The Importance of Communication and Teamwork Among the Flight and Cabi Essay Example For Students

The Importance of Communication and Teamwork Among the Flight and Cabi Essay n Crew The Importance of Communication and Teamwork Among the Flight and Cabi Essayn Crew TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT 4 INTRODUCTION 5 Background 5 Purpose/Audience 5 Sources 5 Limitaions 5 Scope 5 COLLECTED DATA 5 Importance of Communication Among the Crew 5 Main Cause of Aircraft Accidents 6 Duties of the Crew Members 7 Expectations of the Crew 7 The Crew is a Team 8 Intimidatin in the Cockpit 8 Cabin Crew is a part of the Team 9 Trusting the Crews Judgment 9 Crew Resource Management (CRM) 9 Outline of CRM Training 10 LOFT Training 10 Organizing Resources and Priorities 11 CONCLUSION 11 Summary of Findings 11 Interpretation of Findings 11 REFERENCES 13 We will write a custom essay on The Importance of Communication and Teamwork Among the Flight and Cabi specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now ABSTRACT The majority of aircraft accidents are caused by human error, and an accident or incident is linked together by a chain of errors. Most of these accidents could have been avoided by the crew if they would have been communicating to each other better. Some common errors that occur among the crew are poor task delegation, assertiveness, and distractions. Crew training in communication and teamwork will increase the crews performance level. Programs like Crew Resource Management (CRM) have been developed to try to help the crews work together and reduce the human factor in accidents. CRM includes training in leadership/followership, assertiveness, management, communication, teamwork, decision making, and task delegation. Through programs like CRM crews learn to work together as a team, and when they are working together it is less likely therell be an accident. INTORDUCTION Background The cause for most aircraft accidents (65%) are by crew error (FAA News, 1996). When the Crews performance level is low due to poor teamwork and communication this is when accidents happen. How can crew error be reduced? Even though human error cant be reduced completely through constant training and effort by the crew performance will increase and accidents will be reduced. Purpose/Audience This report is intended for a general audience and will show how important it is for the flight and cabin crew to work together and communicate as a team. This report will also examine the CRM program. Sources Sources have been obtained for this report from the Internet and from the Waldo Library, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan. Scope Teamwork and communication are a critical factor in the crews operation of aircraft. Accidents can be prevented when these two factors are considered. COLLECTED DATA Importance of Communication amoung the Crew People communicate to each other every day. From a kids talking to their parents about their report card, to doctors working in an operating room. In order for us to understand one another we must be clear in what we say. For instance, if a doctor tells a nurse to pull a certain plug on a machine, hed better be clear on what he says or the nurse might end up harming a patient. Likewise, the cabin and flight crew must work together. In a typical cockpit the flight crew is very busy, and they need to be well organized to handle the many tasks they perform. They need to communicate properly and clearly for safe operations, if they dont their actions could result in a tragedy. Main Cause of Aircraft Accidents Mechanical problems and technical malfunctions do contribute to aircraft accidents, but human error is the main cause, accounting for 65% of the accidents (FAA News, 1996). See the pie chart in figure 1. This figure is quit high, and if it were possible to reduce human error the accident rate would drop significantly. Accidents that occur because of human error are not a direct result of just one error but of a chain of errors. The human error chain results when one bad decision leads to another which leads to the accident. The question is, how can we reduce human error in the cockpit? Studies have shown that most incidents could have been prevented if communication and leadership skills were improved. .u8cf9d977f59ba28a434674c613bba834 , .u8cf9d977f59ba28a434674c613bba834 .postImageUrl , .u8cf9d977f59ba28a434674c613bba834 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u8cf9d977f59ba28a434674c613bba834 , .u8cf9d977f59ba28a434674c613bba834:hover , .u8cf9d977f59ba28a434674c613bba834:visited , .u8cf9d977f59ba28a434674c613bba834:active { border:0!important; } .u8cf9d977f59ba28a434674c613bba834 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u8cf9d977f59ba28a434674c613bba834 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u8cf9d977f59ba28a434674c613bba834:active , .u8cf9d977f59ba28a434674c613bba834:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u8cf9d977f59ba28a434674c613bba834 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u8cf9d977f59ba28a434674c613bba834 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u8cf9d977f59ba28a434674c613bba834 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u8cf9d977f59ba28a434674c613bba834 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u8cf9d977f59ba28a434674c613bba834:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u8cf9d977f59ba28a434674c613bba834 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u8cf9d977f59ba28a434674c613bba834 .u8cf9d977f59ba28a434674c613bba834-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u8cf9d977f59ba28a434674c613bba834:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Oedipus's Crime EssayDuties of Crew Members In order to have a clear understanding of whos involved in the crew, these positions with their duties will be discussed. There are usually 2-3 flight crew members and 1-3 flight attendants aboard an airliner. In the flight deck are the Captain, Co-pilot and flight engineer. When there are only two flight crew members theres no flight engineer. (this is to reduce costs). The Captain is the Pilot in Command (PIC). He/she has the final authority of all decisions and all responsibility rest on his/her shoulders. The Co-pilot assists the Captain in his/her duties, .

Intrusion Detection Systems Essays

Intrusion Detection Systems Essays Intrusion Detection Systems Paper Intrusion Detection Systems Paper Intrusion Detection Systems In 1980, James Anderson’s paper, Computer Security Threat Monitoring and Surveillance, bore the notion of intrusion detection. Through government funding and serious corporate interest allowed for intrusion detection systems(IDS) to develope into their current state. So what exactly is IDS? An IDS is used to detect malicious network traffic and computer usage through attack signatures. The IDS watches for attacks not only from incoming internet traffic but also for attacks that originate in the system. When a potential attack is detected the IDS logs the information and sends an alert to the console. How the alert is detected and handled at is dependent on the type of IDS in place. Through this paper we will discuss the different types of IDS and how they detect and handle the alerts, the difference between a passive and a reactive system and some general IDS intrusion invasion techniques. First lets go over what the difference is between a passive and a reactive IDS. In a passive IDS the sensor of detects an potential threat then logs the information and sends an alert to the console. With a reactive IDS, also known as an intrusion prevention system(IPS), the threat would be detected and logged. Then the reactive IDS would either reset the connection or reprogram the firewall to block network traffic from the suspected source, which could be automatic or at the control of an operator. Therefore a reactive system will act in response to the threat were as a passive system will only log and send an alert to the console informing the operator of a threat. There are many types of intrusion detection systems, network intrusion detection, host based, protocol based, application protocol based, anomaly based and hybrid. The first one we are going to discus is network intrusion detection systems or NIDS. With NIDS the system attempts to detect threats and attacks, such as denial of service attacks, port scans and attempts to hack into computers by monitoring the network traffic in real time through a promiscuous connection. It does so by first filtering out all known non-malicious traffic and then analyzing the remaining incoming packets for suspicious patterns that could be threats. It is not however limited to just analyzing incoming packets, the system also analyzes the outgoing local traffic, in case of an attack/threat that originates inside of the local network. Snort is an example of this. Host based intrusion detection systems unlike network intrusion detection systems, which focus on a computing system’s external interfaces, host based systems focus on the monitoring and examination of the computing system’s internals. Host based systems are more concerned with the changes in state of a computing system. It detects these changes by analyzing system specific logs either in real time or periodically. When there is any change in the logs the IDS will compare the current configuration of the security policy to the changes and react accordingly. An example of this would be tripwire. Protocol based intrusion detection systems (PIDS) monitor the dynamic behavior and state of the protocol. In a typical setup there is a system or agent sitting at the front end of the server. This agent or system monitors the communication protocol between the computing system, it is trying to protect, and a connected device. The main goal of protocol based IDS is to impose the proper use of the protocol used between the protected computing system and all connected devices. Bro and sort are examples of protocol based intrusion detection systems. Application protocol based intrusion detection systems (APIDS) are used to monitor the protocols specific to certain applications and protocols being used by the computing system. The typical setup, similar to protocol based IDS, consists of a system or agent that sits in front of a group of servers where it will monitor and analyze the communication protocols specific to applications. An example would be to have an APIDS between a web server and a database system where the APIDS monitors the SQL protocol being used between them. Anomaly based intrusion detection systems detect attacks and threats through the monitoring of system activity and classifying it based on heuristic or rules instead of patterns and signatures. The IDS classifies activity as either normal or anomalous based on its analysis. Since the classification is determined by heuristic or rules it has a significant advantage over systems that use signatures. In signature based detection the signature has to have been previously created where in anomaly based any type of use that doesn’t coincide with the normal use of the system will be detected malicious or not. Snort is an example of this type of system. Hybrid intrusion detection systems consist of a combination of one or more approaches to intrusion detection systems. Typically you would use a host based IDS and a network IDS to develop an extensive overview of the entire network. The biggest benefit that a hybrid IDS has over any single type of IDS is the large amount of sensors it has to detect malicious activity. Prelude is an example of an hybrid IDS. As with any other type of security device there will always be some one looking for holes in the fence. Intrusion detection systems are no different. Through many intrusion invasion techniques people are able to avoid detection by changing the states of the IDS and the targeted computing system by manipulating the attack or the network traffic that contains the attack. Some of the techniques we will cover in this paper are obfuscating attack payload fragmentation and small packets, overlapping fragments, protocol violations, inserting traffic at the IDS, denial of service. Obfuscating attack payload is simply what it means, which is to encode the attack so that the IDS will be unable to reverse the packets but the target computer can. A way to do this is through encoding attack packets with a Unicode character in which an IDS recognize but an IIS server will be able decode thus being attacked. You can also use polymorphic code in so that you can trick signature-based IDSs by creating unique attack patterns so there is not a distinct attack signature that can be easily detected. Another technique used to evade IDS is through fragmentation and small packets. With this technique you simply just split the packets up into smaller packets or create packets with a small payload also known as ‘session splicing’. Although small packets alone, will not be enough to evade an IDS with a packet reassembler. Hope is not lost though you can still modify the packets to complicate reassembly. One way to confuse the reassembler is to pause between sending parts of the attack in hope that the reassembler will time out but not the target computer. Another way is to send the packets out of order so that the reasssembler gets confused but the target computer does not. An IDS evasion technique, known as overlapping fragments, uses TCP sequence numbers to confuse the IDS. It basically creates a series of packets with TCP sequence numbers configured to overlap. So for example you send the first packet that includes 80 bytes you then send the second packet with a sequence number of 76 bytes after the start of the first packet. The target computer, when it tries to reassemble the TCP stream, has to decide how to handle the 4 bytes that overlapping. Some systems take it from the older data and some from the newer data, it is dependent on the operating system of the target computer. Protocol violations are another technique of IDS intrusion invasion. Using protocol violations you simply exploit known violations to a protocol that will be interpreted differently by the IDS than by the target computer. An example of this would be to use the TCP Urgent Pointer that is handled differently by different operating systems and the IDS may not handle it correctly. Another evasion technique is inserting traffic at the IDS. This is where you send packets that the IDS will see but the target computer will not. This is accomplished by simply crafting packets whose time to live fields have been configured to reach the IDS but not the target computer. This creates a situation where the IDS is in a different state than the target computer. Denial of service attacks or DoS attacks, are used to evade detection by overloading and disabling the IDS. To achieve this the attack will exploit a known bug in the IDS using up computational resources needed by the IDS. This can also be accomplished by intentional generating a large number of alerts to set up a front to hide the real attack. Utilities such as stick and snot are designed to send a large amount of attack signatures across a network to spawn a large number of IDS alerts. However this will only work on IDSs that do not maintain application protocol context. As you can see with the numerous ways around intrusion detection systems, as with any network security system, there is no complete security solution. Even with this there will always be a need for intrusion detection systems. The best of which would be a combination of network and host based IDSs, in other words a hybrid IDS. These will give you the benefits of both worlds of IDS and allow for greater security. Whatever your opinion on which solution is right for you, intrusion detection systems are here to stay and are a valuable tool in network security. Resources securityfocus. com/infocus/1514

