this organization. I have conducted a deeper analysis of the International Red Cross movement along with the targets the organization intends to attain during its period of operation, and this has given me the urge to work with it. I am basically interested in serving and helping the most vulnerable people in the society considering the fact that Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is an organization that is concerned with initiating emergency responses in challenging environments, then offering me an opportunity to work with the organization will help me explore my career objective. I have chosen to apply for a job in the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement because this is an organization that has gained a worldwide reputation for its exceptional services in serving the most vulnerable people in the society (Hans 1993). 5.0 The Graduate Job I could apply for The organization advertises all its vacancies publicly on its job prospects site and they are open to both the external and internal applicants. The Movement only allows applications for the advertised vacancies and this can only be done online. The organization acknowledges any placed application immediately via an automatic email and provides the on line monitoring of the status of the vacancy. However, it is worth noting that the organization aims at to attract a qualified workforce and to create a performance-driven work culture by rewarding its staff on a merit-based and non-discriminatory manner (Koteen, 1997). The job that I am interested in is the Deputy Programme Coordinator (Grade 4). This vacancy is available in the Pakistan office, which seeks to offer continued implementation, and finalize on the Integrated Recovery Program that basically seeks to help the victims of the monsoon floods that occurred in 2010. Some of the specific tasks and responsibilities include acting as the managerial focal point when it comes to the running of the daily operations of the Integrated Recovery Program, with the specific focus on the integration and coordination of activities carried out by the different programs. This is aimed at ensuring that the goals of the program are attained. This job position requires a professional in social sciences, for instance in humanitarian or development affairs, or management. In addition, the post requires an individual who has worked in disaster management for five years. Some experience is also required in managing and supporting staff, working for the International Federation and National Societies or a humanitarian organization in one of the developing countries. The individual has to have worked at a local level with the communities and developing partnerships at the national, state of the local level. Besides, the applicant is required to be self-supporting in computers, particularly, in windows, word-processing and spreadsheets. Strong skills are also required in supporting, developing and training staff. In addition, the applicant is also required to have a valid driving licence. Besides, the applicants are required to have strong communication skills, and be able to work within a multi-cultural environment. Trust-building and teamwork are also some of the most important skills the interested applicants of this post should have. Also worth noting is the fact that applicants should be able to effectively network and influence others. Some competence is also required in management of resources, supervision and control, management of budgets, planning, leadership, monitoring, and self-management. 6.0 Comparative analysis Looking at the job specifications, some of the skills required match with the skills that I possess. For instance, the organization requires that the applicant should have good communication skills and the ability to head strategic meetings. I believe I have good communication skills for example my ability to speak in five different languages (Pashto, Persian, Urdu, English, Arabic) fluently and I can as well chair meetings within the organization. The organization also requires an individual who can team work. I have worked as a sales assistant at AFZAL Carpet and I was able to relate with the members of staff, as well as the customers effectively, and thus I am sure that I will be able to work with this team effectively. Besides, part of my course entailed working on team projects and I got the opportunity to head my group, a task I managed successfully considering the fact that I was able to influence my tem members to work on time and complete the tasks we had been allocated. Bes ides, the post requires a professional in management and considering the fact that I have pursued a degree in International Business Management, I believe I will be able to fit in this post. I am also proficient in computer programmes, such as windows installation, word-processing, spreadsheets, internet, web designing, which are some of the skills required to qualify for this post. Furthermore, my ability to relate and work effectively with people from diverse backgrounds will be an important asset considering the fact that the organization requires an individual who can work with teams within a multi-cultural environment. The fact that the post is available in the Pakistan office makes it appropriate for me as this is my home country. It is worth noting that, there are various skills and experiences that I am lacking, which are required by the organization for the applicants. The organization requires some experience in working for the International Federation and the National Societies, but I have not had such an experience since I have not worked for this organization before. In addition, the post requires and individual with five years experience in disaster management, an experience that I also lack. However, with some training I believe I will be able to acquire some skills that will help me function effectively in this position. However, despite the gaps I believe I can apply for the job because I posses most of the skills required by the organization. With some training and gaining a master degree in project management in 2013, I will improve and add on the skills I am lacking. Buy custom Red Crescent Movement essay

buy custom Red Crescent Movement essay

buy custom Red Crescent Movement essay The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a non-making profit organization that operates in 186 countries. This organization kicks back its root in 1919, and its major goal is to provide aid to the victims of technological and natural disasters, and health emergencies as well as the refugees. The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement act as the main representative for its members in the international arena. In addition, it enhances the cooperation among the national societies, and assists in promoting their ability to perform disaster, health, social programmes and preparedness effectively. This organization has several substitutes that operate under the basic objectives, principles, statues, symbols and governing organs of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. These movements are; International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. The funds for supporting the ongoing activities of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement come from surplus revenues, donation from donors, and the governments. Although this non-making profit has existed for a long time, it faces many setbacks, which have been deeply analyzed in this paper. This paper will also scrutinize the internal and external factors that hinder this organization as well as its strength and opportunities. In addition, the paper will look at the current positions and select the one the fits my career. 