Who or what is Edward Hyde? Essay -- English Literature

Who or what is Edward Hyde? Due to the Victorian background of this book we are led to believe Edward Hyde is a completely different character to Henry Jekyll but we soon start to find out that they are actually one person, but with just a slight physical and mental change. Some readers in Victorian times would have interpreted the story as a struggle between good and evil, with Jekyll being the 'hardworking, normal guy' and Hyde being the 'twisted, evil person'. This was emphasised by the Christian belief of humans having a divided soul. If your soul had been good, on judgement day you would be saved into heaven where as if it was bad you would be damned to hell. During 1859 Darwin was showing his ideas of humans descending from apes or simpler forms of life this confused and scared many Victorians, they were know longer unique they were part of one species among many. Stevenson's own experiences may also help us to tell who or what Edward Hyde is. Stevenson grew up in Edinburgh, which in itself had two faces. There was the up and coming 'new town' which was the re-generated modern part of town and the 'old city', which was covered with disease and poverty. Stevenson also lived a double life by day he would be studying in the 'new town', but by night he would go out to the 'old town' until late at night. This could be interpreted as the character Jekyll in the story actually being like Stevenson. Jekyll would work in his lab by day but at night he would go out to the towns of Soho. There are many connections between Jekyll and Hyde. On first appearance we learn that Hyde is a short, ugly and not like any other ordinary man, he also seems strong and unstoppable. People reacted to Hyde with a stro... ...feel any slight bit of emotion. Also 'audibly shattered' implies the shear force of Mr Hyde and even though he is able to hear the shattering of the bones inside the body it still doesn't make him stop, he continues with the beating just so he is able to get his 'kick' out of seeing someone in pain. Having understood the need for scientific experimentation, do we assume all experiments are necessary? In the case of Jekyll I think he needed to find out the unknown, so he could be satisfied by his evil side, which he had locked up for years. If the experiments had been more closely controlled in the beginning this could have been a better ending. I think that taking potions (drugs) to dabble with mans dual nature is never a recommended path. The best method of release is always the natural way, let the inner good and evil show itself when it is necessary.

Essay --

Has anyone ever told your child "This is what you need to be focusing on," or "This is more important than what is outside that window"? If yes is your answer to this question, your child might have with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Children who have ADD or ADHD are often more imaginative and outgoing without their prescribed medication. However, the medication does allow them to focus and decreases their tendency to be troublesome. Naturally, a permanent cure without having to take medication is what most sufferers of ADD would prefer. These children are smart, but they can be a gigantic distraction to other children. This disease has effected over seven million Americans alone and while doctors find it in few girls because the diseases mainly affect boys. Some of the children think they are immune to ADHD, but truthfully we need to obtain a cure for them. There are multiple reasons that might be the reason that people get ADHD, such as, parents having ADHD, or the possibility of brain injuries when they were a young child. Three other likely causes are exposure to a toxic substance as a child, too much lead in their blood when they were born or pre-birth are. There will, more than likely, have to be multiple cures for ADHD because there are numerous ways to get the disease. However, I am sure that American doctors are fully capable of inventing a cure that will finally stop the disease in no time. But for right now, with the current medications and treatments, we can merely temporarily stop the symptoms. There are rumors of a neurological cure which could be an everlasting cure for most cases of ADD and ADHD. This means that children with ADHD are failing and being disrup... ...de-effects that come with the disease include difficulty focusing, especially an adult who has ADD to organize tasks, finish work within a time limit, and remember information and that makes it perplexing to find a job. Ultimately ADD and ADHD are both diseases that will make focusing harder for anybody who has either of them. ADHD could, although not likely, ruin the USA and possibly the world. People need to figure out a cure for ADD and ADHD, and soon, because it affects myriad people across America, and is causing a ton of problems. Children are having an exhausting time focusing in classrooms and adults who have ADD straining themselvs to driving. Who knows, maybe the future cure will help them pay attention and allow them to keep their creativity. So in conclusion we talked about how children get ADD or ADHD, how it affects children, and how it affects adults.

