Lately, I’ve found myself constantly praying for God to change my situations.
As if he doesn’t realize how messed up the world is. How broken we are. How chaotic 2020 has felt. I ask Him to change the circumstances surrounding me as if He’s just sitting up in heaven watching Netflix completely unaware of what’s happening in this world He created. As if He’s forgotten about us down here. But He hasn’t. He knows what’s happening. Nothing that happens in this world happens without his consent. He’s allowing it to continue to happen because He’s not done doing what He’s planning to do with it. Are you following?
Now let’s turn to the Old Testament superstar of struggle… Job. His story is unique in that we get a little glimpse at the dialogue between God and Satan. Satan and his angels come to God and get this… he had to ask God’s permission to mess with Job’s life. God literally gave His consent for the enemy to do whatever he wanted with everything Job had, but with an important condition: “…but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” (Job 1:12b)
For those of you that aren’t familiar with the story, Satan proceeded to take away everything Job had including all of his livestock and fields, his wife and children, and even his health. He left Job broke and alone, but through all of Job’s struggles and heartache, God was never worried because He still held Job’s life. God’s protection was on him the whole time.
So now that we’ve seen God’s side of it, let’s look at Job’s perspective. How did he respond? Well Satan’s plan here was to get Job to curse the name of God, but Job wouldn’t do it. Even after everything was taken from him and his three friends blamed him for his misfortune and gave him a bunch of bad advice, Job still praised God. His faith was not shaken. He prayed things like this:
“But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” – Job 23:10
and this…
“I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” – Job 42:2
Even when he had nothing, Job still held on to the faith that God would use all of those awful circumstances to refine him like gold. He still acknowledged God’s power and honored Him. I want to pray like Job.
Instead of praying for God to change my circumstances, I want to pray that God will never stop using my circumstances to change me. I challenge you to do the same. Instead of praying for God to “fix” things so they can go back to our broken version of “normal,” let’s ask Him to keep shaking things up until they’re better, new, and more reflective of His kingdom.
“This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven…'” – Matthew 6:9-10 (emphasis mine)
Let’s ask Him to change our hearts in the face of uncertainty rather than asking Him to make COVID-19 go away. Let’s ask Him to cover our family with peace in the face of loss rather than blaming him for taking our loved one away. Let’s ask Him to change the hearts of those corrupted by power and authority instead of acting in violence in response to offense. Let’s ask for the coming of His glorious kingdom rather than asking for a perfect life in our own little bubble.
Because here’s the thing: circumstances will always change and more often than not, they will be inconvenient, uncomfortable, and difficult. So let’s stop complaining and wishing for an easier life.
Sooner or later, you’ll have to respond, and it’s how we respond that matters. It’s how God is using it to make us look more like Him that matters. It’s how it fits in to the bigger picture of the redemption of God’s creation that matters.
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” – Thessalonians 5:16-18
So, let’s not get swept up in trying to pray away our problems. Let’s take up a different stance, and pray through them, because that allows God to change us, grow us, and mold us to better reflect His glory.
Remember, nothing in this world happens without God’s consent. Your bad day didn’t sneak past His radar while He was enjoying His morning coffee. He allows our circumstances to be difficult because He wants us to be a little uncomfortable, because that’s when we turn to Him and lean on Him so He can remind us of His power and glory. So let’s embrace whatever circumstance we find ourselves in and commit to seeking out the Lord and His goodness. Because no matter how broken we are, He is always good.
One of the things I have tried to do in life and ministry is to ask God how to make those around me better. God does not bring people into our lives so that we can make them just like us. God loves variety and He wants us to be different from each other. He’s given us different personalities, different strengths, different interests and different looks.
God made us all uniquely, so that we can sharpen one another and cause each other to rise up higher in life. If you’re going to be happy and enjoy your relationships, you’ve got to learn how to appreciate the differences, and learn from the people in your life. If you don’t focus on the right things, you’ll end up allowing the little irritations to cause you to become resentful.
Today, remember, nobody is perfect. If you’re going to grow, you’ve got to be willing to overlook some things in people. Our assignment is not to fix people. Our assignment is to love people and make them thrive. Our assignment is to sharpen one another so we can move forward in the plan God has prepared!
“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17, NIV)
Let’s Pray
Yahweh, thank You for the people You have placed in my life. Father, help me to see them the way You see them, and not judge or look down on them. God, help me to appreciate the ways You allow us to sharpen one another, so that we can help each other fulfil Your plan for our lives. In Jesus’ Name! Amen.
Albinism is the “congenital absence of any pigmentation or coloration in a person, animal or plant, resulting in white hair, feathers, scales and skin and pink eyes in mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish and other small invertebrates as well.”Varied use and interpretation of the terms mean that written reports of albinistic animals can be difficult to verify.
For ages, Judith had a feeling that she would struggle to become pregnant. There wasn’t a medical explanation for this — it was simply a niggling fear.
She and her husband struggled to believe they would ever become parents after years went by without her becoming pregnant. “I found myself getting anxious and desperate,” Judith first wrote on Love What Matters.
“The fear remained no matter how hard I tried to stay positive. However, Eight years down the line, my husband and I decided to go for our second round of IVF. The first of which failed, as well as other various procedures and fertility treatments. Every ultrasound visit after that was horror”
Judith
The couple could hardly contain their joy when that second round of IVF proved successful.
Judith was carrying twins — a boy, Kamis, and a girl, Kachi.
It felt remarkable that after all these years, their aspirations and dreams of a family were about to be real.
However, mum’s joy quickly turned to horror as doctors broke the news that Kachi was “at risk and might not make it”. “Every ultrasound visit after that was a nightmare as Kachi was far behind in growth whiles Kamsi did great.
“Finally, at 37 weeks, I had to be induced immediately because I was told that Kachi had stopped growing..” After the birth Nurses let Judith hold her daughter briefly before she was whisked to the NICU.
“The first time I saw her, I wondered if the nurse was handing me my baby, or someone else’s,” Judith said. “I waited a few seconds for someone to tell me there was a mix-up?” “Soon the joy of seeing them both healthy surpassed any other feeling at that instant.”
“How did I get black and white twins?”
Several days later Judith and her husband were told that their baby girl had albinism.
“I loved my princess like every mother would love her baby but worried about her condition,” Judith said.
“I worried about her future, how society would treat her, how she’ll be accepted.
“Gradually, worry turned to sadness and I started questioning “I envied other black babies and thought, ‘Why me? Why was I the one to have an albino baby?’
“How did I get black and white twins?”
“I threw the braille sheets in the garbage”
Unfortunately, medical professionals were quick to affirm Judith’s worst fears and told her that Kachi would struggle to see and would likely need to learn to read braille.
“I couldn’t imagine Kachi reading with braille and threw the braille sheets in the garbage.” She said
“She’s so smart and has a strong personality. She knows what she wants and will always go for it. “I always tell her how beautiful she is, because she really is.
“I’m not sure she`s aware of her uniqueness at the moment, but eventually she’ll know.”
“It’s my responsibility to educate her and teach her to love herself no matter what.
Albinism
Albinism affects the production of melanin, the pigment that colours skin, hair and eyes. It’s a lifelong condition, but it doesn’t get worse over time.