1.0 Background The non-profit organizations are those that are aimed at enhancing all of the humanity aspects (Koteen 1997). Their objectives and goals are not aimed at attaining a return on investment, but rather promoting the goodwill and bettering the lives of others (Hartigan 2006). The profits earned by such organizations are not shared as dividends, but are rather reinvested into the organization (Koteen, 1997). They operate within various public beneficial aspects like, environmental protection, caring for the old and the disabled, community development, and the protection of animal rights among many others (Alvarado 2000). One good example of the non-profit organizations is the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, which is considered to be the largest global humanitarian network, with a mission of alleviating humanitarian suffering, upholding human dignity, as well as protecting health and life of the people, particularly during emergencies such as floods, armed conflicts, ear thquakes and epidemics (Neville 2002). This movement consists of about 97 million members, staff and volunteers globally, with three distinct organizations (Jean-Claude, 1999). The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is an impartial organization that is charged with the responsibility of protecting the lives and dignity of people affected by war or internal violence (Hans 1993). The second organization is the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and is charged with the responsibility of organizing and leading relief aid missions that deal with large-scale emergencies (Neville 2002). The third organization is the National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies that has been established in almost every country in the world. The National Societies work in their own countries depending on their capacities and specific circumstances. Most of their activities are closely associated with the provision of emergency medical services to the affecte d people during times of emergencies (Neville 2002). All of the three components of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement are guided by the same seven fundamental principles: humanity, neutrality, impartiality, voluntary service, unity, independence, and universality (Hans 1993). To achieve its mission of assisting without discrimination that is aimed at promoting peace around the world, the Movement has an important management strategy that gives it a clear strategic direction directed towards reconciling the diverse cultures and priorities of the National Societies, with the aim of being a global network for humanitarian action that works together as a Movement (ICRC Report, 1997). Furthermore, the Movement is guided by the Seville Agreement was adopted by the Movement through the 1997 Council of Delegates in Seville (Angela, 2005). This paper will basically offer an overview of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, analyzing its competitors through the Porter 5 forces, and trends through the force fi eld analysis. The paper will also look at the job opportunities available in this organization, along with the skills I posses and consider if I can qualify for the any of the advertised vacancies. 2.0 Competitors of International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement through porter 5 forces The non-for profit organizations have become one of the most significant driving forces behind the national economic and social development. However, considering the fact that these organizations are most of the time faced by scarcity of resources, it is viewed that competition is the major means and ways through which these organizations can attain their goals and objective (Porter 2008). Therefore, these organizations have to ensure that they will be able to continue providing for the community for the intended period of operation. 2.1 The threat of new entrants into the non-for profit organization Allowing new entrants into the non-for profit sector may imply increased competition for donations and memberships, thus decreasing the funds raised by the organization. For the case of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, having new entrants into this sector may provide a wider choice for the health insurance providers and government tenders , and thus the Movement may be forced to provide extra services for the same amount of funding. 2.2 The Threat of Substitutes he availability of a substitute in the market can lower the amount of potential profits within the industry (Porter, 2008). For instance, enrolment into the schooling programme supported by a non for profit organization such as the American Red Cross may limit membership into the capacity-building programme supported by this Movement (Eugene Brown, 2011). 2.3 Buyer power For the non-for profit organizations, buyers include donors, philanthropic and government funders, and consumers (Porter, 1980). Therefore, buyers can exert pressure on the non-profit organization creating a situation where there is stiff competition for the same source of funding. 2.4 Supplier power Suppliers in this case refer to the government organizations, and other service providers. An analysis of the supplier power impact on the non-for profit organization demands an understanding of the pressures within the suppliers industry. The movement is required for instance to have an understanding of the medicine industry, as this can have power over this Movement. 2.5 Degree of rivalry Competition exists within the non-for profit sector for corporate sponsorship, consumers, donors and government grants (Porter 2008). An analysis of the number of organizations offering the same services compared to the number of individuals requiring such services can be used as a measure of the rivalry in the industry. For instance, the American Red Cross is also a humanitarian organization just like this Movement, and thus can used to determine how concentrated the sector is with regard to attracting donors. 3.0 Analyzing trends through Force Field analysis The concept of force field analysis was introduced by Kurt Lewin, and is still applied by most managers today to help understand the factors or rather forces influencing a situation or behaviour within the organization. Basically, the force field analysis looks at the forces that help in either driving or hindering the movement towards a certain goal (Lewin 1943). Therefore, conducting a force field analysis helps the organization to plan to build up on the forces that support a specific decision, and minimize the opposing factors. For instance, the Internal Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement can apply the force filed analysis to manage and understand the behaviour of its employees. The driving forces propel behaviour towards the desired direction. Such forces can either be extrinsic or intrinsic, or a combination of both, for instance, the desire to achieve the approval of co-workers and bosses, organizational rewards, and motivation (David 2005). However, the restraining forces of ten prevent the attainment of the desired behaviour, and incorporate such factors as lack of training, lack of motivation, and personal issues. Therefore, the understanding of both the restraining and the driving forces provides an understanding of the factors affecting the behaviour of the employees. For instance, if one employee is known to misappropriate the organizations resources, the organization can identify both the driving and the restraining forces in order to help change the behaviour of that employee. It is worth noting that to attain the behaviour change the organization should consider minimizing the restraining force and increase the driving force. In addition, it is worth noting that this Movement is often bound to encounter conflicts with other non for profit organizations that have similar objectives with this Movement. The Movement can therefore apply the force field analysis to analyze the driving forces and the factors that have made it difficult to attain coope ration with other non for profit organizations. There always certain misconception about such social trends and thus the force field analysis to determine the main elemental constructs (Lewin 1943). The Movement will therefore have to identify its strengths, for instance, the basic interest within the community it serves, as well as the challenges, such as competition for the limited space, that prevent it from cooperating with the other organizations. This will allow it to work on the identified challenges in order to increase on the strengths towards attaining cooperation. 4.0 Why I suit to work for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement: My key strength is my interest in IT and business management: I would like to transform this strength into visible and viable performance for an organization that will utilize and nurture my capabilities for our mutual benefit. We realize that the contemporary world is a competitive world where innovation is the major driving force towards attaining a competitive advantage. However, this is not only confined to the profit making industry, but also applies to the not-for-profit industry. For instance, technology is required to enable the organization track new developments, as well as to maintaining the collaborative networking. I believe that I will be able to apply my strengths to help the organization help move forward. Besides, I am a team leader and player and thus will be able to interact with different people from different backgrounds considering the fact that this is an organization whose main activities revolve around serving and interacting with different communities. I can also manage tasks without having to be supervised and I believe this is fitting for the organization considering the fact that most of its activities are not centralized and thus people are required to work without supervision. I also believe that my creativity will allow me to explore new opportunities for the organization, and my ability to solve problems will be of great benefit especially considering the fact that conflicts are often bound to happen at the community level, from individuals competing for the emergency aids. I believe the skills and abilities that I have make me fit to work for this organization. I have conducted a deeper analysis of the International Red Cross movement along with the targets the organization intends to attain during its period of operation, and this has given me the urge to work with it. I am basically interested in serving and helping the most vulnerable people in the society considering the fact that Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is an organization that is concerned with initiating emergency responses in challenging environments, then offering me an opportunity to work with the organization will help me explore my career objective. I have chosen to apply for a job in the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement because this is an organization that has gained a worldwide reputation for its exceptional services in serving the most vulnerable people in the society (Hans 1993). 