Gamer: violent video games Essay

Everyone nowadays plays video games. From kids to adults, we all go through the phase of video games. Some are violent others aren’t. So which ones are good for you and which aren’t? Well I believe that video games in general are just games. They do not harm anything or anyone. Violent video games do not cause violent behavior. Just because you go around shooting people on a television doesn’t mean your going to run around the street killing people. This misconception is often misunderstood. It’s just a game. Your sitting next to your television pushing buttons on a controller. Let’s say your playing a violent war game like Medal Of Honor. This game is based off of World War One and World War Two. Of course there is a lot of killing involved, but during a war isn’t that what you expect? Besides the whole killing factor I personally believe that these kinds of games are benefitial. You get to learn what weapons were using during that time period, you learn key events, and most of all you get a historical background of the time period covered. To me this is a unique way of learning. The younger generation tend to play war-like games, which in my opinion is really good. Young kids like shooting and action, but what they don’t know is that they are actually getting more than just that. They are learning what made the United States today. People often look past all those details and just argue that violent video games cause violent behavior, but I am at disbelief. Another reason why I think violent video games don’t contribute to violent behavior is because there is actually no scientific proof. There is no proof out there that violent games cause violent behavior. So what’s wrong with a little bit of machine gun action? Nothing. Nothing at all. In fact some studies show that violent video games actually help with stress and help you relax. Lets say your coming home from work and you had a miserable day. Your boss made you angry because he made you stay late. So you turn on your video game system when you get home ,and decide to shoot some people in the game to help you deal with your stupid boss. So instead of fighting your boss you get to take it out in the video game. It helps you meditate and get your feelings out in an unrealistic envirnment. It’s just too much fun. Who wouldn’t want to run around in a game and blow stuff up? I mean it’s not like I can just go down the street to the store and ask if I could purchase an rpg. Violent video games don’t affect people that way. Ask someone next time, what is the difference between a violent video game and a violent movie? There is none. Only difference is in a video game you have more control than a movie. More control is more fun, and more fun is always good. Just think about how many people just purchased the new GTA 5. That game is probably the most violent game ever produced, and yet people are still staying sane. In my opinion, violent video games have nothing to contribute to violent behavior. Violent behavior is adopted from real violent experiences or encounters. If someone wants to go run down a street and kill someone they will. A video game does not determine that, and never will. We have plenty of pshycos in this world to worry about some video games. Let the people who want to play them. play them. Violent or not at the end of the day it’s just a game.

Harrah’s Database Gamble Essay

Harrah’s is the world largest provider of branded casino entertainment; it has around 25 million customers (2001) 25 casino with 40,000 gambling machines in 12 states. For years it had been a fairly small gambling company but, by 2001, had emerged as the second largest in the industry. By the mid-1990s, the gambling Business was flourishing and it was difficult for Harrah’s to survive in the markets due to intense competition, so they came up with a strategy of introducing a customer relationship management (CRM) software which helps to know their customers exceptionally well. A CRM system coordinates all business processes for dealing with customers, which in Harrah’s case includes both gambling and hotel customers. .The overall system Harrah’s developed has been named WINet (Winner’s Information Network) . The heart of CRM strategy was customer loyalty program called total rewards . Harrah’s CRM-based strategy appears to be a great success. Harrah’s say it keeps the customer information confidential and that it is not out to exploit gamblers. However, opponents of the gambling industry have criticized Harrah’s use of customer data. Harrah’s claims the Total Rewards program actually gives these people rewards instead of encouraging them to gamble more. He Further clarified that All we used to know was how much money we made on each machine, but we couldn’t connect what kind of customer used them , but with the help of technology he could get all the data of the customers. 1. Analyze Harrah’s using the competitive forces and value chain models. Harrah’s is facing intense competition. This competition is coming from established competitors as well new players Customers have many options in terms of how, when, and where they gamble. Harrah’s is using its new business strategy to create a new service, and catch its customers. Harrah’s new information system is having a strategic impact on its operations, sales and marketing, and service activities. 2. Describe Harrah’s business model and business strategy. How do they differ From those other gambling companies? Harrah’s business strategy is a customer relationship management strategy. (CRM). CRM system coordinates all business process for dealing with customers. Harrah’s uses its CRM software to identify and track its profitable customers. Harrah’s Total Rewards program allows gathering information about its customer’s gender, age, location, games they like to play as well as reward its customers for the amount of time that they spend gambling at Harrah’s casinos. Harrah’s competition relies on fancy reward schemes, due to which Harrah’s is getting to know its customers by studying and analyzing their behavior. 