The impact of ACA in North Carolina Essay Example for Free

The impact of ACA in North Carolina Essay The Impact of Affordable Care Act on North Carolina’s Uninsured Population The Affordable Care Act (ACA) which was passed by Congress was implemented to improve the quality of health care and reduce the cost of health insurance in the United State. America spends more on health care than any other industrialized nation in the world. In North Carolina, the governor signed a bill to block the state from extending the ACA which will allow Medicaid to cover group of individuals that are uninsured. North Carolina rank 33rd of the 50 states in population measures in 2012 and rank 38th in health outcome (Siberman, 2013). In 2010-2011 approximately 1.7 million people were uninsured and had barriers to access health care in North Carolina as stated by Siberman, (2013). The North Carolina Division of Medical Assistance (DMA), estimated that the expansion of Medicaid will cover approximately 319, 000 new people during state fiscal year 2014 (Siberman, 2013), but since the refusal of the expansion, these individual are going to be left uninsured. Another group of people who will not qualify are those individuals whose income is below the Federal Poverty level of 138%, but people who make the federal Poverty level of 138% will be eligible for ACA. Individual who are paying more than 8% of their income on health insurance will be eligible for subsidies to purchase coverage (Siberman 2013). As stated in Milstead, (2013), with expansion of Medicaid, all subgroups will be eligible with the exception of the undocumented immigrants. But in North Carolina, this will have significant impact on about 51% coverage for working adult, 31% on nonworking parents and 0% childless adults. People with income above the limit for premium tax subsidies are not eligible for financial assistance (Siberman, 2013). The federal government will match payment for the newly eligible individuals but not those individual that were eligible under the state Medicaid in 2010. Currently childless, nondisabled, nonelderly adult cannot qualify Medicaid in North Carolina. Due to the restriction, Medicaid only covers 30% of low come adult in North Carolina. Newly eligible people estimated to be about 500,000 will have coverage, federal government will pay 100% of cost 2014-2016 then phase down to 90% (Siberman, 2013). The Impact of Economics of Providing Care to Patient The economic impact is significant, health care cost is raising about five  times the rate of inflation. Most hospitals in the states that don’t expand Medicaid are facing a lot of challenges of caring for the uninsured and are facing heavy burden of debt. According to Zigmond 2013, the decision for not to accepting the expansion of Medicaid is complicating life for hospitals that serves communities with sizable low income and uninsured populations. According to the report expanding Medicaid in all state would provide hospitals with an additional $294 billion from 2013 to 2022 and reduce the United State uninsured population by as much as 10.2 million people by 2022. In North Carolina it would have created 25,000 jobs with Federal funds and 400,000 uninsured would receive health coverage according to study released by North Carolina Institute of Medicine. The expansion of Medicaid, the state will be saving up to $65.4 million and receive $15 billion from the federal fund acc ording to North Carolina Institute of Medicine. In many rural areas in North Carolina, hospital provides free care to patients who cannot afford heavy medical bill. Without the Medicaid expansion several hospitals may close their doors due to reimbursement from Medicaid as policymakers try to rein in spending (Siberman 2013). How will patients be affected in relationship to cost, quality and access to treatment? It is not going to cost any money to the state or patient at beginning, the federal government is paying 100% of the cost till 2017, then will transition to covering of 90% till 2020. North Carolina will still have to cover those poor uninsured through their safety net programs, but people are still going to the emergency room for treatment. This is going to lead back to some providers and higher income individuals will pay more taxes to cover the uninsured. Expanded Medicaid coverage also led to decreased rates of delayed care and decreased mortality rates especially among residents of poorer counties (Baron, 2013). North Carolina does not have enough health practitioners to meet the demand of newly enroll population. Workforce shortage limits access to care as well as prevention, and treatment option especially in the rural areas (Siberman, 2013). There should be professional training programs f or primary care providers, nurse practitioners, nurses, physician assistants and health care to accommodate the demand or people are going to end up in the emergency room. If the Medicaid expansion has been implemented, ACA has funds that would have been distributed to all the  Universities for the Training Programs. According to Sebelius, (2013) article, Affordable Care Act Incudes steps to improve the quality of health care and lower cost for you and the nation as a whole. This means avoiding costly mistakes and readmissions, keeping patients’ healthy, rewarding quality instead quantity, and creating the health information technology infrastructure that enables new payment of models to work. North Carolina foundation for Advance Health Programs is a model to create and maintain a centralized tracking system to monitor and disseminate new model of payments and delivery of reimbursements. This organization help providers and hospitals to be accountable for quality care. An example is that, hospitals will no longer get paid for treatment of hospital acquired condition or hospitals with excess readmission will receive low Medicaid payment. Ethical Implication for Organization and Patients Why is so much controversy over the health reform? Why people don’t have right to health care? According to Sorrell, (20 12) the issue of health care reform brings important ethical issues of justice to the forefront, as individuals, communities, and the legislature struggle with how to provide quality health care without sacrificing the basic rights of even the few, understanding the legislation will help the public examine the why everyone should health insurance. United State having all the medical technology but health care is a controversy. Another issue is due to low reimbursement of Medicare and Medicaid most health providers do not want to accommodate low income patient. Health Professional can go to the urban and rural areas to practice if they are given incentives like loan forgiveness. Americans are afraid the government borrowing funds to finance health care now will push the debt on future children to pay. Conclusion If North Carolina will accept to expand Medicaid the people that left will be eligible. This will take the burden of financial cost off the state.I think the public, and health professionals of North Carolina can write to their state senators and representatives to advocate for expansion of Medicaid. References Milstead, J. A. (2013). The economics and finance of health care.