Imam Ali in my word Essay

Imam Ali’s (p.b.o.h.) stories are so fascinating to read and to hear about. Knowing about Imam Ali (p.b.o.h.) life style and stories is so wonderful. Especially how Imam Ali (p.b.o.h.) saved Islam and won battles for example when Imam Ali (p.b.o.h) slept in prophet Mohammed’s (p.b.o.h.) bed so that prophet Mohammed could take his last journey, Imam Ali slept in the prophets bed because the people that wanted to prevent and kill the prophet so to save Islam Imam Ali took .Also to understand how Islam was saved for and passed to us to be Muslims now. All the stories I enjoyed. But the one that I liked most is well is not actually a story but what will happen in the future to Imam Ali (p.b.o.h.). When Imam Mahdi (p.b.o.h.) comes back before Qiyamat and the Imam Ali (p.b.o.h.) comes and slowly the rest of the Imams (p.b.o.h.) come back, I found that so lovely knowing that one day the Imams will come back, and if I live I may see then return to the world and take over. I liked Imam Ali’s personality how Imam Ali cared for his family dearly by helping out at home and the way Imam played with his two sons: Hasan and Hussain. The way Imam Ali was fair and considerate to other people as in another story about The pomegranate how Fatima (p.b.o.h.) wanted a pomegranate and Imam Ali went to get one but when he got to the shop there was only one left that he could have, but along the way Imam Ali met a old man and gave half to the old man because he was thinking if Fatima but the man asked for the other half so kindly Imam gave, when he got home he was a bit shy to face Fatima as Fatima never asked for any thing but when he found out that send from heaven, Fatima was eating pomegranates.

Babel’s Internal Conflicts Essay

Babel’s collection of short stories Red Cavalry was one of the first books that exposed the Russian people to the harsh realities of the Polish-Soviet war. At first the stories seem to be historical fiction meant to entertain; however, upon closer reading these stories become pieces that convey strong moral, religious, political and emotional sentiment. Each short story represents a certain theme, but it is My First Goose that encompasses very well Babel’s feelings towards his own identity. The story illuminates the dynamic relationship between the insider and the outsider through careful use of imagery, tone, and imagery. More specifically, My First Goose addresses Babel’s conflicted sense of identity and self as a Jewish man. In My First Goose, as well as in many of Babel’s other works, the narrator is an ambiguous character that resembles the author (in what way? How do you we know this? ). Although very little information is given about the narrator, by the end of the story readers understand the narrator’s conflict with his identity (this sentence doesn’t really fit here; it is a bit off topic from the rest of the paragraph). The narrator is introduced as an outsider, one who is neither racially (is he a different race? ) nor physically equal to the men of the 6th Division. Savitsky, the first â€Å"insider† that is introduced (phrasing is stylistically awkward), is depicted as a extremely masculine figure whose â€Å"long legs looked like two girls were wedged to their shoulders in riding boots† and whose built body â€Å"split the hut like a banner splitting the sky†. The erotic (perhaps â€Å"erotically despicted/described/portrayed†) , masculine Cossack stands in stark contrast to the envious, feeble, timid, glasses wearing â€Å"powder puff†. Babel chooses to depict the ethnic other as virile and powerful while painting the narrator, a man whom he closely resembles, as a weak, almost effeminate, creature. The choice to do so indicates that the author cannot come to terms with his identity; rather he longs to be as strong and macho as the Cossacks. From the narrators exchange with Savitsky, â€Å"Ha, you lousy fellow, you! They send you to us, no one even asks us if we want you here! † it is suggested that the narrator is an outsider, an intellectual with traits associated with Jews. And even when verbally assaulted the narrator still â€Å"envied the flower and iron of Savitsky’s [that] youth†. Moreover, it is the portrayals of the obvious difference in strength, sexuality, and confidence between the narrator and Savitsky that suggests that Babel viewed his Jewishness as a source of shame. Instead of respecting the fact that the narrator can read and write, skills that were very rare, the Cossack leader mocks the narrator telling him that he would â€Å"get hacked to pieces just for wearing glasses†. And even when shown an obscene gesture by a young peasant the narrator still admires the face of the boy, futher emphasizing how unacceptable he is as a Jew. By accepting his inferiority the narrator further emphasizes his distain for identity. The obvious difference between the narrator and the commander that the author chooses to convey shows how the narrator, and to a certain extent the author, feels his â€Å"Jewishness† makes him inadequate compared to the Cossack soldiers. This paragraph seems a bit unfocused; see if you can pull out the two (? ) main threads and build separate paragraphs around each of them, with a clear, unifying topic sentence for each one) The narrator’s conflict with himself reaches a tipping point when he meets the old woman, and at this point he must make a choice to be an insider or outsider. This crucial decision characterized the reason for Babel’s short story, and he consciously choose to allow the narrator make the choice he did (sentence is awkwardly phrased). After settling down, the narrator begins to read, showing that he is still in touch with his intellectual and Jewish nature; however, he decides to stop reading when he encounters a old woman with glasses (this seems more summary than argument). The bespectacled old woman recognizes him as a Jewish â€Å"comrade† and seeks sympathy from her fellow Jew commenting that â€Å"this business makes me want to hang myself†. At this point the narrator and the author is (subject verb agreement; but also, is the author faced with a choice? faced with a choice: he could acknowledge the old woman as kin and defend his Jewish identity, or he could heed the advice of the quartermaster and â€Å"mess up a lady†. The narrator, and more importantly the author (why â€Å"more importantly the author†? ), decides to violate the only thing the old woman has left. This violation is symbolic: the narrator pushes the white neck of the goose into excrement and pierces the neck of the goose with the sword of another Cossack then forces the woman to cook the goose. With this act the narrator discards his Jewish identity, crushing it in dung, killing it with a borrowed sword. (Here, for example, is a possible place for a paragraph break; then start with a new topic sentence)And only after he has proven his masculinity is he accepted to eat with his new â€Å"brothers†. The narrators is offered a seat at the dinner table and given pork to eat, which he eats without question, with this communion his conversion by the â€Å"heathen priests† is complete. By having the narrator make this choice, Babel not only implies that he may have made the same decision, but also condones the idea of discarding the weakness and intellectualism associated with Jews in favor of violence and ignorance of the Cossacks (that’s a big claim to make—be careful about trying to read the author’s mind! ). At this point it seems that the narrator has completely discarded his Jewishness and embraces his new identity. After his communion with the Cossacks it seems (the repetition of â€Å"it seems† is wishy-washy and non-committal) that the narrator has completely left his identity behind, but it is soon evident that parts of him (wording) remain Jewish, remnants of his Jewishness that cannot be erased (awkward phrasing). Upon completing his violent and brutal killing, the narrator returns to his role as an intellectual and reads a speech given by Lenin to his new comrades. This shows that no matter how hard the narrator tries to escape his identity, he is still the feeble intellectual who has to borrow the sword of a Cossack to kill. The narrator is allowed to sleep with the Cossacks, (that citation doesn’t really add anything here) but even the warmth and camaraderie the narrator receives does not allow him to escape his actions. The last line reveals that a part of him will never be able to accept what he did to gain acceptance from the Cossacks. His heart â€Å"screeched and bled† from his denial of his Jewish identity. Killing the goose and eating pork directly violated his Jewish morals and although superficially he expressed no remorse, subconsciously he cannot accept the Cossack ways. This ambivalent attitude towards one’s identity characterizes Babel’s feelings towards his own attitude. In this story we see a narrator who struggles with the definition of self, and this struggle directly reflects Babel’s own struggles. (again, this paragraph seems to jump from point to point to much; make sure each paragraph is built around a unifying topic sentence; see if you can pull out two point from this one paragraph and bring them out more clearly by creating a separate paragraph for each one) In not only My First Goose, but in most of the short stories of Red Calvary the narrator struggles with his identity as a Jew. Although one cannot be sure what Babel attempts to convey in his pieces, it is clear that the narrators of Babel’s stories undergo the same mental turmoil Babel went through during his service in the Polish Soviet war (this last sentence doesn’t really work as a conclusion).

Cultural diversity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Cultural diversity - Essay Example the cultures of other ethnic groups who on the other hand believe that illness is as a result of supernatural phenomena attributing the cure to be prayers and other supernatural interventions. The interviewee discussed the different cultural health beliefs and traditions held by different ethnic group in the US that impact on healthcare providence. He discussed the traditions held by Asian islanders about the importance of their extended families and the views of the oldest male in the family are highly regarded. They however believe in harmony and this leads them to agreeing to follow recommendations from health care providers not because they believe in it but simply to avoid disagreements. The interviewee also talked about cultures of the Russian immigrants in the US, who view the US healthcare with a level of distrust since they view the relationship with medical practitioners as being authoritarian, therefore finding it difficult to openly discuss medical concerns with them. He talked about the Hispanics also, who he said that they hold a great respect for older members of the family and have to consult them on matters that concern illness and health. Other Hispanics as revealed by the interviewee view illness as punishment from God and prefer using home remedies for treatment. He also talked about African- Americans whose culture consider the importance of church and family, holding kinship ties with aunts, cousins, grandparents, uncles and even people who may not have a biological relationship to them bit have a role in their family systems. They usually consult a key family member before making decisions related to health. The interviewee also talked about the cu ltural beliefs and traditions of Native Americans who place the values of health to spiritual beliefs and family. They believe that harmony with nature lead to good health, and illness as being as a result of imbalance between supernatural forces and the person. The interviewee expressed his