3. What role has database technology played in Harrah’s strategy? How Critical is it to the success of the company? Database technology is the heart of Harrah’s strategy. Harrah’s database Record information about Harrah’s customers, including gender, age, home location, Favorite games, length of playing time, size of bet, number of bets, average size of the bet, and total points. Harrah’s uses information for its business Processes to create marketing programs for its customers and also retaining in its customers each time a customer makes a transaction his record is updated. Harrah’s all casinos have access to the centralized database because of which Harrah’s employees are able to view each customer’s record and offer that customer same treatment regardless of which casino the customer visit. Database technology helped them to gain a 13% profit in the first year itself. 4. How did Harrah’s use CRM software and modeling tools to address the Company’s problem? Harrah’s uses CRM software to organize business processes that deal with Customers. After combining its gambling and hotel reservations data, Harrah’s uses its CRM software to build gambling profiles for each of its customers, analyze the customer data, and create different marketing programs. Harrah’s WINet system enables the company to estimate how much money the company can earn from a customer over a period of time. 5. Are there any ethical problems raised by Harrah’s use of customer data? Explain your answer. There is an opportunity to gain more money by selling the customer data but Harrah’s has said that it will not sell customer data to any organization. Some competitors criticized that Harrah’s is exploiting gamblers, If this argument is true, then encouraging a person with a gambling addiction to spend more of his money, is obviously wrong. He Justify by saying that the Total Rewards program actually gives these people rewards instead of encouraging them to gamble More. 6. What problems can database technology and customer relationship Management software solve for Harrah’s? What problems can’t they address? The database Technology and customer relationship management software enable Harrah’s to Maintain sharp customer profiles, analyze its data to identify the most profitable customers, improve its customer service, and offer consistent customer service. The database technology and customer relationship management software help Harrah’s achieve a competitive gain in the gambling industry. The database technology and customer relationship management software cannot address organizational issues, such as the switch from a casino-focus to a Customer focus, loss of privacy fears, and gambler exploitation criticisms.

Greek Contributions to Modern Western Civilization Essay

Ancient Greek culture has influenced modern western civilization from their discoveries and traditions during their Golden Age. Their philosophies, politics and values have helped shape our every day life. Some of the most prominently displayed leaders of all time lived in Greece during the time. Their math, art science politics, architecture, drama, medicine, philosophy and values have inspired today’s everyday way of life. If it weren’t for their constant strides towards a better tomorrow, civilization today might be less advanced. A lot of their academic achievement math and science has trickled down from the generations and into western civilization today. Euclid, a mathematician, is now viewed as the most prominent mathematician of all time. He wrote a book called â€Å"The Elements† and put all of his discoveries and theories into it. A lot of the math and science that we use today was influenced by his theories and discoveries. A man named Hippocrates also solely influenced today’s medical practices. His discoveries in medicine made a long lasting imprint on today’s doctors and practices. He was an extremely trustworthy doctor. He made an oath stating that he would never give bad medicine and always strive to cure a patient, not just get paid. Today when becoming a doctor, you must take the Hippocratic oath, which was the oath that Hippocrates created. Whenever you go to see a performance now, whether you know it or not, Greek influence is involved. Greek drama and auditoriums are big influences. The three types of theaters that the Greeks had were Proscenium (like in today’s Gershwin Theater), Thrust (like in many of the concert halls seen today) and Arena (like today’s sports arenas). The architecture of these stages and of a lot of other structures are direct influences of the Greek civilization. Playwrights such as Socrates, Aeschylus and Euripides wrote plays that entertained people in Greece and all around the world still today. Playwrights wrote tragedies in which there is a main character with either a  special ability or tragic flaw. As the story progresses, the tragic flaw ruins the character (just like in today’s drama). One of the most tragic of plays are the stories of Oedipus, the King. In this, the main character’s tragic flaw is unknown even to him. It is his tragic past and how it influenced his present day life. Tragedies such as Oedipus the King have contributed to the making of today’s theater. Greece’s system of democracy was a new ideal for the time. Today, countries around the world use it. During the time of the first democracy, philosophers started to teach their thoughts and voice their opinions. This is because it was a time of turmoil. Corrupt leaders were leading Greece and people did not have much faith in democracy. At this time, philosophers gave the people things to ponder and believe in. The greatest three Greek philosophers were Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. Even today, people live by some of the teachings of these philosophers and they are widely studied. Overall, many of today’s traditions, beliefs and values have been passed down from Greek civilizations. Their discoveries, traditions and strides toward perfection inspired later generations to act as they did. The individuals that invented and discovered new aspects of life and their surroundings gave way to brand new lifestyles that are used today.