(laureate Education, Inc., Health policy and politics: A nurse’s guide (p.202-203). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Baron, S. (2013). 10 frequently asked questions about Medicaid expansion. Center for American Progress. Retrieved from http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/healthcare/news/2013/04/02/58922/10-frequently-questions-about-medicaid-expansion Zigmon, J.(2013). ‘Death by a thousand cuts’ Hospitals execs say Medicaid expansion needed. Modern Health. 43(34) Sibelius, K. (2013). The affordable care act at three: Paying for quality saves healthcare dollars [Weblog post]. Retrieved from http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2013/03/20/ Sorrell, J. (2012). Ethics The patient protection and affordable care act : Ethical perspective in 21st century health care. OJIN Journal of Issues in Nursing 18(1).doi: 10.3912/OJIN. Vol18No02EthCo101

Management within McDonalds

Management within McDonalds This report include a background of McDonalds, explanations of the topics from the weekly lecture slides, which of these option can consider to McDonalds, what option can be consider differently and a summary. McDonalds is one of the leading restaurant chains in the world, touching the lives of people everyday. The long journey of the burger brand started in 1940, when two brothers, Dick and Mac McDonald opened the first McDonalds restaurant in San Bernardino, California. Initially, they owned a hotdog stand, but after establishing the restaurant they served around 25 items, which were mostly barbequed. It became a popular and profitable teen hangout. In 1948 the brothers closed and reopened the restaurant to sell only hamburgers, milkshakes and French fries. As per the information of the McDonalds history, the major revenue came from hamburgers, which were sold at a nominal price of 15 cents. The restaurant gradually became famous and the McDonald brothers begin franchising their restaurant in the year 1953.The first franchise was taken by Neil Fox and under it; the second Mc Donalds restaurant was opened in Fresno, California. It was the first to introduce the Golden Arch design. The third and fourth restaurants were opened in Saginaw, Michigan and Downey, California, respectively. The latter is the oldest Mc Donalds restaurant still in operation. In 1954, an entrepreneur and milkshake-mixer salesman, Ray Kroc, acquired the franchise of McDonalds restaurant for outside California and Arizona. In effect, Kroc opened his first and the overall ninth restaurant in Illinois, Chicago, and gave birth to Mc Donalds Corporation. In 1958 the restaurant chain sold its 100 millionth hamburger. In 1960, Kroc renamed his company as ‘McDonalds Corporation. In 1961, Kroc convinced the McDonald brothers to sell the business rights to him for a sum $2.7milion. Later that year, the Hamburger University was opened, which gave away McDonalds restaurant Bachelor of Hamburgology degrees to students. In 1963, the mascot Ronald McDonald was born as a part of a marketing strategy in US. In 1967, the first restaurant outside US was opened in Richmond, British Columbia. In 1974, the 3000th restaurant opened in Woolwich, United Kingdom, which is the first of the country. Happy Meal was introduced in US in 1979. In 1984, the company became the main sponsor of the Summer Olympics. The year was also marked by the death of Ray Kroc. In 1988, the first restaurant opened in a communist country in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, followed by the first Soviet restaurant in Moscow (1990). In 1992, the largest McDonalds was opened in Beijing, China, having over 700 seats and was later demolished. In 1993, the first sea-going restaurant was established, aboard the Finnish Cruise-ferry Silja Europe, sailing between Helsinki and Stockholm. In 1994, McDonalds bagged the Catalyst Award for its program for ‘fostering leadership development in women. In 1996, the first Indian restaurant was opened. In 2003, the company launched the ‘Im lovin it campaign. In 2005, McDonalds started its McDelivery service in Singapore. In 2006, the chain announced that it will publish nutritional information on its packaging of all its products, for the benefit of the customers. Considering the huge success and brand McDonalds has become, the food chain is spread across the world in almost all the major cities of the globe. Being economic and user friendly, the success rate of the company cannot be doubted. These are some issues and a briefly background of them. Data Delivery is all about effectively delivering business data both structured and unstructured -to people. That doesnt mean just some of it, but all of it. Data Delivery solutions enable companies to do just that with selectivity, integrity and control to executives, associates, customers, suppliers and business partners. Data Delivery recognizes that the universe of data critical to the business extends beyond a data warehouse and BI analytics. It also includes integrated reporting solutions, regulatory compliance and risk management reporting, master data and meta-data management and data quality management and governance. The purpose of RCG ITs solution is to establish the data delivery infrastructure, data management practices and data delivery processes for disseminating essential business information. Why BI project fail: Too many Business Intelligence (BI) projects fail to deliver on their promises because expectations are frequently