Construction Project and Procurement Essay Example for Free

Construction Project and Procurement Essay A historic overview on the development of building procurement systems in the UK from post war period (1945) present day. The points in evolution a split into 4 phases; 1. 1)Phase 1 1945 – 1972: The period before the World War 2 selective tendering methods were being used more prolifically, the Simon report 1944 (ministry of works 1944) strongly recommends the use of selective tendering. After the end of the 2nd World War there was an increase in the building industry, this resulted in using procurement methods such as open competitive tendering despite the report in 1944. In the 1950’s the Phillip’s report reiterated the recommendation in the use of selective tendering and explained the need for co-operation from all parties in the construction process (HMSO 1950). However by this time new procurement systems such as negotiated tenders and design and build had come about. Through the 1960’s to the 1970’s the need for co-operation between the industry and its professions was further expressed in the Emmerson report 1962 and Banwell 1964, they also reiterated in this period the recommendations of the Simon report 1944 and the use for selective tendering. Over all from the end of the war to the 1970’s this was a time of uninterrupted economic growth in which construction procurement in terms of conventional methods prevailed, only where few unconventional methods where being used on smaller projects, Despite a number of reports in the period recommending the adoption of more co-operative approaches from members of the project team. 1. 2)Phase 2 1973 – 1980: Phase 2 was a period of recession and instability, which was a result due to large price increase of crude oil from other countries, Post the 2nd World War after the economic boom this was lead due to high inflation rates. A number of case studies during the 1970 had brought to attention the use of non-conventional procurement methods. The wood report 1975 examined purchasing policies and procurement, although the report was restricted to the public sector it stated that public authorities used inappropriate procurement methods due to circumstances and found that 40% of the projects that were examined still used non-conventional procurement. Reports that followed this stated the need for improvement and urged a state of recovery as clients did not want to commit themselves to building projects during a time economic uncertainty. . 3)Phase 3 1980 – 1990: This phase was a time of post-recession the period of adjustment and recovery, big changes were made in the economy and the construction industry it introduced labour-only subcontracting and changed attitudes of major clients. Major clients and organisations had decide that old existing procurement methods were inefficient and caused delays there fore leading to extra cost at the end of projects, So bigger organisations such as the British property federation (BPF) started to use ideas from the US to improve their own management and procurement systems. In this period conventional methods were popular and were still widely being used, there was also a substantial increase in the design n build and management contracting, however management contracting proved in early years to take longer and dissatisfy clients if poor management was involved due to projects being overrun so there was a suggestion to reduce this method. 1. 4)Phase 4 1990 – 2008: The period from around 1990 up to the credit crunch (recession 2008) contained around equal phase of recession and recovery as it did from the post war period. In past decade the advent of partnering and the increase in various private finance initiatives had come about, there were also efforts by the governments to improve the performance in the construction industry. Two main reports were the means of vastly improving the industry, these reports were made by ‘Sir Michael Latham’ (Constructing the Team) and by ‘Sir John Egan’ (Rethinking Construction), these two reports changed the industry by improving the inefficiencies towards procurement and contractual agreements within the construction industry. The reports brought about a number of initiatives such as; †¢M4I – the Movement for Innovation was formed in 1998 I was to co-ordinate the report ‘Rethinking Construction’ through the use of demonstration projects, working groups and knowledge exchange, †¢KPI’s – are a product from ‘M4I’ and the ‘Egan Report’ they were set to create targets in which had to be met in order to achieve improvement, a number of ‘KPI’s’ were created but were refined in the year 2000 to around elven different aspects of the process of construction, PFI’s – private finance initiates were brought about by the government to enable public projects to be funded without the need for the capital from the government, †¢Partnering and framework agreements – had already come about before 1994 but were given great impact by the ‘Latham Report’. Partnering is where contractor’s works with client to reduce and share costs, the partnering framework agreements are the contractual agreements between both parties.