7 Fun Challenges to Hold During Your 2016 Office Olympics

7 Fun Challenges to Hold During Your 2016 Office Olympics Olympic fever, 2016 edition, has set in. And although you’d rather be sitting on your couch watching round-the-clock streams of water polo and steeplechase, there’s the pesky fact that unlike Bob Costas, you’re not paid to live, breathe, and eat Olympics for the next few weeks. So you need to go to work- but that doesn’t necessarily mean you need to leave all things Olympic behind. Here are some Olympic events you can host at work, until you can get home and watch the USA basketball team humiliate some tiny nation that doesn’t have an NBA-packed roster.1. Competitive Chair SwivelHow many times can you spin without your feet touching the ground?2. Synchronized Stair WalkingIt builds teamwork![via Giphy]3. The 100M Freestyle Hallway SwimEat your heart out, Michael Phelps.4. Lobby GymnasticsBe sure to stick the landing! [via Tumblr]5. Cubicle HurdlesMaybe don’t do this one without a doctor present, or if your company has policies against, uh, da ngerous activities.6. Water Cooler Clean-and-JerkHow much can you lift without getting your shoes wet? [via Tumblr]7. Parking Lot MarathonGet ready for 26.2 meters of glory. [via USAFTW]The Closing CeremonyDon’t leave it out–pageantry is important! [via fanpop]

MBA in Supply Chain Management module Change and performance measures Essay

MBA in Supply Chain Management module Change and performance measures - Essay Example The ltter brngs fewer volumes of effectve negotton nd brgnng power nd t gurntees flexble nd quck responses for busness. n vew of bove, t s beng questoned why compnes turn to delng wth decentrlzed mngement when centrlzed procurement results n obvously domnnt effectveness. The response to ths queston wll be tht there re no dvntges of one pproch to purchsng over nother; there s one wy of effectve procurement tht gurntees successful outcome nd t by mens - blncng decentrlzed nd centrlzed pproches when dong regulr purchses n the system of supply chn mngement. Centrlzed keepng of wrehouse purchses s n effectve step towrds keepng the sfety stocks nd ncrese nventory turnover. However, whle centrlzng solves the nventory mngement problem to degree, wth very lrge number of prts the nventory mngement of slow movng prts s stll formdble chllenge. To llustrte the problem we cn use the Preto, or 20/80 rule (Donld, Bowersox, Closs, 1996), to see how lrge number of tems drve up nventory mngement costs nd undermnes the development of more cost-effectve servce strtegy. Usng the rule we cn see tht lmted number of fst movng tems - usully round 20 % of the tems - mke up 80% of sles nd profts nd only smll frcton of nventory mngement costs. These re the fst movng -prts. The rest re the B- nd C- prts tht drve hgh nventory mngement costs whle not contrbutng to the proftblty of the busness (B-prts re the 50% of the products tht mke up 15% of the sles. C-prts contrbute wth 5% of sles but mke up 30% of the tems n nventory). However, the perspectve provded by the Preto nlyss helps us see potentl soluton. Wht f t were found tht number of the slow movng B- nd C- prts fulfl the necessry techncl requrements for beng produced usng Rpd Mnufcturng f ths were the cse t would be possble to replce keepng prt n nventory wth producng t on demnd. n other words, the soluton would be to replce nventory n the centrlzed wrehouse wth Rpd Mnufcturng cpcty n connecton wth the centrlzed spre prts centre. Wht s the potentl beneft of replcng nventory holdng wth rpd mnufcturng cpcty n the centrlzed spre prts centre Currently the slow movng B- nd C- prts drve up nventory holdng nd logstcs costs tht need to be subsdzed wth profts from fst movng prts. ntroducng Rpd Mnufcturng would cut the hgh nventory holdng nd logstcs costs of the slow movng prts, nd reduce the need to subsdze the hgh costs of B- nd C-prts wth profts from fst movng prts. Ths would lso reduce the vulnerblty of the OEM's busness to rlnes nvestng n Rpd Mnufcturng cpcty on ther own. Centrlzed wrehousng combned wth centrlzed Rpd Mnufcturng for the slow movng B- nd C- prts keeps nventory low whle t the sme tme keepng nvestments n rpd mnufcturng cpcty well utlzed. Opertng stnd-lone mchnes n number of dfferent loctons s neffcent becuse the requred qulfed personnel cn not be employed very effectvely. s more prts re found where nventory holdng cn be replced wth Rpd Mnufcturng, nd the demnd for these prts exceeds the cpcty of sngle RM

Descriptive Profile of Milford Sound Fjord Essay

Descriptive Profile of Milford Sound Fjord - Essay Example They stand tall on either side of the narrow curving inlet and rise towards the sky protruding from the stretch of water. While some hills are coated a dark green hue with trees and appear all soft and bushy, others have streaks of lighter green canopy adorning them. Yet some others appear a bit grayish and rocky, whereas the peaks of the mountain are snow-capped with bits of a green impression on them like the ones done to blend two different colors in a painting. The white mist that seems to hang only on the mountain peaks are actually the vast spread clouds. There can also be seen clouds in the form of white fluffy puffballs that encircle the peaks giving the idea of a pointed birthday hat with a sphere on top. At some parts of the mountains, the eye catches white moving streaks falling towards the ground, which are the temporary waterfalls created after the heavy rains. However, the Milford Sound proudly shows off its two cascading beauties, the Stirling Falls, and the Lady Bowen Falls. The Bowen River trickles along the hill before it falls off the cliff and splashes into the inlet. The clear deep blue inlet is almost always dotted with ships that bring in tourists from all around the world. The blasts made by the whistles of the ship bounce of the cliffs and fade into the distance. Another sight to watch is when the powerful winds blow, the temporary waterfalls get pushed back vertically and they tend to move upwards, as the current of the water is changed by the wind. If one is lost in a hypnotic trance from the scenic beauty, they will be brought back to senses by the calls of dolphins, seals and also the penguins, just like I was. A rare creature present here is the Whio (blue duck), the males of which â€Å"whistle† and the females make â€Å"guttural rattle-like† calls (Milford Track 5). The climate at the sound is very pleasant as there is rainfall mostly and it proved to be much better than any man-made equipment that adjusts room temperature.