People with albinism have a reduced amount of melanin, or no melanin at all. This can affect their colouring and their eyesight.
Albinism is caused by faulty genes that a child inherits from their parents.
Symptoms of albinism
Hair and skin colour
People with albinism often have white or very light blonde hair, although some have brown or ginger hair. The exact colour depends on how much melanin their body produces.
Very pale skin that burns easily in the sun and doesn’t usually tan is also typical of albinism.
Eye colour
Someone with albinism can have pale blue, grey or brown eyes. Eye colour depends on the type of albinism and the amount of melanin. People from ethnic groups with darker pigmentation tend to have darker coloured eyes.
Eye problems
The reduced amount of melanin can also cause other eye problems. This is because melanin is involved in the development of the retina, the thin layer of cells at the back of the eye.
astigmatism — where the cornea (clear layer at the front of the eye) isn’t perfectly curved or the lens is an abnormal shape, causing blurred vision
photophobia — where the eyes are sensitive to light
nystagmus — where the eyes move involuntarily from side to side, causing reduced vision; you don’t see the world as “wobbling” because your brain adapts to your eye movement
squint — where the eyes point in different directions
Some young children with albinism may appear clumsy because problems with their eyesight can make it difficult for them to perform certain movements, such as picking up an object. This should improve as they get older.
How albinism is inherited
The two main types of albinism are:
oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) — the most common type, affecting the skin, hair and eyes
ocular albinism (OA) — a rarer type that mainly affects the eyes
Autosomal recessive inheritance
In most cases, including all types of OCA and some types of OA, albinism is passed on in an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern. This means a child has to inherit two copies of the faulty gene (one from each parent) to have the condition.
If both parents carry the gene, there’s a 1 in 4 chance that their child will have albinism and a 1 in 2 chance that their child will be a carrier. Carriers don’t have albinism but can pass on the faulty gene.
X-linked inheritance
Some types of OA are passed on in an X-linked inheritance pattern. This pattern affects boys and girls differently: girls who inherit the faulty gene become carriers and boys who inherit the faulty gene will get albinism.
When a mother is a carrier of an X-linked type of albinism, each of her daughters has a 1 in 2 chance of becoming a carrier and each of her sons has a 1 in 2 chance of having albinism.
When a father has an X-linked type of albinism, his daughters will become carriers, and his sons won’t have albinism and won’t be carriers.
If you have a history of albinism in your family or you have a child with the condition, you may want to talk to your GP about getting a referral for genetic counselling.
A genetic counsellor provides information, support and advice about genetic conditions. For example, you can discuss with them how you inherited albinism and the chances of passing it on.
Albinism is usually obvious from a baby’s appearance when they’re born. Your baby’s hair, skin and eyes may be examined to look for signs of missing pigment.
As albinism can cause a number of eye problems, your baby may be referred to an eye specialist (ophthalmologist) for tests to check for conditions such as nystagmus, squint and astigmatism.
Electrodiagnostic testing is also sometimes used to help diagnose albinism. This is where small electrodes are stuck to the scalp to test the connections of the eyes to the part of the brain that controls vision.
Over two hundred
churches attacked in France in the past two years, twenty of them burned to the
ground. And now Notre Dame… what on earth is happening in France?
I was channel
surfing last month when I caught the tail end of a news report: Notre Dame was
on fire. I couldn’t believe it! Memories of the Hunchback of Notre Dame, The
Aristocats, Ratatouille, and The Three Musketeers all surfaced as I watched the
news report. How on earth did a building as long-standing and well-known as
this simply go up in flames?
My mind started
spinning with possible reasons for the fire such as arson, a terrorist attack,
or faulty wiring. The building is over 800 years old, maybe some old wiring
sparked and caused the fire. However, according to Benjamin Mouton who served
as Chief Architect of Historic Monuments in France, this cannot be the case.
All electrical wiring of Notre Dame was updated in the 90s; furthermore, they
had alarm mechanisms in place for things such as fires. And what about the two
men that were meant to patrol the area? For such a historic building, there has
to be some form of security in place, and there was, day and night. What
happened to those two men?
I waited for the
result of the investigation to be released, expecting it to take a couple weeks
due to the size of the cathedral. To my surprise, the authorities were able to
give information to the public before the ashes had even stopped smouldering.
How is that even possible? How were they able to rule out arson and terrorism
so quickly? Where was the thorough investigation? Did they take into
consideration that many churches in France had been attacked, and some even
burned down? I smell a rat here.
What the
authorities were saying and what I was seeing and hearing was just not making
any sense. First of all, we are talking about wood that is over 800 years old-
that stuff is not easy to burn! It would take an extraordinary amount of effort
to ignite the amount of oak in the cathedral, but somehow it wasn’t caught soon
enough to avoid the amount of damage sustained. Once again, where were the two
watchmen who were meant to keep an eye out for such things? Why did the fire
have to get to that stage?
Youtube has a
wealth of information on every topic that you could ever think of, and many
people take it upon themselves to look for the truth. I happened across a video
of a mysterious figure on the Notre Dame rooftop before the fire began, but
what really caught my eye was the figure’s odd movements. The person seemed to
be going to specific spots on the roof, and once they moved away, there would
be a flash of light in the area just vacated. With all the conspiracies going
on in the world, could this be one of them?
The President of
France has promised to rebuild the monument and make it even more beautiful
than before, but he said something else that caught my antennae. He said that
he wants to rebuild the building to reflect their modern multi-diversity…
Multi-diversity? Considering that France is no longer known as a Christian
country, what could he mean? Now, I am aware that Christianity and Catholicism
are two different things although the world lumps us into one box. The
cathedral was even consecrated to the Virgin Mary, something that has nothing
to do with our faith. However, his statement raised warning flags in my mind
because I immediately thought of either a mosque-like building being built or
something that reflects the One World Order that is coming to existence at an
alarming speed. When I read that many billionaires and companies were pledging
millions of dollars to rebuild the cathedral, I found it fascinating. Why put
so much money towards building Notre Dame when people around the world are in
need? The contribution racked up a staggering $1 billion in a matter of hours,
and pledges were still pouring in. What is their interest in the building? What
does this building truly represent for them?
Then the bombings
in Sri Lanka took place, and it left no doubt in my mind that all of these
events, the timeframe of them, the type of media coverage, hiding of the truth,
etc. all seem to be part of some global plan. This is not just a coincidence!
We need to have ears that hear and eyes that see for us to take note of all
that is unfolding around us. It’s both an exciting and dangerous time to be
alive. Exciting because Jesus is most certainly on His way, and dangerous due
to Christian persecution being ramped up. Make no mistake: things will unfold
whether we choose to acknowledge it or not.
A nine-strong committee look pretty similar: eight white men and white woman. This is the body that guides Britain’s economy and that is suppose to represent the diverse community the UK now represents.
Their monthly votes on interest rates ultimately determine how far our money goes.
Yet they don’t look anything like the people whose lives they have so much influence over, why is that? Its because the Bank of England has a Diversity Problem
The UK population is made up of different ethnicities. 87% of people are White, and 13% belong to a Black, Asian, Mixed or Other ethnic group and Women make up half of the UK population. Astoundingly 0% of the Monetary Policy Committee belong to a Black, Asian, Mixed or other ethnic groups and women make up one ninth of the committee. Shocking!
