Probation Client Needs Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Probation Client Needs - Assignment Example This program’s aims are to reduce the drug use and drug dependency of female inmates on parole and probation. It is a holistic program that also includes skills training as well as family and other types of counseling as well as recreational and social activities (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (b), 2013). Another similar program is also in use in California for the men and this one also aims at reducing the recidivism rates among the male inhabitants that have been paroled from Californian correctional facilities (Study evaluates substance abuse in probation, parole admissions (a), 2011). This has also had a positive influence in reducing the rates of return to custody of male inmates especially those on probation and released early on parole (Hinkle, 2008). Another program is the Dallas County Judicial Treatment Center implemented in Dallas Texas, a residential substance abuse program specifically aimed at those on probation. It aims to reduce the prison overcrowding in the Texas correctional system. It not only includes modern therapeutic substance abuse treatments utilizing the 12-step method but also includes life-skills training, drug education as well as counseling (Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. Substance Abuse Treatment for Adults in the Criminal Justice System, 2005). These programs have all in addition to reducing the costs of running prisons and alleviating the overcrowding problem in these facilities, also resulted in better results for the offenders, corrections system and the communities in which they are located. 2. These programs have all got as a major strength the fact they have taken a more holistic view of the problems of offenders with substance abuse histories. They also look at other... This essay discusses the parole and probation clients who go into substance abuse programs have shown improvement in more ways than those who do not go through those programs or those who only undergo custodial sentences. The major improvement has been in the area of personal rehabilitation. Criminal behavior brought on by substance abuse can only be reduced if the root cause of the behavior, the substance abuse, is dealt with as only punishing the offender results in him or her returning to the substance abuse on completion of the sentence. Furthermore, if the other usually connected causes of the behavior and substance abuse, such as lack of a job, lack of job skills, lack of housing and a community where drugs are easily available are not tackled at the same time, the offender actually ends up building tolerance and making the substance abuse problem even more serious. All over the US programs that are addressing these root cause of drug-related criminal behavior are producing bet ter results in the rehabilitation of inmates. In conclusion, a program that looks at the needs of the offenders in a more holistic and realistic way stands a better chance of success. Studies have also shown that offender rehabilitation programs that not only include the right kind of treatment for those with substance abuse issues, coupled with the most appropriate community based programs are the most successful when it comes to enabling the criminal justice system impart both punishment and rehabilitation to those convicted of crimes.

Report on Panama Canal Expansion Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Report on Panama Canal Expansion Project - Essay Example The project has been rocked with a strike which could threaten the completion of work as scheduled. Contents Abstract 1 Contents 2 Introduction 3 Background 4 Strengths and weakness of the project 6 Findings 7 a.Finances 7 b.Environmental Impact 8 c.Stakeholders 9 d.Governance and oversight 9 e.Risk mitigation 10 f.High level risks and insurances 10 g.International Governance 11 h.Procurement Policies 12 i.Strategic Human Resource Management and HR concerns 12 j.Performance Assessment of the Panama Expansion Project 14 k.Earned Value management 15 Professional Reflective statement 16 Conclusion 16 Recommendations 18 Bibliography 19 Appendices 22 Introduction Many infrastructural mega projects are prone to suffer from cost overruns, delays, poor performance or inability to give customer satisfaction. Interaction of several factors can cause complexities which can either promote success or inhibit it depending on how they are approached. It is crucial for project managers to thus criti cally analyze a mega project before undertaking it. One such project is the Panama Canal expansion project. Panama Canal is one of the busiest waterways globally. Opened in 1914, Panama Canal is a critical prop of international trade (Gagne, 2011, p. 1267). Nevertheless, the growth of international shipping in the last century and in the present times continues to be hampered by the Canal’s capacity (Gagne, 2011, p. 1267). This necessitated Panama Canal Authority to embark on an ambitious project of expanding the canal. Currently, the canal accommodates vessels of not more than 965 feet (294.1m) in length, 39.5 feet in depth, and a beam width of 106 feet (Sayre, 2010, p. 16). Vessels that can navigate in this canal are known as Panamax and have the ability of can carrying 