Continuing Personal Development Essay Example for Free

Continuing Personal Development Essay For years, the only way to format HTML in a visually appealing way was to use tables. As the web evolved, designers wanted to do more than just display text, they wanted to emulate printed documents. This was done through CSS or cascading style sheets. With this, designers are able to separate content from presentation, and gain more precise control over layout. Cascading Style Sheets, or CSS, allow you to modify properties of existing HTML elements. With style sheets you have increased flexibility and the capability to add several attributes that are not available with normal HTML. The word cascading applies to a hierarchy of importance in that the user has the highest level of control. By applying a user-selected style sheet, the user has complete control over the styles of the web page. This is an accessibility benefit. People can view web pages in any browser that they choose, and they can manipulate it as much as they like. Using CSS to your advantage One of the primary benefits of CSS is that it allows authors to separate content from its presentation. The content can be presented with any combination of styles, but the content itself will remain unchanged. With style sheets, you have greater control over layout than you do with tables. You can change the linear layout of a page without altering its visual layout. Linear layout refers to the order of elements in a web page when all styles and formatting are removed. One of the nice things about style sheets is that you dont have to alter the visual formatting of a web page when you alter the linearized reading order. This can be useful when you want to make sure that screen reader users access the page content in a certain order. CSS Pitfalls It is sometimes tempting to take advantage of the wide-ranging capabilities of CSS to convey meaning. This is one of the most dangerous pitfalls of CSS-based design. For example, different colors of text could be used to separate certain words into different categories. In a sense, this sort of visual categorization technique provides visual cues that are helpful to readers. Not everyone has full visual capabilities though. Individuals with low vision, blindness, or color blindness or those that use old browsers and monochrome devices may or may not be able to make sense of the information if it is presented this way. This is the same with the use of meaningful background images. Since background images cannot have alternative text explicitly associated with them, there is potential for abuse, or at least negligence, in terms of ensuring accessibility. Some of the strengths of style sheets are also weaknesses. For example, the ability to change the linearized reading order of your content without changing the visual layout can lead to some wonderful accessibility solutions, but it can also create a huge mess. Even though it is possible to present the content to screen reader users in any conceivable order, most of the times, the more experimental design, the more likely it will confuse users. It is interesting to note that when you use CSS, you have to accept the fact that your content will not look right in some browsers. Some may not even support CSS at all. (Creating accessible CSS. Web Accessibility in Mind. ) Reaction The article from WebAIM is a good head start to learn more about CSS. It presents an overview of Cascading Style Sheets to help the readers get a grasp of how it was created and how it evolved as an answer to a changing need to have more flexibility in HTML. It provides a detailed yet highly comprehensible approach to CSS; the basics of it and the certain issues it entails. CSS is indeed a creative way to enhance our ability to manipulate web pages and relay information over the internet. WebAIM also presents the advantages and disadvantages of CSS in a concise manner. CSS has gained popularity because of its many advantages. The article emphasizes the value of how you can separate the content from presentation. In a time when both content and presentation are important in order to effectively communicate the message to the viewers, it is especially important that a demarcation between the two be made. Being able to change one while not sacrificing the other, is a good attribute that CSS has brought to HTML. CSS improves the ease of changing tags and styles while also being efficient with its process. However, useful as it is, CSS has also some disadvantages. The rather lenient way of manipulating styles may also be subject to abuse. More confusion can be made if improper and abusive use of style variation is done. Careful thought must be ensured when creating web pages so as to convey messages clearly and effectively. Like in any other fallible structures, it is important to be cautious of any mistakes that might be done, paying closer attention to detail and the efficiency of the method or style used. Moreover, one must understand that although browser support issues are inevitable, there are some strategies to manage this. Bibliography â€Å"Creating accessible CSS. † Web Accessibility in Mind. http://www. webaim. org/techniques/css/

Biographies of Karl Marx and Frederich Engels Essay -- Marx Engels Bio

Biographies of Karl Marx and Frederich Engels Karl Marx and Frederich Engels collaborated to introduce the liberal ideas of Communism. The Communist Manifesto was their byproduct that was introduced in January of 1828. Marx and Engels lives were drastically different from each other, although they both agreed upon the fundamental ideas of it. Marx’s idea of being an individual stemmed from the life that he lived. Marx found that his ideas were often not accepted in various societies but this did not stop him from professing them. Marx found that his personal ideas could be expressed freely, not in his own country, but in other countries. This soon became a problem because his homeland of Germany tried to oppress him through pressure. Engels life was different because of the family that he came from. Engels was born into the life of a middle-upper class family that allowed him more freedom in his life. Engels found that his individual ideas were accepted from the start but he was not as liberal as Marx. With the experience s and oppression that the men faced for their ideas, it is amazing to see how the Communism Manifesto was established. Karl Marx (1818- 1883) Karl Marx is an intriguing and fascinating man. He was born on May 5, 1818 from two German Jewish parents. Marx’s father was a prominent lawyer in Trier. Marx’s father converted to Lutheranism to safeguard his livelihood. This event did influence Marx’s later view of religion and conformism. His mother was from a long line of rabbis, but these religious beliefs played a small role in his life. He was baptized at age six, but this was the extent his encounter with religion as a child, which prevailed later in his life as he proclaimed himself an atheist. Marx stu... ...Both Marx and Engels believed that the individual should not be repressed in a governmental system. Their thoughts on these ideas came from the events that shaped their lives. Together the dynamite combination of Marx and Engels created a Communist theory that shaped society. Notes [i] Carver, Terrell ed., The Cambridge Companion to Marx (United States: Cambridge University Press, 1991), 4-6. [ii] Koren, Henry J., Marx and the Authentic Man (Pittsburgh, PA: Duquesne University Press, 1967), 1. [iii] Lenin, â€Å"Biographical Article on Frederich Engels,† Engels Biography by Lenin, (10 March 2002). [iv] Brian Basgen, â€Å"Karl Marx By: Frederick Engels,† Karl Marx Biography, (08 March 2002).