Mark Carney current governor is in fact, the 120th in a continuous line of white men to have headed the Bank.
It’s plain obvious the Bank has a diversity problem. But this is not a isolated issue as many other organisations in Britain have this very same problem.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said last month that the Bank was some way off its diversity targets for next year “with little evidence the gap is closing quickly enough”.
Joanna Place the Bank’s chief operating officer also said: “In terms of diversity and inclusion, we have done a lot more than just gender and ethnicity.
“We have a number of staff networks. We have inclusive events. We have a wellbeing policy. We have done a cognitive diversity survey. We have started to look at social mobility,” she added.
Unfair
The Bank’s search for a new governor kicked off earlier this week and many are hoping that this could herald the start of a new era with a black governor at the helm for the first time in its history. However, Wendy Carlin, a professor of economics at University College London, says the problem is not with the Bank of England, but the economics profession itself.
Minorities quit Bank of England as it fails on diversity
More troubling were the committee findings into the proportion of BAME employees at the organisation, with an increase of just 3 per cent between 2015 (15 per cent) and 2018 (18 per cent), and no increase between 2017 and 2018.
Just 5 per cent of employees working at senior management level came from a BAME background in 2018. This is not a coincidence.
Ethnic minority employees are leaving the Bank of England in disproportionate numbers and feel less comfortable with the organisation’s culture, according to internal research.
The Bank’s non-executive directors admitted that the “BAME [black, Asian and minority ethnic] resignation rate was above that for the Bank as a whole” and said that it was actively addressing the problem, according to minutes of a recent meeting. But that’s not enough.
Statistics already show that BAME workers in UK are third more likely to be underemployed — report and probibly less likely to study economics, let alone get a job in the sector. TUC says study highlights a waste of black, Asian and minority ethnic talent and urges more effort to tackle discrimination at work
“We know this is part of a much bigger story. BAME workers are more likely to be unemployed, paid less, and aren’t getting enough of the top jobs. Employers and the government cannot afford to ignore these problems. They must now take real action to tackle underemployment and pay discrimination.”
The former business secretary Sajid Javid had called on businesses to do more to support the careers of black and minority ethnic (BME) workers and commissioned Ruby McGregor-Smith, the chief executive of the facilities management company Mitie, to undertake an independent review of BAME progression at work. The review is due to report by the end of this year.
Dr Heffernan says the profession itself should try to make sure it is attracting the widest possible pool of applicants.
“How you word a job will define someone’s right to apply. If you’re not getting the right kind of applicants then describe the job differently and see what happens.”
Christian’s can help
If the Church put more effort into actively encouraging its members to work in professions that would benefit greatly from a strong moral compass, and then support them in those roles, just think what benefit to our country there might be.
Facts about the The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC)
The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is made up of nine members — the Governor, the three Deputy Governors for Monetary Policy, Financial Stability and Markets and Banking, our Chief Economist and four external members appointed directly by the Chancellor.
External members are appointed to make sure that the MPC benefits from thinking and expertise from outside of the Bank of England. A representative from HM Treasury also sits with the MPC at its meetings. The Treasury representative can discuss policy issues, but is not allowed to vote. They are there to make sure that the MPC is fully briefed on fiscal policy developments and other aspects of the Government’s economic policies, and that the Chancellor is kept fully informed about monetary policy.
Each member of the MPC has expertise in the field of economics and monetary policy. Members do not represent individual groups or areas — they are independent.
MPC members serve fixed terms, after which they may be either replaced or reappointed.
The PAC has called on the bank to provide a report setting out the additional steps it will take to ensure it meets its diversity targets by June 2019.
Godinterest’s Manifesto of Ethics
To promote freedom of religion — Violations of religious freedom are increasing globally in scale, depth and blatancy. Carried out by both government and non-state actors, they range from the mundane to the extreme (e.g. genocide).
To promote freedom of expression and internet freedom — Freedom of expression is an essential part of a properly functioning democracy and a free society. People should be free to express themselves both online and offline. But in many parts of the world freedom of expression is under threat.
To be a inclusive social network — We aim to share multiple voices and perspectives. We prohibit and will remove Offensive material that has been reported to contain (e.g., Pornographic material, hate speech, encouraging violence against others, etc)
To respect one’s right to remain anonymous — Our users place their trust in us to keep them safe, and, in some cases, anonymous. We view safeguarding that trust and protecting our users’ private information as vital to what we do.
ORLANDO, Fla. — Sight & Sound Theatres has brought epic Bible stories to life with their productions over the past 40 years and now for the first time they will present the powerful story of “Jesus” at their Lancaster, Pennsylvania stage.
Sight & Sound Brand Manager Dean Sell spoke to The Christian Post at Proclaim 17, NRB’s International Christian Media Convention last week where he exclusively revealed to The Christian Post that the show would be coming to Lancaster next year for the first time in the theatre company’s history.
“The brand-new epic show coming to the Lancaster theatre in 2018 is going to be ‘Jesus,'” he whispered, as the news hadn’t yet been shared with anyone outside of the company.
“It’s going to be a really unique take on the story, and the focus really is on it being a story of rescue and love that rescues,” he said. “[It will highlight] learning to understand the character of who He was through getting to know the characters around Him — understanding who people were before they had an encounter with Him [Jesus] and who they became afterwards.”
“Jesus” coming to Lancaster theatres in 2018 is not the only big news for Sight & Sound. On May 2, one of their popular musical dramas will be featured on the silver screen in movie theaters nationwide for a special one-night presentation of “JONAH: On Stage!”
“Jonah” will reach 604 screens from Honolulu, Hawaii, to New York and everywhere in between.
“As a creative company we’re always looking for ways to continue to do what we’re called to do, which is to bring stories to life,” Sell told CP. “As we continue to grow and our theatre seats continue to be filled, we keep asking ourselves the question, ‘How do we reach more people if our theatres are full?’ We also recognize that there are a lot of people who love the Sight & Sound experience but can’t always make it to Lancaster or Branson.”
For more than four decades, Sight & Sound has provided biblically-based entertainment for over 22 million people at their Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and Branson, Missouri, performance theatres. In the past 10 years, the company started filming their live shows and making DVDs, but Sell believes God was preparing them for something more.
“God works in mysterious ways. As we look back, we see that he was preparing us for this next step in our journey. When the opportunity presented itself we felt, ‘Man, this feels like a really natural next step for us,'” he said.
Sell wanted to assure people that the live experience of their productions and the theatrical premiere are two different experiences, both great in their own right.
“The Sight & Sound experience is really unique. Big Bible stories coming to life in a way that you can’t experience anywhere else. It’s on a panoramic stage that surrounds the audience on three sides and there’s action happening. Not just on the stage but out onto the audience with live animals. So, when you’re sitting in the theatre, there is nothing like it,” he explained.
“However, when you are watching it on the screen it does really feel like you were there and it’s a different kind of experience — you get the intimate experience of seeing the actors up close and you wouldn’t be able to have that if you’re sitting live in a theatre.”