Project Management and Monitoring

Monitoring is the regular observation and recording of activities taking place in a project or programme. It is a process of routinely gathering information on all aspects of the project. To monitor is to check on how project activities are progressing. It is observation; – systematic and purposeful observation. Monitoring also involves giving feedback about the progress of the project to the donors, implementers and beneficiaries of the project. Reporting enables the gathered information to be used in making decisions for improving project performance.Monitoring is the systematic collection and analysis of information as a project progresses. It is aimed at improving the efficiency and effectiveness of a project or organisation. It is based on targets set and activities planned during the planning phases of work. It helps to keep the work on track, and can let management know when things are going wrong. If done properly, it is an invaluable tool for good management, and it p rovides a useful base for evaluation.It enables you to determine whether the resources you have available are sufficient and are being well used, whether the capacity you have is sufficient and appropriate, and whether you are doing what you planned to do Purpose of Monitoring: Monitoring is very important in project planning and implementation. It is like watching where you are going while riding a bicycle; you can adjust as you go along and ensure that you are on the right track. Monitoring provides information that will be useful in: Analyzing the situation in the community and its project; †¢ Determining whether the inputs in the project are well utilized; †¢ Identifying problems facing the community or project and finding solutions; †¢ Ensuring all activities are carried out properly by the right people and in time;†¢ Using lessons from one project experience on to another; and †¢ Determining whether the way the project was planned is the most appropria te way of solving the problem at hand. Planning, Monitoring and Controlling Cycle: [pic] Importance of Monitoring: Monitoring is important because: it provides the only consolidated source of information showcasing project progress; †¢ it allows actors to learn from each other’s experiences, building on expertise and knowledge; †¢ it often generates (written) reports that contribute to transparency and accountability, and allows for lessons to be shared more easily; †¢ it reveals mistakes and offers paths for learning and improvements; †¢ it provides a basis for questioning and testing assumptions;†¢ it provides a means for agencies seeking to learn from their experiences and to incorporate them into policy and practice; †¢ it provides a way to assess the crucial link between implementers and beneficiaries on the ground and decision-makers; †¢ it adds to the retention and development of institutional memory; †¢ it provides a more robust basis for raising funds and influencing policy. WHY DO MONITORING? Monitoring enable you to check the â€Å"bottom line† (see Glossary of Terms) of development work: Not â€Å"are we making a profit? † but â€Å"are we making a difference? † Through monitoring and evaluation, you can: _ Review progress; _ Identify problems in planning and/or implementation; _ Make adjustments so that you are more likely to â€Å"make a difference†.In many organisations, â€Å"monitoring and evaluation† is something that that is seen as a donor requirement rather than a management tool. Donors are certainly entitled to know whether their money is being properly spent, and whether it is being well spent. But the primary (most important) use of monitoring and evaluation should be for the organisation or project itself to see how it is doing against objectives, whether it is having an impact, whether it is working efficiently, and to learn how to do it better. Plans a re essential but they are not set in concrete (totally fixed). If they are not working, or if the circumstances change, then plans need to change too.Monitoring and evaluation are both tools which help a project or organisation know when plans are not working, and when circumstances have changed. They give management the information it needs to make decisions about the project or organisation, about changes that are necessary in strategy or plans. Through this, the constants remain the pillars of the strategic framework: the problem analysis, the vision, and the values of the project or organisation. Everything else is negotiable. (See also the toolkit on strategic planning) Getting something wrong is not a crime. Failing to learn from past mistakes because you are not monitoring and evaluating, is.The effect of monitoring and evaluation can be seen in the following cycle. Note that you will monitor and adjust several times before you are ready to evaluate and replan. Monitoring inv olves: _ Establishing indicators (See Glossary of Terms) of efficiency, effectiveness and impact; _ Setting up systems to collect information relating to these indicators; _ Collecting and recording the information; _ Analysing the information; _ Using the information to inform day-to-day management. Monitoring is an internal function in any project or organisation. WHAT DO WE WANT TO KNOW? What we want to know is linked to what we think is important. In development work, what we think is important is linked to our values.Most work in civil society organisations is underpinned by a value framework. It is this framework that determines the standards of acceptability in the work we do. The central values on which most development work is built are: _ Serving the disadvantaged; _ Empowering the disadvantaged; _ Changing society, not just helping individuals; _ Sustainability; _ Efficient use of resources. So, the first thing we need to know is: Is what we are doing and how we are doing it meeting the requirements of these values? In order to answer this question, our monitoring and evaluation system must give us information about: _ Who is benefiting from what we do? How much are they benefiting? Are beneficiaries passive recipients or does the process enable them to have some control over their lives?