4000-4500 Twenty Four Equivalent Units. Vessels larger than Panamax are able to navigate in other trade canals which and therefore Panama Canal Expansion project seeks to position the harbor as an internatio nal trade channel able to attract bigger ships and therefore enhance international trade and increase profitability. The expanded canal will be able to handle vessels of up to 1200feet in length, 160 feet beam and a draft of 49 feet (Sayre, 2010, p. 16). After completion, the canal will help reduce waiting times and bring down the costs of shipping significantly (Berman, 2006). According to the projections by Panama Canal Authority, canal expansion project is going to result to between 7 to 17 percent savings to shippers due to increased capacity (Panama Canal Authority Announces Expansion Plans, 2006, p. 12). The decision to expand the canal took into consideration various factors that could be affected by its expansion both locally and internationally. This report highlights some of the areas that have been considered since the decision to embark on Panama Canal Expansion Program was made. It will also evaluate the issues of international governance, change leadership, performance and procurement management and human resources issues surrounding Panama Canal expansion. Background The genesis of a canal running across the Isthmus of Panama goes back to 1534. At this time, the king of Spain, Charles V ordered a survey to be carried out in search for a route passing through the Americas that ships traveling Between Spain and Peru could use (Caso & Welsh, 1978, pp.72 . This discovery of gold in California was met with interest to cross between the Atlantic and Pacific

Hepatitis causes and effects

Hepatitis causes and effects Abstract Hepatitis, one of the major incurable diseases, still exists nowadays endangering many peoples lives. It has many types i.e. Hepatitis A, B, C, D, E and G. The nature of Hepatitis is viral which is caught by either through body fluids or improper personal hygiene in addition to other causes which remains unknown. This disease leads into serious physiological effects such as fatigue, jaundice and serious liver complication like liver Cirrhosis. Psychosocial effect which is another outcome of Hepatitis includes social withdrawal, anxiety, depression and suicidal tendency. Despite of the extensive researches to find a cure for Hepatitis, there is still no effective treatment for it so the responsibility of avoiding this infection is both on government and individuals. Hepatitis is one of the most fatal diseases which was discovered in the early eighties; it can be defined as an inflammation of the liver organ. Hepatitis is derived from the Latin words Hepat which means the liver and itis inflammation. The usual cause of Hepatitis is a virus that invades the body through blood stream. This virus could get into the body either through body fluids or improper personal hygiene, leading to serious physiological and psychosocial effects. There are several types of Hepatitis, such as A, B, C, D,E and G. A, B and C viruses are the most common types of Hepatitis and all these viruses can cause similar problems and have similar symptoms, but they spread in different ways and have different effects on the body. There are several modes of transmission including contaminated body fluids, improper personal hygiene in addition to idiopathic causes. Contaminated body fluids include saliva, blood, feces and urine. Blood transfusion is the most common method, where the blood is transferred from an infected patient to another patient what would be called Horizontal Transmission. Another method is the Vertical Transmission which occurs when a pregnant woman pass it to her fetus. Furthermore, contaminated needles shared by the drug abusers or in medical accidents such as needle pricks† is another way emphasized by (Nowak and Handford, 2004, p.379). Having unprotected sex and multi-partners are other ways leading to this disease according to Nowak and Handford (2004) whom reported that Sexual transmission does occur, particularly among the homosexuals. Note also that 20% of infected heterosexuals pass the virus to their spouses.(p.380). All of the above mentioned causes can lead to Hepatitis B a nd C which are the most dangerous ones. The second major cause of Hepatitis is poor hygiene, for instance, personal and general. To start with contaminated water such as sewage lanes, rivers and public toilets are places of great risk for caching Hepatitis A especially to those who live nearby. This type of Hepatitis is usually transferred by feces according to Fiore (2004) HAV is primarily transmitted by the fecal-oral route, either by person-to-person contact or by ingestion of contaminated food or water (p.705-15).Moreover, unwashed vegetables and shellfish, such as clams and oysters may be contaminated by sewage to become sources of infection to humans. Also, personal hygiene is another element for contacting hepatitis and can occur by sharing razors, toothbrushes and towels, and leads to Hepatitis B and C. Despite previously discussed causes of this disease, there is still a great sector of hepatitis which remains unknown. Statistics shows that approximately 30% of hepatitis B infection are of unknown origin.40% of Hepatitis C cases are idiopathic (Nowak and Handford, 