not met, and the hard measure of success, Return on Investment (ROI), either goes unmeasured or falls woefully short. Its no good pointing the finger of accusation at the soft ware vendors or at consultants, organizations have a responsibility to their employees and stakeholders to make sound investments and maximize ROI, and in this respect many BI projects must be re-evaluated. When BI implementations that fail to deliver the anticipated ROI, there are a number of possible explanations. There is a chance that expectations will have initially been set unreasonably high, in which case the project was really doomed from the start. Management change: You must address the whole business change, not just the individual components. Business change is complex because of the interdependencies between the business environment, the organisation, its people and supporting technologies; any change in one aspect will affect one or more of the others. Cultural change is the most important consideration. For example, about 80% of the effort and resources required for successful IT-related change are or should be deployed on the soft aspects of business change, such as changing behaviours and providing training at the right time; only 20% is required for the IT.Similarly, the cost of a new building is only a small part of the total cost of change required for new ways of working. Risk Management: Risk management includes, proactive and reactive planning, triggers, monitoring and control, risk combination, Monte Carlo distribution, RM is an integral part of the overall process of Project Management Acceptable Policies: An Acceptable Use Policy (for email usage) is an official company statement on how it expects its own employees to conduct messaging on its own businessemail system. The policyshould detail the companys position on how its email users should conduct communication within and out with the company, whether for business or personal use. What are the impacts of the IT security breaches: For many businesses, the internet has replaced traditional paper-based ways of exchanging information. However, the Internet brings its own security issues which businesses must consider. People from both inside and outside business may try to gain unauthorised access to applications and information, compromising data and applications, either unintentionally or maliciously. One of the commonest security breaches is the mishandling of log-in details or passwords by employees. Typical instances of security breaches occur when passwords are written down, shared with other people or not changed frequently Globalization: There are many different definitions of globalisation, but most acknowledge the greater movement of people, goods, capital and ideas due to increased economic integration which in turn is propelled by increased trade and investment. It is like moving towards living in a borderless world. There has always been a sharing of goods, services, knowledge and cultures between people and countries, but in recent years improved technologies and a reduction of barriers means the speed of exchange is much faster. Globalisation provides opportunities and challenges. Bigger markets can mean bigger profits which leads to greater wealth for investing in development and reducing poverty in many countries. Risk: In business today, risk plays a critical role. Almost every business decision requires executives and managers to balance risk and reward. Effectively managing the business risks is essential to an enterprises success. Select System: Select Information Systems is an established IT Consultancy with a large portfolio of private and public clients. Many Clients are using software which designed and developed to satisfy their demanding, business requirements, employing technologies which integrate with their chosen, existing IT architecture. Outsourcing: Outsourcing is contracting with another company or person to do a particular function. Almost every organization outsources in some way. Typically, the function being outsourced is considered non-core to the business. An insurance company, for example, might outsource its janitorial and landscaping operations to firms that specialize in those types of work since they are not related to insurance or strategic to the business. The outside firms that are providing the outsourcing services are third-party providers, or as they are more commonly called, service providers According to globalization, McDonalds training programs are delivered in up to 40 languages, with the primary languages being Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), English (both International/Commonwealth and U.S.), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese and Spanish for the top markets. The training materials consist of two elements: core content which applies globally for maintaining consistent food quality and services worldwide, and locale-specific content based on local menu items, food safety regulations and labour practices. The company continues to invest and support initiatives to adapt its products and services to different locales to ensure its global. McDonalds outsourcing: Fourteen McDonalds in Oregon and south-eastern Washington have been linked to the call center operated by SEI-CCS Inc. a Fargo, N.D.-based company that works closely with McDonalds. The call taker in Grand Forks enters your order into a computer and relays it back to the home restaurant, where it pops up on a screen in the kitchen. Meanwhile, a digital camera photographs your car as you drive through. The photo pops up on a separate screen next to the order at the drive-through cashiers window to match the order with the car. A total of 50 McDonalds are expected to be on line within a few months, including seven more of Adams restaurants and five in the Portland area, he said. McDonalds Management change: The changes have been implemented for enhancing the promotional and advertising campaign of the company and to make the company more competitive and adjust the organization to the existing changes emerging with its internal and external environment not bring it to its downturn.With the change management process implemented by McDonald, there is certain resistance or conflicts that have been encountered. The following are resistance faced by McDonald and its plausible solutions to be