Echoes of Heaven: God’s Love is Better than Life Itself,” Essay

Abstract Charles Elephant bares his Spirit in a book exalting God in every word, every page, and every chapter. In publishing his new book titled â€Å"Echoes of Heaven: God’s Love is Better than Life Itself,† Elephant shares his faith with the world by lifting select verses from the bible, and explaining how these words have changed his life and formed his faith. Amid all the tragedies, heartbreaks, hatred and confusion in the world today, it seems that everyone is out in the desert of life, tired but still running aimlessly for some clarity, a sense of knowledge that a much higher, much powerful force is in control, and never losing control of the world as they know it. Each person has a way of coping with life’s trials and difficulties. People turn to loved ones; others turn to their friends, others to their support groups, others to their families, while some others turn to books of wisdom that may provide the answers even to the questions they have not really asked out loud. Elephant writes the words of wisdom with the aid of biblical references and tells his readers how God started everything, and how He is still watching over His creation, with every intention of fulfilling His promises. â€Å"Echoes of Heaven: God’s Love is Better than Life Itself† is the book that will accompany its readers in their walk through life. It is a friend, a guide and ultimately, a prayer partner for a more meaningful and richer relationship with God. Author’s Bio Charles Elephant was born and raised in the quiet rural town of Mukurwe-ini, Nyeri in Kenya. Charles’ birth name is Charles Njogu. â€Å"Njogu† means Elephant in his language. Charles completed a Master’s degree in International Finance and Economics at Brandeis University in 2003. Presently, he is taking yet another Master’s Degree, this time under the Science in Management and Systems program at New York University. Charles came to the United States in 2001 and lived in Waltham, Massachusetts for a while, then moved to Newark, New Jersey, where he is currently staying. Life was chaotic for Charles in his search for life’s meaning and the individual role that he is supposed to play in this world. He was on a restless journey through life before he rediscovered God and began to understand His ways in the early 1990s. Along with his renewed faith in God, Charles got a revived outlook in life. Since then, too, Charles has determined that his strongest desire lies in tapping into his Spirit to gather more wisdom from God, and subsequently pass it on to His children. Charles vows to share with the world God’s amazing works and promises through his books and music of Praise and Worship. â€Å"My purpose in this merciless and bitter world is to bring together all the children of the Most High God to understand each other and find a way back to God. It is my responsibility to help others to rise above body-consciousness and have a glimpse of the Lord, with His grace.† –   Charles Elephant PART I Chapter 1 Songs of Praise â€Å"Echoes of Heaven: God’s Love is Better than Life Itself†[1] begins with praise, worship and adoration in the first chapter using verses in Psalm 40. Elephant deems it good to start this way, presumably to honor God before moving forward to what he has to share in his book. He writes, â€Å"It is good to praise and worship God because He is good and worthy of our devotion every moment.†[2] How did Elephant introduce God to his readers? What justifies the statement that â€Å"It is good to praise and worship God,† and how â€Å"good† is God such that He is â€Å"worthy of our devotion every moment?† Elephant lifted verses from Psalm 40 to enumerate some of God’s wonderful ways. He responds to the cry of his people; He pulls His children from a dangerous pit, and a deadly quicksand; He makes His children feel secure; and He teaches who hears Him with a new song. Essentially, readers begin to see an extremely powerful but loving God who saves His people from harm, makes His people feel secure, and soothes the weary to sing a new song. How does Elephant respond to the amazing qualities of God? What is Elephant’s way of showing to God that he does praise, worship and obey Him? Elephant turns to Psalm 40 and says to God, â€Å"Here I am, I have come—it is written about me in the scroll. I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.†[3] The introduction shows the manner in which a book will move forward from the starting point. This is where readers are given a glimpse of how the author will take them on a journey, and what they could look forward to in the succeeding chapters. In his first chapter, Elephant tells his readers that his book will be a guide to understanding God, a new lens through which God could be seen in a different light, and a friend to talk to when one finds himself feeling insecure or getting trapped in a dangerous pit, and a deadly quicksand. Chapter 2 Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Elephant understands that his book is a personal collection of prayers, which can also be understood as private content of his spiritual being. Hence, in Chapter 2, he moves on to share more about himself, his life, where he came from, the kind of family that raised him, how he rediscovered the Lord and increased his faith; and how he found serenity in his newfound faith in the Lord. To anyone who carries or has carried a lot of burden in life, Elephant talks to him and says, â€Å"Before I met God, I was desperate; I hated myself because I had no hope, and my life was nothing but misery.†[4] Elephant furthers, â€Å"I was dying to hear someone whisper, ‘I love you,’ but no one ever did.†[5]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After having been lost and restless in life, Elephant says he wants to share with his readers the joy he has been feeling in God’s grace. Then he sums up his realizations in one urgent message – the importance of growing and increasing the relationship between man and God.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To bring God closer to the reader’s home, Elephant likens God to a father; a father whose arms await his children who had gone out of His embrace, who had decided to walk aimlessly through life, but are now ready to come back home to Him. Chapter 3 God’s Calling   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the many things that you would normally hear from all kinds of people is that they are waiting to feel or hear God’s calling. Some others are asking whether there really such a thing as God’s calling and who hears this calling and how. Charles Elephant tells his story – the root of his choice, the family situation he was exposed to, and how God gave him a startling message that had set the course for his next choices in life. Elephant courageously shares the story that would convince you to find your own calling, too. Then he recounts a dream where God has spoken to him. Ultimately, Elephant opens his life to further stress one point: the depth of God’s understand and the extent of what He may choose to do for his child. Elepahant closes the chapter by saying, â€Å"I thanked God because He could understand my struggle and what I was going through.†[6] Chapter 4 God Appeared in Person   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Jesus Christ was crucified because the people would not believe that he was the Son of God. But today, Charles Elephant is saying in his book that God has appeared before him in the flesh of a stranger. In the Bible, it is written, â€Å"Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.†[7] Charles Elephant unfolds a tale of an encounter that has made him cry positive triumphant tears. He says, â€Å"I had done what was right in the eyes of God.†[8] Chapter 5 God Revealed Himself to Me   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Chapter 5, Elephant continues to reveal his relationship with God and how his visions were coming with accurate news. He also relates to readers the conflicts he had to face externally and internally. Without qualms and even a slight hint of reluctance, Elephant tears his memory apart to gather the point in time when he felt God’s manifestation in his life, as he sensed God revealing Himself to him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In this chapter, Elephant says to his reader, â€Å"Do not harden your heart.† As he was lost and had experienced countless conflicts in his life, he knew how a hardened heart must feel. But after a process of overcoming   the blocks toward his spiritual growth, Elephant says, â€Å"Take my soul and mind because there are no longer my own. God, the Creator of the universe, let your will be done in my life for your glory.†[9] Chapter 6 Submitting My Life to God   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In examining his life, as well as that of everyone and everything around him, Charles Elephant equips himself with the knowledge he needs to understand to carry on in life. Elephant notes the miracle of how he had gone to school despite his lack of resources. In his observation and recall, certain things in His life would not have happened if God had not allowed it. Yet, because they happened, and in fact turned into reality, Elephant calls it a miracle – one of the many miracles in his life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Elephant shares yet another miracle in Chapter 6, how he was baptized by God, and how he was anointed by Jesus, the Son of God.   Submitting himself to God by baptismal was the first major step that Elephant has made in the hopes of giving back to God his expression of love. Chapter 7 Exciting Missions   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After his holy baptismal, witnessing life and death became significant missions for Elephant. He tells of how God has sent him to people, and how the people have turned to him, as well. Charles believed he was doing God’s Will. And ultimately, he was willingly surrendering everything for God, because He has manifested Himself to him, and He has given him missions to fulfill. Elephant is filled with delight, because he has done as God had said. To his reader, he passes the reassurance that God is not taking anyone out of His sight. In fact, God knows and sees everything. Therefore, people who submit themselves to God need not worry about anything, especially not about getting lost.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   He is a child following orders from God. Once again. Surely, Elephant wishes everyone to be alert in the presence of God, the father. He says, â€Å"When we go astray or fail to do His will due to our ignorance, He corrects us with love. His love to us endures forever.†[10] Chapter 8 The Occasion of My Birthday   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Jesus said this is how man should make his petitions know to God: â€Å"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.[11] Elephant tells of birthdays graced by God and how his relationship with Him has made him a completely at peace and content person. Through his birthday stories, Elephant suggests that no matter how simple or grand the petition is, if you say it out loud to God,   then it will happen according to God’s grace. Chapter 9 Love   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Love and pain from heartaches are frequently together; most of the times, where there is love, there is pain. In the same manner, one’s value is diminished in the absence of another.   Yet, Elephant says love is the greatest gift of all. How does love, with pain accompanying it, become the greatest love of all? Elephant says the simple answer, â€Å"Jesus sacrificed his life for our sake because of the Love God had for the world.†[12] If love could result in the sacrifice of life, then there is nothing that love could not do, cause or bring forth. One is still inclined to ask, â€Å"Why do people who love get hurt?† Elephant says, â€Å"God made me to go through the practical experience of being hurt, disappointed, desperate and discouraged. Without suffering, love could have no value; suffering draws us closer to God and helps us to appreciate the gift of life.†[13]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As for his more personal story, Elephant says this about love: â€Å"Genuine love does not attach conditions; it is always a free gift to others.