_ Are there lessons in what we are doing that have a broader impact than just what is happening on our project? _ Can what we are doing be sustained in some way for the long-term, or will the impact of our work cease when we leave? _ Are we getting optimum outputs for the least possible amount of inputs? MONITORING When you design a monitoring system, you are taking a formative view point and establishing a system that will provide useful information on an ongoing basis so that you can improve what you do and how you do it. On the next page, you will find a suggested process for designing a monitoring system.For a case study of how an organisation went about designi ng a monitoring system, go to the section with examples, and the example given of designing a monitoring system. Monitoring DESIGNING A MONITORING SYSTEM Below is a step-by-step process you could use in order to design a monitoring system for your organisation or project. For a case study of how an organisation went about designing a monitoring system, go to examples. Step 1: At a workshop with appropriate staff and/or volunteers, and run by you or a consultant:_ Introduce the concepts of efficiency, effectiveness and impact (see Glossary of Terms). _ Explain that a monitoring system needs to cover all three. Generate a list of indicators for each of the three aspects. _ Clarify what variables (see Glossary of Terms) need to be linked. So, for example, do you want to be able to link the age of a teacher with his/her qualifications in order to answer the question: Are older teachers more or less likely to have higher qualifications? _ Clarify what information the project or organisat ion is already collecting. Step 2: Turn the input from the workshop into a brief for the questions your monitoring system must be able to answer. Depending on how complex your requirements are, and what your capacity is, you may decide to go for a computerised data base or a manual one.If you want to be able to link many variables across many cases (e. g. participants, schools, parent involvement, resources, urban/rural etc), you may need to go the computer route. If you have a few variables, you can probably do it manually. The important thing is to begin by knowing what variables you are interested in and to keep data on these variables. Linking and analysis can take place later. (These concepts are complicated. It will help you to read the case study in the examples section of the toolkit. ) From the workshop you will know what you want to monitor. You will have the indicators of efficiency, effectiveness and impact that have been prioritised.You will then choose the variables th at will help you answer the questions you think are important. So, for example, you might have an indicator of impact which is that â€Å"safer sex options are chosen† as an indicator that â€Å"young people are now making informed and mature lifestyle choices†. The variables that might affect the indicator include: _ Age _ Gender _ Religion _ Urban/rural _ Economic category _ Family environment _ Length of exposure to your project’s initiative _ Number of workshops attended. By keeping the right information you will be able to answer questions such as: _ Does age make a difference to the way our message is received? _ Does economic category i. e. o young people in richer areas respond better or worse to the message or does it make no difference?_ Does the number of workshops attended make a difference to the impact? Answers to these kinds of questions enable a project or organisation to make decisions about what they do and how they do it, to make informed chan ges to programmes, and to measure their impact and effectiveness. Answers to questions such as: _ Do more people attend sessions that are organised well in advance? _ Do more schools participate when there is no charge? _ Do more young people attend when sessions are over weekends or in the evenings? _ Does it cost less to run a workshop in the community, or to bring people to our training centre to run the workshop? nable the project or organisation to measure and improve their efficiency.Step 3: Decide how you will collect the information you need (see collecting information) and where it will be kept (on computer, in manual files). Step 4: Decide how often you will analyse the information – this means putting it together and trying to answer the questions you think are important. Step 5: Collect, analyse, report. PURPOSE OF MONITORING AND EVALUATION What development interventions make a difference? Is the project having the intended results? What can be done differently to better meet goals and objectives? These are the questions that monitoring and evaluation allow organizations to answer.Monitoring and evaluation are important management tools to track your progress and facilitate decision making. While some funders require some type of evaluative process, the greatest beneficiaries of an evaluation can be the community of people with whom your organization works. By closely examining your work, your organization can design programs and activities that are effective, efficient, and yield powerful results for the community. Definitions are as follows: Monitoring can be defined as a continuing function that aims primarily to provide the management and main stakeholders of an ongoing intervention with early indications of progress, or lack thereof, in the achievement of results.An ongoing intervention might be a project, program or other kind of support to an outcome. Monitoring helps organizations track achievements by a regular collection of informa tion to assist timely decision making, ensure accountability, and provide the basis for evaluation and learning. STRATEGIC QUESTIONS In conducting monitoring and evaluation efforts, the specific areas to consider will depend on the actual intervention, and its stated outcomes. Areas and examples of questions include: †¢ Relevance: Do the objectives and goals match the problems or needs that are being addressed?