Science Essay -- essays research papers fc

For some people science is the supreme form of all knowledge. Is this view reasonable or does it involve a misunderstanding of science or of knowledge? For many persons science is considered the supreme form of all knowledge, as science is based on facts and theories and it reaches its results through an approved scientific method. Consequently, it seems to be objective and thus more truthful and reliable. However, other persons argue that this is a misunderstanding of science. Hence, one should question what science and knowledge entail. Can there actually be some form of knowledge that overrules all other types of human knowledge? Is scientific knowledge actually always objective? Are there other types of knowledge of equal worth? This essay will discuss the views presented mainly using examples from biology and history and comparing them to the different ways of knowing, i.e. perception, reasoning, emotion and language to try and reach a conclusion on whether scientific knowledge really is a higher form of knowledge. Firstly, before attempting to discuss the topic at hand, it is important to define the terms â€Å"knowledge†, â€Å"science† and â€Å"supreme†. According to Webster’s Encyclopaedic Dictionary â€Å"knowledge† is defined as â€Å"the acquaintance with facts, truths, or principles gained by sight, experience, or investigation†1. â€Å"Science† is a branch of knowledge that has purpose to â€Å"describe, explain, understand, investigate, predict, and control†2. The term â€Å"supreme† is defined as â€Å"the highest in rank, authority, and/or quality†3. Now, to put these definitions in context, one must recognise that scientific knowledge, to have the status of the highest in authority and quality, it has to be reliable and consistent with reality. And since scientific knowledge is based upon investigations and observations of the environment around us (i.e. reality), it must be supreme. However, what can be questio ned is the degree of supremacy within different types of sciences, and in this essay the comparison will be limited to one natural science (biology) and one social science (history). Biology could be considered the supreme form of knowledge, as a large proportion of what we know is based upon observations and investigations of the world around us, thus inductive reasoning. Let’s consider the example of organs in living organisms; it’s a scientific fact that most living org... ... our perceptions, way of reasoning, and the language used, thus the scientific knowledge we have created is also subjective. Bibliography Books Abel, Reuben. Man Is the Measure. New York; The Free Press, 1976. Acton, Edward. Rethinking the Russian Revolution. Arnold Publishers, 1990. Pipes, Richard. Den Ryska Revolutionen. Stockholm; Natur och Kultur, 1990. Dictionaries Webster’s Encyclopaedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language. 1989, Gramerce Book, New York. 1 Webster’s Encyclopaedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language. 1989, Gramerce Book, New York. p. 792. 2 Abel, Reuben. Man Is the Measure. New York; The Free Press, 1976. p. 82 3 Webster’s Encyclopaedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language. 1989, Gramerce Book, New York. p. 1430. 4 Pipes, Richard. Den Ryska Revolutionen. Stockholm; Natur och Kultur, 1990. p. 161 5 Acton, Edward. Rethinking the Russian Revolution. Arnold Publishers, 1990. p. 238 6 Abel, Reuben. Man Is the Measure. New York; The Free Press, 1976. p. 82  © Copyright 2005 Cassandra Flavius (FictionPress ID:375156). All rights reserved. Distribution of any kind is prohibited without the written consent of Cassandra Flavius.