†[14] Chapter 10 A Vision of Heaven   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Heaven is a bright, lively stunning place where a banquet is prepared for everyone. This is just one of the aspects of Heaven, according to Elephant. In his curiosity about death and Heaven, Elephant had prayed for guidance and received it. In his trip to Heaven, two things were made even cleared to him: One, Heaven is home. Two, everyone should be able to find their way Home to the Father. Hence, upon receiving this vision, Elephant’s goal of bringing more people closer to God, so everyone could reach Home when the time comes for death on earth. Chapter 11 Angel Messengers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If people were plants and bushes in the garden, angels are the gardeners fulfilling their biological needs and preserving their aesthetic value. After his own personal encounters with angels, Elephant summarized his realization into this: â€Å"Angels are humble creatures who are always ready to serve and protect us. They are our gardeners. They do not want to see us miserable, sad or doing wrong things.†[15] Chapter 12 Faith   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Every now and then, man will realize his faith is being tested by the situation, by his inner conflicts or by the environment influencing him. In any circumstance where faith is being tested, Elephant is says one has got to understand the breadth and depth of God’s might and His love for man. This way, one’s faith will remain strong amid tempting thoughts, feelings, worries and insecurities. How does one show his faith? How could faith be increased? How could faith be manifested? Elephant answers all these questions by saying, â€Å"Faith and trust are built through the long journey of love. Faith must be reflected by actions.†[16] God makes impossible things happen at His will. Elephant says, â€Å"He is faithful and never fails. He creates ways where there is no way.†[17] Chapter 13 Dealing with Darkness   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It has always been good versus bad since man’s first kindergarten stories. It has always been about good triumphing over evil in the end. In believing in God, Elephant says, it is also important to believe in the existence of the devil, which he relates to darkness as proper metaphor.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In this chapter, Elephant shares how he almost died, and how God has empowered him to preserve his life – by defeating the devil. Elephant explains to his readers the way in which the devil works in the lives of man. He says, â€Å"As I was thinking about God, the Devil was thinking about me. As I was thinking about how to build a relationship with God, the Devil was thinking about how to destroy my relationship with God.†[18] Further, Elephant suggests that man should be ready with armor in anticipation of the devil’s attacks. What kind of armor could protect man from evil? Could this be bought? Is there a practice necessary to build it? Elephant says, â€Å"We need to put on our armor for protection. The name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and savior is the spiritual supernatural weapon; and the blood that he shed on Calvary is our armor.†[19] Therefore, Jesus Christ has done it all for man. Jesus Christ and his dying at the Calvary, and later on his resurrection, had become man’s salvation against evil for the rest of man’s life. Chapter 14 On Preparing for Death   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Elephant had an actual near-death episode in the previous chapter. Here, he talks about his vision on his last day on earth. He had asked for a glimpse of how it would look like on his day of departure from Earth, and he was not very ecstatic about what he saw. Yet, how ecstatic could one be if one is seeing a vision of his wake or funeral? But then Elephant says there is nothing to worry about, not even death. He writes a prayer that one could recite in anticipation of death, and in gratitude to God at the same time: Thank you God for the time you have given me to live in this merciless and bitterness world. Lord I cannot complaint for anything because you have blessed me from the time I came to this world until this day when I am leaving it. It was through your grace and favor that I am the way I am. Many were born with various disabilities, including mental and physical health. Many went without food, drinks or clothing, but for me you had provided well. Millions have died through various causes but you have kept me alive until this day. I have seen the glory of sunrises and sunsets for all those days.[20] PART II Chapter 15 Man is a Complicated Creature Even from the very beginning, seemed to have a special inclination to doing exactly the opposite of what man is told to do. In Chapter 15, Elephant goes back to God’s commandments given to man, and how it everything turned out since the instruction was given. This is a highly reflective chapter in which Elephant arranged the stories in the bible that shows how man, since biblical Day 1 on Earth, has complicated every simple instruction given by God. Elephant concludes in the chapter, â€Å"Our first parent chose to follow or listen to a stranger, the Devil. He ignored the instructions that he was given by God, despite being given everything by his creator.†[21] Chapter 16 Swearing an Oath Big promises are big thing; but small promises are never small things. Hence, when it comes to promises or making oaths, God has instructed man to never take it lightly. Elephant says, â€Å"God discourages mortal man from making promises, because our failure to fulfill them will result in curses.† Elephant further says that there are traps laid by the devil in every promise a man makes. For this reason, in Psalm 15:1-5, God requires man to always do what he promises, no matter how much it may cost.[22] In the same manner, Elephant emphasizes that man should neither promise nor demand anyone to make a promise. In this way, only God is relied upon to keep His promises, as He never fails in His word. Chapter 17 Leadership Leadership comes from God, Elephant says.[23] However, unlike God who rules with glory, man tends to fail because of his ego, according to Elephant. He says, â€Å"Most leaders fail because they walk their own way out of pride.†[24] To become an effective leader, man has to submit himself to God and neither to himself, nor to the devil. Man has to understand that the true power of leadership belongs to one source, and that is God. Elephant’s advice is this: â€Å"Politicians are God’s vessels. Yet, due to ignorance, they are used by the Devil to kill, steal, and destroy. Their power and authority must be used for the glory of God, not for personal interest or gain.†[25] Chapter 18 Amazing Vision about Churches In Chapter 18, Elephant shares yet another vision, one which he received for the preservation of churches in the world. The day in the vision is Sunday, when most people go to church. Elephant sees the difference between and among people going to church, their motivation for doing so, and the difference in results across all people after the worship is over. He saw a group dressed in clean garments, and another group wearing rugs. What the people wore were symbols of their heart, what lies underneath the pretty clothes they don in the church.   How can people be so different when they are going to one common church? In his vision, Elephant was taught that not everyone sincerely comes to God to worship him. There are people who are still confused over the true meaning of God’s existence in their life. Elephant’s guide in his visionary has told him, â€Å"Those who attend the buildings with rugs are preoccupied with many things. Their hearts have no room for God. They are seeking God for their businesses to be smooth, but they have no vision of salvation.† Elephant closes this chapter with revelations and prophecies from true and false prophets alike, and the differences that set one apart from the other. For even among churchgoers, a few more souls are not sure of what they are doing. Elephant says, â€Å"The land is full of people who are unfaithful to the Lord; they live wicked lives and misuse their power. Because of the Lord’s curse, the land mourns and the pastures are dry.† It becomes clear that a man’s land can be dry or thriving, depending on man’s way of tilling his soil. Chapter 19 Living a Double Life In connection to the previous chapter where churchgoers come to church wearing metaphorical rugs, Elephant continues to discuss the â€Å"double life† among God’s children, among the believers, themselves. He says, â€Å"The majority of Christians are believers, but they do not know what they believe in.† However sad the realization may be, there is a certain amount of truth in the state of the confused and lost Christians who were supposed to have been saved. As faith grows among believers, so does the evil ways in which they are trapped. Therefore, Elephant advices, â€Å"God is love and ready to forgive you. The time has come to say no to slavery and to be the master of your soul.†[26] In slavery, Elephant was referring to becoming a victim, hence a slave, of temptations. He offers a practical guide which can be used to find one’s way to freedom from confusion, disbelief and living a double life: â€Å"(A)ccept (God’s) invitation and do not reject it, and the peace, joy, and happiness from God shall be yours forever.†[27] Chapter 20 Why Marriages Break   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Today, man is living in a generation that treats marriage as an almost meaningless piece of paper, with a primary purpose of setting legal boundaries and legal attachments. The â€Å"for better or for worse† part in wedding vows have been set aside, for the sake of freedom of choice and freedom from suffering from wrong choices.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Elephant says of marriage, â€Å"Marriage is a contract entered into by the free choice of a man and a woman. Both know the consequence of their choice is to participate in the creation of life. Therefore, they must make sure they do not make the child that they create suffer in any way. It is a sin, and God does not tolerate that.†[28] Chapter 21 What is Death? The tragedy of death strikes all nations and all individuals in many traumatic ways. Cultures and clans across the world have different ways of burying their dead, and remembering them in their hearts. However, death is always a cause of pain to man – to those who were left behind, and those who are awaiting their time. Being exposed to cases of HIVs and AIDS, Elephant heard a voice of why diseases like these have happened to man. The voice he heard said, â€Å"â€Å"Charles, do not be surprised. Not all who are aï ¬â‚¬ected are sinners, and that is why they are suï ¬â‚¬ering. Most of them are innocent, but the prophecy must be fulfilled. These are the last days that the prophets talked about. The world has turned away from God.† Elephant was curious about the dead, and in this chapter he reveals more of his visions that led him to grow further in his faith in God, even in the presence of death. Chapter 22 What is a Soul?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Soul is the energy that God places within a human body so it would receive life.[29] Elephant says the soul should master the mind in harmony, and the mind should not master the soul. He further speaks of preachers who minister differently among people. â€Å"When the preachers are preaching, some minister to the soul and others to the mind. Ministering to the soul results in the repentance of sins†¦ Other preachers entertain the flesh (mind) by telling people what they want to hear. Those are preachers that are either planted by the Devil or have personal interests.†[30] If mind is separated from the soul, and the soul should master the mind, it becomes clear that the mind is of the body, and the soul is of God. What does it take to have a healthy mind, then? Worldly matters, perhaps. What does it take to have a healthy soul? Elephant says it’s a relationship and common communication with God. Chapter 23 Who is right – Christians or Muslims?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In a very concise but meaningful manner, Elephant explains the reality among Christians and Muslims, and how there should be no debate as to who is right between the two groups.