If you could imagine an entirely different life from the one you led, Essay

If you could imagine an entirely different life from the one you led, how would you want it to be - Essay Example Being the leader I had the responsibility of allocating different individuals to a certain block and ensuring that they have done the work as expected. There was no pay and so the morale was low. This position exposed me to various challenges that one can face while working in a team. While working at various levels in various teams, I have come to realise that people respond differently and some can really pose serious challenges to attaining the goals set by the team. The first challenge that I have come across is when people have personal differences with me and they want to use that as a hindrance in the task we are supposed to undertake. I have realized that this is one of the major reasons why many teams do not perform as expected. I have learnt that it is very important to avoid bringing issues of personal differences into the team. I also realised that some people will always try to disregard my ideas and try to come up with better ones which ought to be implemented. Such people are present in any working environment and in any team. It is hard to address them since they are people who often think that they can do much better if they were in the position that one is in. I learnt how to handle them and ensure that they become part of the team instead of condemning them. Sometimes it is good to take their ideas if they are valid and show them there is no personal difference between the two of you. Some people are opposed to change. I found out that dealing with such people can pose to be a daunting challenge. Such people who like to conserve the already set policies as much as possible will always oppose any idea proposing change as much as they can. It is important at times to have dynamic people in your team. Such people are ready to think widely and embrace change when it comes. Conservatives will try to pull you down when you set new policies and they are a major hindrance in the

Import and Export Markets in the United Kingdom Essay

Import and Export Markets in the United Kingdom - Essay Example The UK exports most of its goods to Brazil, India, Russia, and China while most of the imports come from china. The use of higher technology manufactured goods has caused a dramatic increase in both exports and imports. However, the recent financial crisis experienced around the world has led to a decline in imports and exports (Reuvid and Sherlock, 2011). In 2009, UK imports and exports totaled to $1,256 billion, which was equivalent to 4.3 of the world trade. The financial crisis has caused a rise in exchange rates of sterling pound, which has caused an 8.6% decrease in exports and 9.1% decrease in imports (Great Britain, 2009). Over the past ten years, the UK has been a net oil exporter, but production has been decreasing consistently over the past years. The oil industry has recorded an average decrease of 5.3% per year in exports. This has converted the UK from an oil export to an oil import land. Oil production in the region is less than demand, which calls for supplements thro ugh increased imports. Imports of other energy sources such as coal, electricity, and gas have increased over the past five years. In 2010, the importation of liquefied natural gas increased to account for 35% of total gas imports, while gas exports have decreased slightly over the same period. Gas has also been increasingly used for electricity supply with the amount required increasing by 47% (Great Britain, 2010). Changes in the financial sector affect business sentiments and investment decisions, which are linked to global trade. Data service exports at the start of 2007 were about 30 billion pounds while imports were about 33 billion pounds. Mid 2008 recorded the peak imports and exports at 40 billion and 34 billion pounds respectively. The rate of imports and exports of data services decreased consistently since 2008 reaching a low of 32 billion in imports and 29 billion in exports in mid 2009. However, an increase was recorded towards the end of 2010 with imports and exports reaching 41 and 35 billion respectively. The deep drop can be attributed to financial crisis experienced during this period. The dramatic drop experienced in 2009 can be attributed to the collapse of Lehman Brothers Company. Global insurance company AIG received below average ratings and mortgage lender Bradford & Bingley was nationalized. These changes caused the drop experienced in 2009. The UK has recorded an increase in intermediate goods trade, with a 40% increase in 2008 for non-fuel products. Production processes are divided between different countries, which have increased the flow of unfinished goods into and out of the UK. Most manufacturing countries have production firms in countries with low labor costs. Products manufactured in these countries are imported as finished or semi-finished goods. The sterling pound experienced strong depreciation between 2007 and 2008. Reports by the Bank of England (2010) suggest that goods and services exports responded differently to the weakening of sterling. Export of goods has been supported by the weakening because export performance is influenced by price. The service industry reported a decrease in exports due to a reduction in global demand. The fall of financial companies reduced the rate of financial service exports, which caused the reduced export services. According to the World Bank (BCC, 2011), trade in professional and technical services has been more resilient than trade in goods during the financial crisis. Most

Ethical leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ethical leadership - Essay Example ook ‘Ethical leadership’, Kanungo and Mendoncafeel that the urge to investigate on the topic of ethical leadership is induced by the rise of unethical behaviour in the organization. This has further been coupled with a decline in upholding moral responsibility and workplace ethics. Furthermore, ethics has been having been given very little attention by both management and psychological education. Business literature as well as management has always emphasized on profits as the primary reason for an enterprise with little regard for ethics. It has led to the moral decay in most business organizations (Kanungo and Mondonca, 2007, Page 2). An organization is simply a structural-functional unit with an ordinary objective. In order to achieve its goals, organization assign its employees to different roles and status as per one ability and specialization thus leaders and subordinates. Effective leadership involves steering other members in an organization towards the realization of an organization’s set objectives using its policies and procedures (Kanungo and Mondenca, 2007, p. 2). In the current modern society, there is an increasing awareness of the management to be accountable and transparent not only to its shareholders, but also other relevant stakeholders as well. Managers are with ethical dilemmas pressurizing their decision making. This includes suppliers, employees, consumers, the Government and the society at large. Whilst the core function of the business is profit making, management and leaders should be responsive to the moral duties of the society as a whole. Understanding the significance of these moral duties has led to the formation of an ethical system alongside rules, regulations and policies to be (Starrat, 2004, p.62). Due to the urgency for morality in organizational leadership and social order, it’s mandatory that we define relevant moral principles to depend on in judgment making. Ethical conduct is a relative factor in our study since

IMC Plan On Geico Insurance Company Research Paper

IMC Plan On Geico Insurance Company - Research Paper Example Center of discussion in this paper is GEICO or Government Employees Insurance Company. Founded by Leo & Lillian Goodwin in the year 1936, the Company started its journey as car insurance company for government & military employees. Since then it has seen many changes in its structure & quest for growth. The company has grown by leaps & bounds over these years and is adjudged as 3rd largest auto insurer in private section in US. GEICO is standing tall as part of Berkshire Hathaway headed by Warren Buffet with 8 million policyholders & 17 million vehicles insured under its belt. GEICO started as a company which was catering to the needs of federal & military employees only. The founders Leo & Lillian Goodwin had different marketing plan for their business and the utmost was to lower the cost. This business plan of theirs was made successful with the induction of federal employees in their marketing strategy as this segment of people would be posing low risk and eventually companyâ€⠄¢s profit would not be hampered. Even today GEICO sticks to this objective of its and all through these years one thing which has remained intact with the company is creating customer value through its services. Every firm in today’s time needs to promote itself through various advertisements as to reach maximum number of people and build a strong customer base. GEICO is a company which has always believed in reaching out to people directly than through any agents and for this very reason it has relied on internet communication, through phone and heavily investing on advertisements which in return has increased its customer base. c) Competitive Analysis: Competition is one word which can never be forgotten in context of marketing plan. Every company has a competition in its field and a proper analysis is must to emerge as winners. GEICO also have been facing tough competition from other players but what has made it look different is its excellent coverage, always thriving to keep costs low and last but not the least good service quality to its customers. d) Environmental influences: External or the environmental influences can be broadly divided into 4 categories- i) Economic: GEICO has been considerably climbing the steps towards the numero-uno position and this has been possible because of good economic position of US. Though lately due to recession the things turned ugly but now the economy is back on track and so GEICO can expect further growth. ii) Technological: To keep up with the time and competition GEICO not only needs a good service quality but also innovation in the products. With technology being at par GEICO’s service is further going to make customer happy and more interested in the company for getting their vehicles insured. iii) Political-Legal: A company like GEICO should always make sure it follows all the norms and regulations set by the government to prosper smoothly without any hassle. A politically clean company is most so ught after company by any customer and in a risky business like insurance sector a company surely needs to legally manage its business. iv) Socio-culture: With power comes great responsibilities and for this GEICO should also be socially attached with its

Accessing Healthcare Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Accessing Healthcare - Assignment Example At the current rate of growth, by 2050, the Hispanic population would double to 30% and would be around 133 million individuals. Today, the Hispanics are found in all parts of the US, rather than the mere Southern States (CDC, 2011). Around 500,000 Hispanic are entering the US every year, legally and illegally, and when they enter they do not have proper facilities such as jobs, healthcare, education, etc. Hence they are force to live in poor conditions and make take up very low-end jobs (Moore, 2001). Due to various environmental, genetic, ethnic and situational problems existing in the US, the Hispanic population may find it very difficult to access healthcare facilities or be in a situation where they can control their health status. One of the major health issues that affect the African American population in the US is substance abuse, and within this population, there may be different variations noted, and often the Hispanic individuals get heavily criminalized for drug-related or alcohol-related crimes. Hence, they often end up facing huge drug offences and may be jailed. As per the NIDA 1991 study, the drug abuse rates may be lower in Hispanics compared to African-Americans or Caucasians, but comparatively it can be found that Hispanics misuse cocaine more frequently than any other population, and any offence related to cocaine usage is heavily criminalized. In other parts of the US such as New York, Heroin abuse is high amongst the Hispanics (Moore, 2001). There may be several reasons why the drug abuse problem is serious with the Hispanics. Firstly, there may be huge number of people in the Hispanic groups that indulge in serious drug abuse, compared to other populations, and in certain groups located, the rate of alcohol abuse may be similar to the Whites and the African-American, if not higher. Besides,