5.0 The Graduate Job I could apply for The organization advertises all its vacancies publicly on its job prospects site and they are open to both the external and internal applicants. The Movement only allows applications for the advertised vacancies and this can only be done online. The organization acknowledges any placed application immediately via an automatic email and provides the on line monitoring of the status of the vacancy. However, it is worth noting that the organization aims at to attract a qualified workforce and to create a performance-driven work culture by rewarding its staff on a merit-based and non-discriminatory manner (Koteen, 1997). The job that I am interested in is the Deputy Programme Coordinator (Grade 4). This vacancy is available in the Pakistan office, which seeks to offer continued implementation, and finalize on the Integrated Recovery Program that basically seeks to help the victims of the monsoon floods that occurred in 2010. Some of the specific tasks and responsibilities include acting as the managerial focal point when it comes to the running of the daily operations of the Integrated Recovery Program, with the specific focus on the integration and coordination of activities carried out by the different programs. This is aimed at ensuring that the goals of the program are attained. This job position requires a professional in social sciences, for instance in humanitarian or development affairs, or management. In addition, the post requires an individual who has worked in disaster management for five years. Some experience is also required in managing and supporting staff, working for the International Federation and National Societies or a humanitarian organization in one of the developing countries. The individual has to have worked at a local level with the communities and developing partnerships at the national, state of the local level. Besides, the applicant is required to be self-supporting in computers, particularly, in windows, word-processing and spreadsheets. Strong skills are also required in supporting, developing and training staff. In addition, the applicant is also required to have a valid driving licence. Besides, the applicants are required to have strong communication skills, and be able to work within a multi-cultural environment. Trust-building and teamwork are also some of the most important skills the interested applicants of this post should have. Also worth noting is the fact that applicants should be able to effectively network and influence others. Some competence is also required in management of resources, supervision and control, management of budgets, planning, leadership, monitoring, and self-management. 6.0 Comparative analysis Looking at the job specifications, some of the skills required match with the skills that I possess. For instance, the organization requires that the applicant should have good communication skills and the ability to head strategic meetings. I believe I have good communication skills for example my ability to speak in five different languages (Pashto, Persian, Urdu, English, Arabic) fluently and I can as well chair meetings within the organization. The organization also requires an individual who can team work. I have worked as a sales assistant at AFZAL Carpet and I was able to relate with the members of staff, as well as the customers effectively, and thus I am sure that I will be able to work with this team effectively. Besides, part of my course entailed working on team projects and I got the opportunity to head my group, a task I managed successfully considering the fact that I was able to influence my tem members to work on time and complete the tasks we had been allocated. Bes ides, the post requires a professional in management and considering the fact that I have pursued a degree in International Business Management, I believe I will be able to fit in this post. I am also proficient in computer programmes, such as windows installation, word-processing, spreadsheets, internet, web designing, which are some of the skills required to qualify for this post. Furthermore, my ability to relate and work effectively with people from diverse backgrounds will be an important asset considering the fact that the organization requires an individual who can work with teams within a multi-cultural environment. The fact that the post is available in the Pakistan office makes it appropriate for me as this is my home country. It is worth noting that, there are various skills and experiences that I am lacking, which are required by the organization for the applicants. The organization requires some experience in working for the International Federation and the National Societies, but I have not had such an experience since I have not worked for this organization before. In addition, the post requires and individual with five years experience in disaster management, an experience that I also lack. However, with some training I believe I will be able to acquire some skills that will help me function effectively in this position. However, despite the gaps I believe I can apply for the job because I posses most of the skills required by the organization. With some training and gaining a master degree in project management in 2013, I will improve and add on the skills I am lacking. 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Wednesday, March 4, 2020

How to Stop Running Out of Time on ACT Math

How to Stop Running Out of Time on ACT Math SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Because the ACT is designed to be taken by every high school student in the country, it can only test math concepts that every student has experience with. The way the creators of the test make it hard is by giving you questions on a wide range of subjects and sub-topics, presenting them in strange ways, and by putting you on a strict time crunch. Maybe you’ve taken the ACT beforewhether practice or realand found yourself only half way or three quarters of the way through the math section before your time was up. Maybe you just think it would be downright impossible to finish so many questions on time. Rest assuredyou are not alone. And it is not impossible. In this guide, I'll walk you through the timing of the test and teach you how to beat the clock and maximize your time on the ACT. Understanding the foundation of the test will help you keepyour strategies balanced. Math Section Time Overview Before you make a plan for how to best use your time on the ACT, it's important to know how the test is structured. As you likely know,the ACT covers four subjects: English, math, reading, and science, with an optional fifth subjectwritingfor those of you who signed up for â€Å"ACT + Writing." Each of these subjects is covered on exactly one section during the test and you’ll have and no ability to come back to it once you’ve gone on to the next section. This means you don’t have to bounce your brain so quickly from topic to topic (and back again) as you do on other standardized tests, but it also means that the math section is the only math section on the test, so focus will be crucial for maximizing your timing and score. Keep your eye on the prize and only focus on one section at a time. In terms of the questions,you will have60 math questions to do in 60 minutes. This gives youan average of one minute per question. Because the section is not broken up into smaller chunks, you and you alone have to be very careful and strict with yourself about your timing and strategies if you want to finish the test on time. A good thing to keepin mind as you go is that difficulty(how long a question takes to solve and how familiar you are likely to be with the math concepts)roughly goes up in order on the test. The second half of the