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It has already been discussed in the book that man is complicated by nature. Ergo, it is not surprising to see religions clashing even when they are not supposed to, considering that they are worshipping one God, and resisting one enemy, the devil. Ergo, it works for the glory of God that people in spite of all the differences, are worshipping one and the same God, albeit in many varying ways. Chapter 24 The issue of the Da Vinci Code   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The whole world talked of a fictional book by a them emerging author who wrote about the purported symbols in the works of the great legendary artist, Leonardo Da Vinci. Massive talks and debates were held, all for one fictional book. Yet, Elephant shares with the readers why all these debates took place. He says, â€Å"Religion, belief, and faith are parts of our lives, and they give us an identity. When they are challenged, we tend to feel insecure and threatened.†[31] The threat mostly comes from knowing that other groups are saying that what used to be real for most is false all along. This is a threat in that the stability of old beliefs are shaken, and a line is no longer drawn between fiction and facts. However, Elephant says, the threat should not upset anyone, and there should have been no threat at all if man has a competent understanding of what he believes in. The problem starts when one’s faith is weak and therefore the Spirit is not heard. â€Å"We should not walk blindly, because ignorance is as bad as any other sin.. It is our responsibility to follow God’s guidance,† Elephant says.[32] This guidance, when received, will draw the glaring line between fact and fiction, and kill the threat away, and will subsequently set matters straight between fact and fiction. The thing that matters most, therefore, is faith, unshakeable faith in God that seeks guidance all the time. Chapter 25 Kenyan Road of Democracy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Kenya is precious to Elephant because first and foremost, it is his country.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   He also mentions about the amazing relationship between Christians and Muslims in Kenya, together with the other religions. Hence, in Elephant’s country, they were one. All the turmoil that Kenya has gone through, sits deep inside each one of everyone in Kenya, such that even the political situation in Kenya has become a part of Elephant’s vision. Elephant says, â€Å"During the elections, I did not go to vote because I knew the outcome already.†[33] Elephant shares how the amazing change of government in Kenya was hinted in his visions, and what he had to do to see it through. Chapter 26 Pope John Paul’s Revelation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Pope John Paul II was instrumental to Elephant’s continuously increasing faith. Elephant shares with the readers the testimonies of his visions concerning Pope John Paul II, and how his death has affected him, spiritually and emotionally, and ultimately, holistically.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Elephant shares, â€Å"I had a lot of confusion in my head about my life and mission until the death of Pope John Paul.†[34] Even after the Pope’s death, Elephant has witnessed a vision, which affirmed the reality of death for him, as well as the awesome glory that awaits those who have been righteous and faithful to God.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In conclusion to this chapter, Elephant says, â€Å"It is true that when we die, an angel of God comes for us in a bright light to take those who are righteous to paradise†¦ Glory be to God.†[35] PART III Chapter 27 Who is the Devil?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In this third and final part of the book, Elephant tells the story of how the Devil became one, and how man is being trapped by this devil’s manipulation over and over again. As for Elephant, he reckons that knowledge of the devil and its ways are necessary in the continuous journey of a believer in God.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Elephant’s summarized story of the devil’s existence, he stresses that the devil is all about pride, power and possession. So, â€Å"the Devil deceives mankind to sin, so that he can remain in power and have authority and power throughout the ages.†[36] Chapter 28 Who is Jesus?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Jesus is the overall manifestation of   God’s love for man. As it is said in the Bible in John 3:16, â€Å"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever shall believe in Him, will not perish, but will receive eternal life.† As such, Jesus was the very representation of God’s immense love for His people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Elephant recounts Jesus’ life on Earth, emphasizing on Jesus’ important teachings on love, forgiveness and prayer among others. Knowing Jesus is similar to knowing that God loves his creation. Chapter 29 Who is God?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Elephant turns to the Bible and his own personal experience and visions in sharing with his readers the reality he knows of God. He says, â€Å"God’s purpose from the beginning was for man to rule the world. God did not create man to die but to live forever†[37]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In knowing God and His high supremacy, Elephant turns to the Bible to recount the first three commandments in Exodus 20:3-7, which is the ultimate verbal manifestation of God: â€Å"I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt, where you were slaves. Worship no other god but me. Do not make for yourselves images of anything in heaven or on earth or in the water under the earth. Do not bow down to any idol or worship it, because I am the Lord your God and tolerate no rivals. I bring punishment on those who hate me and on their descendants down to the third and fourth generation. But I show my love to thousands of generations of those who love me and obey my laws.† Chapter 30 Curses   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Curses in this modern age are nothing more than witchcraft manifestation of manipulation and remedies. But in the Bible, curses existed because God has decided to unleash His anger. God, too, gets hurt and gets angry. In fact, He was so disappointed and hurt with what happened to Adam and Eve in the Bible, that He cursed them. This is the story of this chapter: how God was badly hurt, how He has cursed the world and how he redeemed it again by Jesus Christ.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Elephant says, â€Å"The curse started from one point where God was standing and spread all over the world. The blood that came from Jesus’ limbs dripped onto the ground, breaking the curses right from the Calvary where the cross was planted to the ground.†[38] Chapter 31 God’s Anger   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In building a relationship with God, it is important to understand what makes Him happy and what makes Him angry. Even before man is born, he is loved. But man’s complicated course of actions is inclined towards displeasing God, resulting in His anger. Therefore, if man would know what angers God and keeps that in mind, his life and his relationship with God would lie strong in faith and he will not feel abandoned or cursed by God.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Elephant says, â€Å"God has taught me about the Bible through reading and repeating in my dreams or visions the events that took place from Genesis to Revelation whenever I desired to experience the same.†Ã‚   In his desire to experience God fully, he submits himself for visions, desiring to understand God and His ways. Elephant states how he has shared laughing moments with God, and how important it is to never leave God’s care. Chapter 32 The Grace of God   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Elephant starts this chapter by reminding his reader of one biblical fact: all man are sinners. Yet, despite the sin and the abominable ways of man, God’s grace shines through, so much that His Son came down to die for the salvation of man.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Even before Jesus came, God’s grace was already apparent in the Old Testament. Elephant says, â€Å"God is love and He is merciful. He delivered the Israelites from the hands of their oppressors because He loved their forefathers. There was no price to pay after deliverance.† Truly, there is no higher and holier grace than that. Chapter 33 What is Forgiven? In his desire to further understand God, Elephant has prayed for an understanding of sin, and how sin would be recalled on the last day. How much is too much when it comes to sin? How could man’s unforgiving ways affect the judgment that would fall upon him on the last day? To answer these questions, Elephant leaves one strong statement for his reader: â€Å"The wicked will have to suffer, but those who trust in the Lord are protected by his constant love.† It is worth noting that throughout the book, Elephant is consistently never judgmental, and he keeps inviting his reader to repent and trust in God to experience God’s amazing love. Psalms 51, a prayer for forgiveness is an integral part of this chapter, where man is encourage to put his trust in God and know that for whatever sin, if man comes with sincerity and bow before God, then God’s grace will forgive, and ultimately, save him. Chapter 34 Do Not Test God   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   While Christianity is under attack, man is continuously tempted to ask God for signs that He is real, that He exists, that He is powerful, and that He is, indeed God. But Elephant says in this chapter, man is not supposed to test God.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Deuteronomy 6:16, it is said, â€Å"Do not put the Lord your God to the test. Be sure that you obey all the laws that He has given you. Do what the Lord says is right and good, and all will be well with you.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In maintaining a relationship with God, Elephant says this is what is important: Therefore, it is not a question of what to receive but what to give back to God; not what God is going to do but what God has done for us and what we are going to do for Him; not what we can expect from God but what God expects from us.[39] Chapter 35 Where Does God Live? Believers and followers of God will know where he lives for it is written in the Bible, that Jesus has risen to prepare rooms for God’s children who will find Heaven after a life on Earth. In John 14:1-3, Jesus said, â€Å"Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe on God, believe also on me. In my Father’s house there are many abodes; were it not so, I had told you: for I go to prepare you a place; and if I go and shall prepare you a place, I am coming again and shall receive you to myself, that where I am ye also may be.† Therefore God lives in a Kingdom with many rooms, and this, man is destined to see. Elephant concludes, â€Å"Jesus came to bring salvation to all mankind so that we could inherit the Kingdom of God by showing us the right way to follow.†[40] Chapter 36 Prayers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Chapter 36 is full of prayers for the believers to form a relationship with God and strengthening this relationship to experience God’s grace and love.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In this chapter, Elephant discusses the Seven Steps to prepare the Bread at the Holy Communion. The seven steps are as follows: First, prepare the ingredients while gathering the believers and ask forgiveness from one another; second, ask God to bless the mixture of dough to turn it into the Body of Christ; third, pray for the utensils, too, and ask God for the blazing flame of the Holy Spirit; fourth, pray for God to enrich the bread with spiritual gifts that it may be taken into the body of man; fifth, give thanks to God; sixth, bless the communion and pray for those who are taking it; and finally, pray for forgiveness and thanksgiving before taking in the communion. Chapter 37 Day of the Lord In the final chapter of his book, Elephant calls unto his readers to nourish a deeper and more meaningful relationship with Christ, to become followers and believers acting as God’s hands on Earth, for God’s glory, and for earning the right to get to the Kingdom of God on the last day. Through his experience, visions and dreams, Elephant wishes nothing more for his reader than to enjoy God’s love by rediscovering Him, and becoming closer to Him everyday. Finally, Elephant shares his knowledge of rewards that await the believers on the day of Christ’s   return on Earth. He wishes to enjoy this glorious second coming, with as many believers as possible.