taken: perception or reaction of McDonalds employees and customers, McDonalds organizational culture and absence of support. Therefore, it is concluded that, changes of management is not bad as long as the changes made can really enhance the competitiveness and strength of an organisation.It is effective, if and only if, a thorough investigation and evaluation of the organizations performance has made. And if the study suggests that there is a need for change, then that is the only time, the organisation should imposed required changes to be done. Because, change of management system is very critical or crucial, one wrong move, the company, might faced its biggest downturn instead of strengthen and expand its business portfolio and survive to the stiff competition in the business arena. It is recommended that McDonald must see to it that the changes are well planned and implemented carefully, because these will the basis for the success and/or failure of any organisation. McDonalds project failed: A projects scope is too monolithic and gargantuan. In 2001, McDonalds planned to spend $1 billion over five years to tie all of its operations into a real-time digital network. Eventually, executives in company headquarters would have been able to see how soda dispensers and frying machines in every store were performing, at any moment. But after just two years, the fast-food giant threw in the towel. As a manager at McDonalds, I would have added in all the restaurant global, delivery service, where McDonalds car or motorbikes will deliver food to the customers indoors. This will raise McDonalds profit and make the customers very happy. Also a healthier diet actually these days will make McDonalds world wide the biggest food restaurant and keep the company to the top. For example in Greece much more people would prefer McDonalds if the food was healthier, because Greek people have on their mind that McDonalds food it is not healthier, maybe introducing a kind of a healthier menu in Greece will bring more customers to McDonalds in Greece. Also, management changes are an excellent way of introducing new menu, but I believe these days it is not necessary for McDonalds to be over advertising. It is better to find a way to launch healthier diet and to deliver them than keep advertising. Because McDonalds is already known and profitable. Last but not least, a good marketing research to overlap with other companies or restaurant might increase McDonalds customers. To sum up with, McDonalds is the biggest food restaurant, it is following the best way to launch new products and come up with the best solutions to any kind of problem. There are just a few issues that need to be differently according to my opinion. Last but not least if McDonalds follow these kinds of issues and in a correct way it will continue being the best food restaurant for years.

My Teaching Philosophy Essay -- Teachers Education Progressivism Essay

My Teaching Philosophy If someone would have asked me one or two years ago what I wanted to do with my life, I would have said, â€Å"I have no clue, but I do know that I will never teach!† I have had that sentiment for as long as I can remember. But this year, I had to decide on a major. I looked at all the possibilities offered to me at Concord College and realized that education was the only one that suited me. I was still not sure if I wanted to pursue a career in education, but it at least gave me some classes to take. Throughout the spring semester I have been able to learn about the teaching profession and observe teachers in action. Add this to the past experiences I have had with teachers and school and I realized that teaching might not be that bad of an idea. To be a teacher is to be a life changer. In today’s society children are not give the best role models outside of home and sometimes even the ones at home are not up to par. Children are bombarded every day with images of violence, sex, drugs, and hatred. In a lot of cases what you see is what you get. Teachers today have a very unique role in the lives of their students. Either they can sit back and watch the children do as they please, or they can do something and help the child get the proper training needed for a successful adult life. True, most teachers are not going to teach a subject in which the students need to make life altering decisions, but a good teacher will help lay the groundwork needed for that child to make such decisions in their future. There is no question to me that teachers are life changers. It happens too often that a teacher has to talk a student out of something terrible. The subject that the teacher will teach ... ...n to better myself in this profession. Even with the PhD. I would still like to teach in public schools because I have a passion for sports and coaching. I plan on coaching at some level in the public school system. If for some reason that does not work, I would love to someday be a professor of history at a college or university. I want to be a teacher to change the lives of children. I want to be a good role model for the students I teach. I hope that the material they get from my teaching will help them in their lives at some point in the future. The most important job in the world besides being a parent is not the president of the United States, or the president of a major cooperation, it is a teacher. Single handedly these people shape the lives of the presidents, lawyers, doctors, etc. If it were not for teachers, there would not be anyone else.

Speaking of Courage Essay -- Essays Papers

Speaking of Courage In the literary work, Speaking of Courage, Tim O’Brien highlights the trying struggle of a post-war solider attempting desperately to integrate himself back into American society. Paul Berlin’s trials and tribulations exemplify the â€Å"dominance of a citizen culture in the United States,† as mentioned by Dr. Decker in class. American society does not allow for the soldiers we have sent off to fight to return as warriors. While Speaking of Courage is based on Paul’s experience after the Vietnam War the effect of the citizen culture can be seen throughout history. Americans are not generally known to have an imperial, blood thirsty nature. We choose to â€Å"conquer† the world using business or other non-violent means. In the case of the Vietnam War, our government was f...