Personal organization and time management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Personal organization and time management - Essay Example Matrix structure-this structure divides people into two different categories, one category is by the specific task they perform and the other is by the team of product they are working with. The major advantage of this structure is that productivity is increased and also the members have greater chances to be more creative and innovative because the members are expected to take responsibility for their work (Galloway,1921). This also allows managers and supervisors to make decisions easily to solve problems through interactions with the group. This is the most important element of all to me. Project-organizational structure-here, the members/workers are grouped together according to the number of staff required to produce a product or complete a task. Each significant task and the number of people it requires is put into consideration while using this structure to ensure that the right people are selected to participate in a particular project. Expect the unexpected-be ready for anything. Most of the time, things do not go as planned due to unavoidable circumstances, therefore it is important to always be ready for inconveniences (Forsyth, 2010). An example is in planning for activities by scheduling time for them. In most cases, lateness may occur due to unavoidable reasons. Therefore, allowing 15minutes earlier in the schedule will cover for any time lost. Avoid procrastination-this applies mostly to tasks that one does not like or tasks that are unpleasant. Instead of postponing them, it is important to do them as soon as possible so as to clear your schedule and make time for more important tasks (Limoncelli, 2009). Once you are done, it leaves you more energised to focus on the important ones. An example is when I did not feel like organising files for every athlete. I pushed the task for so long it ended up piling and I had to use a lot of time to

Rising Oil Prices Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Rising Oil Prices - Research Proposal Example Fuel prices have risen and affected every nation in the world since the early years of this decade. Nandia Mongia (2008) reports that crude oil prices have increased in the world market from 22 U.S. Dollars up to almost $90 U.S. Dollars per barrel. This affected the prices of petroleum products like diesel, kerosene, propane, and gasoline and hit lower-income households. Figure 1 shows the rising trend of oil products from 2000 up to 2006. Mongia (2008) mentions five (5) reasons for the rising of oil prices: (1) increasing demands for oil in the world market, (2) reduction of buffers, (3) uncertain oil supply, (4) assumption in the global oil market, and (5) lack of investments on exploration and refining. Robert Hirsch et al. (2005) mentions the notion of oil peaking. They note as perceived by geologists, oil is a limited source found under the earth's crust and its production will soon reach its peak or maximum and from there production will decline. They also emphasize that oil peaking is not related with running out of oil but it only describes the maximum production rate of an oil reservoir when half of its oil is recovered. (Hirsh et al. 2005) Oil peaking can be attributed to rising oil prices since the decreasing supply of oil may not meet the required demand so prices will go up in order to decrease the demand. Figure 2 explains the shift of the supply curve (S1 - S2) and the rise of equilibrium price ($1 - $2 ) because of the decrease in oil production. Figure 2 C. Implications of the Rise in Oil Prices Mongia (2008) finds that the macroeconomic effects of the increase in prices of oil are not yet seen. As shown in Figure 3, the inflation brought by the increase in the average price of crude in 2000's was matched by the growth of the world's real GDP although signs of slowdown were seen. For the developing countries in Asia, the effects of inflation hampered GDP growth which has not changed since 2004. (Mongia 2008) Oliver Blanchard and Jordi Gali (2008) prove four (4) reasons for the mild impacts of the recent oil price increase: (1) lack of adverse shocks which happened in the 1970's, (2) lesser share of oil in production, (3) highly flexible labor markets, and (4) enhancements in the monetary policy. Figure 3 (Real GDP Growth, Crude Price 1990 - 2006) On the other hand, the microeconomic effects of the rise in oil prices were experienced by the poor. As stated by Mongia (2008), many developing countries are oil dependent and spend more resources on importing oil. Poor households use petroleum products like kerosene, liquefied petroleum gas, diesel, gasoline, and chemical fertilizers in their daily living. The rise of in the prices of oil will force them to use other sources like biomass or fuel wood and crop remains. These effects will harm some Millennium

Europe and the Great Depression of the 1930s - Study Notes Essay Example for Free

Europe and the Great Depression of the 1930s Study Notes Essay The Great Depression of the 1930s was a result of World War I. Germany had to pay off war debts to France and Britain, but in the meantime, they borrowed money from the U.S. There was a chain connecting everyone, and when Germany finally failed to pay France and Britain, the chain of money stopped. France and Britain could not pay the U.S. back, and the stock market crash ensued shortly afterwards. Its severity was due to the chain reactions and interlocking of the different countries. Germany was suffering major inflation, and simply could not pay or make up its debt to the other countries. If France and Britain were equally blamed for the war, it may not have happened, because Germany would not be supporting the countries economically. The National Government took three decisive steps to attack the depression. First, to balance the budget, it raised taxes, cut insurance benefits to the unemployed and the unemployed and the elderly, and lowered government salaries. Its leaders argued that the fall in prices that had taken place meant that those reductions did not appreciably cut real income. Second, in September 1931, Britain went off the gold standard. The value of the British pound on the international money market fell by about 30 percent. This move somewhat stimulated exports. Third, in 1932 Parliament passed the Import Duties Bill, which placed a 10 percent ad valorem tariff on all imports except those from the empire. Gold and free trade, the hallmarks of almost a century of British commercial policy was abandoned. The Popular Front, on June 8, 1936, immediately raised wages from 7 and 15 percent, depending on the job involved. Employers were required to recognize unions and to bargain collectively with them. Workers were given annual, paid two-week vacations. The forty-hour week was established throughout French industry. Everyone was terrified of the Third Republic. The outflow of foreign capital from Germany beginning in 1928 undermined the economic prosperity of the Weimar Republic. The resulting economic crisis brought parliamentary government to an end. In 1928 a coalition of center parties and the Social Democrats governed. All went reasonably well until the depression struck. Then the coalition partners disagreed sharply on economic policy. The Social Democrats refused to reduce social and  unemployment insurance. The more conservative parties, remembering the inflation of 1923, insisted on a balanced budget. The coalition dissolved in March 1930. Hitler came into office by legal means, he was eventually elected Chancellor by the president and all the proper documents were completed. When the president of Germany died on August 2, 1934, Hitler combined the offices of chancellor and president. He was then the sole ruler of Germany and of the Nazi party. No, his dictatorship was not inevitable. His seizure of power was more by impersonal forces, especially because he only became ruler of Germany when the President died. Nazi economic policies maintained private property and private capitalism, but subordinated all significant economic enterprise and decisions about prices and investment to the goals of the state. Hitler reversed the deflationary policy of the cabinets that had preceded him. He instituted a massive program of public works and spending. Many of these projects related directly or indirectly to rearmament. The government sponsored canal building, land reclamation, and the construction of a large highway system with clear military uses. The government returned some unemployed workers to farms if they had originally come from there. Other laborers were not permitted to change jobs. The Nazi economic experiment proved that by sacrificing all political and civil liberty, destroying a free trade-union movement, preventing the private exercise of capital, and ignoring consumer satisfaction, full employment to prepare for war and aggression could be achieved. Terror and intimidation had been major factors in the Nazi march to office. The SS had originated in the mid-1920s as a bodyguard for Hitler and had become a more elite paramilitary organization than the much larger SA. The SS was the instrument that carried out the blood purges of the party in 1934. The police character of the Nazi regime was all-pervasive, but the people who most consistently experienced the terror of the police state were the German Jews. Hitler, Mussolini, and Stalin each used terror to achieve their goals. With terror the number one populace concern, rebellion was less omniscient. The people would worry about staying alive and doing the things that please the ruler rather than make a mistake, plan a rebellion, or something close to that. Stalin felt that if Russia did not industrialize there would be no way to keep up the rest of the fast-advancing Europe. The production of iron, steel, coal, electrical power, tractors, combines, railway cars and other heavy machinery was emphasized. The labor for this development was supplied internally. Capital was raised from the export of grain even at the cost of internal shortages. The fact that Russia had a five-year plan probably allowed the Soviet Union to survive the German invasion. The targets of the purges were in all areas of party life. No one can explain why some were executed, others sent to labor camps, and still others left unmolested.