test will generally have the questions that take the longest amount of timeto solve and will involvemore geometry and trigonometry than algebra. So keep that in mind as you go through. And always remember: there is no guessing penalty on the ACT, so never leave a question blank! You have to be your own ACT coach and keep track of your own timing. No one will be thereto do it for you on test-day. Figure Out Your Target Math Score, and Plan Time Strategies Accordingly To figure out your target raw and scaled scores, take a practice test to gauge your current level and scores. Next, determine what your score goals should be, both raw and scaled. (If you are unsure what your goals should be, that's okay! Check out our article on figuring out your target score.) Once you've found your target score goal, you can look to our time-saving advice to help you reach it. While most of the time-saving strategies on the ACT apply to all scoring levels, there are a few techniques and strategies that vary depending on your current score and your target score goals as well. We’ve split our advice into four main categories: time-saving strategies for all scoring levels tips for those currently scoring a scaled score of 16 or below tips if you’re scoring between 16 and 24 tips if you’re currently scoring 24 or above. Pretty soon you'll find yourselfin the ACT fast lane. Time-Saving Tips for All Scoring Levels These are the tips that will help you maximize your speed no matter what your current score. Afterwards, look belowto find the strategies that best suit your individual scoring level needs. And remember as you go- the ACT is all about balance between speed and accuracy. Once you’ve found the rhythm that works best for you, you’ll be able to up your score and finish on time. For the all-inclusive tips, we’ve further broken this section into three different parts: How toStudy Effectively Before Test Day to Improve Timing Planning Your Overall Math SectionStrategy What to Do on the Day of the Test How to Study Effectively Before Test Day to Improve Timing 1) Familiarize yourself with the test ahead of time. Standardized tests are called â€Å"standardized† for a reasonthe specific questions may vary, but each ACT is as similar to all other ACT tests as possible. The more familiar you are with the structure of and question types on the test, the better off you’ll be (and the quicker you’ll be able to answer questions!). If you can also memorize all the important formulasyou’ll need for the test, you won’t have to waste your time trying to figure them out from scratch. 2) Practice, practice, practice Sit down with a test at home and take it timed. Get used to both the types of questions on the test and the pacing you’ll need to finish on time. As you take your practice test, mark down the time after every fifteen questions. This will show you your current pace. Afterwards, you’ll have a good idea for how long it takes you to finish each set of questions. Now experiment and challenge yourself on your pacing. Were you able to finish the first 15 questions in 20 minutes? Next time you take a practice test, try to do it in 18 minutes. Once you’ve challenged yourself to complete sections faster, compare your accuracy on both testswere you able to gain those minutes back without sacrificing too much accuracy, or did you lose too many points by trying to speed up? Remember that the ACT is all about finding your right balance between speed and accuracy. 3) Practice smart and identify your areas of weakness It’s not enough to simply practice the test over and over again if you continue to make the same mistakes with regards to your timing. Identify which types of problems are the most difficult for you or take you the longest amount of time.Are they usually geometry problems? Word problems? Probabilities? As you get more used to the test and the types of math questions/concepts that appear, see if there are faster or easier ways to solve the questions that take you the most time. Sometimes this can be remembering the properties of special right triangles, like a 30, 60, 90 triangles, so that you don’t have to take the time to find the side lengths via the Pythagorean theorem. Sometimes it might mean using plugging in the answers or plugging in your own numbersinstead of trying to solve the problem algebraically. 4) Employ study strategies according to your current score level and target score. Because there is no guessing penalty, there is not as much variation in strategy by score level on the ACT as there is on other standardized tests. But there are still a few techniques that should be emphasized more or less depending on your current score. As your scores increase, yourstrategies will change. Once you’ve taken your practice test and determined both your current raw and current curved scores, read up on how, exactly, the test is scored.Then, look to the time-saving strategies that suit you for your current level. As you get more familiar with the labyrinth that is the ACT, you'll learn to navigate it with growing speed and accuracy. Planning Your Overall Math Section Strategy 1) Learn to let go of a question It can be very tempting to sit and try to puzzle a question out, but you have to learn how to be more ruthless, both with how you answer questions and in choosing which questions to answer. Each and every question is worth the same amount of points, so pick the questions you can solve easiest and fastest first and then try the more time-consuming ones. If the question takes you more than 30 seconds to figure out or solve, come back to it later. If you're movingon from a question, lightly fill in a random bubble (or your best guess answer) and go to the next question. Sometimes moving on and coming back to a question later can trigger your mind to think of a new approach. (Sidenote: I say fill it in â€Å"lightly† because your bubble should be dark enough that the scanner can read it, but light enough so that you can erase it completely if you have time to come back and find the right answer later.) By filling in an answer (any answer!) now, you’ll have saved yourself some time trying to puzzle out a long or difficult question, and will have at least a 20% chance of getting it right if you forget or don’t have time to come back to it later. 2) Eliminate answer choicesanddraw it out As you go through the test, write on your booklet. Write in the angles and lengths you’re given, draw diagrams, and, most importantly, eliminate wrong answers. Often, you’ll be given a range of choices, one or two of which will be wildly wrong. If you’re using the plugging in answers strategy especially, you can save yourself a lot of time by eliminating one or two of these wrong answers straight away. The fewer answers you have to try, the faster you’ll find the correct solution. And keep in mindany time they describe a figure and don’t provide you with a picture, it means that the question would be too fast and too easy to solve if they provided you with a diagram. Make the drawing yourself! It won’t take you long and it will often point you quickly in the right direction (or at least much more quickly than it would if you tried to work the question out in your head). 3) Identify problems that will take a long time Some questions are not that complicated to execute, but will take time to crunch through. Identify these and save them for last. It is also a particularly good time to use process of elimination on some of the answer choices here. That way, if you need to fill in a temporary answer, you’ve already narrowed down your potential answer options. And you’ve similarly reduced your time in hunting for the right answer if you have time to come back and solve the question later. Remember that your time is better spent on faster-to-solve questions.If the question will take you more than 30 seconds, move on. You can come back to itif you have time. As long as you’re sure to mark any question that you’ve skipped or guessed, you’ll be able to quickly find it when you come back to it later. The ACT is an uphill climb. Find your rhythm and practice smart, and you'll reach your timing goals. What to Do on Test Day 1) Take care of yourself Make sure to rest well the day before the test and eat a nutritious and filling breakfast that morning. It can be easy to let yourself get burned out and lose your pacing by doing so many questions in a short amount of time. But practice, preparation, and rest can do wonders for your focus and your stamina. 