Use of a Portfolio to Assess Students in Math and Science Essay

Use of a Portfolio to Assess Students in Math and Science For a young child, going off to school can be an intimidating experience. Thoughts of whether the other children will like them, if they will have enough money to buy an ice cream at lunch, or if they will have homework that night overwhelms their minds. However, a major part of schooling is testing, and many children freeze when they hear that word. Think about yourself in a testing situation then imagine what it is like for a young child to feel this defeating anxiety. That is why I am informing you, as fellow committee members, teachers, and learners alike, of these ideas for assessing children in math and science. I hope you will all take the time to think about these different methods, and possibly agree on a way to assess our children in the classroom, and eventually present these ideas to the school board to be voted on. As teachers of math and science, we need to stop and ask ourselves what it is we are hoping to accomplish in our classroom. Is it most important for the child to get the right answer, or are we more concerned with how he or she gets the answer? Granted, we are striving for the correct answer, but sometimes numbers are added incorrectly, data is written down wrong, or a child's handwriting is misread. Personally, I feel it is the process the student uses to get to the answer which is important, whether it is right or wrong. "Because the intent [of a new model of assessment] is to assess the creation of knowledge and the processes involved rather than to measure the extent to which students have acquired a coverage of the field of mathematics, a much wider variety of measures, many of them qualitative, are needed" (Bright & Jo... ...f our students in math and science. I feel very passionately for the use of a portfolio, because I feel the students will feel they have more of a say in their education. After all, we all need to work together, because we are all part of a team, the same team. References Bright, G.W. & Joyner, J.M. (1998). Classroom assessment in mathematics. New York: University of America, Inc. Christofi, C. (1988). Assessment & profiling in science. London: Cassell. Cutler, C.S. & Monroe, E.E. (1999, Summer). Contemporary education. What are you learning, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?–the diary of a teacher's incorporation of portfolios into mathematics instruction, 70, 52-55. Kulm, G. (1994). Mathematics assessment. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Romberg, T.A. (1992). Mathematics assessment and evaluation. Albany: State University of New York Press.

Public Administration Dichotomy

RESOURCE MATERIAL SERIES No. 56 COMMUNITY POLICING IN THE CONTEXT OF SINGAPORE Jarmal Singh* I. INTRODUCTION Singapore has grown in many ways over the last 40 years to become a city-state that enjoys a high level of economic growth, political stability and most importantly, a sense of safety and security. It was not a smooth journey, as the country experienced its turbulent periods in the 1950s and the 1960s, characterised by problems of political instability, communist insurgency, secret societies, unemployment and communal riots. Today, Singapore’s crime rate is low by international standards and has declined successively for 9 years from 1989 till 1997. Crime rate has only edged up slightly by 5. 2% in 1998 when the entire South East Asia region plunged into financial and economic crisis. The rise was mostly attributed to theft of handphones and cash cards, and immigration offences. Amidst the rapid modernisation of society, much of the transformation from the old crime-ridden town to a safe city today can be attributed to the Singaporean government’s tough stance towards criminals and criminality in the form of strict laws and heavy penalties. Apart from the strict laws and rigorous enforcement, the improvement of the social and economic situation helped to control crime. Over the past 15 years, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) has made two significant innovations in the area of policing in light of social and economic changes. The first being the introduction * Deputy Director Operations, Police Headquarters, Singapore Police Force, Republic of Singapore. of a community-based policing strategy through the Neighbourhood Police Post (NPP) system in 1983 and the shift towards community-focused policing through the creation of Neighbourhood Police Centres (NPCs) in 1997. Prior to 1983, policing strategies were reactive in nature. Police services were dispensed centrally, mainly through the 8 police stations existing at the time. Each police station served a very large area and these areas were patrolled by cars. Impacted by urbanisation, social and economic transformations, the police were faced with rising crime and a loss of public contact and support. The SPF then realised the importance of fostering closer police-community relations in an effort to prevent crime. By re-orienting a patrol strategy that was skewed towards the motorised mode to one that was community oriented and emphasised foot patrol, it is felt that the police could create a heightened sense of presence and visibility to deter crimes. The Neighbouhood Police Post (NPP) system, adapted from the Japanese Koban System, was introduced in 1983. Eight NPPs were set up as a pilot in a constituency, with a view to assess the impact and success of the system in Singapore’s environment. The trial was a success. By 1993, the entire set of 91 NPPs was set up throughout the island. This was accompanied by falling crime and increased sense of safety and security amongst the public. However, in view of rising expectations of both the public and police officers, and the need to address new challenges arising 126 RESOURCE MATERIAL SERIES No. 56 IV. SPF’S ADOPTION OF THE COMMUNITY POLICING STRATEGY The key strategic driver for the SPF’s adoption of the community-oriented policing model was to establish and leverage community support for our own law enforcement policies and strategies in the face of a changing operating environment. The key changes in the operating environment were as follows. A. Increasing