2004,p.379-80). Where another article points that sources is unknown but could be considerable; 50% of reported patients with hepatitis A do not have an identified source of infection (Fiore, 2004, p.706). But McHutchison Bacon (2005) emphasized in their diagram of Figure 2: Sources of Infection for Persons With Hepatitis C that only 10 % of Hepatitis C infection are unknown(p.S287). There are many effects of this disease which lie under the two categories: the physiological effects and psychosocial effects. Where the physiological effects contain all the symptoms of Hepatitis, the psychosocial effects indicate the emotional and social consequences of being a Hepatitis patient. The symptoms of the various forms of hepatitis are similar and they are caused by the damage in the liver. The most noticeable symptom is jaundice which causes a yellowing of the skin. Other symptoms associated with hepatitis include fatigue, general body pain, nausea, mild fever, and loss of appetite. As the infection spreads in the liver, the organ becomes enlarged. It may cause pain in the abdomen and in worst scenario can lead to liver Cirrhoses which mean total liver damage and eventually death. It takes seven to eight weeks after exposure to the Hepatitis virus for the symptoms to appear. A patient with Hepatitis is not only predisposed to physical symptoms, but also to emotional and social problems. These complexities include depression and social withdrawal as each one leads into the other, added to that depression and anxiety which commonly occur together. Anybody who suffers from Hepatitis will be anxious and this anxiety may lead in to depression in sever cases, for example when a patient suffers from Hepatitis and he knows it is a serious illness defiantly he will not stop worrying, these worries can make the person preoccupied with his illness and lead him to depression. Moreover, a Hepatitis patient social withdraw as a result of being unable to find a partner who is willing to live with this fatal disease. It is also hard to make people understand the nature of this serious disease and make friends and families accept and accommodate it. All this may drive the patient to be lonely and tempt to be suicidal. To sum up, Hepatitis is still one of our life time mysteries to be solved. The spread of this disease is mostly due to the natural or hygienic causes in addition to some percentage of idiopathic causes which is still unknown. Like any other illness, Hepatitis has many drawbacks which could be listed under two categories physiological and psychosocial. Unfortunately, despite the advanced field of medicine Hepatitis remains un-ended and research continues in order to find the ultimate treatment for it. Until a final cure is found, precautionary steps should be taken by both government and individuals. The government is responsible to ensure infection control awareness over this disease through its health system. But it is a personal responsibility to prevent oneself from this disease as well as any other disease by following the simple rules of hygiene and ensure to get proper health care from reliable health establishments only. References Fiore, E. (2004). Hepatitis A Transmitted by Food. FOOD SAFETY, 38(1), 705-715. McHutchison, J. G., Bacon, B. R. (2005). Chronic Hepatitis C: An Age Wave of Disease Burden. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF MANAGED CARE, 11(10), S286-295. Nowak, T. J., Handford, A. G. (2004). Pathophysiology :Concepts and Application for Health care Professionals (Third ed.). NY: Mc Graw Hill. Prevention, C. f. D. C. a. (2009). Disease burden from viral hepatitis A, B, and C in the United States [Electronic Version]. Retrieved 9 Dec 2008 from http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/resources/dz_burden02.htm.

College Stress Essay -- essays research papers

Typical November nights in a college students residence include cramming obligated to catch for papers due in December, and exams that lurk around the corner on a topic you felt up on sleep for. Deadlines and due dates are non-existent for students until the night before since the preoccupations; partying and overall good times which lack libraries and study sessions, expel more excitement than the adrenaline rush of a chemistry chronicle or a pre-cal problem. At most schools, the days of dorm rules, dress codes, and even mandatory class attendance is long gone. But while freedom can be exciting and fun, it can also be stressful because no one is telling you what to do. You have to make a lot of decisions on your own and readjust your own values and normal life. There are bound to be mistakes, but that is part of the process. College Life is more then just going to school and making the grades that your parents require of you. This is why many students will incur an ailment called s tress. Stress in college is caused by many influencing factors. One of these important factors would have to be the expectations set by parents. Parents can be more then just an annoying voice in your ear every time you come home for the holidays. They are normally the reason you are at your present school , so pleasing them by getting good grades is almost mandatory. This thought of displeasing the parents can be detrimental to one’s thought process; meaning that it most likely would cause a wor...