Cromwells contribution was greater off the battlefield than on it Essay

â€Å"Cromwell’s contribution was greater off the battlefield than on it†. How far do you agree with this view of Cromwell’s role in the First Civil War? Many historians have argued that Cromwell’s rise to prominence was through his work during the First Civil War (1642-1646). This work can be split into two sections: on the battlefield and off the battlefield. On the battlefield, his main success came during the Battle of Marston Moor and Battle of Naseby, whilst off the battlefield he was instrumental in passing the Self-Denying Ordinance which created the path to victory for Parliament. Cromwell’s early military engagements in East Anglia had been relatively successful compared to other parliamentary generals during the first two years of the First Civil War. The Eastern Association, Cromwell’s army, were successful in several minor battles, namely Gainsborough, Winceby and Grantham. This prevented the Royalists from controlling Lincolnshire. These victories had provided much-needed propaganda for parliamentary newspapers, during a year in which the Royalists were clearly the stronger side. In addition, Cromwell also stopped the proclamation of the Royalist commission of array in Hertfordshire. However, it should be noted that these triumphs were trivial, and when placed in the context of the entire war its only function was to delay the southward march of the Earl of Newcastle’s army. Nevertheless, Cromwell’s prominence was enhanced significantly since he was the only parliamentary general to have any success in 1643. His other military successes in 1643 include establishing the northern frontier of the Eastern Association at the River Nene. The victory at Crowland Abbey entrenched parliamentary control in East Anglia, indicating that Cromwell was clearly successful in preventing Royalist forces from taking over Lincolnshire. Again, this had provided the Parliament Scout with propaganda. This propaganda gave Cromwell an increased military reputation, which helped him in the political arena during the latter years of the First Civil War. The Battle of Marston Moor, July 1644, changed Cromwell’s career both as a politician and a military general. Cromwell’s unique ability to regroup of his soldiers after attacking Byron’s cavalry in order to attack George Goring from the rear was the main catalyst for the victory. Although this battle did not decide the final fate of the First Civil War, it gave parliament hope and confidence; after the battle parliamentary soldiers were euphoric. This suggests that, just as in 1643, Cromwell’s military leadership not only resulted in victories but also increased the morale and confidence of the parliamentary army in general. Following this victory Cromwell’s political and military reputation were elevated to new heights. Whilst the Battle of Marston Moor was not the turning point in the First Civil War, the Battle of Naseby (June 1645) certainly was. Yet again, Cromwell was instrumental in winning the battle for parliament. Just like at Marston Moor, Cromwell’s horse was able to attack the Royalist from the rear, breaking the initial Royalist momentum. Since royalist infantry were either or slaughtered or surrendered, the King was never able to field a full size army again, implying that at Naseby Cromwell had effectively won the war for parliament. Furthermore, by capturing the King’s baggage train, Parliament were able to publish the details of the Charles’ correspondence with the Irish Catholics and hence giving Parliament more support from the people. Evidently, one can see that Cromwell was at the heart of the victory at Naseby, which ensured that parliament won the First Civil War. It may appear that all Cromwell’s military actions all resulted in victories. This is not the case. Even in 1643, Cromwell had some failures as a soldier. Although he was successful in East Anglia, he completely failed whenever he tried to participate in wider military engagements. By the summer of that year, his military position was as dire as other parliamentary generals, and thus was in no position to provide military support. Meanwhile, Cromwell’s military failures after Marston Moor include the Battle of Newbury and Battle of Donnington Castle. However, these failures were minor and did not have as much an impact as his victories. For instance, the Battle of Marston Moor was not decisive, so the loss at Donnington Castle did not mean that parliament lost the opportunity to win the war. On the other hand, Essex’s loss at Lostwithiel was much more consequential since it negated the advantage gained at Marston Moor. One might wonder whether if Essex had not lost at Lostwithiel, parliament would have won the war much earlier due to the advantage gained at Marston Moor. Therefore, Cromwell’s military failures are cancelled out by his more important successes. These military successes turned Cromwell into a parliamentary hero. As a result, he was able to advance his political influence. In the political arena, Cromwell was able to a more integral part than before the civil war. Cromwell’s main political achievements occurred in the Self-Denying Ordinance, in which he secured a pathway to victory for parliament. The Self-Denying Ordinance forbade any MP to hold an army command. This meant the likes of Manchester and Essex were forced to relieve their military commands. Consequently, the peace party lost control of parliament’s army, leaving the war party, who wanted outright victory first, in control of the army. This meant that the parliamentary army was united in its aims, implying that Cromwell had set the framework for parliament’s future military engagements. The Self-Denying Ordinance also allowed for the creation of the New Model Army, whose excellence was witnessed at the Battle of Naseby, again indicating Cromwell’s ability in the political arena. The Self-Denying Ordinance was not Cromwell’s only political accomplishment. In January 1644, Cromwell is involved in raising monthly assessments by 50%. This helped parliamentary finances which were in short supply. Cromwell also attacked many other parliamentary generals who he felt had played insignificant and incompetent roles in battles. All of these happened because of Cromwell’s increased political status, as seen by his position in the Committee of Both Kingdoms. Therefore, it seems that Cromwell played key roles in political events during the civil war. However, it is important to remember that the Self-Denying Ordinance was not devised by Cromwell but instead by his parliamentary allies, notably Viscount Saye and Sele. Although he was involved in its passage through parliament, Cromwell was merely the most prominent beneficiary. In parliament Cromwell was supported by at least 9 connections. Without these connections it could be argued that Cromwell would not have received such political importance. Furthermore, it was Cromwell’s military success that allowed him to be influential in parliament, thus implying that his political status was dependent upon his military prowess. His military triumphs also helped him when Essex and Denzil Holles debated whether or not to impeach him. They had decided not to proceed because of Cromwell’s military importance to the parliamentary army, suggesting that his military contribution cannot be replaced. In addition, before the First Civil War, Cromwell lacked many essential political skills as seen by many of his mistakes. Cromwell’s paucity of political aptitude is also seen when he attacks Manchester in November 1644. This attack split parliament into rival two factions: peace party and war party, which would have consequences after the war. Although Cromwell did try to unite the factions together, he was responsible for the breakout in the first place, thus implying a negative contribution off the battlefield. Therefore, one finds that Cromwell’s contribution off the battlefield is not as desirable as his military contribution. His political contribution alone could not have won the war for parliament, whereas his military contribution on its own could have won the war for parliament. In conclusion, Cromwell’s role on the battlefield and in the political arena cannot be underestimated; in both areas he was useful and helpful towards parliament’s cause. However, Cromwell’s role main role was on the battlefield where he led many parliamentary armies to victories in full-scale battles as well as minor skirmishes, which eventually ensured triumph for parliament over the king. These victories allowed him to acquire an increased status not only militarily but also politically, which gave him more influences in parliamentary affairs on and off the battlefield. Nevertheless, politically he did not architect any notable event, even the Self-Denying Ordinance wasn’t devised by Cromwell. On the other hand, militarily he guided a parliamentary side from near defeat in 1643 to victory three years later. Thus, this gives the impression that Cromwell’s contribution was greater on the battlefield.