Crime Trend (1974 to 1983) Firstly, although the crime rate in Singapore was low by world standards, there was a disturbing trend of an overall increase in all types of crime (except violent property crimes) for the period 1974 to 1983. Analysis revealed that 70% of such crimes were house-breaking, theft of vehicles, and robbery which could have been prevented. The promotion of community-oriented policing would help the SPF to battle crime, as improved policepublic relationships should result in a higher level of crime prevention awareness and greater public co-operation with the police. B. Change in Population Distribution Secondly, the population distribution was changing. In the 1960s, before the creation of the Housing Development Board (HDB), the bulk of Singapore’s population was concentrated in the centre of the city. However, as a result of the HDB success in providing low cost public housing, about 84% of Singapore’s population shifted from the city area to new towns and estates all over the island. These new public housing estates comprised mainly of high rise buildings and these lessened the opportunities for the public to interact with the police. The SPF could no longer simply rely on the 8 divisional police stations for efficient and speedy service. There was a pressing need to develop a new, efficient response system that could cope with the changing operating environment and at the same time, offer opportunities for meaningful police-public interaction in a densely populated, urban environment. This spurred the SPF to develop the decentralised system of the NPP to serve the needs of the urban population better. C. Rising Public Expectations Thirdly, the general population was increasingly affluent and educated. This raised two challenges for the SPF. One was to meet rising public expectations of the police service. The other was stiff competition from the public and private sectors for quality recruits. The nature and prospects of police work was deemed by the younger generation as comparatively unappealing. Community-oriented policing addressed these two challenges by raising the quality of police services through attracting better quality officers seeking job challenge and satisfaction in the enhanced job scope. D. Learning From the Japanese Koban System At this stage, the SPF was in search of a successful community policing model. This was found in the form of the Japanese Koban (or police post) system. In Japan, the high crime clearance rate of 60% was due to the trust and co-operation that the public had with the police. Statistics also indicated that 80% of the Japanese public readily provided information to help the police arrest offenders. The desire to learn from the Japanese experience and to emulate the success of the Koben system led to the institutionalisation of community policing as the new policing strategy and philosophy of the SPF. 28 112TH INTERNATIONAL TRAINING COURSE VISITING EXPERTS’ PAPERS V. THE NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICE POST (NPP) SYSTEM A. Study Team In November 1981, a team of Japanese experts was invited to help implement the Koban System in Singapore. The Koban system was to be adapted for use in the Singaporean environment, with varying social settings and attitudes of the populace. With the recommendation of the Study Te a m t o e s t a b l i s h o n e N P P p e r constituency, 8 NPPs were first established on 1 June 1983 in the 8 onstituencies in one police division. The second phase of implementation began with the setting up of several NPPs in two other police divisions. Positive public response to the NPP system lead to the acceleration of the final implementation phase ending in December 1994. There are now 91 NPPs throughout the island. One division was merged with neighbouring divisions so that manpower saved could be deployed to the frontline, to meet the needs of the new system. B. Purpose of the NPP system The NPP system was implemented in Singapore with the following objectives: †¢ To i m p r o v e p o l i c e – c o m m u n i t y relations in Singapore; †¢ To prevent and suppress crime through the co-operation of and support from the community; and †¢ To project a better police image and win the confidence of the public in the police with more community-oriented services. C. Infrastructure / Location NPPs are the most familiar police contacts of the community within their neighbourhood. They are kept small to be personal, but big enough to make an impact in the community. The area of coverage of each NPP is based largely on the political boundaries. The average population covered by each NPP is about 35,000. Being the most familiar police contacts, the NPPs have been located where their services will be demanded most. Factors such as the number of households and population are taken into consideration in setting up and locating NPPs, to reach out to the widest possible section of the population. D. Oganisational Structure A NPP is manned by a team of about 12 29 112TH INTERNATIONAL TRAINING COURSE VISITING EXPERTS’ PAPERS in crime prevention. Another effect of the NPP system is the decentralisation of police functions from the divisional level to neighbourhood level. The police at the frontline are more empowered with greater autonomy and discretion to discharge their duties. This has expedited police response to crime incidents and improved quality service. The decentralisation principle has also enabled the police to penetrate deeper into the society and thereby effectively pre-empt criminogenic conditions. It is possible for the police to tap valuable information about the people and the conditions that are causing criminality. Community policing has shifted its emphasis from car patrols to foot and bicycle patrolling. Together with house visits, this has brought the police very much closer to the community. The increased visibility of the police in the neighbourhoods has helped to deter crimes and eliminate the general fear of crime in society. This is also noted in the decreasing crime rates each year. With community policing, the public has also become more aware of its role and responsibility in crime prevention and detection. The number of public-assisted arrests had steadily increased from 33. 