†¢ Efficiency: Is the project delivered in a timely and cost-effective manner? Effectiveness: To what extent does the intervention achieve its objectives? What are the supportive factors and obstacles encountered during the implementation? †¢ Impact: What happened as a result of the project? This may include intended and unintended positive and negative effects. †¢ Sustainability: Are there lasting benefits after the intervention is completed? COMMON TERMS Monitoring and evaluation take place at different levels. The following box defines the common terms w ith examples. INPUTS The financial, human, and material resources used for the development intervention. Technical Expertise Equipment Funds ACTIVITIES Actions taken or work performed.Training workshops conducted OUTPUTS The products, capital goods, and services that result from a development intervention. Number of people trained Number of workshops conducted OUTCOMES The likely or achieved short-term and medium-term effects or changes of an intervention’s outputs. Increased skills New employment opportunities IMPACTS The long-term consequences of the program, may be positive and negative effects. Improved standard of living STEP-BY-STEP: Planning for Monitoring and Evaluation Steps for designing a monitoring and evaluation system depend on what you are trying to monitor and evaluate. The following is an outline of some general steps you may ake in thinking through at the time of planning your activities:1. Identify who will be involved in the design, implementation, and rep orting. Engaging stakeholders helps ensure their perspectives are understood and feedback is incorporated. 2. Clarify scope, purpose, intended use, audience, and budget for evaluation. 3. Develop the questions to answer what you want to learn as a result of your work. 4. Select indicators. Indicators are meant to provide a clear means of measuring achievement, to help assess the performance, or to reflect changes. They can be either quantitative and/or qualitative. A process indicator is information that focuses on how a program is implemented. 5.Determine the data collection methods. Examples of methods are: document reviews, questionnaires, surveys, and interviews. 6. Analyze and synthesize the information you obtain. Review the information obtained to see if there are patterns or trends that emerge from the process. 7. Interpret these findings, provide feedback, and make recommendations. The process of analyzing data and understanding findings should provide you with recommendati ons about how to strengthen your work, as well as any mid-term adjustments you may need to make. 8. Communicate your findings and insights to stakeholders and decide how to use the results to strengthen your organization’s efforts.Monitoring and evaluation not only help organizations reflect and understand past performance, but serve as a guide for constructive changes during the period of implementation. Why have a detailed toolkit on monitoring and evaluation? If you don’t care about how well you are doing or about what impact you are having, why bother to do it at all? Monitoring and evaluation enable you to assess the quality and impact of your work, against your action plans and your strategic plan. In order for monitoring and evaluation to be really valuable, you do need to have planned well. Planning is dealt with in detail in other toolkits on this website. Who should use this toolkit?This toolkit should be useful to anyone working in an organisation or project who is concerned about the efficiency, effectiveness and impact of the work of the project or organisation. When will this toolkit be useful? This toolkit will be useful when: _ You are setting up systems for data collection during the planning phases of a project or organisation; _ You want to analyse data collected through the monitoring process; _ You are concerned about how efficiently and how effectively you are working; _ You reach a stage in your project, or in the life of your organisation, when you think it would be useful to evaluate what impact the work is having; _ Donors ask for an external evaluation of your organisation and or work. DESIGNING A MONITORING SYSTEM – CASE STUDYWhat follows is a description of a process that a South African organisation called Puppets against AIDS went through in order to develop a monitoring system which would feed into monitoring and evaluation processes. The main work of the organisation is presenting workshopped plays and/or p uppet shows related to lifeskill issues, especially those lifeskills to do with sexuality, at schools, across the country. The organisation works with a range of age groups, with different â€Å"products† (scripts) being appropriate at different levels. Puppets against AIDS wanted to develop a monitoring and evaluation system that provided useful information on the efficiency, effectiveness and impact of its operations. To this end, it wanted to develop a data base that:Provided all the basic information the organisation needed about clients and services given; _ Produced reports that enabled the organisation to inform itself and other stakeholders, including