When asked what he wants people to take away from the theatrical experience of “Jonah,” Sell said: “We hope that this will be a really nice night out for families. That they would have a shared experience through Bible stories. We believe that there is something for everyone in [“Jonah”] and our hope is that it would be a universally appealing. It’s relevant, it’s meaningful no matter your experience in the past or where you’re at in your journey.”
Marry the wrong person, everyday is Martyrs Day.
Marry a lazy person, everyday is Labour Day.
Marry a rich person everyday is New Year’s Day.
Marry an immature person, everyday would seem like Children’s Day.
Marry a cheater or liar, everyday will become April Fool’s Day.
And if you don’t get married, everyday is Independence Day!
Marriage is the only school where you get a certificate before you start.
It’s also a school where you will never graduate.
It’s a school without a break or a free period.
It’s a school where no one is allowed to drop out.
It’s a school you will have to attend everyday of your life.
It’s a school where there is no sick leave or holidays.
It’s a school founded by God on the foundation of love.
The walls are made out of trust.
The door made out of acceptance.
The windows made out of understanding
The furniture made out of blessings
The roof made out of faith.
Be reminded that God is the only Principal and you are a student,
Even in times of storms, don’t be unwise and run outside.
Keep in mind that, this school is the safest place to be.
Never go to sleep before completing your assignments for the day.
Never forget to communicate with your classmate and with the Principal.
If you find out something about your classmate (spouse) that you do not appreciate.
Remember your classmate is also just a student, not a graduate.
God is not finished with him/her yet.
So take it as a challenge and work on it together.
Do not forget to study the Holy Book (the main textbook of this school).
Start each day with a sacred assembly and end it the same way.
Sometimes you will feel like not attending classes, yet you have to.
When tempted to quit find courage and continue.
Some tests and exams may be tough but remember,
the Principal knows how much you can bear and yet it’s a school better than any other.
It’s one of the best schools on earth;
joy, peace and happiness accompany each lesson of the day.
Different subjects are offered in this school, yet love is the major subject.
After all the years of theorising about it, now you have a chance to practice it.
To be loved is a good thing, but to love is the greatest privilege of them all.
Marriage is a place of love, so love your spouse.
Whether you’re married, engaged, or still single, we hope that you have found wisdom and encouragement in this poem about marriage.
The outcome of a project largely depends on the behaviour of the manager as their actions will directly influence the behaviour of the team. Even with all the efforts, employees may put forth to salvage a once positive work environment, at the core of every toxic working environment is the bad manager. There are different types of managers, and each one has their own characteristics that determine how employees will react, the working environment and overall production. Five common types include:
1. Laissez-Faire
‘Laissez-Faire’, is French for leaving things to take their own course without interference. These types of managers tend to leave subordinates to get on with the work on their own and have little to no communication with them. They fail to provide regular feedback when supervising. Though this form of management may seem irresponsible, it requires a lot of trust. Highly experienced and capable employees need very little interference, as they are trusted to do the task to the best of their abilities. However, when it comes to employees with limited experience, this form of management means there will be low production value as these employees feel they do not have to do any work due to the lack of authority they have over them. It can also make these employees a lot harder to control and since work is not being done, resources, money and time are wasted, which in turn increases the costs of the project.
2. Autocratic
This form of management is most suitable for places such as the Army as it gives the manager complete power. These types of managers make all the decisions with very little or no input from the subordinates, and since they have total authority over them, employees find it hard to challenge the manager. This can create an atmosphere of fear and because of this quality of work and production may increase, however, retention rates might increase along with it, as employees may feel threatened and begin to resent their job. Nonetheless, this form of management might be suitable for employees who need close supervision as they need to be told what to do and when, but creative employees will find it hard to work in an autocratic environment.
3. Participative
This type of manager values every member of the team and listens to whatever input employees may have. However, the manager ultimately makes the final decision. This form of management will increase morale as employees make contributions towards the decision-making process and they feel that their opinions matter. With this management style, the employees easily accept changes in the company as they played a role in the process. As morale increases, production will increase along with it, making this a very effective management style.
4. Transactional
This management style is used to give out either rewards or punishments to employees depending on their performance. The manager along with the employees set goals together and agree on rewards or punishments depending on whether or not they reach their goal. The employees then follow direction and instructions set by the managers in order to achieve the goal. The manager has the power to analyze the results of the project and either give out rewards and praise the employees or train the employees depending on the outcome.
5. Transformational
This type of management is used to increase the morale of the employees and is normally used in situations where employees feel discouraged. There are high levels of communication between the manager and the subordinates to reach their goals. These leaders motivate the employees and enhance efficiency and production using communication. These types of managers delegate smaller tasks to smaller teams and focus on the big picture to achieve their overall goals.
Conclusion
There are many different types of managers, and some are used specifically to adapt to certain situations. Some management styles are more effective than others however it depends on the type of employees they are supervising, the task at hand, and the goals that are set.
Global resourcing specialist BPS World has warned that one of the main challenges facing employers in the UK in 2017 will be the impact of Brexit on the ability to attract talent, particularly in the high-value digital, technical and engineering industries where recruiters are already struggling with severe skills shortages. This follows the publication by BPS World, of: “Brexit: What the World is Saying” which, for the first time, researched the global impact of Brexit and how other countries believe it will impact on skills.
Simon Conington, Founder of BPS World, has urged the government to ensure that the UK continues to have access to skilled professional from Europe, particularly in the sectors where there are already skills shortages, or face a sharp decline in the UK’s ability to compete.
Although the UK will not be leaving the EU until 2019 we can expect an announcement this year on the shape of Brexit and what it will mean in practice.Under so-called ‘hard-Brexit’ freedom of movement would be restricted and it would be as difficult for talent to be recruited from France as from the US. It is this that alarms those at the sharp end of skills shortages, such as BPS World. Recruits themselves are already showing signs of being aware of these new competitive forces: research revealed that almost half (48 per cent) of UK jobseekers were more concerned about finding a job than before the referendum.
Last year BPS World spoke to business leaders, representative bodies and professionals in the recruitment and retention sectors in Europe, India, Australia and the USA. The research focussed on the sectors most affected by skills shortages in the UK and overseas. It is in these sectors that the impact of Brexit and any restrictions or changes to work permits, is likely to be most keenly felt.
One of those they spoke to was Marco Dadomo, from the Verein Deutscher Ingenieure (VDI, Association of German Engineers) in Düsseldorf: “As we know, Britain has already problems finding enough specialists in this sector. Brexit will make it less attractive for international experts to work in Britain for a British company. We have also heard that quite a lot of UK experts of different sectors plan to leave Britain when Brexit will be implemented.”
Simon Conington, Founder of BPS World argued;
“2017 is going to be a pivotal year for the UK economy. The decisions the government makes now on the implementation of Brexit will affect our ability to attract the talent we need to grow. The impact will be felt immediately as talent will not come to the UK if they know they will have to leave within two years.We urge the government to continue to ensure we have access to skilled people, particularly in sectors where we’re already struggling to find the talent we need.”
Kevin Green, Chief Executive of the REC welcomed the report:
“This review of the international community’s fears and needs following the EU referendum contains warnings about the challenges employers could face in the future. The prospect of skill and talent shortages intensifying in higher-end sectors is a huge concern. The government must ensure that any changes to immigration policy as a result of the EU negotiations reflect immediate labour market needs so that businesses can continue to grow.”