6% in 1992 to 34. 8% in 1993 and 36. 1% in 1994. That is about 1/3 of the total arrests made! The close co-operation is not only reflective of the high level of public spiritedness but also the evolving partnership between the public and the police in crime busting. The SPF has strengthened the trust of the public in the police. Two surveys conducted in 1987 and 1991 confirmed that: †¢ NPPs have created more and closer contact with the public; †¢ NPP system has increased the confidence of the general public in the police; †¢ NPP system has had a positive impact on the image of the police. Community policing and the NPP system has brought the police services to the community, helped Singapore achieve a low crime environment, and enabled SPF’s to reach out to the public. There is ample evidence that the community policing strategy and the NPP system in Singapore is a success. The 1996 Global Competitiveness Report ranks Singapore the safest city in the world in terms of its resident’s confidence that their person and property are protected. VII. BUILDING ON THE COMMUNITY POLICING STRATEGY The NPP based system of community policing has served the SPF well for 14 years from 1983 to 1997. In 1996, the SPF initiated a review of its operational strategy. The review was driven by the realisation that the future would not be built through perfecting the past, no matter how successful it had been. More importantly, the SPF must ensure that the success of the NPP system itself does not become a limiting force that stifles growth and innovation in meeting new policing challenges and public needs. As the SPF enters the new millennium, being the sole provider of policing services, the organisation owes its fellow citizens to further improve the already low-crime environment and strive to make Singapore even safer than it already is. Policing must be done smarter and more effectively than before. It is also clear in the SPF’s vision to become a strong service organisation by 31 RESOURCE MATERIAL SERIES No. 56 making continuous improvement to work processes to meet rising public expectations. At the same time, the SPF wants to offer every officer within the organisation a more enriching job scope and experience that stretches the officer’s abilities and helps maximise their potential. Since the implementation of the NPP system, the SPF has retained its traditional, rea ctive policing capabilities (namely, fast response patrols and investigation teams) in its 7 land divisions. Only the 91 NPPs that report to these police divisions have evolved along the direction of developing community-based policing capabilities. Community-based policing has also been refined incrementally over the past 14 years. One recent innovation is the doctrine of ‘problem-solving’, under which NPPs initiate the resolution of certain community law and order problems that arise from simple systemic causes. The problem-solving approach makes community policing more effective because it is proactive and pools the whole community together in a concerted effort to ensure a safe, peaceful and cohesive society. An example of a good problem-solving case is that by Hong Kah South NPP. The NPP used to receive many complaints about coffee-shop patrons consuming beer, after midnight, even when the coffee-shops in question were closed. Residents complained about the incessant noise pullution, littering, vandalism (often vulgar words written on walls), urinating in public places, and fighting. The coffeeshop patrons’ unruly behaviour caused sleep deprivation to the residents, dirtied the neighbourhood and created a sense of public unease (especially to young ladies returning home late at night). Aware that repeated one-off responses to such incidents is not an operationally effective solution to the problem, Hong Kah South NPP adopted the following solution. A. Co-operation with Coffee-shop Owners Mindful of the need to maintain good rapport and act in partnership with community resources to resolve local community problems, Hong Kah South NPP officers sought the co-operation of the owners of the problematic coffee-shops in the following areas: (1) Stop the sale of beer and start preparations to close half-an-hour before the end of the stipulated licensing time, so that ample time is given to the patrons to finish their drinks. 2) Stack up the chairs and chain them up, before closing the coffee-shop. (3) Remove all empty bottles from the tables to prevent their use as weapons. B. Dialogue Sessions with Coffeeshop Owners Based on the recommendation of Hong Kah South NPP, regular dialogue sessions with the coffee-shop owners are conducted at the Division Headquarters. Besides crime prevention advice and police recommendations, there is also sharing of good practices between the coffee-shop owners. This is effective in exerting peer group pressure on the owners of problematic coffee-shops to follow the good example set by their counterparts. The above measures were successful in curbing the problem. Residents now enjoy restful nights, the neighbourhood is pristine in appearance, and a sense of peace and security prevails. 132 112TH INTERNATIONAL TRAINING COURSE VISITING EXPERTS’ PAPERS VIII. NEW OPERATING ENVIRONMENT The SPF is expected to work in an increasingly complex environment, with forces that affect community safety and security arising from a multiplicity of causes. These complex social ills are characterised by seemingly intractable problems such as juvenile delinquency, spousal violence, the link between substance abuse and property crime, or the law and order problems posed by foreigners working in Singapore. The SPF’s traditional tool of effective enforcement can no longer, by itself, adequately address these challenges. The doctrine of problem-solving, which is targeted at simple systemic causes, and analysed and solved at the level of the NPP, is also impotent in the face of higher-order social dysfunction. In addition, the SPF must continue to meet the rising public expectations of its service standards, as well as its ability to enhance safety and security. A recent survey, commissioned by the Service Improvement Unit (SIU), revealed that one area where the SPF failed