2) Don’t lose focus on the topic at hand There is only one math section on the ACT, so you must make it count. Don’t think about how the reading section went. Don’t start anticipating the science section or the essay. You will eat up your limited time if you start to get sidetracked; only think about the section you’re currently on at any given time. 3) Bank time to fill in the bubbles Always leave a minute or two before your time is up to fill in any bubbles for questions you didn’t even get a chance to look at. A 20% chance of getting the right answer is much better than 0% from a blank answer. To save yourself time in going back and forth from test to bubbles, fill in your answer bubbles in chunks as you take the test. Fill in either 10 questions at a time or two pages worth of questions at a time (whichever you like better) to keep yourself on track and prevent yourself from having to continuously flip between problem and answer. Make sure to also bring a good quality eraser. For questions that you’ve skipped and/or moved forward from, fill in your guess lightly in the bubble- dark enough to be read, but light enough to erase if you have time later to come back. The reason you should still fill in questions that you plan to come back to later is to prevent you from accidentally filling in the wrong bubbles on the test if you were to leave one blank (which would give you all incorrect answers down the line). It also prevents you from leaving a question blank if you completely run out of time and don’t have the chance to come back to the question. As always, a random answer is better than no answer on the ACT. 4) Don't worry about anyone else's pacing As much as possible, ignore everyone else in the room while you're taking your test. If you start to worry about how much faster or slower other people are taking the test, you will lose your focus. Concentrate on your test alone and disregard everyone else's pacing. Your test and your goals are all that matter. You are a test-taking island. Imagine there is no one else in the room but you. Current Score is 16 or Below: Time-Saving Strategies In addition to the general strategies for all scoring levels, there are a few other useful techniques you can use for your particular score range. If you’re at a 16 or below scaled score, your raw score is anywhere from a 1 to a 23. If you’re aiming for a scaled score of 20 (the national average), then your goal is to get 31-32 raw points. In order to save yourself time on the test, concentrate most of your attention on the first 40 questions. Doing so will give you 1.5 minutes per question instead of 1 minute. You’ve just increased your time per question by 33%! Consider these first 40 questions as your region of maximum score gain. Give these questions your greatest focus, applying your general strategies for saving time discussed earlier (moving on from problems that take more than 30 seconds, eliminating answer options when using PIA, etc.). By narrowing your concentration range, you will be able to slow down, as you won’t be as concerned with trying to finish every single question in the hour allotted. Anddon’t think just because the first 40 questions are in your point-gain range that you have to get them all right! If there are problems in those first 40 questions that you don’t know how to do, use your eliminating strategies if possible and then fill in your best guess and move on. You’re concentrating on the first 40 to save yourself time, not to necessarily get points on every single question. And lastly, remember to also leave yourself a minute or two to fill in random (or your best guess) answers for the last 20 questions. At 20% odds, you’ll get 4 of them right! Current Score is Between 16 and 24:Time-Saving Strategies If you’re currently scoring in the 16 to 24 scaled score range, your raw score is anywhere between a 23 and a 40. Take your target raw score and add 5-7. That should be your range of questions to pay attention to on the test, as it will allow you to get some wrong and still meet your score goal. For example, if you’re aiming for a score of 26, you’ll need a raw score of 43-44. This means you should focus your attention on the first 50 questions of the test. This will give you 1.2 minutes per question instead of 1 minute, which increases your time per question by 20%! As you solve these questions, apply your general time-saving strategies from above (mark questions that will take too long, use process of elimination, etc.). By putting your focus primarily- or completely- on these 50 questions, you will save yourself time from attempting the last 10 questions (which are often tricky and take the most time). Before you finish, give yourself a minute to bubble in random (or, if you have time to look at them, your best guess) answers for questions 51-60. If you guess randomly on the last 10, odds are that you’ll get 2 of them right anyway! Current Score is 24 or Above:Time-Saving Strategies If your scaled score is at 24 or above, then it means your raw score is currently a 40 or above. In your score range, you’re probably going to look over every single question to determine if it’s one you can do accurately and quickly (rather than focusing your attention on just the first 2/3rds of the test, for example). In your score range, it will be crucial to practice using your time-saving strategies that we covered for all levels above. Considering your goals, you’ll also want to experiment with shortening the time it takes you to complete each part of the math section, as if you’re running a series of sprints. To determine your current pace, split the math section into thirds and time how long it takes you to do each third. Work your way to minimizing each of these times. An example time plan might be for you to aim to finish the first 20 questions in 15 minutes, questions 21-40 in 25 minutes, and questions 41-60 in 20 minutes. By giving yourself 25 minutes for the middle section, you will be going slowly enough to (hopefully) avoid the most common careless math errors. The questions get trickier around questions 20-23, so it’s a good place to slow down a little. In this example time strategy, finish by giving yourself 20 minutes for the last 20 questions. You more than likely will not be able to finish them all in that amount of time, but you will be able to maximize your point gains in this section by finding the easiest and fastest questions to answer first. But bear in mind that this is only one possible time-planning strategy. If this one doesn’t work for you, play around with your timing until you find the right balance between speed and accuracy that best suits you personally. Treat yourself to a nice nap whenthe test isover. You earned it! The Take-Aways Without knowledge and understanding of how to approach the ACT, it is easy to find yourself panicking. The designers of the test know this, which is one of the reasons the test is so seemingly difficult. But if you familiarize yourself with the test ahead of time, focus your attention on your prime scoring range, and learn when and how to move on from difficult questions, you’ll be able to increase your time per question (as well as your overall score!). Deep breaths- you absolutely have the ability to succeed on the ACT. What’s Next? Now that you know the strategies for maximizingyour timeon the ACT, it's a good idea brush up on yourlist of must-know ACT math formulas. The better you know these, the faster you'll be at solving the math questions.And for many of you, you'll be able tosave yourself time (and increase your accuracy) by using plugging in answersor plugging in numbers strategies. If you feel you've got the timing and formulas down and want to see if you can get a perfect score, check out our article on How to an Perfect Score on the ACT Mathby a 36 ACT-Scorer. Feeling overwhelmed? Don't know where to begin?Look no further than our articles onwhat is considered a good, bad, or excellent ACT scoreand what exactly is tested on the ACT math. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Math lesson, you'll love our program.Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands ofpractice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Monday, February 17, 2020

Health and Communities week 16150 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Health and Communities week 16150 - Assignment Example HIV patients require exceptional health needs, which have negative influences to the global economies due to the necessity to manufacture drugs that improve lives of the ailing individuals (Shi & Stevens, 2010). Science, policy, and practice ought to be integrated and utilized in the alleviation of the HIV pandemic. Integration of these factors can direct to development of strategies that can be utilized to bring about positive influences towards the matter. Utilization of science concepts can practically enable development of drugs that can be utilized to thwart further spread of the disease (UNESCO, 2008). Additionally, policy can ensure that individuals with the illness avoid spread to the healthy individuals. Consequently, the overall spread can be substantially minimized through integration of these imperative concepts. Science can enable collection of imperative information concerning that can be practically applied to educator communities regarding the HIV pandemic. However, this can be realized via effectual policies and programs that concentrate on the global matter. Policy architects and implementers can utilize the information in the creation of education systems to disseminate i nformation to all regions across the globe (UNESCO, 2008). The epidemiological resources can enable healthiness officials and policy makers develop mechanisms to prevent further spread in different regions across the globe. The resources can allow policy makers to establish the predisposing factors thus enable them to tackle the matter