Information Technology Is A Key To Business Success Information Technology Essay

Information Technology Is A Key To Business Success Information Technology Essay Information technology also referred to as IT is the application of computers and telecommunications equipment to store, retrieve, transmit and manipulate data, often in the context of a business or other enterprise. In the business context, the Information Technology has defined as the study, design, development, application, implementation or management of computer-based information systems. The business of information technology is to complete business processes, provide information for decision making, connect business with their customers, and provide productivity tools to increase efficiency. Information Technology is the key enabler to improving customer satisfaction, operational efficiencies and by extension, profitability. Technology has been the great enabler of business and especially retail enterprise.Information technology is everywhere in business. Understanding information technology provides great insight to anyone learning about business. Information Technology (IT) is fast becoming a key lever which management can use to deliver operational benefits whether in reducing operational costs, entering emerging markets or scaling their business across multiple geographic regions. With advances in technology and its impact on todays business models, companies are increasingly pushing the boundaries to remain competitive. Information Technology is one key area to do this business need to view IT as an enabler rather than a cost center. OBJECTIVE (S) To explain the key of Information Technology for business to success To know the advantages of Information Technology in Business To describe the ways of Information Technology can improve your business to success BODY OF THE ARTICLE Key of Information Technology for business to success Information technology is a modern phenomenon that has dramatically changed the daily lives of individuals and businesses throughout the world. Leveraging information technology for business success is key to survival in the modern business world. Information technology has grown into the business world by influencing companies to market their products, communicate and accomplish their jobs in modern organizations. IT made her firm to grow rapidly to its ability to leverage information technology and the internet to drive sales. This can helped the firm to have clients all over the world. It also helps the revenue of the firm to increase every year. Production technology has allowed modern companies to make substantial progress in operational efficiency and the effectiveness of human resources. Information technology has also changed the way that companies operate internally. Personal computers have become a necessity for a large majority of corporate jobs, and many manual labor jobs require the use of a handheld computer or other electronic device as well. Apple Success with information technology Apple achieved business success through the use of information, information technology and people by finding a way to make their product more interesting. With the use of information Apple determine in sales what would sell and who could benefit from their product and what would the pros outweigh the cons of their product. For example with certain products they make like the I Pad the size is easy to carry you can play games and watch videos type papers take photos its touch screen which the customers enjoy. Information technology (IT) enables managers to be more competent in the business function and the organization departments to be more effective. Information technology can control the use of computers and computers software. Apples CEO, late Steve Jobs wants to control the primary technology in everything he does. For example, he was obsessed with control, he wants i-Pod playing songs encoded by Apple only, but it will limit the i-Pod markets. Then he came with the idea landing with a Windows compatible and that made i-Pods sales when up. Apples designs are distinctive and their devices rely more in standard technologies. His decision to change was fundamental to the exceptional success that Apple has over the past ten years. Advantages of Information Technology in Business Information technology (IT) benefits the business world by enable organizations to work more efficiently and to maximize productivity. Almost every work environment is dependent on information technology that related to computer applications. Since the computerized system so widely used, it is advantageous to incorporate information technology into an organization. For the storing and protecting information, information technology can creates electronic storage systems to protect your companys valuable records. The storage systems also can keep information safe by only allowing certain users within your company to access, withdraw, add or change the documents. One of the most significant benefits of information technology is the capability to stock a large amount of information. As you know, computers can keep records of the company in terms of data movements, transactions, customer records and others. This information could be used, analyzed, aggregated and displayed in any format, which gives the people in the business to make a great decision about the company. Instead, data can show system response times, financial analysis, customer trends, profitable customers and anything that is associated with the link. This can surely help to improve the operation and management of the company. Employers can use this to determine the ways and methods they need to do in order to know their employees according to performances. One of the major benefits of information technology in business is to increase the efficiency. People look for ways to do more work in a shorter amount of time. The information technology improves your companys efficiency by developing automated processes to take burden off your staff. For example, your employees are free to work on other things while the computer runs their reports, creates queries, tracks projects and monitors financials. Beside that, the communication is essential to the business world, and information technology gives your company the resources it needs to communicate quickly and effectively. For example, your IT department can hook your employees up with email, video conferencing equipment and internal chat rooms, so that they always have an efficient way to conduct business and communicate. Information technology can assist the business to have an efficient and more effective customer service. This is the reason why many business owners are using the social media for them to promote their service and products. As there are now numerous people who use the social media, it is a great avenue for these businesses to use it in terms of interacting with their customers. Finally, information technology was undeniably very useful and functional in the field of business because every transaction can now be just simple and easy especially if the program or system used is designed well. Ways of Information Technology can improve your business Where can Information Technology best contribute to the business? By following this approach within your company, you can help focus your use of IT for increased business bene ¬Ã‚ t. The first way of information technology can improve your business is reduce the cost or expense. This is the bene ¬Ã‚ t of IT that  ¬Ã‚ rst comes to mind for most people. The original IT projects were put in place to automate processes in order to reduce cost, often by replacing large numbers of people with a few computers. , if your business is not competitive in your industry because of a higher than normal expense level, then this may be the most important way that IT can contribute to your business success. An example of a case study for lowering costs is Amazon, which has used information technology to streamline its business in order fulfillment. IT projects also reduce expense by automating any process that requires heavy use of clerical people, or any process that uses highly repetitive well-de ¬Ã‚ ned procedures. The second way of information technology can improve your business is differentiation. For differentiation strategies, organizations try to make their products and services different from their competitors. Apple has been successful with this strategy by designing its computers to look much different from PCs and focusing on its computers ease of use. As another example, Amazon.com has differentiated its website by using certain information technologies, such as personalization technologies to recommend products to customers based on their previous purchases. Amazon.com also uses the one-click system for fast checkout. With this system, customers can enter credit card numbers and addresses once, and in subsequent visits simply click once to make a purchase, without having to enter information again. For most businesses, increasing revenue offers higher payback than reducing expense. Its even more true when revenue can be added by increasing sales to existing customers, eliminating the necessity of additional customer acquisition costs. Many E-commerce web sites in the dot com era were justi ¬Ã‚ ed on the basis of increasing revenues, but most of them just provided an additional sales channel for existing customers, and actual revenues didnt increase. In addition to e-commerce web sites, one examples of systems that might increase revenues which is data warehouse systems can help identify customers who are most likely to buy as a result of certain types of promotion, or who would be more likely to buy as a result of cross-selling efforts. The other way of information technology can improve your business by improved the quality. An Information Technology can improve the quality of your products or services if the project implements process improvements that would be too time consuming or dif ¬Ã‚ cult to do without using computers. By improving quality, we can end up increasing revenue, improving customer retention, and even reducing cost, but quality improvement should be considered as a goal in itself. For example, when use of modeling software to better understand and predict product failures, and to take action before products fail. Beside that, improved customer satisfaction is the way of information technology can improve your business to success. Improving customers satisfaction is one of those things that is obvious, and yet very dif ¬Ã‚ cult. If customers are more satis ¬Ã‚ ed then your revenues will grow, either through repeat purchases or through word-of-mouth advertising. Costs are likely to be lower as well, since you wont have to spend as much to deal with customer complaints and returns. Information Technology can help by providing web access for customers, and by making information available to customers by phone or by fax. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION For the conclusion, Information Technology is essentially a wide and varied field. Information technology can speed up the time it takes new products to reach the market. From innovations in microprocessors to efficient drug delivery systems, information technology helps businesses respond quickly to changing customer requirements. Other than that, information technology provides a wide range of tools entrepreneurs can use to guide their new companies through the startup and growth stages. The companies that will succeed and flourish in the 21st century are the companies that will understand what users need and will be able to offer them the experience that can be obtained through technology information systems. Modern information technology has gained popularity rapidly since the mid-twentieth century, and the trend is likely to continue into the future.Simply put, Information Technology has changed the business landscape due to its wide and varied scope.

Ecologically Compatible Land Use Planning Methods

Ecologically Compatible Land Use Planning Methods Methodology For the purpose of ecologically compatible land use planning multiple GIS functions has been carried out. The functions carried out are integration using the model builder tool in order to come to the final results. Model Builder Model builder is an application in ArcGIS which is used for creating a model for a particular function. These models can be reedited even at later stage of analysis which makes it suitable for modifications if required thus making the work faster and results more accurate. (ESRI, n.d.) To create a model a toolbox needs to be created first. After creating a toolbox in a specific folder connection a model can be created within the toolbox. A model looks like a workflow diagram through which various geo-processing tools are connected. The output of a particular function can be used as the input for the next. By using this method the multiple analysis can be one at the same time. While using GIS during some analysis the files might get heavy and display of the output might take a long time and can even result in crashing of the system. But while using model builder we have an option for displaying only the required. Model builder is generally used when we require a large number of parameter to come results or when multiple steps are required to come to a result. In real time application we use for analysis like land suitability, hydrology, etc. In addition to all these advantage it helps the user get a visual relationship between different parameters and makes it easier to explain to a third person on how the analysis is performed thus making this one the most advanced tools in the field of GIS. Locating the villages and defining the ESZ boundary Before using the model builder multiple layers need to be created and analysis need to be performed. The first task is the marking of boundary and locating the villages that comes under ESZ. In this study there are 88 villages. These location are marked by first locating the villages using the Google Earth with the latitude and longitude given by the MoEF. These are then saved as Keyhole Mark-up Language (KML). (KML) is an XML-based mark-up language designed to annotate and overlay visualizations on various two-dimensional, Web-based online maps or three-dimensional Earth browsers. (Rouse, n.d.) Since all the village kml files are different and this has to be converted to shapefile as a single one. This is done by using the Expert GPS software which converts and combines as a single shapefile. The boundary of ESZ created by using polygon feature. A new shapefile (polygon feature) is created by using ArcCatalog inside the folder connection. Type of shapefile is chosen and title is given to the shapefile. The next step includes the defining the coordinate system for the location. In case of this location the coordinated defined as Projected Coordinate System > UTM > WGS 1984 > Northern Hemisphere > WGS 1984 UTM Zone 43N. Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and DEM Masking A Digital Elevation Model is the representation of continuous elevation values over a topographic surface by a regular array of z-values, referenced to a common datum. (ESRI, n.d.) Digital Elevation Model The DEM used for this study is of 90 meter resolution and is obtained from asterdem. In case of this study four DEMs were required in order to cover the complete area. Later this were combined and masked using ArcGIS masking tool with reference to the boundary created. Masking is used for extracting the required part of raster file with the reference of a feature class. Masking tool is found in the ArcToolbox under Spatial Analyst Tools > Extraction > Extract by Mask. Once this process is done the output is DEM after Masking This masked DEM is going to be used multiple analysis like slope, elevation, TIN model, flow accumulation, hillshade, etc. Slope Analysis The slope or gradient of a line is a number that describes both the direction and the steepness of the line. The Slope tool calculates the maximum change in value from that cell to its neighbours. Basically, the maximum change in elevation by the distance between the cell and its eight neighbours finds the steepest downhill descent from the cell. The tool fits a plane to the z-values of a 3 x 3 cell neighbourhood around the processing or center cell. The direction the plane faces is the aspect for the processing cell. The lower the slope value means flatter terrain and vice versa. The cell location with a NoData z-value, the z-value of the center cell will be assigned to the location. (ESRI, n.d.) Aspect Map Aspect map shows the direction and steepness of slope for a terrain. Aspect tool is under spatial analyst and is created using DEM. The areas that have steeper slopes are shown brighter. The aspect map is classified on the basis of direction of slope in degrees (0-360Â °). 0-22.5: North 22.5-67.5: North-east 67.5-112.5: East 112.5-157.5: South-east 157.5-202.5: South 202.5-247.5: South-west 247.5-292.5: West 292.5-337.5: North-west 337.5-359.5: North Whichever locations are flat is assigned (-1). Hillshade Hillshade is a 3D grayscale model of a surface by taking sun’s relative position to account. It shows the areas that receives sun light and that comes under the shade at a particular time. For this function the azimuth and altitude of location is required. The inputs for this function are the following: Input DEM Azimuth Altitude Scaling Z Factor Pixel Size Power Pixel Size Factor Altitude is the angle of elevation of sun (0-90Â °) and azimuth is the relation position of sun along the horizon (0-360Â °). Z-factor is the elevation of the location. The Hillshade tool comes under spatial analyst toolbox in ArcGIS. TIN Model Triangulated Irregular Network (TIN) model is a digital data structure used in GIS for representation of a surface. TIN model is generated using DEM. Advantage of TIN over DEM is that points of TIN are distribute variably by using an algorithm that decides which points are more accurate for terrain representation. TIN (Scientific Software Group, n.d.) Contour Map Contours are lines that connects the points of same values. The contour model is used for study of elevation, temperature, precipitation, pollution, etc. In this study contour map is used for the analysing the elevation details. This helps in finding the areas that have less steep slopes and can be developed. Contour Map (OpenGeo Suite, n.d.) Contour map over the TIN elevation model will help is visualizing the terrains in a better manner. Flow Accumulation Flow accumulation map shows the areas that will accumulate water. In ArcGIS a raster file is created of accumulated flow into each cell. Flow direction is used as the input for flow accumulation raster. Flow accumulation comes under hydrology tool which is under spatial analyst toolbox. Usage: Cell with high flow accumulation can be used to identify stream channel. Cell with flow accumulation of zero can be used to identify ridges. Flow Accumulation Map (Stack Exchange, 2012) Basins This tool creates a raster that delineates all the drainage basins. The drainage basins are delineating ridge lines between basins. For creating the basins, the flow direction is used as the input. Even if the basin is in one cell, all the cells in a raster will belong to a basin. Basin Map (National Water Program, 2013) Road Network Road network are created using polyline feature. For this study since the area being large only the major road are mapped. Further buffers will be created in order to do the proximity analysis to find the locations that are suitable for development. Road Network Map (Anantapuramu District, n.d.) Landuse Map Landuse map is required to understand for what purpose different areas put into use. Land use map is a polygon feature. It is created using the cut polygon tool in ArcGIS. Since the area being large, in this study landuse map is prepared at a macro level. Landuse Map Delhi, 2004 (Netzband Atiqur, 2007)