Project Audit of the Ottawa-Carleton Water Park Essay

  I have audited the Ottawa-Carleton water park project and analyzed the various stages of the project, the methodologies, techniques and tools of project management that were utilized. The project managers, that are KLSJ Consulting, who had been contracted by the owners Carlington Aquatic park were very effective in the management of the project. They displayed competence and understanding of the key issues that are essential for management of large scale high risk projects like the Ottawa-Carleton water park project. The project was a big success and was completed without major cost overrun and scope creep. The project managers had made very adequate preparation and detailed plans on how to carry out the project. This included different strategies of managing the key aspects of the project like quality, risk and time schedule. Part 1: Case Study Description   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The project to be audited is called Ottawa-Carleton Water Park. It is a project that involves putting up of a full size water park in Ottawa area.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The design and building of the Ottawa-Carleton water park project will be managed by KLSJ consulting on behalf of the owners Carlington Aquatic Parks. The owners will retain all authority concerning financing, marketing and critical designing of the water park. After the construction the water park was efficiently passed over to an operations management team (KLSJ Consulting 2002).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ottawa is the capital city of Canada with a population of over one million. It is a destination for many summer tourists as it has very fine tourist attraction which includes galleries and recreational facilities among others. According the Ottawa-Carleton water park project concept, during summers, about two million visitors come to Ottawa (KLSJ consulting, 2002).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Water parks which mostly operate during the summers are very profitable and represent a mature industry. There are many water parks offering recreational services to people in different parts of the world with United States having more than nine hundreds (KLSJ Consulting 2002).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Ottawa-Carleton water park will be a full size water park offering a range of recreational facilities to its visitors. It will be situated in the Ottawa area and will consist of facilities like sport court, rock climbing wall, children center, a wave pool, a river, slides, towers, group area with picnic facilities plus other attractions (KLSJ Consulting 2002).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to the project proposal, the project started in 2003 and will took two years with completion in 2005 (KLSJ consulting, 2002).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The challenge facing the Ottawa area is that there is no full size water park in the area, and with the rising popularity of water parks in North America it was a lucrative idea to take the first move to create one for the Ottawa area market. The need for one site that will offer visitors a big range of recreational facilities in the Ottawa area initiated this project to construct a full size water park in the Ottawa area in an easily accessible area. The land will be leased from National Capital Commission Public lands and the water park will be built by a prime contractor with owners and investors acting as supervising agents. The project will take 2 years and is expected to be completed by May 21. 2005. (KLSJ consulting, 2002). The project was completed effectively and successful and the water park was opened on June 2005.   The handing over was very effective though the project completion had delayed with four weeks. The project is considered a big success. According to bi-weekly status report the project started two weeks behind schedule. This time was to be recovered by sourcing the environmental study to the one consultant who had offered the initial environmental feasibility study services. Thus, the project was expected to be complete as scheduled (KLSJ Consulting 2005).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The approximate budget for the whole project was set at twelve million four hundreds and forty eight thousands Canadian dollars. The project completed with a small cost overrun of 2.7% (KLSJ Consulting 2005).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to the project communication plan the project managers had the responsibility of making all the communications to the external parties including politicians, regulators and media. The team leader made all routine project communication and his responsibility which included preparation and delivery of all project performance report (KLSJ consulting 2003).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As stipulated in KLSJ consulting communication plan (KLSJ consulting 2003) the main communication objective was to encourage a positive image for KLSJ and the project to garner support and to generate local interest in the water park. All communications were to be aimed at posing a positive publicity and were to be identified in their work breakdown structure. The team leader was the communication coordinator. The project communication plan was to be evaluated quarterly and at the start of each phase, feedback collected from all stakeholder and improvement done in order to improve the communication plan (KLSJ consulting 2003).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The project manager of Ottawa Carleton Water Park was Karen Dhanraj and his primary responsibility as cited in KLSJ consulting Ottawa-Carleton water park project proposal (KLSJ 2002) included: Coordination and communication with outside agencies Interfacing with community groups, the capital district, and municipal, regional and provincial governments. Providing direction and guidance to other team members Maintaining the overall project plan (schedule, cost and resources) Coordinates and producing all project documentation. Coordination and oversight of the market’s agency Membership in the Risk management working group (KLSJ consulting 2002) The project team included three team leaders. Scott Kennedy was the team leader concerned with Design and construction and was responsible for all activities concerned with design and construction. Lavern Fleck was the legal team leader whose responsibilities included legal counsel, contract management and handling the regulatory authorities on legal issues. Steve Jackson was the team leader concerned with Finance. His role was to manage all finance issues related with the project. Jim Harris was the Risk manager whose role was to coordinate the Risk management program. Project marketing was done by an outside contractor (KLSJ consulting 2002) Part 2: Scope, cost and Time management Analysis.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The project was successful in terms of attainment of the required scope. The water park was completed with all the facilities that were intended. No major compromise were made on quality of the facilities and attractions. This means the objectives of the project were realized.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to the post project report 311, 650 Canadian dollars were used in-excess of the budget for the project to be complete. This represented a 2.7% cost overrun. This was contributed by several factors that included: mitigation of an environmental problem, traffic and road upgrades, higher costs for the water park design, and a series of variances in construction (KLSJ Consulting 2005).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The project was completed four weeks behind schedule. The opening of the water park had been scheduled to take place on 21 May 2005 but it did not until June 15. The major cause for this delay was the late delivery of the water slides and the unfavorable weather condition in early spring of 2005. Hiring of the operations manager and conformation of investors took more time than had been expected but these activities did not affect the overall time frame of the project (KLSJ Consulting 2002).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The management of the Ottawa-Carleton water park project used different project management tools and technique to ensure the project was a success.   One thing that worked for the projects success was the good and efficient management of the three major constraints of a project that include scope, time and cost. The project management ensured that proper measures were put forward that helped the project to succeed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Different techniques and tool were used to make the scope of the project to succeed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The first strength for the project was that the scope was well defined. The overall objective of the project was well outlined complete with details and estimates of what was needed. The owners wanted a full size water park of a total cost of 12, 450,000 Canadian dollars that will provide recreational facilities to about 7000 visitors in a day (KLSJ Consulting 2002).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The project management used different techniques and tools to manage scope. The project management strategy was well designed with a very well functioning project management team. The team was of manageable size and represented the functions that were core to the success of the project. The project management team was led by the project manager who lead three team leaders and a Risk manager. The marketing function was contracted from outside. This team was able to handle all the issues that concerned the project hence helping the project come to achieve its objectives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The other technique utilized was good risk management. The Risk manager had a Risk management program that ensured a problem area was identified and acted upon before it became a loss to the project.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Communication was also well structured ensuring that all external and internal communication were carried out appropriately. This had been well planned for and duties allocated thus ensuring no obstacles came up.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Cost management was a major factor for the success of the Ottawa-Carleton water park project. Different techniques and tools were utilized in order to effectively manage costs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The first step was having a team leader who was to be concerned with financial issues of the project. His responsibilities included development and monitoring of business plans/s and project cash flows among other responsibilities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The cost was well estimated using a class B estimate which provided a variance of between -10% to +25%. The overall cost estimate was can $12448, 250. A 10% contingency had been provided to cater for expected price variation. The total cost had been analyzed using both functions and phases. The total cost had been divided by project function that included management, contract management, financing, political/legal, marketing and construction. The total cost had also been divided per project phases. The phases included phase 1 to phase 5. These analysis of cost enabled the managers to ensure they had enough finances before undertaking a task or contract in order to avoid stoppage or legal action against them (KLSJ Consulting 2002).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The cost was also analyzed by use of tables, graphs and Gantt charts to help in management. The project management also adopted a cost control strategy that was aimed at avoiding cost overruns. This strategy involved issuing fixed price contractors, including penalty clauses for non-performance in contract and taking insurance for specific perils.   All these efforts were geared toward operation within the budget.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Time was another constraint that was well managed in the Ottawa-Carleton water park project. The management team used a work Breakdown schedule to analyze the duration of the project. The project duration was divided into fine phases. Key milestones were identified in each phase of which some were in critical path and others were non-critical. Deadlines and reviews were done and a schedule change management plan was adopted.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The work Breakdown schedule was further divided into tasks thus facilitating easier management of these activities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A tradeoff strategy in some instances was utilized in order to manage competing priorities of scope cost and time. This strategy involved, in some cases allowing tradeoff compromises between scope, cost and time management. However no major compromise was done in term of number or quality of attraction to be installed in the water park. All the structures and facilities that were installed in the water park met the quality and standard that was expected.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Different techniques were used for corrective action in the different aspects of the project. One correction action that was adopted was the institution of a deadline for every phase and the end of phase reviews and approvals. Performance report had to be submitted at every end of a phase and change request had to be reported before the deadline. These actions made sure that no activities led to delay of subsequent activities and thus maintaining the whole program on schedule.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Cost correction action involved analysis of the cost requirement using charts and tables. Cost was also anticipated in order to make sure enough preparation were done before the time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In assessing the strategies that the Ottawa-Carleton water park project management team utilized we can be able to see some of them went wrong while other worked well.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the strategies that never worked well was the security of investment funding. There was a major delay in securing investment funding causing a delay of six weeks and an over expenditure of can$12,000 as a result. This strategy did not work well and more care should have been applied to curb such delays. Only that there was sufficient slack, else this delay could have caused the overall project to delay (KLSJ Consulting 2005).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There was also wrong estimation of time to be taken in hiring a suitable operation manager forcing the use of extra resources totaling to can&14000 to recruit the officers before the overall timing of the project was affected.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Though the delay in delivery of the waterslides as not the responsibility of the project management inclusion of a clause imposing a penalty on late deliveries by contraction could have solved that problem by offering the manufacturer an incentive to deliver on time (KLSJ Consulting 2005).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There was a floe in scheduling in that the bad weather of spring could have been anticipated and provided for to avoid delays in the overall project schedule.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Some of the well utilized strategies were cost estimation, project management, quality controls and Risk management. Time was also relatively managed well.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The strategy of utilizing budget and cost analysis techniques and tools served the project well to avoid major cost overruns. Proper management was provided with a well functioning project management team and structure that enable efficient operations. The project management was also able to outsource for services outside as well as utilizing their internal resources optimally. Time schedule had been planned well with work Breakdown schedules being utilized and the project being divided into phases to facilitate easier management (KLSJ Consulting 2005). The combination of all these strategies, the ones which worked well and those that had some flaws led to the success of the project. There was no major scope creep and the cost overruns were very low (2.7%). The objectives that had bee envisioned by the initiation were realized though the project was completed four weeks behind schedule. Some of the project management techniques and tools learnt where well applied in the Ottawa-Carleton water park project. Some of these techniques include project schedule setting and breakdown, analysis and good management of the triple constraints factor, outline of the critical and not critical activities, setting and analysis of budgets, use of work breakdown schedule, good management team and clear communication guidelines.   Other analysis tool like Gantt Charts, graphs and tables were used.   There were also measures to manage risk and quality. Management of the three major constraints is always a major factor for success of any project. Proper management will work to avoid scope creep and or cost overruns (Hormozi, Dube 1999). I could recommend that such techniques be used more keenly and fully so as to manage the project more effectively. Part 3:   Project Schedule and Baseline Assessment The Ottawa-Carleton water park project schedule was managed using a work   breakdown schedule.   This was a plan that could take the project through five phases in 32 months.   The project was also divided according to function each function with a team leader.   Besides the manner work breakdown schedule which contained 200 items there were six subordinate work breakdown schedules which were used for clarity in the tasks to be performed. Despite of this superb plan the project closed behind schedule by four weeks because of several other reasons that the project management could not be able to avoid (KLSJ Consulting 2005). Baseline assessment was well planned for with the work breakdown schedules to illustrate how progress was taking place and tables to show the sequence of events and functions.   Budgets had been done to show the funds need by phases, functions and cost category.   