Monday, February 3, 2020

United States And European Relations Research Paper

United States And European Relations - Research Paper Example They perceive that the source of terrorism lies in the economic, social and political discriminations that are prevalent on the southern seaside of the Mediterranean and as such can only be addressed through a broad structure that hits at the deepest causes of terrorism. During the time that the Soviet Union crumbled, the members of the European Union no longer saw possible North-South conflicts or nuclear threats. Instead, they saw various south-south conflicts and series of new transnational risks such as illegal trafficking of arms, drugs and even persons; terrorism connected to numerous religious issues; immigration. EU further believes that European security should be less focused on military conditions instead to social and political development of Mediterranean. In the United States, the FBI is a part of vast criminal justice machinery tasked with maintaining legal and political order. They deal with terrorism based on how they perceive acts related to it. According to the FBI , â€Å"Terrorist acts are intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination or kidnapping and occur primarily outside the territorial jurisdiction of the United States or transcend national boundaries in terms of the means by which they accomplished, the persons they appear intended to intimidate or coerce, or the locale in which their perpetrators operate or seek asylum.†

Sunday, January 26, 2020

Relationship between Student Diet and Academic Performance

Relationship between Student Diet and Academic Performance 1.0  Ã‚   Introduction For many young adults joining university, it is a time of substantial change in social, economic and environmental surroundings.1 Currently, there is increasing advocacy for an emphasis on healthy lifestyle behaviours for student populations.2 Researchers have established that academic attainment plays a key role in an individual’s future health, wealth and social outcomes.3, 4 Providing this, academic achievement must be considered by public health decision makers aiming to improve health across the lifespan.5 A balanced and nutritious diet means it is adapted to special individual needs to reach optimal health, that is it supplies optimal levels of nutrients to maintain healthy function.6 Diet quality is a composite measure of scoring food patterns, with a focus on whole food intake.7 The objective is to maintain a high diet quality, through consuming the correct amounts of the food groups from relevant dietary guidelines. Assessment of dietary patterns can allow unfavourable intakes to be identified.8 Poor diet quality introduces nutritional inadequacies and is a significant predictor of poorer health status.9 While the connections between health and education are widely accepted, the mechanisms that contribute to this relationship remain poorly understood. Scholars propose that health behaviours contribute towards cognitive function and maintaining a productive work day.10, 11 The main goal for university students is academic attainment, yet despite this, a high proportion of students report engaging in poor health behaviours during the study period.12 Australian university students are consuming less than the recommended intake of fruit and vegetables, and have a high intake of convenience foods.12, 13 To ensure students are provided best opportunity for success, it is important to understand the determinants of academic performance. It is suggested that the type and variety of foods an individual consumes has an important influence on academic outcomes.14 Diet quality has an association with academic performance, though the isolated effects are yet to be fully explored.15 The scores gen erated may be able to determine areas that can be improved to increase academic performance. There are several variables which affect diet quality and this review will focus on four major themes which emerge repeatedly throughout the literature. These themes are: overall diet quality, eating patterns and behaviours, fruit and vegetable intake and convenience food intake. In order to understand how diet quality is linked to academic performance, the literature was searched for relevant articles released in the last ten years. An analysis of terms identified the key words of: â€Å"student†, â€Å"university student†, â€Å"diet quality†, â€Å"health behaviour†, â€Å"eating pattern†, â€Å"academic performance† and â€Å"academic achievement†. These were used across the electronic data bases of Cochrane library, Web of science, Pubmed, CINAHL and Scopus. Although preference was given to recent articles involving university students, the final search was expanded to incorporate sources of all years, as well as children and adolescent population groups. The aim of this review is to critique current literature between diet quality and university student academic performance. Furthermore, it will assess current measures of diet quality, and the significance of other factors that contribute towards overall diet quality. 2.0  Ã‚   Diet quality Diet is a key behavioral risk factor that can be modified to have an impact on health.16 Free living people consume whole foods, which contain both nutrient and non-nutrient substances.17 Dietary patterns have synergistic effects, which provide insights beyond the role of nutrients and single foods.18 For researchers, it can be difficult to quantify the diet, and any established values should only be used as an approximation. Diet quality is a composite measure of diet in its entirety, and involves the relationships between food groups.7, 8 This qualitative perspective is an alternative approach to provide more detailed dietary information. It can give an indication to the types of food people consume, and therefore where the nutrients are derived from. Diet quality encompasses the central areas of dietary variety, balance, adequacy, and moderation.19 These have been found to contribute to a nutritious diet and can give a greater understanding of dietary habits. Variety and balance involve the consumption of a range of options from the food groups, according to proportionality. Adequacy is attaining the recommended energy intakes to meet nutrient requirements, whilst moderation is regulating the intake of certain foods to prevent harmful effects on health (including convenience foods that are high in sugar and fat).20 It is widely recognised that a high quality diet should be safe, able to promote optimal development and reduce the risk of nutritional inadequacies.6, 21 Diet quality describes how well an individual’s diet conforms to dietary recommendations, and this differs according to country. Australia employs the ‘Eat for Health’ guidelines,6 which were developed through extensive research to provide information on the types and amounts of foods needed to promote health and wellbeing as well as reduce the risk of diet-related conditions. The food groups in the ‘Eat for health’ guidelines consist of: Vegetables and legumesFruitLean meats and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds, legumes/beansGrain (cereal) foods, mostly wholegrain and/or high cereal fibre varietiesLow fat milk, yoghurt, cheese and/or alternatives, mostly reduced fat. 2.1 Measuring diet quality The main tools used to measure diet quality are surveys and questionnaires.19 These are useful for time management, easily sorting data, are relatively simple to design and can be used on a large sample. The questions developed should be well thought out, and it is also necessary to define serving sizes and how often foods are consumed (such as once weekly). The chosen tool needs to consider recall bias, and the respondent’s level of literacy skills. A number of dietary indices have been developed, tested and validated to reflect various aspects of diet quality.7, 17 They are based on existing knowledge of optimal dietary patterns and provide a clear nutritional benchmark. The indices vary in design from simple tools measuring adherence to dietary recommendations, to intricate analyses of macronutrient and micronutrient intakes. The main diet quality indices have scored food patterns in terms of alignment with key dietary recommendations and diversity of healthy