Brexit: What the World is Saying is available free to download from www.bps-world.com
Notes to Editors
BPS World are global resourcing experts who work across a number of sectors, specialising in technology, marketing and engineering.
Former Argent partner Tony Giddings has been confirmed as development adviser on the £1.3bn “Super Prisons” programme, the first of which is already being built in Wrexham.
Chancellor George Osborne and Justice Secretary Michael Gove unveiled the major new prison reform programme including plans to build 9 new prisons in last year’s spending review, with five of the new prisons to be open before the end of this parliament. The government will also expand existing prisons in Stocken and Rye Hill.
Giddings said “he was hoping to instil the Argent ethos of “more collaboration” with construction suppliers into the government’s approach to procuring prisons.”
Giddings will provide support in the provision of management, technical capability, and systems to manage the planning, design, procurement, and delivery of the construction of the new prisons.
Giddings said “He understood the £1.3bn of funding was ring-fenced and highly unlikely to be threatened by recent political and economic turbulence.” and “admitted the prisons programme timetable was “challenging”, with sites still to be acquired, but he said the aim was to be on site with at least some by the end of the year.”
The new programme will apparently modernise the prison estate to make it even more efficient, safer and focused on supporting prisoner rehabilitation while selling aging, inefficient prisons on the prime real estate to free up land for new homes.
But would God Use Prisons to Rehabilitate?
Imprisonment is littered throughout Scripture. As a young man, Joseph was thrown into prison in Egypt (Gen. 39:20). Samson, after having his eyes put out, was made to work in a grinding mill prison house of the Philistines (Jdg. 16:21). Jeremiah spent many of his days in the “court of the prison” (Jer. 32:2).
The modern prison system borrows ideas from the Catholics and Quakers—two different sects of Christianity. But does this mean prisons are biblical? Not exactly, the above examples all occurred in nations not governed by God.
Britain’s Old Prison System
Britain used to punish criminals through swift execution of verdicts, which were generally performed publicly to bring shame and humiliation to the perpetrator and prevent similar crimes from occurring. Typical sentences involved being whipped or a stint in the stockades.
Jails did exist, but they were only used to hold criminals awaiting trial and sentencing. However, the elite in the UK soon saw this system as archaic and inhumane and was determined to improve it through a complete overhaul.
In this newer system, men were placed in a tiny cell and given only a Bible to read. This marked a move toward imprisonment as the primary form of punishment.
Not Much Has Changed in Modern Prisons
Today’s prisons have three basic objectives: punish a criminal by taking away his time, remove him from society (in an attempt to reduce crime as well), and rehabilitate inmates to become functional members of society upon release.
The problems inherent with this system have remained the same for years: recidivism (repeated relapse into criminal acts), overcrowding, cost and, most telling—despite the large amounts of funding—the utter inability of the system to contain crime.
It is claimed that super-prison development will also allow over 3000 new homes to be built, boosting house building in urban areas and helping thousands of working people achieve their dream of owning a home. The Victorian prison site at Reading will be the first to be sold.
By investing in the prison estate, the government said it will reduce running costs in prisons by £80 million a year. The new prison investment will also fund video conference centers, allowing up to 90,000 cases to be heard from prison instead of court.
According to Justice Secretary Michael Gove, “currently half of criminals re-offend within one year of being released, and nearly half of all prisoners go into prison without any qualifications.”
The Government has also claimed that the prison programme will reduce reoffending through creating the physical conditions for Governors to achieve improved educational, training and rehabilitative outcomes, and aims to reduce the cost of transporting prisoners between courts and prisons. This builds on the probation reforms undertaken in the last Parliament, which will reduce the costs of the system and reinvest them into extending probation support to 45,000 short-sentence offenders for the first time, to tackle reoffending.
“We will be able to design out the dark corners which too often facilitate violence and drug-taking.” stated Michael Gove
Around 10,000 prison places will move from outdated sites to the new prisons, significantly improving rehabilitation.
There is little doubt in most societies and religious traditions that prison is necessary for this sin-sick world, however, this is still not what God intended.
While modern prisons are plagued with mounting problems, God’s Way involves swift sentencing and swift punishment.
“God” of Modern Prisons
There is one future case, though, in which God will use a sort of “supermax prison” for His own purpose. A sentence for someone He deems unfixable—but whose imprisonment will yield tremendous results!
On the morning of June 24, the world awoke to a changed Europe. For over 40 years Britain has been part of the European Economic Community and then the European Union.
The leave-vote has caused an “immediate and profound” economic shock in the UK. This has, in turn, had a devastating effect on a number of businesses in the last month.
Christianity in the UK is split, confused, scared of the future and fighting with itself – much like the rest of the country. So what happens now?
David Cameron said “It Was A “Self-Destruct Option” for the Country, Whilst George Osborne Said It Will Tip the UK Into a Year-Long Recession, With up to 820,000 Jobs Lost Within Two Years.”
Brexit campaigners believe that British voters have taken a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to restore Britain’s sovereignty. However, the Brexit job losses have already begun. A number of construction firms and management consultants throughout England have been forced to downscale and many feel as if they are desperately clinging on, waiting for things to get better. Tech companies are also putting projects on hold, which means a slowdown in hiring of software developers, IT architects, and project managers, according to Robert Grimsey, director of Harvey Nash.
If your Facebook feed looks anything like mine, you’re seeing a lot of anger. Remain voters are furious, accusing the Leave campaign of lies and the Leave voters of xenophobia, ignorance, stupidity and worse. Of course, it’s not just the people who voted to stay who are angry. Reports of racist attacks are rising too.
What would Jesus do?
Jesus might have been the Prince of Peace, but he also knew how to get mad. His outbursts against corruption, hypocrisy and bad leadership are hair-raising. We’ve heard a lot of arguments from the UK’s political parties this month, but no one has actually made a whip and driven their opponents out of the House of Commons (so far, anyway).
The people of Britain voted for Brexit in a decision which will transform this nation and Europe forever.
As a former consultant, I want to consider how management consultants, in particular, can continue to not just survive but thrive in these difficult financial times.
At first glance, the prognosis might seem gloomy. The International Monetary Fund has predicted that Brexit will lead to a British recession, which would inevitably hit poorer people hardest. But snap reactions from the markets aren’t a reliable guide to long-term economic effect. And just as British trade didn’t begin in 1973 when Britain entered the EU, it won’t end in 2016 with Britain’s vote to leave. Many smaller nations trade successfully without participating in wider trading blocs; the world’s fifth-biggest economy will be able to do the same.
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. (1 Tim. 2:1, 2)
1. Embrace the Change and Innovate
There is ongoing uncertainty over what will happen once Britain leaves the EU because it needs to make new trade agreements with the rest of the world.
The secret to success in a recession is innovation. It’s time to improvise, adapt and overcome. In fact, in a study by Forrester, 70% of business executives said that in a recession, innovation is a top priority. However, to successfully innovate, companies have to be open to the idea of change – and that’s why the success stories of the recession are the innovators who are open to change.
This is the best time to change, but how? If you find yourself desperately treading water in an attempt to keep staff occupied in the wake of stalled projects, don’t panic. You will have to make some changes, improvise, adapt and seek out the advantages to overcome. It really is a sink or swim mentality.