Architectural Realism Essay -- Urban Planning, Otto Wagner

As a proponent of Architectural Realism, Otto Wagner was interested in urban planning. Although Wagner began as a traditional architect, he promoted the transition from historicism to the idea of an architecture that spoke to its time. As an architect, Wagner began his career with buildings that were designed in the conventional Baroque and neo-classical styles. Wagner attempted to turn away from the accepted traditional forms of architecture by bringing together structural rationalism and technology. However, he retained a sense of historicism and eclecticism. (Wagner 21). Wagner’s architectural style embraced and clearly manifested a distinct change in traditional and the emergence of purpose built buildings. The church at Vienna’s Steinhoff sanitarium, the Postal savings Bank and several entrances for Vienna’s city railway are some of Wagner’s most memorable buildings. (100) . The belief of art having purpose was expressed when he stated, â€Å" The practical element in man, which is particularly pronounced, is evidently here to stay and every architect is going to have to come to grips with the postulate, a thing that is unpractical cannot be beautiful† (100). In the exploration of the idea of modernity in architecture, he used the designs of his own buildings, where he used new technology, materials and simpler ornamentation. The Postal Savings Bank is seen as an important early work of modern architecture. This represented Wagner’s move from Neoclassicism. The building was constructed using reinforced concrete. Square marble plates cover the faà §ade attached to the man brick structure with mortar and ornamented with iron bolts with aluminum caps. The picture below shows the exterior of the main faà §ade of the Postal Savings Ban... ...s considered modern at that time, it still contained references to Classicism and neo-Renaissance. This resulted in his modern architecture arguments not to be completely distinct and leave the traditional architecture of the past. John Ruskin decried the type of restorations employed by Viollet-le-Duc stating that it is â€Å"a destruction out of which no remnants can be gathered, a destruction accompanied with false description of the thing destroyed† (Viollet-le-Duc 35). Because Viollet-le-Duc refuted the challenge of his own ideas, he continued to design buildings in eclectic styles. Both Wagner and Viollet-le-Duc did not succeed to completely avoid using traditional architecture as reference to modern architecture. The preservation movement widely rejected Viollet’s methods because it threatened the autonomy of the observed historical past.

Global Warming is a Reality That Must be Taken Seriously Essay examples

Global Warming is a rising epidemic that is one of high controversy. The growing concern that Global Warming is going to thermally destroy the earth is causing concentrated precautions to take place. With worry mounting in the lives of the human race, it is intensifying the idea that things must be done to stop the depletion of the ozone layer. There are several problems around the earth that prove the occurrence of Global Warming. It is very real. The world could end at any given time in the next century, due to foreseen occurrences such as, rising in sea level, extreme climate changes, and the unexplainable spreading of tropical diseases. There has been a distinct rise in sea level over the past century. This is due to the melting of massive glaciers. These glaciers are melting due to ...

A Migrant’s Diary

Dear Diary, Hello, my name is Lucas and I am a migrant. I am the oldest of eight children and we live on a small farm in the Hills of Kenya. Tomorrow I will have to leave my Family to move to the capital city Nairobi. Here I work on our small patch of land with my Mother and Father, the only problem is that everything is getting worse. There are so many in my Family that we haven't got enough food to feed everyone. That is why I must go. I will try to find work to earn some money and then send it too my Family to help them. We rely on the Weather to be able to grow crops but this is normally not very successful. The weather here is very bad for our crops because mostly there are either Droughts or Floods. The condition of the soil is very poor and our crops die very quickly. Because we live on high land it is hard to grow crops because of all the slopes. I am very excited to go because I will hopefully be able to help my Family but also a bit worried because maybe I will not even find a Job. I have heard that Nairobi has quite a lot of jobs on offer so I hope I will find one. Very many people live out here in the Countryside but not very many people live in the city. More and more Migrants like me are moving to the City. I hope the People in Nairobi will be nice to me and not make me feel down. I do not like to leave my Family but I have to, so that they will be able to survive. I must go now to get ready for Tomorrows leave. Goodbye Lucas Dear Diary, I have just arrived in Nairobi and I am very impressed at what it looks like. The Journey here was very long, Tiring and bumpy and I am glad I have got some fresh air to breathe now. I am now waiting for my cousin to meet me here. Most buildings here are very small and are made of Iron. It looks quite clean here but there are a lot of piles of rubbish outside the Houses. The people here wear much better quality clothes and they look a lot richer than I do. The city is built on very low Land and so it is very easy to build houses. There are some higher buildings but I cannot see any Skyscrapers of any kind. There is a lot more Traffic here than were I used to live. The people here look much more busy and I cannot see any Farms. I think they work in Offices, Hospitals, Schools and shops. I have a lot of hope that I will get a Job even if it is only small but I need to save my Family. The City looks much bigger than the Countryside. There seem to be a lot of People crowded in one little space. I hope that my cousin will come soon because I am starting too feel very nervous. Oh, there she comes, I will write to you later. Goodbye. Lucas Dear Diary, I am now in my cousin's house and I am not very pleased. I thought that I would live in a really nice house, because my uncle told me that she was doing really well but it doesn't seem like it. The House is very clean but very small. She calls it a shanty house and there is lots of rubbish outside and a river of sewage is running outside. There is no Electricity or clean Water and I can't believe anybody could live like this. The Walls are made from mud and the Roof from Iron. It is very hot in the day and very cold at night. There are a lot more Jobs here, which is what I was looking for, but the ground here is not ideal for farming either. I have written a letter to my Family describing what it is like and that I am searching for a Job. Every day I go out and look for a Job, but it is very hard as I am a Migrant. The Offices, Schools, Hospitals and Shops are a lot cleaner than the Shanty Houses. Well I will write more Later. Goodbye. Lucas Dear Diary, I have now been looking for a Job for 4 weeks and I became very desperate. My Family have been asking what's going on and I told them that I couldn't find anything, but my cousin was helping me. It is very hard to find a Job because all I know about is farming and there are no Farms in the City. But yesterday a man came up to me and asked if I would like to work for his cleaning Company. I was so pleased that I said yes without Thinking First. I am so happy that I have found a Jog. I only get paid very poorly but it is still better than working on the Farm. I will get my first amount of money next week and that Money will go straight to My Family. I have already sent them a Letter. I work as a cleaner on the streets of Kibera and have to pick up the Rubbish that is left in front of all the Houses. It is not very nice to do but I need to bring some money to the Family. I hope that they will be Pleased with the Amount I send. Being a Cleaner is very hard work and I work 11 Hours a day. All the rubbish outside the Houses makes me feel a bit sick but apart from that I'm O.K. I will write more later. Goodbye. Lucas Dear Diary, I have know been working for 3 Month and have been sending Money to my Family every Week. My sister said that she is very impressed and wants to come to work here as well. I wrote a Letter to her that said something like this. Dear Sister, I am very pleased to hear that you would like to come and live with me and help me. I must tell you though that the City isn't as great as you think. The shanty houses are very clean inside but very Dirty outside. As I have previously told you I am a Cleaner and I have to pick up all the Rubbish people leave outside. You might need to get the same Jog as me but if you are Lucky you will get a Different one. Working here is great but very Hard. I hope you will come so that we can send even more money to the Family and maybe sometime I could pay them a Visit when you are working. If you tell me when you will arrive then I can come and Pick you up at the Bus Station. I hope the whole Family is well. Please write back as soon as Possible, to tell me all Information. There are a lot more Shops here and better health care. Please come to visit because I am starting too fell very Lonely. Even though I live with my Cousin I'm still Lonely because I never see her as she is working at Night and I am working at Day. The City is very nice and Different so Please Come to Visit. Goodbye, Your Brother Lucas. I am so happy because she wants to come and Visit me. I am really starting too fell Lonely and It would be great if she came, so I am holding Fingers crossed. I am sorry but I will have to go to work now.