This worked to ensure the intended objectives were met.   There was also a clear plan on how change was to b managed. Ottawa-Carleton water park project management utilized several techniques and tools to manage the project schedule and baselines.   One of the critical tool used was a work breakdown structure and schedule.  Ã‚   The team utilized a 200 item master work breakdown structure and six subordinate work breakdown structures.   These subordinate structures were to divide the tasks into shorter and clearer activities so as to ease monitoring and management of the tasks.   The activities had a clear sequence of how they were to take place.   The happening of some activities was to take place only after another activity place.   AT a certain point the construction of the water park had to continue only after assurance of investors support. A critical path was identified and milestone events were established both critical and non critical tables were used to analyze these milestone activities for easier clarity. Financial analysis was well carried out by use of financial estimates.   The financial estimates had been well planned with analysis estimates of cost per phase, cost   per function, cost per project category and cost per cost category well done.   Ã‚  This was meant to act as the baselines and so to avoid cost over runs and to manage variations in prices effectively (KLSJ Consulting 2005). There was also a plan on how to manage change.   This was geared toward management of all constraints to ensure there was no great variation from the baselines. Ottawa Carleton water park utilized the critical path method   to manage schedules and cost.   Some of the techniques and tools used include charts, Gant /charts, tables and work breakdown structures and schedules. The projects management team used different methods to estimate the task duration.   This was most logical consideration of time such activities take including time allowances for any anticipated factor that will affect the tasks duration.   The work breakdown structure and schedule was very important in this aspect.   The Ottawa Carleton water park project had a complete communication plan with communication objectives, plan and manage themes to be passed across to the various audiences. It had also it priorities and constraints identified. The team leader who was reporting to the project manager was responsible for the communication especially internal communication.   The project manager had the sole authority to communicate with external parties which included regulation, government authorities, the public and the media. The team leader was also responsible for all communication regarding the program of the project.   Hew was to report all performance progress to the project manager. This communication plan served a big role to ensure that the project was a success.   Its main objective was to pose a positive image of the project managers that is KLSJ consulting the project and the upcoming water park.   Consequently, the themes of the messages passed were concurrent with this objective.   Thus the communication plan helped KLSJ to get support of the government authorities, the media , the public and more so the investors and the enabled the project to succeed (KLSJ Consulting 2003). The Ottawa-Carleton water park project management team used several methodologies and techniques to carry out corrective action in different situation.   One of the strategy utilized was trade-off between the various major contracts of the projects.   This was utilized when there was delay in securing investors.   More resources were applied to the task in order to speed up the process and so save time (KLSJ Consulting 2005). Another strategy utilized was negotiation.   This was utilized when there was an environmental mitigation.   The manager negotiated with the region and agreed on a cost sharing arrangement and on a program to was aimed at avoid delays in continuation of the constructions.   This served to save both time and cost. Another corrective action taken by the project manager involved sole sourcing environmental studies consultant.   After the delays in the initial stages of the project, the management sole sources the consultant thus saving a lot of time that could have been used up in the recruiting. Different strategies were used by the project management to manage aspects related with project schedule and baseline.   On strategy that was so effective was the change plan.   The plan offered a guideline on how change was to be managed and this ensured that the project was processing according to plan. Other strategy utilized was the closes monitoring of the main constraints, that is time, cost and scope. This enabled the project to proceed well with much delays, scope creep, cost overruns or compromise on quality.   The project management utilized and followed that plan well and utilized took like work breakdown structures, financial estimates and the critical path method. Part 4:   Risk Assessment Quality Assurance and Change Control Management Risk management was a critical issue in the management of success of th Ottawa-Carleton water park project.     This was well done by instituting a Risk management working group early in the project.   This group met monthly to discuss risk-related issues.   Besides that there was a comprehensive risk management plan and assessments of the risk of the different parts of the project.   These measures enabled all risks to be handled before they developed into loss for the project.   The major risks that were dealt with included: Environmental assessment mitigation, delay in hiring of operation manager, delay in securing investment funding, inclement weather, and delay in delivery of the water slide (KLSJ 2005). Change was also well managed during the project performance and this enabled effective changes in order to bring the project to success as expected.   A change plan was set for early in the project and these offered guidelines on how change was to be done if tit was needed. The project management used qualitative and quantitative measures to ensure quality was upheld in the project (KLSJ Consulting 2003).   This was geared towards ensuring that the project met the intended quality.   This was done effectively and no any quality compromise resulted (KLSJ Consulting 2005). The project management different techniques and tools to manage the risks that were inherent to the project.   This techniques and tools were included in a comprehensive Risk control plan.   The technique used included risk assessment before the project began and all through the project.   Tools that were used included a risk evaluation criteria table, impact criteria table, and risk summary tables.   Risk matrixes were also used to assess the various risks (KLSJ Consulting 2003). A risk management working group which was headed by the Risk manger analyzed all the risks facing the project throughout the project duration.   This function grouped managed the risks as they appeared and provided mitigation strategies that enabled the risks to be managed. Ottawa-Carleton water park project had an efficient change control system that used formal scope control processes.   The plan had change cutoff dates schedules in each phase A tracking system was used.   The change plan was aimed at avoid disruptions of events as they had been planned in the work breakdown structure.   Each request for change had to evaluate in order to establish its impact on other variables. One of the changes that was effected in the Ottawa-Carleton water park project was the change of decision on recruiting the environmental study consultant.   The change was effected and KLSJ sole sourced the consultant who had done the initial environmental feasibility to carry out the job.   This was carried out effectively and it resulted to saving of two weeks and one thousand Canadian dollars. The change management plan adopted by Ottawa-Carleton water park project team ensured that it integrated scope management.   This was aimed at making sue that all changes were made within the overall objectives of the project.   The tracking system used also worked to make sure that all the changes that were effected fitted in the overall plan of the project.   Assessment of the impact of the changes on cost and schedule had to be done before any change was effected and this was aimed at making sure that the changes did not have an adverse effect on the other operations o the project. The requirements that on change requests had to written facilitated later reference and tracking of the changes in order to maintain the project on the intended plan.   All this measures worked to ensure there was no scope creep and even cost overrun (KLSJ Consulting 2005). Quality was a key consideration in all the stages of the Ottawa Carleton water park project.   Because of the nature of work and construction that were done, quality was planned for and closely monitored to ensure safety of all facilities.   KLSJ uses 1SO 9001: 200 standards for the project management.   The firm had also to comply with other standards that affected the project which included standards set up by the region and the local authority (KLSJ Consulting 2003). KLSJ consulting had a group of experts on quality management who offered their expertise to the project on an on-call basis.   Within the project team the team leader (finance) was concerned with all matters on quality. Besides that, quality was a responsibility of all people concerned with the project. The ISO 9000: 2000 quality assurance procedures were followed throughout the construction and regular quality status reports were provided.   The planning was well done by the help of a manual of project procedures and a quality management plan.   Verification of all certification of contractors was done as well as auditing of all construction activities in order to maintain high quality in all facilities.   Quality control was done by taking up action immediately as issues of concern arised (KLSJ Consulting 2004). Ottawa Carleton water park project management team used several techniques as corrective actions in aspects of risk, quality and change in the projects.   One technique used over all was constant monitoring, assessment or evaluation. Issues of risks, quality or changes were monitored and evaluated throughout the project life. Another way was having a contingency plan. This enabled the team to contain all the variations within the scope of the project and thus ensuring t6he project objectives were achieved.   The project team was also well prepared with detailed plans on how all the things were to be handled and this helped to manage change effectively.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The project management team used various strategies to manage these aspects of the project effectively. The first strategy that was used was adequate planning. Enough planning had been done on all aspects related with risk management, quality and change control management. The plans helped the team to prepare all round for the various occurrences that were expected. The plans also provided clear guidelines on how the operations were to be done. This also ensured that all the resources required, in terms of human resource or funding, were ready before the project got into a phase where they were to be used.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The other strategy was the constant evaluation and assessment of the different aspects of the project that were related with risk, quality and change. There was also a risk management program that was carried out all through the project by risk management working group. This ensured that all the inherent risks were identified and dealt with before they resulted to a loss to the project. Quality was assessed through out the project life and one team leader, among other roles, was concerned with ensuring quality was maintained. There were also audit teams that assessed the quality of the various structures that were put up in the water park. The different activities were also continually evaluated in order to handle any change effectively without compromising on quality of the facilities to be put up. Another technique that was well utilized was change management. Change management was well planned for and this facilitated its effective execution. Control was also another strategy technique that was effectively carried out. The project team was able to effectively control the three major constraints namely scope, cost and time. This enabled the project to be completed successfully. There were many tools that were used to manage the aspects of risk, quality and change in the project. These tools include risk matrix, contingency plan, change management plan, quality management plan plus many tables, structures and analysis summaries. According to the strategies that were applied, some were very effective while others had some flaws. The strategies that went very well include the change management plan and the quality management. The different changes that were done within the project were very effective and did not lead to scope creep or major cost overruns. Quality management was very effective and did not result to any quality or quantity compromise. Risk management had been good but things did not go very well leading to delay of deliver of the water slides (KLSJ Consulting 2005). This showed that risk management despite of all the plans had a flaw. Otherwise the planning of the whole project had been well done. Part 5: Conclusion The Ottawa-Carleton water park project was a success and the managers, KLSJ consulting displayed good project management skills and expertise. Many of the techniques, tools and strategies learnt in class were applied effectively in the management of this project. This project represents a perfect example of good use of the techniques and tools of project management that are always taught theoretically in class.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The project management team was effective and was able to manage the project processes efficiently without any problem arising. The processes were handled with the maximum professionalism expected and the law was followed to the later. The legal team leader was able to handle all issues that concerned legal contracts and regulations. The strength of the project team always determines the success of a project as this is the team that manages the aspects that matter in a project (Larson, Gobeli, Gray 1991)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Management of a project to success is always a combination of use of expertise and practices that bring control to the operations of a project (Reiss 1995)From the various project management methodologies, techniques used in the management of the Ottawa-Carleton water park project I can be able to point out three best practices that enhanced the success of this project. The first practice was the adequate preparation that had been done. Before the project began the managing firm prepared a project charter that outlined the objectives, scope, management plan, financial analysis and the stakeholders of the project. There was also a project plan that outlined how the various aspects of the project were to be managed in the course of the project life. Then there were several other plans that dealt with how the specific aspects of the project were to be managed. For example there was a quality management plan, a risk management plan and a change management plan. The second practice that was well adopted was schedule management. The time concept of a project is usually a critical factor of a project and unless adequate care is given to this aspect from the planning stage of a project a delay of completion is likely to occur. (May, Gueldenzoph 2006) Though the overall project schedule was exceeded with four weeks enough measures had been instituted to manage the project duration. Work breakdown structures and many other analysis tables had been used all in the effort to make the project run in the stipulated time frame. The third practice that was very well done was the approach to risk management. Risk management is a sensitive aspect of any project especially the high risk projects and this requires adequate planning and care in the implementation of the risk management plan. (Hannigan, Browne 2000) The project was considered a high risk project and so to start with a detailed risk management plan had been laid. The risk management plan included a risk management program that was carried out throughout the project duration led by a risk management working group that was headed by the risk manager. The project transition from the operations manager to the team that was to continue managing the water park was well prepared for and was very effective. This is an area which brings problems in some projects and is an important factor that should not be taken for granted (Frame 2002). Another important area of importance to a project is the management of corrective actions. (Hormozi, McMinn, Nzeogwu 2000) I recommend that necessary measures be put up before the project begins on how to carry out corrective action and how to carry out corrective action and how to manage schedules and baselines in order to achieve the project objective.   I recommend that in future projects more care to be given the management of risks especially concerning honoring of contracts by those contracted. Proper management of contracts will ensure that the contract is effected in time and in the condition that was intended. Also other tools and techniques that were not utilized in this project could be of great use to other projects. Reference: Frame J; (2002). The New Project Management: Tools for an Age of Rapid Change, Complexity, and Other Business Realities. San Francisco, Jossey-Bass, Hannigan C. Browne M. 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KLSJ Consulting, (2005). Risk control report: Ottawa Carleton Water Park Project. Ottawa. KLSJ Consulting, (2003). Risk management plan: Ottawa Carleton Water Park Project. Ottawa. Larson E.Gobeli D. Gray C. (1991) Application of Project Management by Small Businesses to Develop New Products and Services: Journal of Small Business Management, Vol. 29, May G. Gueldenzoph L; (2006).The Effect of Social Style on Peer Evaluation Ratings in Project Teams: The Journal of Business Communication, Vol. 43, Reiss G; (1995). Project Management Demystified: Today’s Tools and Techniques. London. E & FN Spon.