2. A Long-Term View of the Financial Game
Successful companies look for ways to reduce costs creatively. Start by reviewing your financial model. Review existing contracts and seek to add value and expand. If your biding on a 3-year contract, do you really need to make a profit in year 1. Wouldn’t it make sense to take a long-term commercial view and instead seek to win a contract at cost in order to retain talent as recruiting new employees is so expensive? You can then concentrate your efforts on developing strong client relationships, building trust, performing well and adding value. Pay much more attention to critical components of your client’s operations activities that may often appear to be mundane. This will invariability enable you to make further recommendations that are approved and generate profit in future years.
“In the Corporate World, There Is a Growing Recognition That Strong Relationships With Customers Can Form the Bedrock of Future Innovation.”
Consider though that whilst it is a knee-jerk reaction to cut costs, try not to rely on this as your only business tactic as your competitors will be doing exactly the same thing. The way to succeed in the current market is to be a leader, not a follower, so ensure you have a carefully prepared game plan.
Look at what makes your propositions unique? What do you offer that no one else can? How do you add real value to your customers, rather than just a half-price bid? Focus on what your competitors aren’t offering, and vigorously market it.
3. Be Clever With Your Marketing
Your marketing strategy is more important than ever before – Think creatively and find different ways to grab people’s attention and keep them coming back for more.
4. Leading With Clarity and Commitment
Don’t lie to employees and hide the magnitude of the situation. Honesty is the best policy. Business functional leads at these firms should establish concrete milestones to gauge progress toward clear goals. You can inspire employees not only with motivational messages, but also through incentives such as wage hikes, and investment in developing talent. This approach is as crucial as improving processes and deploying new technology. Though this may sound like a platitude, management must treat employees with respect and dignity if they want exceptional performance and occasional sacrifice during tough times.
5. Embrace the Power of Online
Social media is an incredibly powerful tool through which to reach your target audience. You should start to unlock the power of blogging, building a solid readership and becoming a thought leader in your industry using websites like LinkedIn. As your readership continues to grow, so will your social media following – and by communicating frequently with your followers and potential customers online, you have more chance of drumming up more business and closing that deal. As the economy improves, your loyal followers will stay with you.
These five practices are of equal value for organisations to remain competitive in the long slow climb toward economic recovery.
Although times are very tough for organisations recently, there is light at the end of the tunnel – and those who have been clever and innovative in their business strategies will continue to thrive long after the Brexit recession.
Britain will almost certainly have a new Prime Minister and their first job will be forming our new relationship with Europe.
Learning from the lessons of 2014, UK churches also have a crucial role to play following the EU referendum vote. But it is about more than a church service of unity. Reconciliation requires accepting the hurt and the pain but also working to rediscover and celebrate the image of God in each other.
The Nigerian construction industry is mostly concerned with the development and provision of projects such as roads, bridges, railways, residential and commercial real estates, and the maintenance necessary for the socio-economic developments contributes immensely to the Nigerian economic growth (Bureau of Statistics, 2015). Butcher and demmers (2003) described projects as an idea which begins and ends by filling a need. However, a project fails when its idea ends without meeting the needs and expectations of its stakeholders.
Nigeria Has Become the World’s Junk – Yard of Abandoned and Failed Projects worth Billions of Naira!
Hanachor (2013), revealed that projects form part of the basis for assessing a country’s development. However, a damming report from the Abandoned Projects Audit Commission which was set up by the Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011 revealed that 11,886 federal government projects were abandoned in the past 40 years across Nigerian (Abimbola, 2012). This confirmed the assertion by Osemenan (1987) “that Nigeria has become the world’s junk –yard of abandoned and failed projects worth billions of naira”.
Abandoned projects including building and other civil engineering infrastructure development projects now litter the whole of Nigeria.
Physical projects do not only provide the means of making life more meaningful for members of the community where the projects are located, successful projects also result in empowerment and collective action towards self improvement (Hanachor, 2013).
This Issue of Abandonment Has Been Left Without Adequate Attention for Too Long, and Is Now Having a Multiplier Effect on the Construction Industry in Particular and the Nigeria’s National Economy as a Whole. (Kotngora, 1993)
PROJECT FAILURE
Project Failure might mean a different thing to different stakeholders. A project that seemed successful to one stakeholder may be a total failure to another (Toor and Ogunlana, 2008). Some stakeholders, more especially the project users and some private owners, think of failed projects as a situation where a completed building project collapsed, a situation where by a completed dam project stopped working after few days of completion, or a completed road project that broke down after few months of completion. Other experienced stakeholders, such as engineers and architects conform to the iron triangle by Atkinson (1999) which states that the most strategically important measures of project failure are “time overrun”, “cost overrun”, and “poor quality”.
Turner (1993) noted that a project fails when the project specifications are not delivered within budget and on time;the project fails to achieve its stated business purpose; the project did not meet the pre-stated objectives; the project fails to satisfy the needs of the project team and supporters; and the project fails to satisfy the need of the users and other stakeholders. Lim and Mohamed (1999) cited in Toor and Ogunlana (2009) clarified that there are two possible view points to project failure namely; the macro-level and the micro-level. They further explained that the macro view point reviews if the original objectives and concepts of the project was met. Usually the end users and the project beneficiaries are the ones looking at the project failure from the macro view point, where as the project design team, the consultants, contractors, and suppliers review projects from a micro view point focusing on time of delivery, budget, and poor quality.
In the early 1990s, the failure as well as the success of any project was determined by the project duration, monetary cost, and the performance of the project (Idrus, Sodangi, and Husin, 2011). Belout and Gauvrean (2004), also confirmed that the project management triangle based on schedule, cost, and technical performance is the most useful in determining the failure of a project. Moreover, a project is considered as an achievement of specific objectives, which involves series of activities and tasks which consume resources, are completed within specifications, and have a definite start and end time (Muns and Bjeirmi 1996, cited in Toor and Ogunlana, 2009). Reiss (1993) in his suggestion stated that a project is a human activity that achieves a clear objective against a time scale. Wright (1997) taking the view of clients, suggested that time and budget are the only two important parameters of a project which determines if a project is successful or failed. Nevertheless, many other writers such as Turner, Morris and Hough, wateridge, dewit, McCoy, Pinto and Slevin, saarinen and Ballantine all cited in Atkinson (1999), agreed that cost, time, and quality are all success as well as failure criteria of a project, and are not to be usedexclusively.
FACTORS OF PROJECT FAILURE
Cookie-Davies (2002) stated the difference between the success criteria and the failure factors. Hestated that failure factors are those which contributed towards the failure of a project while success criteria are the measures by which the failure of a project will be judged. The factors constituting the failure criteria are commonly referred to as the key performance indicators (KPIs).