Iso Guideline Document

Project Manager’s Guide ISO 9001:2008 Implementation  © 2008 The 9000 Store www. the9000store. com Page 1 of 10 Table of Contents Introduction †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 3 Project Plan†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 4 Scheduling and Conducting the Gap Analysis †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 6 The Planning Meetings †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 8 Holding Task Group Team Meetings†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚ ¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Project Plan Template †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Appendix A Planning Meeting Agenda and Handout†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Appendix B Task Group Meeting Agenda and Handout†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Appendix C  © 2008 The 9000 Store www. the9000store. com Page 2 of 10 Introduction This project manager’s guide is designed to help you plan and manage your ISO 9001:2008 Project using The 9000 Store Documented Quality System. (All items in blue text are available at www. The9000Store. com) The Documented Quality System includes a Quality Manual, Procedures and Forms for an ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System.If you purchased the Complete Documentation and Training Package you also received the Online Training Session, Training Mater ials Package and Gap Analysis. All of the documents in the Documented Quality System are in Microsoft Word or Excel, and are very easy to edit. You will make this system your own by reviewing and editing the procedures, manual and forms. You will also be making changes to your existing processes so you meet the requirements of the ISO 9001:2008 Standard. This project plan will help you manage these changes. The basic steps we recommend are: 1. 2. 3. 4. The Project Manager completes the Online Training Session.The Project Manager prepares a Project Plan. Management and the Project Manager identify an ISO 9001 Steering Team. The Project Manager and others conduct a Gap Analysis with the Gap Analysis Checklist. 5. The ISO 9001 Steering Team assign responsibilities for customizing each procedure to a team or individual. 6. Document measurable for each process. 7. Team leaders hold team meetings to revise processes and procedures based on the results of the Gap Analysis and the prepared Procedures. 8. The Project Manager trains employees on ISO 9001:2008 using the Training Materials Package. . The ISO 9001 Steering Team reviews the procedures as they are completed. 10. The Project Manager trains internal auditors using the Internal Auditor Training Materials Package available at www. The9000Store. com 11. The system is used for several months while records are collected and improvements are made. 12. The Registrar comes to audit.  © 2008 The 9000 Store www. the9000store. com Page 3 of 10 This guide outlines these steps in more detail, and provides forms and templates to help you. This is a recommended plan, and you may change it to suit your organization. Project Plan A.Determine the project goals (Use the Project Plan Template in Appendix A) In order to start planning, you will need to determine what your goals are for the project. Answer these questions: 1. When will you start your project? Consider the start of your project as the date of the Gap Analysis. Whe n will you be ready to conduct the Gap Analysis? Recommended steps to be completed before conducting the Gap Analysis: a. Identify one or more people to conduct the Gap Analysis; it is helpful if they have some quality system experience or audit experience. b. Print the Gap Analysis Checklist. c.Schedule the Gap Analysis, and communicate to all employees what is being done, and why. You will want to be able to make the employees comfortable with answering your auditor’s questions. (The auditor is the person conducting the gap analysis. It may be an audit team or one individual) 2. When does your company want to have an ISO 9001:2008 certificate in hand? The answer to this question will determine your timeline. a. The shorter time frame allowed for the project, the more resources the project will demand during implementation. b. It is important to know what your goal is because other dates will be determined by this information. c.Find out if there are company goals, are there clients that are requesting certification or other circumstances that will determine the date? d. Your date may be revised later. You will use this as a target date, and as we move along to the gap analysis and creating the task list you will be able to determine if the date is realistic. It will depend on what you currently have in place for your quality system, and how many resources you have available for the project.  © 2008 The 9000 Store www. the9000store. com Page 4 of 10 The Project Plan B. Identify Project Responsibilities It is important to determine who will be leading this project.Are you the person leading the charge? If so, you would be the project manager. You do not need to identify the management representative at this point. You will need to clarify who makes up â€Å"Top Management†. The standard has requirements to be fulfilled by Top Management, and the sooner they are involved in this project the better. 1. Who is your project manager? 2. Who makes up Top Management at your organization? 3. Who should be on the ISO 9001 Steering Team? (This team will play an important role in planning, coordinating and providing resources for the ISO 9001 project. See Appendix B for team responsibilities. C. Begin to fill in the Project Timeline 1. When will you conduct your Gap Analysis and how long will it take to complete? a. A Gap Analysis can typically take anywhere from 2 days to 5 days to perform. It will depend on the size of your organization, the number of auditors, the state of your current quality system and the experience of your auditors. 2. Assign responsibilities a. This will take one or two meetings. The project manager and top management should be involved. Choose a date after the task list has been completed. You will use this information to assign responsibility. See section 2 â€Å"Planning and Holding the Planning Meetings†) 3. Target a date for Introductory training for all employees. a. You will want your employees to be aware of the project, what will need to be done, who will be involved, and why you are implementing ISO 9001:2008. Choose a date that is after the meeting discussed above. That way you can decide if some people that will be involved in the project need more detailed training, and you can let employees know who will be working on the project. Use the Training Materials Package to conduct the training sessions.  © 2008 The 9000 Store www. the9000store. om Page 5 of 10 The Gap Analysis Scheduling and Conducting the Gap Analysis A. Schedule the Gap 1. Review the project plan: a. Who did you identify to conduct the gap? b. Schedule the Gap Analysis, and communicate to all employees what is being done, and why. You will want to be able to make the employees comfortable with answering your auditor's questions. c. You may want to consider sending out a newsletter to inform employees that the Gap will be performed, by whom, when and why the Gap is being performed. 2. The audit sched ule a. Determine if you will audit by process/procedure or by area of the facility.Our approach is usually to audit by area of the facility. b. Divide the facility into manageable areas. Schedule time to audit each section of the standard that applies to the area. c. If you are using an audit team, assign the team to cover the various areas of the facility. d. Arrange your Gap Analysis checklists so each auditor will have the sections of the standard that are applicable in the areas they will cover. e. Arrange your checklists so each auditor will have the sections of the standard that are applicable in the areas they will cover. B. Conducting the Audit 1.Follow the schedule that you have prepared. Go into each area of the facility to evaluate the current quality system. Focus on what is in place, and what is not in place. Remind auditors that you are not focusing on compliance or non compliance to the current system, but on the design of the current system, and how it matches the IS O 9001:2008 requirements. 2. Take notes on what is in place, and what will need to be developed and changed. Take complete notes, reference documents and examples. C. Reporting 1. Summarize the audit findings in the form of a task list. You will usually dentify several categories of tasks. †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Processes that comply with the standard and are documented. Processes that comply with the standard and must be documented. Processes that do not comply with the standard and must be redesigned. Processes required by the standard that are not currently in place.  © 2008 The 9000 Store www. the9000store. com Page 6 of 10 The Gap Analysis For each requirement (or set of requirements) of the standard you will want to identify the status of the current system. The ISO 9001 Steering Team will use this information as they assign responsibility and timelines to Teams.Teams will be assigned responsibility for development of a procedure.  © 2008 The 9000 Store www. the90 00store. com Page 7 of 10 The Planning Meeting The Planning Meetings A. Planning your meeting 1. Determine who should attend. Include top management. Answer these questions: a. Who will be able to decide which employees will be assigned tasks? b. Will they know whether the employees' workload will be able to accommodate the assigned tasks? c. Who is responsible for resources and can make resources available to the ISO 9001 project? d. This group should continue meeting as the â€Å"ISO 9001 Steering Team† 2.Create an Agenda, items to include: a. Explain the â€Å"Implementation Steps† to the group (see handout in Appendix B) b. Discuss Responsibilities of the ISO 9001 Steering Team (see handout in Appendix B) c. Assign the tasks to individuals or teams. (Use tables from Appendix B)  § Review the responsibilities to make sure that they are well dispersed, not assigned heavily to one group or one individual.  § For each team identify a team leader. It works very well to have a member of the ISO Steering Team as a leader for each of the Task Group teams.It provides good communication between the teams and the ISO Steering Team throughout the project. d. Determine resources required for completion of the tasks.  § Will teams or individuals need assistance with other responsibilities during the ISO 9001 project?  § What kind of technical guidance will be needed to allow these teams or individuals to complete the tasks efficiently and effectively? 1. Assistance from the management representative? 2. Prepared materials? 3. Special Training? e. Assign dates to tasks. (Use table from Appendix B)  § Stagger start dates according to resources available. Determine which tasks you need to complete in the beginning to allow others to build on, for example: Management Responsibility. Complete the Quality Policy and Quality Goals as well as identifying key processes and their interrelation early on in the project.  § Estimate the amount of time neede d to complete each task based on the amount of resources available to the task.  © 2008 The 9000 Store www. the9000store. com Page 8 of 10 The Task Group Meeting Holding Task Group Team Meetings The team leader is responsible for scheduling the first team meeting according to the plan on the Gantt chart. 1. An agenda is provided in Appendix C: a.Explain the â€Å"Implementation Steps† to the group (use the Task Group Team Handout in Appendix C) b. Discuss Responsibilities of the ISO 9001 Steering Team (use the Task Group Team Handout in Appendix C) c. Hand out the procedure that the team will be responsible for. d. Hand out the section of the Gap Analysis that applies to the team. e. Determine resources required for completion of the tasks.  § Will teams or individuals need assistance with other responsibilities during the ISO 9001 project?  § What kind of technical guidance will be needed to allow these teams or individuals to complete the tasks efficiently and effecti vely? . Assistance from the management representative? 2. Prepared materials? 3. Special Training? 2. Assign dates to tasks from the Gap Analysis using the start and finish date on the Gantt chart. The team leader should print copies of the section of the Gap Analysis that are relevant to the team. a. Explain to the team that the Procedure and your process must match. Some of your processes (the way you do things) will need to be changed to meet requirements of the standard, and parts of the procedure will need to be edited to accurately describe what you do. b.List the requirements from the Gap Analysis Checklist that you are not currently meeting. These will need to be evaluated to determine if you will change your process to match the procedure, or alter your process to meet the standard and edit the procedure. c. List the requirements from the Gap Analysis Checklist that you are meeting. Evaluate these against the procedure to see if edits are needed to the Procedure, or if the process documented in the procedure will work better for you. d. Schedule next meeting. During the next meetings you will work on the tasks that you have listed above. . Once the process has been determined the procedure will need to be finalized and sent for approval by the ISO 9001 Steering Team.  © 2008 The 9000 Store www. the9000store. com Page 9 of 10 The Task Group Meeting 3. Discuss the Next agenda: f. Read The 9000 Store Procedure (Or for the team responsible for the quality manual read The 9000 Store Quality Manual and compare to current processes. g. Assign tasks for implementing changes in your processes and editing prepared procedure. h. Set next agenda i. Schedule next meeting  © 2008 The 9000 Store www. he9000store. com Page 10 of 10 Appendix A The Project Plan Project Plan: ISO 9001:2008 Project goals: Start Date: Target Registration Date: Responsibilities: Project Manager: Management Representative: Top Management: ISO 9001:2008 Steering Team Project timeline: St ep Gap Analysis Create Task List Assign Responsibilities Introductory Training Design and Implementation System Complete Registration Audit Certificate Received Schedule Date Completion Date 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Appendix A Appendix B ISO 9001:2008 Planning Meeting Planning Meeting HandoutsAgenda: Review the â€Å"Implementation Steps† (see handout attached) Discuss Responsibilities of the ISO 9001 Steering Team (see handout attached) Assign individuals to teams for each task group. (Use tables from Appendix B) Determine resources required for completion of the tasks. a. Will teams or individuals need assistance with other responsibilities during the ISO 9001:2008 project? b. What kind of technical guidance will be needed to allow these teams or individuals to complete the tasks efficiently and effectively?  § Assistance from the management representative? Prepared materials?  § Special Training? 5. Assign dates to tasks. (Use table from Appendix B) a. Stagger start dat es according to resources available. b. Determine which tasks you need to complete in the beginning to allow others to build on, for example: Management Responsibility and Document Control should start early in the project. Complete the Quality Policy and Quality Goals as well as identifying key processes and their interrelation early on in the project. c. Estimate the amount of time needed to complete each task based on the amount of resources available to the task.Refer to the Gap Analysis results to determine how much work each team has to complete. 6. Schedule employee training sessions using the Training Materials Package a. All employees need training on the ISO 9001:2008 Standard. Providing the training early on in the project makes everyone aware of the projects and its goals. 1. 2. 3. 4. *Keep minutes of all of the ISO 9001 Planning and Steering Team meetings. This helps demonstrate top management involvement in the development of the ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System . Record attendees. Appendix B Appendix B ISO 9001:2008 Planning MeetingImplementation Steps 1. The team of people assigned responsibility will use the The 9000 Store Procedures, Quality Manual and Forms as a foundation for the process to address the requirements of the standard. The team will use the task list to identify what areas need changes to processes. 2. Each responsible team will evaluate the process presented in the procedure, determine if any changes are necessary for your organization, and make edits to the procedure and forms. 3. The team will finalize the procedure and send it to the ISO 9001 Steering Team for review and approval. . The team will train employees that are affected by or have responsibility for the procedure. 5. The employees will start following the documented process and maintaining records. ISO 9001:2008 Steering Team Responsibilities 1. 2. 3. 4. Identify team members for each procedure. Assign target start date and completion date for each team. Ide ntify training needs for employees and schedule training sessions for ISO 9001:2008 Meet on a regular basis to evaluate progress, answer questions for the teams and evaluate resource needs for the implementation. . Review and approve procedures as they are finalized. 6. Evaluate and choose a Registrar Appendix B Appendix B ISO 9001:2008 Planning Meeting Task Assignments Task Group Quality Manual Document Control Control of Quality Records Management Responsibility Competence, Awareness and Training Infrastructure Planning of Product Realization Processes Customer Related Processes Design and Development Purchasing Control of Production and Service Provision Identification and Traceability Customer Property Team MembersTeam Leader Appendix B Appendix B ISO 9001:2008 Planning Meeting Task Group Preservation of Product Control of Measuring and Monitoring Devices Monitoring, Measuring and Analysis of Customer Satisfaction Internal Audits Monitoring, Measuring and Analysis of Product and Realization Processes Control of Nonconforming Product Corrective Action and Preventive Action Team Members Team Leader Appendix B Appendix B ISO 9001:2008 Planning Meeting Project Gantt Chart (Change headings to the Months you expect your project to run.Then identify when each team will start and stop, shade the time that each team will run) Month 1 Month 2 Month 3 Month 4 Month 5 Month 6 Month 7 Month 8 Month 9 Task Group Document Control Control of Quality Records Management Responsibility Competence, Awareness and Training Infrastructure Planning of Product Realization Processes Customer Related Processes Design and Development Purchasing Control of Production and Service Provision Identification and Traceability Customer Property Appendix BAppendix B ISO 9001:2008 Planning Meeting Task Group Preservation of Product Control of Measuring and Monitoring Devices Monitoring, Measuring and Analysis of Customer Satisfaction Internal Audits Monitoring, Measuring and Analysis of Produc t and Realization Processes Control of Nonconforming Product Corrective Action and Preventive Action Month 1 Month 2 Month 3 Month 4 Month 5 Month 6 Month 7 Month 8 Month 9 Appendix B Appendix C Task Group Team Meeting Task Group Meeting Agenda: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.Review the â€Å"Implementation Steps† to the group Review Responsibilities of the ISO 9001:2008 Steering Team Review procedure that the team will be responsible for. Review the section of the Gap Analysis that applies to the team. Determine resources required for completion of the tasks. a. Will the team need assistance with other responsibilities during the ISO 9001:2008 project? b. What kind of technical guidance will be needed to allow the team to complete the tasks efficiently and effectively? 1. Assistance from the management representative? . Prepared materials? 3. Special Training? 6. Assign dates to tasks from Gap Analysis using the start and finish date on the Gantt chart. 