donors, partners and even schools, about the impact of the work, and what affected the impact of the work. The organisation made a decision to go for a computerised monitoring system. Much of the day-to-day information needed by the organisation was already on a computerised data base (e. g. schools, regions, services pr ovided and so on), but the monitoring system would require a substantial upgrading and the development of data base software specific to the organisation’s needs.The organisation also made the decision to develop a system initially for a pilot project, but with the intention of extending it to all the work over time. This pilot project would work with about 60 schools, using different scripts each year, over a period of three years. In order to raise the money needed for this process, Puppets against AIDS needed some kind of a brief for what was required so that it could be costed. At an initial workshop with staff, facilitated by consultants, the staff generated a list of indicators for efficiency, effectiveness and impact, in relation to their work. These were the things staff wanted to know from the system about what they did, how they did it, and what difference it made. The terms were defined as follows:Efficiency Here what needed to be assessed was how quickly, how corr ectly, how cost effectively and with what use of resources the services of the organisation were offered. Much of this information was already collected and was contained in reports which reflected planning against achievement. It needed to be made â€Å"computer friendly†. Effectiveness Here what needed to be assessed was getting results in terms of the strategy and shorter-term impact. For example, were the puppet shows an effective means of communicating messages about sexuality? Again, this information was already being collected and just needed to be adapted to fit the computerised system.Impact Here what needed to be assessed was whether the strategy worked in that it had an impact on changing behaviour in individuals (in this case the students) and that that change in behaviour impacted positively on Monitoring and Evaluation Monitoring and Evaluation by Janet Shapiro (email: [email  protected] co. za that happens when a donor insists on it, in fact, monitoring and e valuation are invaluable internal management tools. If you don’t assess how well you are doing against targets and indicators, you may go on using resources to no useful end, without changing the situation you have identified as a problem at all. Monitoring and evaluation enable you to make that assessment.

Formation of Creative Personality Traits Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Formation of Creative Personality Traits - Essay Example The factors which stimulate facilitate or hinder its development (Magno,2008, p.2.)The two main perspectives, upon which all the theories of formation of creative personality are based: mental and social. Secondly, as the name indicates, human is the centre and focus of this theory. Personality (chapter 10) writes that, "Ultimate value is placed on dignity of person." The main theories discussed in this chapter, regarding the formation of creative personality are: psychoanalysis, mental illness, psychotism, addiction and humanistic theories. I believe psychotism, addiction and mental illness theories are very narrow and constricted. Psychoanalytical viewpoint focuses more "importance to art in the expression of the unconscious mind" (Magno, 2008, p.4) and "view a person as fairly passive, as a reactor to his or her life circumstances rather than an active agent" (Dacey & Lennon,1998, p.137.) The major contrast of the theories is differing themes of self, health, development and consciousness gives much smaller role to the unconscious drives. I consider individual as an active agent, who has all the control over his life and decisions and he deliberately, consciously and cognitively engages himself to be creative to meet the daily errands. So, I decide that Humanistic approach to the formation of creative personality convinces me more than other theories. ... Carl Jung gave birth to this link of mental health and creativity. Magno (2008) also touched this point and quoted Rollo May and Diamond, who believed that "creativity had an important role in healing and establishing genuine meaning in life." (p. 6.) The idea has evolved immensely and now creativity is linked with the healthy status of mind and "emotional well being" of a person. (Simonton, 2000, p.151.) Simonton (2008) also argued that the "psychological weakness can sometimes be converted into a form of optimal functioning" (p. 153.) In humanistic psychology, "to create is associated with human nature" wrote Magno (2008, p.3) and I utterly agree to this viewpoint. Dacey & Lennon (1998) explained this view point at its best by writing that," people are able to make active choices as they construct their lives" and they have the control and right to choose. (p.137) Creativity is essential to living and that is why each of us, at some point, is creative. Magno (2008) wrote, "All events of life can involve creativity." (p.13.) To stimulate creativity, we need to full fill its demands. Maslow's needs of hierarchy, puts "self-actualization and aesthetic needs" as the basis of creativity. (p.137.) I believe, while agreeing with humanistic approach that creativity is an on going process and develops through out the life span. The humanists see this development of creativity as occurring throughout life (Dacey & Lennon, 1998, p.147.) On the contrary, Psychoanalytical school of thought believed that the initial years of life are critical, "at the end of which creative ability becomes fixed" (Dacey & Lennon, 1998, p.151.) This view opposes the psychoanalytic view and