Timeand Cost Overrun
The time factor of project failure cannot be discussed without mentioning cost. This is because the time spent on construction projects has a cost attached to it. Al-Khali and Al-Ghafly, (1999); Aibinu and Jagboro, (2002) confirmed that time overrun in construction projects do not only result in cost overrun and poor quality but also result in greater disputes, abandonment and protracted litigation by the project parties. Therefore, focus on reducing the Time overrun helps to reduce resource spent on heavy litigation processes in the construction industry (Phua and Rowlinson, 2003). Most times, the time overrun of a project does not allow resultant system and benefits of the project to be taking into consideration (Atkinson, 1999). Once a project exceeds the contract time, it does not matter anymore if the project was finally abandoned or completed at the same cost and quality specified on the original contract document, the project has failed. Furthermore, Assaf and Al-Hejji, (2006) noted that time overrun means loss of owner’s revenue due to unavailability of the commercial facilities on time, and contractors may also suffers from higher over heads, material and labour costs.
Poor quality/Technical Performance
The word “Performance” has a different meaning which depends on the context it is being used and it can also be referred to as quality. Performance can be generally defined as effectiveness (doing the right thing), and efficiency (doing it right) (Idrus and Sodangi, 2010). Based on this definition of performance, at the project level, it simply means that a completed project meets fulfilled the stakeholder requirements in the business case.
CAUSES OF PROJECT FAILURE
A lot of research studies have investigated the reasons for project failures, and why projects continue to be described as failing despite improved management. Odeh and Baltaineh, 2002; Arain andLaw, 2003; Abdul-Rahman et al., 2006; Sambasivan and Soon, 2007; all cited in Toor and Ogunlana, 2008, pointed out the major causes of project failures as Inadequate procurement method; poor funding and availability of resources; descripancies between design and construction; lack of project management practices; and communication lapses
The contract/procurement method
A result obtained from two construction projects which were done by the same contractor but using different procurement methods showed that rework, on the design part which occurs when the activities and materials order are different from those specified on the original contract document, makes it difficult for the project to finish on the expected time (Idrus, Sodangi, and Husin, 2011). This is as a result of non-collaboration and integration between the design team, contractor, and tier suppliers. The rework on the design portion has a huge impact on project failure leading to the time overrun. The traditional method of procurement has inadequate flexibility required to facilitate late changes to the project design once the design phase of the construction project has been concluded.
Nigerian most widely used procurement method is the traditional method of procurement (design-bid-construct) which has been confirmed to be less effective to successfully delivery of a construction project (Dim and Ezeabasili, 2015). And, the world bank country procurement assessment report (2000) cited in Anigbogu and Shwarka, (2011) reported that about 50% of projects in Nigeria are dead even before they commence because they were designed to fail.
The way the construction projects are contracted, in addition to the way the contracts are delivered, contributes to the causes of projects failure. Particularly, among the methods of project contracting is lump-sum or a fixed-price contracting method, in which the contractor agrees to deliver a construction project at a fixed price. The fixed-price contract can be low-bid or not however, once the contract cost has been agreed upon the contract award, it cannot be changed. And, contractors are expected to honor and deliver the contract agreement, failure to do so can result in a breach of contract which can result in the contractor being prosecuted.
Awarding a contract to an unqualified personnel also contributes to project failures. When a contractor places more emphasis on money and the mobilization fee after a construction project has been initiated instead of getting the right workforce and skilled professionals that will execute the project. Instead the workforce chosen will often not be base on competence and required skills rather it will be based on availability. Moreover, poor strategy and planning by contractors who have overloaded with work also contributed to one of the causes of project failure.
Poor funding/Budget Planning
A lot of public projects in the Nigerian construction industry failed as a result inadequate funding, and the difference between the national annual budget and the budget actual released. Most of the Nigerian public projects are signed even before the actual release of the national budget. The difference in budget of the contracted project and the actual budget release can get the contracted company stuck as a result of inflation of prices, scarcity of construction material at the time of the budget release and mobilization to site. Also un-planned scope of work which can be as a result of the contractor working on another contract when he is called back to mobilization to start work. Moreover, poor budget planning is a regular mistake made by some contractors by not undertaking feasibility assessments before starting the design. The construction project should be planned according to the available resources and not according to the unrealistic expectations a client has in mind.
Discrepancies Between the Design and Construction
Limited collaboration between the contractors, engineers, and the architect results in discrepancies between the project designs and construction on site, and further leads to rework. Changes on a project designs, and changing to the scope of work in the middle of construction processes on site can be dangerous, and can lead to time overrun, increase in cost, and most of all can lead to abandonment. Moreover, many cases have been seen where the designs from the architects are not buildable on site, whileIn some cases, most contractors are unable to adequately specify the scope of work for the construction processes on site. Therefore any default on the design by the architect can be an opportunity for the contractor to make more money which might cause the project duration to exceed the time specified on the contract document.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This research starts with a general reasoning or theory which says that the major cases of project failure in the Nigerian construction industry are defined based on time overrun and cost overrun. The findings from the data analysis will help on the decision to accept the theory or not. The research data was collected from the progress report for the month ending of October, 2015 published by the Nigeria of Federal Ministry of works on thirty-nine on-going highway construction projects at the South-South geopolitical zone. The table 1 below shows the information on the data collected which comprises of the project title, contract Number, project description, the contractor that was awarded the projects, the date of project commencement, date of completion and the extended date if any. The scheduled time for each project was specified as follows: project commencement date labeled as “a”,project completion date labeled as “b”, and the extended date labeled as “c”.
Table 1: The analyzed data on the highway project at the South-South zone in Nigeria.
DATA ANALYSIS
The data analysis was done with the use of Microsoft excel. The analysis started by obtaining the number of days between the date of commencement of each project and the date of completion to show the duration of each highway project. And, the number of days between the project completion date and the extension date showed the time-overrun. The project duration and the extended days were obtained with the use of NETWORKDAYS function in Microsoft Excel which calculates the number of working days between two dates excluding weekends and any dates identified as holidays.
The standard deviation between the specified project duration for each highway projects and the extended days was calculated to obtain the extent to which each highway project contract failed on its time of delivery. This was denoted as the degree of failure. The table 1 above showed the projects ranking which was done based on the degree of failure of all the highway projects. The highway projects that were ranked from one to sixteen have low degree of failure and are represented with green color, while the rest are those with high degree of failure and are represented with red color.
FINDINGS
The findings made showed that the successfully completed highway projects have no extended days or time overrun, and the successful on-going highway projects are still on schedule and have no extended days unlike the on-going highway projects that have already failed as a result of the extended dates. Other projects have been abandoned because they have exceeded the delivery date as specified on the contract document, and have no extended date of completion. Thus, no work is going on.
Figure 1: Abundance of failed highway projects at south-south zone, Nigeria.
Figure 2: On-going failed highway projects
Figure 2 above showed that 14% of highway projects are still on-going projects because they have not exceeded the original date of completion as specified on the contract document. However, they are heading towards failure because they have been given an extended date of completion which can be as a result of some critical activities running behind schedule, causing delay on the critical path network of the projects. Moreover, the other 86% completely failed because they have exceeded their completion date specified on the contract document.
Figure 3: Successful on-going highway projects
The figure 3 above showed that 63% of the successful highway projects are still on-going because they have not exceed their completion dates, and they are not yet completed. However, those on-going highway projects might end up as failed projects as a result of poor funding, discrepancy between the design and the construction on site, and conflict between the construction parties or stakeholders.