Factors Affecting the Successful Implementation of Ict

qFactors Affecting the Successful Implementation of ICT Projects in Government David Gichoya, Research School of Informatics, Loughborough University, UK D. M. [email  protected] ac. uk Abstract: A government is a huge and complex organisation, whose operations and strategic focus could be greatly enhanced by the well focussed application of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to support improvements in productivity, management effectiveness and ultimately, the quality of services offered to citizens.While the benefits of ICT in government cannot be disputed, there are several concerns about its success as well as the strategies to be adopted in implementation of systems in various countries. In this paper, the characteristic challenges that developing nations face, which make ICT implementation in government fail to succeed are identified and synthesised. The paper presents results of literature review of case studies from both developed and developing countries and p reliminary studies grounded in the Kenya e-Government reality.The key factors are identified, synthesised and categorised under common broad categories. This results in a rich picture of ICT implementation experience that helps to identify possible solutions. A descriptive framework for categorising key factors in ICT implementation in government illustrated with references to the literature is proposed. The input variables are categorised into factors for success (drivers and enablers), and factors for failure (barriers and inhibitors). The output variables are categorized into organisational and technological benefits. Finally, an action for success is proposed.This action includes suggestions for increasing the impact of factors for success while reducing the impact of factors for failure and use of available good practice. Keywords: Government informatics, ICT projects implementation, e-Government, information system, ICT success and failure applied to various phenomena (Beynon- Davies 2002). Following this definition of informatics, government informatics can be defined as the application of information, information systems and information technology within government. This therefore includes application of eGovernment which is â€Å"primarily to do with making the delivery of government services more fficient† (Bannister, Remenyi 2005). 1. Background With the emergence of information and communication technologies (ICTs), and eGovernment, it is possible to improve efficiency and effectiveness of internal administration within government and to re-locate government service from government offices to locations closer to the citizens. Examples of such locations are cyber cafe’, telecenters or a personal computer at home or office. While the benefits of ICT in government cannot be disputed, there are several concerns about its success as well as the strategies to be adopted in implementation of systems in various ountries. This paper therefore p resents the findings of a literature review, knowledge acquired from reviewed case studies from developing countries and a preliminary study grounded on Kenyan government. The paper considers the characteristic challenges that developing nations face, which make ICT implementation in government fail to succeed. A descriptive framework for categorising key factors in ICT implementation in government and an action for success are proposed. The action for success is presented as response to situation specific challenges. In support of government informatics, Tapscott (1995, p. v) argues that ICT causes a â€Å"paradigm shift† introducing â€Å"the age of network intelligence†, reinventing businesses, governments and individuals. Ndou (2004, p. 2) quoting Kaufman (1977) observes, â€Å"the traditional bureaucratic paradigm, characterised by internal productive efficiency, functional rationality, departmentalisation, hierarchical control and rulebased management is being r eplaced by competitive, knowledge based requirements, such as: flexibility, network organisation, vertical/horizontal integration, innovative entrepreneurship, organisational learning, speed up in service delivery, and a customer driven trategy, which emphasise coordinated network building, external collaboration and customer services† all of which are supported by ICT. Informatics is a bridging discipline that is fundamentally interested in the application of information, information technology and information systems within organisations. Informatics is therefore the study of information, information systems and information technology ISSN 1479-439X 1. 1 e-Governments initiatives According to Kaul and Odedra (1991) governments around the world have been engaged in the process of implementing a wide 175  ©Academic Conferences Ltd Reference this paper as:Gichoya D (2005) â€Å"Factors Affecting the Successful Implementation of ICT Projects in Government† The Electroni c Journal of e-Government Volume 3 Issue 4, pp 175-184, available online at www. ejeg. com Electronic Journal of e-Government Volume 3 Issue 4 2005 (175-184) range of (ICT) applications. Countries have been classified by the United Nations according to their Computer Industry Development Potential (CIPD) as advanced or less developed Mgaya (1999). Advanced include, for example, the United States, Canada, West European countries and Japan; less developed include for example Argentina, Brazil, India, Mexico, Kenya and Bulgaria.For all countries, use of ICTs for government reinvention is increasing not only in investment but also in terms of visibility with a number of high-profile initiatives having been launched during the 1990s. According to Heeks and Davies (2000), this reinvention has taken place especially in the advanced countries. Western countries are convinced that the information society will result in economic and social benefits (Audenhove 2000). The author quoting Organis ation for Economic Cooperation and Development, notes that information infrastructures are expected to stimulate economic growth, increase productivity, reate jobs, and improve on the quality of life. Heeks (2002) observes that there is a big difference between ICT implementation and use between developed and developing countries. However, Westrup (2002) observes that similarities can also be expected. These similarities include funds which are never sufficient, bureaucracy and user needs. The difference is how problems are addressed in different countries. It can be argued that, with their adequate resources and advanced technology, the Western countries have an easier way of implementing ICT projects than DCs. Most developing countries are characterised by limited omputer applications in the public sector, inadequate infrastructure and shortage of skilled manpower (Odedra 1993). Odedra (1993, p. 9) notes that â€Å"this situation exists not merely due to lack of financial resourc es, but largely due to lack of coordination at different levels in making effective use of the technology†. This uncoordinated efforts can only result in duplication if each department implements its own ICT projects without due regard to compatibility within the government. technical and support staff and facilities including buildings. So far, the Government Information Technology Investment and Management Framework is onnecting all ministries to the Internet under the Executive Network (Limo 2003). The government is also connecting the ministries to run integrated information systems for example the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS) and the Integrated Personnel and Pensions Database (IPPD). While developing countries may have similar characteristics, the Kenyan context presents various challenges that affect the successful implementation of ICT projects. Characteristics that define Kenyan ICT environment: †¢ Most ICT projects are initially dono r funded. †¢ Some donations are made without prior consultation or carrying out a needs nalysis by the recipient organization †¢ Operational/running costs are met by the government. Funding (capital and human resource requirements) ends with the project phase. †¢ The budgets for ICT are inadequate but rising. †¢ A lack of ICT policies and master plans to guide investment. To the extent that, with a number donors funding ICT, there have been multiple investments for the same product due to lack of coordination. †¢ A focus on ICT applications that support traditional administrative and functional transactions rather than on effective information processing and distribution within and without government epartments; †¢ Unstable ICT resources. This paper therefore helps to answer the following questions: 1. What critical factors or variables can be identified as important in terms of their effect on ICT project implementation in government? 2. Are there comm on variables and can the variables be synthesised and categorised under common broad categories for specific action to be taken? 3. Does the resulting analysis of the data lead to a framework that enables analysis and understanding of the ICT implementation experience in Kenya and can it help to identify problems and solutions? 4. Does this in turn result in a framework hat can be used to guide ICT 2. ICT Implementation in Government of Kenya Over the last five years, the Kenyan government has initiated some capital investment towards set up and installation of ICT infrastructure. Funding for these investments is achieved through partnerships between the government and development partners. The foreign funding component constitutes the largest percentage of this investment in terms of technology. The government contribution is usually in the form of www. ejeg. com 176  ©Academic Conferences Ltd David Gichoya implementation in Kenya and other developing countries? 5. Does the resul ting framework build on revious frameworks either in terms of its applicability to real life situations, its inclusive nature, its cohesiveness, and its ability to generate questions for further research? The research strategy envisaged is close to one used by Doherty, King et al. (1998), since the objectives are partly confirmatory but primarily exploratory. The strategy involves use of in-depth interviews, observation and documentary review. This approach provides new insights, grounded in the Kenya e-Government reality, into factors that contribute to the success or failure of ICT projects. It also shows the relationship between the doption of good practice during implementation and the resultant level of success attributed to the operational systems. The methodology envisaged therefore has two dimensions, one theoretically based on ICT literature; and the other analytically based on case studies. This paper therefore includes knowledge acquired from a literature review and a pre liminary investigation grounded in Kenya. focus. Planning projects Implementation of ICT A familiar maxim says, ‘if you cannot plan it, you do not do it’. Another maxim says, ‘I never planned to fail, I just failed to plan’. Planning spans a whole project period. It begins once the roject planning activities determine the organization’s strategy and identifies the ICT projects. Within the framework of a few fixed constraints, project plans evolve with the lifecycle. The constraints are time and money so each project has a clear deadline and a tight budget. According to Moran (1998, p. 39), plans fall into one of the two categories: vision without substance and a budget without vision. The identified problems of vision without substance are vagueness of future vision, lack of institutional vision, current position and time. Identified issues of budget without vision are questions as to what roblem is being solved, what are the priorities and definitio n of the roles and responsibilities. With ICT projects being advocated for and financed by donors, budget without vision is likely