choices within core food groups.7 Food-based indices of diet quality are important, as they retain the complexity of foods and permit assessments of single, as well as grouped nutrient components. The dietary indices which are best translated to the Australian guidelines are the Diet Quality Index International (DGI-I), Healthy Eating Index (HEI) and the Dietary Guideline Index (DGI). These are all validated tools and are useful in various population groups.17 The indices have separate nutritional components which are combined into a single ‘overall diet quality’ score. This incorporates cut-off values or ranges for the food groups and selected dietary variables (considered to be representative of healthy eating). The DQI-I was derived from the original Diet Quality Index, and provides an effective means of cross-national comparative work for global understanding of diet quality.22 The DQI-I provides a ‘priori’ analysis (predetermined what is ‘healthy’ and ‘unhealthy’), as it incorporates both nutrient and food perspectives of the diet. The index is validated in both China and the United States, and so reflects a cross-section of cultural attributes.22 It is an in-depth measure which investigates multiple variables and gives a broad picture of diet quality. The DQI uses ranges to find more associations which broadens the information gathered and strengthens the validity of the results.23 The four aspects of a healthy diet comprise the four main categories of the DQI-I. Firstly, there are two variety components, which include the servings across food groups and the diversity within them. The adequacy components use eight food types, and indicates areas in the diet which may need to be improved, and moderation highlights areas that should be decreased (total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, food types with empty calories). The balance component involves calculating the macronutrient ratio and fatty acid ratio. The scores for all four categories are summed, resulting in the total DQI-I score, ranging from 0 to 100 (the higher the score, the higher the diet quality).22 The HEI has been used in several studies that evaluate food consumption. It was originally based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, but has been adapted to other areas.24 It is similar to the DQI, with the addition of total fruit and whole fruit, plant proteins and seafood, and the moderation component includes refined grains.   Food group servings are evaluated on a per-thousand-calorie basis. The scores are calculated proportionally between 0 and 10, according to how well a food group recommendation is achieved.25 The main strength of the HEI is that it assesses diets on a given energy intake level, to characterise diet quality while controlling for diet quantity. The DGI was developed and predefined to the Australian Dietary Guidelines with an adherence to specific aspects of a healthful diet.26 However, it does not account for all aspects of diet quality, and could be beneficial if combined with other measures. The DGI consists of fifteen food components using standard adult portion sizes and the score calculation is based on regular consumption of food frequency questionnaire items. Each component contributed 0 to 10 points, where 10 indicated an optimal diet intake (meeting the recommended serves per week). The total DGI score is the sum of the thirteen items, indicating a maximum possible score of 130.27 Selecting a dietary index remains a complex matter with a large degree of subjectivity. It is important to consider whether the index is adaptable to the chosen dietary guidelines and that it fits within the constraints of the study. The specific context in which they are used should be noted when interpreting results and making comparisons. The main limitation of dietary indices is that there is no universal dietary guidelines representative of a healthful diet.7 The tools used need to consistently be revised if they are to truly reflect the latest nutrition science and policy. 3.0  Ã‚   University Students University academic performance is measured through grade point average, which incorporates the scores from all subjects during a study period.10 Identifying the factors that contribute towards academic performance has clear implications for university students. Diet quality is a health behaviour that may improve a student’s chances of furthering their academic career.15 The rate of enrolment for Australian universities is continuing to grow, with a large percentage being young adults (18 – 34 years old).28 A high proportion of students have an increase in independency, an altered support system and are perceived to be time poor.29 University can be a highly stressful environment, where health behaviours change (health may not be a high priority).1, 30 Amongst this group, there is an increased level of socio-economic disadvantage associated with the prevailing issues of food insecurity.28 This may be related to limited resources to source and prepare healthy foods, wher e individual diets decline in quality due to food insecurity.31 Food choice for university students can be influenced by their environment and can include the primary factors of: affordability, accessibility, peer influence and nutrition knowledge.32 Very few young Australians are following the dietary guidelines of consuming from the five food groups and are generally below recommended levels for fruit and vegetable serves.13 Approximately one-tenth are meeting the daily recommended serves of vegetables, and one-third are meeting recommended daily fruit serves.12 These health determinants mean that the diets of university students are quite poor and may be at risk of nutritional inadequacies. This is an issue, as it has been shown that being undernourished negatively effects academic outcomes.31 As the quality of food and drinks consumed have a significant impact on the health and wellbeing of individuals, better nutrition has a potential to improve public health outcomes. Performance management is always a concern for university administration bodies as they aim to provide the best environment for student growth and wellbeing. The food environment of a university campus should encourage students to adopt a 30healthful eating pattern.15 An institution is an effective setting for intervention, as it has the structure to bring together multiple strategies to a large group of people. A higher level of education can positively affect future health and employment opportunities.3 The development of healthy behaviors that can be continued during a student’s professional life should be strongly supported during tertiary education. 4.0  Ã‚   Diet quality and academic performance There is increasing evidence that nutrition behaviours have an influence on academic performance, which in turn influences future successes.33, 34 The aim of this review is to evaluate the association between dietary quality and academic performance in university students. However, there is a limited amount of literature related to the population group of university students, which is why much of the following research relates to children and adolescents (school-aged students). Current research has established a relationship between overall diet quality and student academic achievement.14, 35-39 Nutrition and health status have a complex and multifaceted effect on cognitive function.40 It has been identified that moderate associations exist between several aspects of diet quality and student performance.14, 34, 36, 38, 39, 41-43 There are a number of factors which have a direct effect on diet quality, and therefore have been included in this review. They include a person’s habitual eating patterns, fruit and vegetable intake, and convenience food (as well as take-away food) intake. The reviewed studies compared a variety of health behaviours to determine which are most significant to student outcomes. The majority reported statistically significant outcomes between diet and academic performance, which is likely a result of the relatively large numbers of participants. The results concerning dietary components strengthened the concept that diet quality has an influence on academic performance. All included research was adjusted for the modifiable and non-modifiable factors which affect student academic performance. The studies acknowledge that the health behaviours relating to academic work are multifactorial, and involve several influencing variables.    It should be noted there were some common limitations amongst the reviewed studies. The majority of the studies were cross-sectional in design, and were not able to determine an independent association between diet quality and academic achievement. This impedes any inferences that can be made about causality. It was important that authors controlled for significant confounding factors, including attendance, economic status, social support and family background. The nature of these studies left open the possibility that other intervening variables may have been related to the observed pattern of results. 