The Issue Of The Energy Drink Stigma - 1035 Words

The Energy Drink Stigma The article has being analyzed in this paper is â€Å"Energy drinks have doctors worried-but business is blooming† found at summer issue of TIME magazine in 2015. The problem depicted in this article brings up the concerns about the consequences of consumption the energy drinks by people, especially kids and teenagers. This issue is actual because if we want to be on the right path way with today’s modern world, we often have to make a big physical and emotional efforts, experience a lot of stressful situations which inevitable leads to loss of health, physical, and emotional exhaustion. Therefore, we need an extra sources of energy and that’s where the energy drinks are coming to play with promises of a quick burst of†¦show more content†¦Although the represents energy drink companies says: â€Å"many of the products bear voluntarily warnings Shonya 2 that they’re not recommended for children, pregnant or nursing woman, or people sensitive to caffeine,† nowhere you can find the warning sign that these drinks may be potentially harmful and lead to death (Sifferlin 23). Energy drinks are usually called soft beverages contained of various biologically active substances, mostly stimulants such as caffeine. Stimulants make people feel alert, boost mood or energy, but, unfortunately, stimulants can be addictive; moreover, if people cut off from regular dosage of consumption, they may crash into fatigue, headaches, irritability, and depression (Myers 117). Manufacture industry engineers claim that the drinks have a stimulating effect on the body by providing better physical and mental performance. With raping spread of a new type of drink among young generation, the fear about the safety for human health bring the controversial dispute on this argument. Conflict between manufacture production and distribution energy drink and health scientists is ongoing topic for today’s issue. The main applicable theory for this paper is conflict theory which macro-oriented model of viewing the world. The key aspect in this perspective is that society is structured in ways to benefit one group over another (Soc 28). In this case, theShow MoreRelatedConsumption of Energy Drinks521 Words   |  2 PagesConsumption of Energy Drinks Throughout the last several centuries, many beverages have been utilized to produce energy to boost the body and its ability, such as tea and coffee. 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