“Say what you will do, and do what you said” or “Say as you will do it, and do it as you said”
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
The idea of knowing what a failed project is, the factors and the causes is very important in project management. Success in project management can neither be achieved nor measured without the knowledge of project failure, its factors, and causes in the Nigerian construction industries. This work has shown that project failure is as a result of exceeded time of delivery, cost overrun, and poor quality. However, the analysis was only done based on exceeded time of project delivery because of the nature of the data collected.
This work suggested a few approaches to help reduce the number of failed projects in the Nigerian construction industry if properly implemented. Firstly, Having good collaboration between the project stakeholders involved in a construction project at the early stage of project conception is most important in order to accomplish the project objectives, and deliver the project on time, within budget, and quality specified on the original contract document (Othman, 2006).
Secondly, Adopting the ISO 9000 technique which is used for quality management will also help in achieving a successful project delivery. This technique states “ say what you will do, and do what you said” or “say as you will do it, and do it as you said”. This technique is not an indication of high quality but it promotes control and consistency which leads to specialization, and improved productivity and quality. Also, adopting the principles of lean construction will help to reduce waste within the construction and stream-line activities in order to improve the on-time delivery of projects.
Thirdly, Learning from the precedent failed projects, how those projects failed, and the reason for their failures. This will help the project manager to plan and mitigate the risks of project failures in the future. And, finally, more seminars and workshops will help to educate and enlighten clients (the federal government representatives), users, contractors, engineers, and architects on what is project failure, the factors that contributes to abundant failed projects, and their causes.
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Professor Pavel Matousek, a Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) Senior Fellow and Chief Scientific Officer of Cobalt Light Systems Ltd, has pioneered revolutionary techniques for analysing the chemical composition of materials and co-founded a highly successful spin-out company. He has helped develop and commercialize award-winning laser technologies that detect liquid explosives at airports, rapidly check the quality of pharmaceutical products, and that may one day non-invasively diagnose breast cancer. Pavel states:
“I Am Very Excited about What I Do and Driven to Answer Questions in Front of Me, Unravel Complex Problems and Deliver Something Useful to Society.”
STFC science writer James Doherty meets the Laser Man.
Pavel, what first got you interested in physics?
I became fascinated by the stars and Universe while growing up in the Czech Republic. I joined an astronomy society at secondary school and it became clear I wanted to study physics. I got very interested in laser physics during my MSc at the Czech Technical University in Prague. It is a very dynamic field.
When did you arrive at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL)?
I joined as a research associate in 1991, and went on to complete my PhD in ultra-fast Raman Spectroscopy at RAL, awarded by the Czech Technical University. I’ve been here almost 25 years to the day.
So what is Raman Spectroscopy?
It is a technique that involves shining a laser beam at the surface of a material, and then observing the colour of light scattered from the point of illumination. This typically provides information about the chemical composition of the material’s surface. C.V. Raman observed the effect in 1928 and subsequently won a Nobel Prize.
You pioneered a technique called Spatially Offset Raman Spectroscopy (SORS): What is it and how does it differ from normal Raman Spectroscopy?
“We couldn’t have developed the SORS technique without the instrumentation and long term research continuity available at the Central Laser Facility at RAL”
SORS is a technique that we stumbled across in the Ultrafast Spectroscopy Laboratory (ULTRA) by chance. We had assumed that photons could only be detected at the illumination point but we were wrong. Some photons migrate sideways through the material then emerge adjacent to the illumination point. As these photons have interacted with molecules deeper inside the medium, they provide information about internal chemical make-up: SORS probes deeper into the material. And the further you move from the illumination point, the deeper you see into the medium. The process
involves large photon migration distances, often extending to several centimetres or more. This came as a big surprise.
“SORS involves probing at one location and detecting at another. Our minds, and those of others, were constrained by our perception of how the Raman Spectroscopy process worked but once we made this serendipitous discovery, we quickly realised it had potential major applications.”
What kind of applications?
“The Range of Potential Applications for Sors Is Staggering.”
Insight100 (Cobalt Lights Systems Ltd) scanner for noninvasive analysis of bottles at airports.
Using micro-SORS for non-destructive analysis of painted layers in Art
We immediately realised SORS could determine the chemical make-up of substances by non-destructive means. This could have applications in bio-medicine, chemistry, security, forensics, heritage, and beyond. But we first focused on pharmaceuticals, and developed novel ways for analysing the chemical make-up of manufactured drugs.
We swiftly filed 8 patents, which became the basis of our company Cobalt Light Systems.
Cobalt Light Systems is perhaps best known for its airport security scanners. Can you describe how these work and their impact to passenger travel?
Security scanners represent the second generation of technology developed by Cobalt. To date there are around 400 operational units in 70 airports across Europe and Asia. They are used to scan traveller essentials, such as medicines or baby milk, and compare their chemical make-up to a database of potentially explosive substances. Suspicious substances are automatically identified and flagged. For example, the technology avoids passengers having to drink liquids (e.g. baby milk) in front security officer to prove they are not dangerous, which is clearly safer and more hygienic. It has also contributed to new legislation, and is expected to lead to a relaxation of the complete ban of taking liquids on board a plane in the future.
The scanners are currently the size of a microwave oven but right now we are launching a SORS handheld device. This should have further applications for first responder teams called to spillages of unknown substances and fire fighters attending chemical fires.
First off, we used instrumentation at STFC’s Central Laser Facility to demonstrate the basic capability to detect the SORS subsurface signal. Once we made the discovery in 2004, we worked closely with STFC’s Technology Transfer Office SIL (formerly CLIK) and Business and Innovations (BID) to develop, optimise and protect our ideas. There was a complex path to navigate from discovery, to optimising SORS, building a prototype, and ultimately to securing investment in 2008. BID/SIL coordinated the company at all levels and provided the support necessary to achieve this goal.
“My story illustrates the national and international importance of STFC. If its determination to deliver impact on science was absent, the chain from a fundamental discovery to Cobalt Light Systems’ product would have been broken. STFC responded appropriately at every stage. And this is just one example of how STFC contributes to the UK’s know-how economy.”
What are you working on currently?
I’m focused on developing novel non-invasive medical screening techniques, including diagnosing bone disease such as osteoporosis (jointly with STFC’s Prof Tony Parker and University College London’s Prof Allen Goodship), and I’m working with Professor Nicolas Stone of Exeter University on non-invasive breast cancer screening.
In addition, I’m collaborating with Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche in Italy to apply the SORS technology to objects of art on microscales. For example, we can scan different layers of paint to determine compositional information essential in restoration and preservation of artefacts.
How will the medical applications benefit patients?
Patient benefit could be enormous. Current diagnosis techniques for osteoporosis are around 60-70% accurate as they sense only mineral content. SORS on the other hand has a high specificity for mineral and collagen content – both of which determine bone strength – and so holds considerable promise for providing improved diagnostic accuracy. SORS could also be used to classify breast or prostate tumours as malignant or benign without needle biopsy. This would reduce patient stress and save medical provider costs.
However, medical problems are challenging as the human body is complex and variable. These applications are probably still 7-10 years away.
Why do you do this research?
This is where my passion and interest lies – I’m very excited about what I do.
“As You Push the Boundaries of Technology and Make New Discoveries, the End Goal Always Changes. This Is the Nice Thing about Science.”