4.1 Overall diet quality Overall diet quality was found to be associated with student academic performance. Across all studies, dietary habits that were in accordance with guidelines were related to better student outcomes.14, 33, 35, 37, 39, 44-46 Furthermore, an improvement in overall diet quality score increased likelihood of an improved academic performance. Students with a high intake of ‘high quality’ nutrient-dense foods, and a low intake of ‘low quality’ nutrient poor foods, had increased odds of a favorable school performance.44 The strongest outcome would be achieved through the combined effects of meeting multiple dietary recommendations. When controlling for the key health behaviors of physical activity and weight status, diet quality was a leading contributor to academic performance.45, 47, 48 Emerging evidence indicates that diet quality may have the strongest correlation to high academic achievement, though this warrants further research. The study by Florence et al.14 on school aged Canadian children found an independent association between diet quality attributes and academic achievement. Furthermore, dietary adequacy and variety were identified as specific components of diet quality which influence academic performance. These outcomes reflect the value of consuming a diverse range of foods from the core food groups. The studies with the best depth in information conducted a full assessment of diet quality, and used a validated tool. It is difficult to make sound comparisons when studies do not use similar diet quality parameters and scoring systems. Different cultures have a diverse range of cuisines which means they differ in how diet quality scores were measured. There were also vast variations in the reporting time period for the outcome measures for frequency of food consumption and academic achievement. Poor nutritional intakes do not meet macronutrient and micronutrient requirements, and this can impede on a person’s health status. Diet quality has been shown to be important for health and wellbeing, and may be beneficial to concentration and productivity levels.37 The consistency of this association across various indicators of diet quality gives emphasis to the importance of nutrition. An improvement in diet quality may be linked to enhanced learning and outcomes beneficial to students and institutions. 4.2 Eating patterns and behaviours Specific eating patterns have an influence on academic performance, as they contribute to the overall balance of a diet. It was found that adhering to a ‘healthy’ Mediterranean style diet pattern (high in fruit, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, fish and olive oil), as well as regularly consuming three meals per day, were positively associated with academic outcomes.37, 49-52 There is evidence that suggests habitual breakfast intake, compared to a period of fasting, is moderately related with an improved school performance.50, 53-59 Through a regular eating pattern, a person is more likely to consume the recommended serves from the core food groups, which contributes to an enhanced nutritional status. Eating behaviours influence the quality of a person’s diet, and generally account for whether a person is consciously controlling what they eat. In the studies regarding university students, eating patterns described uncontrolled eating (food consumption is attached to emotions) or cognitive restriction (highly controlling food intake). Overall, the results indicate that lower levels of uncontrolled or emotional eating is associated with a higher grade point average.34 Students reporting to be strict dieters, with a high amount of restrictive practices, were found to have a lower grade point average.15 On the other hand, the use of more ‘flexible’ cognitive restriction, which still involves self-regulation of food intake, but has allowances for all types of foods, may have the best indication to improving academic achievement.34 Additionally, frequency of alcohol consumption is found to be negatively associated with self-reported attendance, motivation and academic performance.15 If students were found to be in the alcohol dependent criteria, they had an excess risk of failing during the study period.60 High alcohol intakes are correlated with other adverse health behaviours, such as sleep deprivation and an increase in discretionary food consumption.11 4.3 Fruit and vegetable intake A higher fruit and vegetable intake is another aspect of diet quality which has a positive relationship with academic performance. When the self-reported daily intake of fruit and vegetables increased, there was a relatable increase in student grade point averages.10, 33, 36, 37, 39, 41, 52, 61-64 The main message is that an adequate fruit and vegetable intake is beneficial to health, and a vital component to good diet quality. Although, results in this area are inconsistent, with a small number of studies reporting no association between consumption of fruit and vegetables and academic performance.65-67 This may be attributed to their study design, as these may have lacked sufficient power to detect certain effects. It was difficult to detect differences between students when a large proportion did not meet the initial recommendations for fruit and vegetable consumption. 4.4 Convenience foods An increased consumption of convenience or ‘take-away’ foods and beverages has a strong link to poorer academic performance. There were consistent results amongst all studies which measured these associations, as well as across all age groups. 33, 37, 39, 41, 47, 52, 65, 68-73   Convenience foods are highly refined, and generally rich in salt, simple sugars or saturated fats, and included: sugar sweetened beverages, confectionary items and fried foods37.Serve sizes and options for convenience and take-away foods differed between studies, and thus interpretations may be difficult to generalise. Students who frequently consumed convenience snacks were less likely to pass standardised tests, in comparison with those who consumed healthier options.69 Poor dietary habits are shown to be a significant predictor of health and weight status, which contribute towards school performance.52 Even a moderate reduction in convenience food intake may lessen the negative influence it has on academic performance.   Current recommendations advise that discretionary foods should only be included in a diet once the other food group recommendations are met, to ensure that a high proportion of a person’s energy intake is comprised of nutritious sources.6 They should only be considered in the diet in moderation, with the consumption of foods from the core food groups being the priority.   5.0  Ã‚   Conclusion The findings from this review indicate that there is a positive association between diet quality and student academic performance. Furthermore, some evidence suggests that this is a dose-response relationship, as the higher the diet quality score, the higher the effect on academic outcomes. Diet quality and variety involve food groups and how a dietary pattern aligns with national recommendations. Several variables which impact on diet quality were investigated and shown to also be associated with academic performance. A number of gaps in the literature have been identified throughout this review. Research in this area is still developing, and there are limitations of the published research investigating the relationship between diet and academic outcomes. It is yet to be determined what specific aspects of diet quality have the greatest effect on student performance. Further investigation is needed to establish if the components of overall diet quality, variety, adequacy, balance and moderation have an independent relationship with academic performance. Longitudinal research is necessary to compare these associations over time. Public health investigations should consider whether interventions aiming at promoting healthy dietary behaviours could have a positive impact on academic performance. To date, there have been no studies regarding diet quality and academic performance at Australian universities. It is unknown how dietary intake influences a university student population group, as their stage in life and lifestyle differs from other student populations. Implications from this research support the broader implementation of effective university nutrition programs that aim to improve student’s diet quality, academic performance, and, in the long term, their health. They highlight the importance of promoting good dietary patterns, especially increasing fruit and vegetable consumption, whilst decreasing convenience food intake. 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