to be the project plan. Maciaszek (2001, p. 10) has suggested some planning models and methods for ICT implementation. Further, Aineruhanga (2004) observes that planning as a tool can help in reducing waste by identifying the pre-requites conditions for successful ICT implementation rather than â€Å"rushing into a complex e-Government strategy without having first finalized a national ICT policy†. Figure 1 presents a research framework onstructed from these preliminary studies. The framework specifies the area of research interest and shows how ICT implementation success affects ICT facilities quality and information system quality. In turn ICT facilities quality and information systems quality affect the perceived benefits. An ICT project implementation can only be perceived to have succeeded if the perceived benefits are realised. ICT facilitie s quality can be assessed after careful evaluation of the infrastructure to determine technical functionality. For example if the facilities were for networking different departments, the question may be hether this has been achieved successfully. This will involve a technical and user evaluation of the functional communication systems. Information system quality can only be determined by evaluating the information they generate. For example if the information is for budgeting purposes, the question might be whether the information system can generate accurate and timely financial information. Three reasons are identified for poor project planning in organisations. These are; risk management had not been addressed, business systems had not been justified to the full and lack of involvement from management Knott andDawson (1999). These can be taken as the major reasons but are not exhaustive. This is due to the diversity of the implementation environments. Also, as noted by Bannister and Remenyi (2000), p. 1), when it comes to complex decisions, managers often rely on methods which do not fall within the traditional boundaries of so-called rational decision making. It is observed that managers sometimes base decisions on ‘acts of faith, gut instinct or blind faith’ (referred to as strategic insight). As noted by Harindranath (1993), though developing countries commit a sizable amount of economic resources to ICT, for hem to reap maximum benefits, ICT needs careful planning and coordination prior to implementation and use otherwise trial and error methods of implementation that characterise most government ICT applications will only succeed in the wastage of scarce resources Perceived benefits are the end products that can be used to judge the success of the whole system. If the perceived benefits like easier communication, networking, and system integration, timely, relevant, complete and useful information are not realised, then the system will be perceived to have failed. Attributes of each component are shown for clarity and www. ejeg. com nd 177 ISSN 1479-439X Electronic Journal of e-Government Volume 3 Issue 4 2005 (175-184) Figure 1: Research framework 1998, Heeks 2002, Mgaya 1999). However, a careful review of reasons for failure identifies other factors whose presence or absence determines success or failure of projects. To begin with, the researcher looks at the output variables which are the benefits to be achieved if the initiative succeeds. The purpose of this is to clarify the goal of ICT projects. These goals may form a key element to the planning process as described above. Achievement of these goals helps to determine how to classify ICT projects. In ddition, perceptions of, and reasons for ICT failure are reviewed and these helps to identify possible key variables. 3. ICT performance evaluation ICT evaluation can be defined as establishing by quantitative, and/or qualitative methods the value of the ICT to th e organisation Khalifa et al. (2004). Performance cannot be judged as good or bad without the successful implementation of the project. In this paper, the technical or operational implementation of ICT infrastructure is of interest. Evaluating ICT projects can be quite problematic and can sometimes be quite subjective (Heeks 2002, Currie 1995, Bannister, Remenyi 2004, Irani 002, DeLone and McLean 2002, Bannister and Remenyi 2000) and there is no single ICT evaluation method that can be applied to all situations (Khalifa et al. 2004). Currie (1995) justifies this position using various case studies drawn from businesses in various developed countries while Heeks (2002) observes that evaluation is subjective and can depend on circumstances including time. Evaluation leads to the determination of success or failure of an ICT project. 4. 1 Output variables 4. ICT and IS success and failure Many benefits can be achieved using ICT in government. However, a word of caution given bySaul and Zulu (1994) is in order. The authors see ICT as a means to an end and not an end in itself. The value of ICT lies in its ability to assist the government in finding solutions to its problems. ICT expenditure can only be justified if there are benefits accruing to it and not adopting it for its own sake. Literature shows that planning and management of ICT projects has a very poor record in developing countries (Galliers et al. 1998, Qureshi The benefits are listed below: †¢ Cost reduction †¢ Quality of service delivery www. ejeg. com 178  ©Academic Conferences Ltd David Gichoya †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ 5. Factors for ICT success and failureIncreasing capacity of government Improved decision making Transparency Improved efficiency Improved access to information Other technological benefits for example cheaper and efficient and access to large storage capacities within larger and more advanced computers While discussing factors for success and failu re, it is necessary to clarify the â€Å"opposite† effect of most factors. This means if the presence of a factor encourages success, the lack of it encourages failure (examples are, proper infrastructure and well motivated staff). The converse is true such that if presence of a factor causes failure, its bsence will cause success (examples are bureaucracy, poor project and change management). 4. 2 Categorisation of ICT projects failure Broadly, the assessment of worth of an ICT venture focus on considerations of the success and failure of IS. The issue of ICT failure can be analyzed by assuming that learning from IS failures will provide us with important lessons for formulating successful strategies for the planning, development, implementation and management of information systems. While discussing dimensions of ICT failure, Beynon-Davies (2002, p. 201) considers both the horizontal and vertical dimensions of the informatics model.The horizontal dimension is expressed in t erms of the difference between development failure and use failure. The vertical dimension is expressed in terms of failure at the level of ICT systems, IS projects, or organization, or at the level of the external environment. Six types of IS failure is identified as follows: †¢ Technical failure †¢ Project failure †¢ Organizational failure †¢ Environmental failure †¢ Developmental failure †¢ Use failure Beynon-Davies supports the argument with several case studies and quotes other models for IS failure put forward by Lyytinen & Hirschheim (1987). 5. 1 Factors for successFactors for success are those occurrences whose presence or absence determines the success of an ICT project. They can be drivers or enablers as described by (Moran 1998, Riley 2000, Doherty et al. 1998, Heeks 2003b, Mugonyi 2003, Heeks 2004, Khaled 2003). . Their absence can cause failure and their presence can cause success. Drivers are the factors that encourage or reinforce the suc cessful implementation of ICT projects. Some of these are listed below: †¢ Vision and strategy †¢ Government support †¢ External pressure and donor support †¢ Rising consumer expectations †¢ Technological change, modernization, and globalizationEnablers are the active elements present in society, which help overcome the potential barriers. Some of these are listed below: †¢ Effective project, coordination and change management †¢ Good practice 5. 2 Factors for failure The factors for failure are those occurrences that constraint proper/smooth implementation of ICT projects in government. These can either be barriers or inhibitors as described by (Khaled 2003, Gakunu 2004, Aineruhanga 2004, Heeks 2003a, Ndou 2004, Bhatnagar 2003, Saul and Zulu 1994). ICT success or failure in developing countries can be categorized into three depending on the degree of success (Heeks 2002).First, is the total failure of an initiative never implemented or in which a new system was implemented but immediately abandoned. Second is partial failure of an initiative, in which major goals are unattained or in which there are significant undesirable outcomes. Associated with partial failure is the sustainability failure where an initiative first succeeds but is then abandoned after a year or so. The last is success of an initiative where most stakeholders attain their major goals and do not experience undesirable outcomes. For the purpose of this paper, Heeks categorisation is more relevant since it can be sed to categorise the few projects implemented by the Kenyan government using the above criterion as the case may be. www. ejeg. com Barriers can be considered as those occurrences that hinder ICT implementation. Some of these factors for failure are listed below. †¢ Infrastructure †¢ Finance †¢ Poor data systems and lack of compatibility †¢ Skilled personnel †¢ Leadership styles, culture, and bureaucracy †¢ Attitudes 1 79 ISSN 1479-439X Electronic Journal of e-Government Volume 3 Issue 4 2005 (175-184) Inhibitors do not necessarily prevent the implementation of ICT projects but they do prevent advancement and restrict successful mplementation and sustainability. Some of these factors for failure are listed below. †¢ User needs †¢ Technology †¢ Cordination †¢ ICT policy †¢ Transfer of ICT idolisers †¢ Donor push far as they help in shaping the process of identifying the areas of weaknesses in ICT implementation in government. In this paper, functionality is considered to depend on ICT systems and usability and utility are crucial in determining stakeholder satisfaction, which increases stakeholder acceptance, and reduces resistance to adoption. 7. Action plan for success The best way to achieve maximum benefit for ICT implementation is to have all the factors for uccess with no occurrence of the factors for failure. However, in real world that is not the case. Given su ch a situation, an action to increase the chances of success is required. Clockwork (2004) suggests the following framework for implementing e-Government projects. 