7. Schedule next meeting. 8. Next agen da: 1. Read The 9000 Store Procedure and compare to current processes. 2. Assign tasks for implementing changes in your processes and editing prepared procedure. Implementation Steps 1. The team assigned responsibility for each procedure will use the The 9000 Store Procedure as a foundation for the process to address the requirements of the standard.The team will use the task list to identify what areas need changes to processes. 2. Each responsible team will evaluate the process presented in the procedure, determine if any changes are necessary for your organization, and make edits to the procedure and forms. 3. The team will finalize the procedure and send it to the ISO 9001:2008 Steering Team for review and approval. 4. The team will train employees that are affected by or have responsibility for the procedure. 5. The employees will start following the documented process and maintaining records.Appendix C Appendix C Task Group Team Meeting ISO 9001:2008 Steering Team Responsibili ties 1. Identify team members for each procedure. 2. Assign target start date and completion date for each team. 3. Identify training needs for employees and schedule training sessions: a. Employee Introduction to ISO 9001:2008 using the Training Materials Package b. Internal Auditor Training using the Internal Auditor Training Materials Package 4. Meet on a regular basis to evaluate progress,

The AtekPC Project Management Office Essay

The Atek PC Project Management Office Case Study was assigned for this class to provide an overview of the challenges faced by management in the development and deployment of a PMO in an existing company. Based on the case study respond to the questions below incorporating not only the course reading materials, but any outside research that may be relevant. Be sure to cite the authority for any research included in your response. What were the changes in AtekPC’s business environment that caused the company to introduce a PMO? Based on your assigned readings and research, do these appear to be appropriate reasons for developing a PMO? Why or why not? â€Å"One might be cost reduction. Another motivation to get better on projects would be that we have to get more creative, adaptive, and agile in launching new products. â€Å" [1] â€Å"The PC industry was changing, and AtekPC was engaged in dealing with dramatic pressure from larger competitors such as HP, Dell, and Lenovo. To compete in a changing industry in which consolidation was occurring, AtekPC had implemented a corporate Planning Office. Recognizing the  role that IT would likely play in enabling AtekPC to respond to the industry pressures, the senior vice-president had supported the creation of a PMO within IT. â€Å" [1] Somewhat true but not sufficient Here are some other reasons of why we should have PMO. (of course it cannot represent everything) In mature organizations, the PMO is the focal point for improvement and enhancement in project management through the implementation of the enterprise-oriented functions. Enterprise-oriented functions are intended to bolster the overall capability of the organization for long-range benefits. The enterprise functions will provide the long-term stability and backbone  for the project management success. This mission is met by establishing, and maintaining, a project historical database, by developing and disseminating project management best practices, by providing training in all project management knowledge areas, and by providing visibility for the value of project management to the organization. [2] Distinguish between project-focused and enterprise-oriented duties of a PMO? The specific duties of a PMO were typically divided into two categories: project-focused and enterprise-oriented. Project focused responsibilities such as consulting, mentoring, and training were services that enabled the success of individual projects. On the other hand, enterprise responsibilities addressed services that might improve all projects such as portfolio management, PM standards, methods, and tools, and project performance archives. [1] PMO’s are more effective and can better impact the bottom line, when they are operating at the corporate enterprise-wide strategic level, rather than at the departmental level. Departmentally based Project Management offices are successful in their own silos but not accepted outside their span of influence, and therefore, are unable to influence the organization as a whole. This is because many project management offices started off from a grass roots approach. [3] A PMO that is organizationally based versus departmentally based is more likely to get executive support. After all, project management should not be a departmental strategy; it should be an organizational strategy. The Enterprise PMO will oversee the management of all strategically aligned projects. [3] Describe the primary issues faced by AteKPC management under the two organizational models that were under consideration for the PMO. Explain the limitations of each of these models.