6. Previous models for ICT project success Several models for assessing success, failure and the way forward for ICT systems in general DeLone and McLean (2002) and developing countries Heeks (2002) have been suggested. These and other models are considered relevant to this paper. The model proposed by DeLone and McLean (1992, p. 87) was later overlaid on a impler scheme of functionality, usability and utility by Beynon-Davies (2002). This overlaid model introduces the idea of functionality and usability, which are considered relevant to ICT implementation. Beynon-Davies argues that, the worth of an IS will be determined in the three contexts of functionality, usability and utility. The framework consists of five stages: †¢ Examine national e-Readiness †¢ Identify and prioritize themes †¢ Develop a program of action †¢ Apply to target groups †¢ Implement solutions – the final stage of the framework, is to implement the solutions. A key factor in this implementation is to ensure that the rganization is ready and in place to realize the new activities and corresponding changes. Some ICT best practices that have been â€Å"harvested† from a review of successful applications are suggested by Clockwork. Given their simple situation, developing countries are in a position to make effective and speedy use of such best practices for their own purposes. This can be viewed from an angle of ‘technology leapfrog’ which can be achieved through appropriate technology transfer (Ifinedo 2005). DeLone and McLean (2002, p. 2) acknowledged the difficulty in defining information system success and noted that different researchers ddress different aspects of success, making comparisons difficult and the prospect of building a cumulative tradition for I/S research simil arly elusive. The ITPOSMO model seeks to explain the high rates of failures of information systems in developing countries Heeks (2002). This model assumes the designers of IS are remote which means their contextual inscriptions are liable to be significantly different from user actuality. It assumes the designers come from developed countries or have been trained in developed countries and their knowledge of the local circumstances is at variance with the local reality.This model can be used in explaining some of the reasons as to why implementation of ICT in Kenyan government fails. However, the interest of the paper is on the whole of the ICT implementation which views IS as a passenger. The suggested best practices in ICT are: 1. Do not underestimate the complex environment in which ICT programs evolve. ICT projects are too often believed to have a technology focus. 2. Be sure to select a project that is expected to demonstrate the greatest benefit for your target group. 3. Gove rnment staff should be ‘re-skilled’ to anticipate the changes that accompany an ICT structure and new roles 4.Identify the right technologies. 5. Make a decision on how an organizational process fits your technology. 6. Strong program and project management is essential to develop and implement successful ICT solutions. The first two models deal with ICT/IS in general but Heeks model is for ICT/IS implementation in government and especially in developing countries. All these models act as useful guides in highlighting some of the key variables that affect ICT success. They are considered in this paper as www. ejeg. com 180  ©Academic Conferences Ltd David Gichoya 7. Do not underestimate the total cost of ownership (TCO) of an ICT project.The above best practices might not be sufficient but they can act as a basis for further research. In this paper, the best practices have been analyzed but their adoption in Kenya is not clear at this early stage of e-Government imple mentation. prophylactic against failure and should be adopted more widely. 7. 3 Local improvisations According to Heeks (2002), local improvisation is done to reduce actuality-reality gaps. This can be through hybrids that recognize local capacities and improve success rates. However, Heeks notes that schemes to develop these hybrids in the DCs are virtually nonexistent thus hampering improvisation.Participative approaches to implementation e. g. group working and end-user involvement; have to be carefully considered since most have been developed for the industrialized countries. Examples of how these participative IS techniques were a failure, are the case of Mexico’s General Hospital and an enduser development initiative for health IS in South Africa (Heeks 2002). The implementations failed because of the large gap between design assumptions and requirements and actuality of organizations into which ICT was introduced. The conclusion drawn is that these implementations fai led because there was too large a gap between he design assumptions and requirements of those techniques and the actuality of organizations into which they were introduced and not necessarily because of participative design is necessarily wrong. 7. 1 Conducting e-Readiness assessment In this paper, e-Readiness refers to the government ability to take advantage of the ICTs as a facility to enhance and improve its administrative functions. e-Readiness has several components, including telecommunications infrastructure, human resources, and legal and policy framework. e-Readiness assessment suggested above can be conducted on: †¢ Data systems infrastructure Legal infrastructure †¢ Institutional infrastructure (standardization of various departmental means of communication and the technology that is used) †¢ Human infrastructure †¢ Technological infrastructure †¢ Leadership and strategic thinking readiness (short, medium and long term plans by specific governmen t ministries) In this regard, e-Readiness assessment can be used as an information-gathering mechanism for governments as they plan their strategies for ICT implementation. It can help the project team to better understand what impediments to ICT implementation exist and what initiatives are needed to overcome them. . A descriptive conceptual framework for developing countries context A framework for mapping the knowledge gained from both the literature and the case studies is given in figure 3. The framework gives a pictorial representation of a conceptual format of the literature for representational purpose. Input variables are all those factors considered as inputs to an ICT project. Some of these factors though necessary might be absent and are considered to be factors for failure. Other factors are present but their presence becomes obstacles to success. These are categorised as factors for failure. 7. 2 Design divisibilityDivisibility of local design can decrease chances of f ailure as explained by Heeks using the Volta River Authority (Ghana) as an example (Heeks 2002, p. 109). Divisibility is achieved by: modularity (supporting one business function at a time by allowing separation of, for example, accounting and personnel functions), incrementalism (providing stepped levels of support for business functions by allowing separation of, for example, clerical and management support). In Kenya this has been achieved to some extent. Both the personnel and accounting functions are computerised with varying degrees of success within the ministries.This has been done through the implementation of Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS) and the Integrated Personnel and Pensions Database IPPD). Heeks (2002) observes that design divisibility is therefore a www. ejeg. com The input variables that act as the foundation of the ICT project and are considered as main ingredients to ensure the success of the project are referred to as drivers or prer equisites while those variables that encourage success are referred to as enablers or essentials. As ICT projects are implemented, it is necessary to map the input variables to assess where action should e taken. Output variables are represented as either organisational or technological benefits. The 181 ISSN 1479-439X Electronic Journal of e-Government Volume 3 Issue 4 2005 (175-184) organisational benefits are the benefits that accrue to the organisation. Technological benefits may not necessarily accrue to the organisation but are regarded as benefits resulting from implementation of the technology. These benefits can be enjoyed by individuals, the organisation and the public. situation specific action. Input and output variables are considered as far as they affect the success and failure of ICT implementation.The framework takes cognisance of broad premises (benefits, challenges and impact) of the Kenyan perspectives discussed in this paper and those observed by (Avgerou and Wa lsham 2000, Berleur and Drumm 2003, Heeks 2002) for both research and action. Lastly the framework shows the response which is presented as action for success. The response proposed has three characteristics. First, it analyses the situation, second, it looks at the various factors contributing to success and/or failure and finally an action for success to a In the response, action is taken to increase the chances of project success by reducing the mpact of the factors for failure and increasing the strength of the factors for success. Drivers (Prerequis ites) Factor for s uccess Input variables 1. Fina nce 2. Infrastruc ture 3. Attitudes 4. Coordination 5. Strategy 6. Skills 7. O thers E nablers (Essentia ls ) Action plan for s ucce ss : 1. Conduct an e-readiness assess ment 2. Strategy and Policy – a decla ratio n b y the government stating goals and objectives by appointing a board for co-coordinating ICT impleme ntation 3. Local improvisation inc lud ing design divisibili ty 4. Encourage public-private partne rs hip to create sustainable ICT programs 5. O thersResponse O utput varia ble s 1. Organis ational be ne fits †¢ Improved efficienc y †¢ Improved access to information †¢ Tra nsparency 2. Te chnological be ne fits †¢ Cheaper and efficie nt communication †¢ Large stora ge †¢ Real time process ing Barriers Facto rs for Failure Inhibitors Figure 3: Descriptive framework or region within which their work is located (Avgerou and Walsham 2000). As the literature reviewed suggests, developing countries are still far behind in implementing e-Government and it is hoped that successful implementation of ICT projects will act as a strong foundation for eGovernment initiatives. 9. ConclusionTo fulfil the development needs of ICT projects, those involved in the design, implementation and management of IT-related projects and systems in the developing countries must improve their capacity to address the specific contextual chara cteristics of the organisation, sector, country www. ejeg. com 182  ©Academic Conferences Ltd David Gichoya cooperation from development partners on ICT projects †¢ To produce guidelines that the governments can use to help define their needs and agendas with regard to government ICT implementation and use †¢ Provide a basis for assessing good practice for ICT implementation in government Contribute to the body of knowledge on ICT implementation According to Doherty et al (1998), the factors that influence the ultimate level of success or failure of informatics projects have received considerable attention in the academic literature. Doherty et al (1998, p. 3) summarised studies on success factors and current research objectives involving empirical studies. Future papers will include the findings of cases studies done in 9 ministries of the Kenyan government. Therefore, this further research will identify and categorise the factors influencing ICT implementation accordin g to their degree of influence in Kenya and suggest ossible actions. In this paper, the factors affecting ICT implementation have been categorised into factors for success and factors for failure. These have been further categorized as either drivers, enablers, barriers or inhibitors. The paper does not classify the factors in terms of their influence. However, vision and strategy and government support are considered important for success while lack of funds and poor infrastructure are considered as major factors for failure. As many arguments for ICT planning prove, ICT project implementation is a complex exercise and more research is needed to identify challenges, ood practice and solutions for successful implementation. This paper analyses and syntheses both all information gathered to develop a framework that hopefully can be used during ICT infrastructural planning and implementation in developing countries. The response framework discussed in this paper is expected to be used to: †¢ Provide a basis on which to analyze and specify international support and References Aineruhanga, M. , 2004. Focus on the ‘Kenya ICT Week'. Chakula Newsletter, (9),. Audenhove, L. V. , 2000. Information and communication technology policy in Africa: A critical analysis of rhetoric and practice.In: C. AVGEROU and G. WALSHAM, eds, Burlington, USA: Ashgate Publishing company, pp. 277-290. Avgerou, C. and Walsham, G. , 2000. Introduction: IT in developing countries. In: C. AVGEROU and G. 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