to provide high levels of satisfaction, but which was highly important to the public, was the ability of the police to help solve the problems that have been brought to the attention of the NPPs. In October 1997, the SPF made another significant and bold move to re-design the NPP system in a bid to strengthen its community policing approach, in light of the changing environment and factors. A system that can carry the strengths of the previous NPP system, like tapping on local knowledge to solve crimes, and at the same time can enable the SPF to grow and address key policing needs, ensures its continued relevance. The Neighbourhood Policing Centres (NPCs) system has been created to enhance the community policing approach by: †¢ Strengthening the SPF’s front-line operating system; †¢ Building a strong service organisation; †¢ Increasing community involvement and responsibility for its own safety and security; and †¢ Optimising the value contributed by each police officer to the policing process. IX. NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICE CENTRES A. Changes to NPP System In order to deliver decentralised, flexible, integrated and community-focused capabilities, the existing structure of land divisions and NPPs will be modified. At the centre of the new operating system is the Neighbourhood Police Centre (NPC). The existing seven police land division will be reconfigured into six policing regions. Reporting to each of these regional commands will be the NPCs. NPCs will be the sole vehicle for front line policing to ensure the community’s safety and security. In the redesigned system, NPCs will be accountable for the total outcome of policing in the community. A short summary of the key differences between the NPP system and the NPC system is given in the below figure. 133 RESOURCE MATERIAL SERIES No. 56 NPP System †¢ Community policing post with limited services †¢ Disparity in workload due to electoral based boundaries †¢ General services to attract residents and establish points of contact †¢ Low value tasks and narrow job scope †¢ Compartmentalisation of services with many officers each performing a separate task †¢ Lower priority on proactive work †¢ Community-based policing NPC System †¢ One-stop total policing centre provding the full range of policing services †¢ More efficient pooling of manpower resources to serve the community †¢ Focused on services that are critical to safety and security †¢ High value, board job challenge, better quality officers †¢ Integrated service process with one NPC officer handling the entire service process †¢ Dedicated resources for proactive work †¢ Community-focused policing B. One-Stop Total Policing Centre Today, the areas policed by NPPs vary significantly. Some NPPs have jurisdiction over areas with 2,000 households, while other NPPs serve up to 5,000 households. NPCs will however serve areas of similar residential population sizes. On average, each NPC will serve about 100,000 residents. The size of each NPC is kept to between 100-120 officers, with administrative overheads, such as personnel and logistical support borne by the Regional Command Headquarters. It also ensures that the NPCs are not so large as to present a cold and impersonal image to the public. A total of 32 NPCs will be created by the year 2001 to serve an indigenous population of 3. 2 million in Singapore. NPCs, as centres of total policing, have a variety of policing options, ranging from reactive patrols and investigations, to proactive policing activities. These 32 NPCs islandwide will be supplemented by at least another 66 NPPs, with each NPC managing between 1 to 4 NPPs. With the creation of NPCs, the current 91 NPPs would be re-distributed to achieve a balance of easy accessibility to police counter services for the public and an optimal number of NPPs to be deployed in the NPC system. The emergence of the NPC as the sole vehicle for the provision of policing services means that NPPs cease to be sub-units of a larger police unit. The officers manning each NPP will come from the NPC itself. NPPs therefore represent service points only, with the deployment of patrol, investigative and pro-active policing resources based on the overall needs of the entire NPC area of operations. Each of the six policing regions will have a dedicated Regional Command Headquarters to oversee police operations. Six Regional Commands will replace the existing seven police divisions. These Regional Commands will comprise the command and support elements for the region. They will also include specialist investigation units, focusing on investigations into serious crimes and other investigations likely to lead to prosecution in court. Each Regional Command will house a NPC to serve as the frontline service point for public interaction. 1 A DGP is a development plan that defines and builds a particular township. In the plan, each town’s boundaries are clearly mapped out. 134 112TH INTERNATIONAL TRAINING COURSE VISITING EXPERTS’ PAPERS C. Relationship to Development Guide Plans (DGPs) Unlike the current NPP boundaries which are linked to political constituencies that may change after a General Election, NPC boundaries are based on Urban R e d e v e l o p m e n t A u t h o r i t y ’s ( U R A ) Development Guide Plan1 (DGP) areas for the following reasons: (a) The DGP areas, being geographicallybased, provide additional leverage by creating a sense of territorial ownership for the community. This will enhance the community’s identity. (b) Each DGP area also has an expressed vision, which further reinforces a coherent identity for the communities living within that area. (c) DGP areas are permanent, unlike electoral boundaries. Over time, distinct identities can emerge for different communities, without being interrupted by changes in constituency boundaries. Each NPC operates out of police facilities sited within its area of operation. Facilities for the NPCs could be co-located with other community agencies. A single edifice, representing all the community agencies for that area, will tity for the comm the sense of community identity and permanence. As NPCs or NPPs are the means through which the SPF engages in community-focused policing, they can easily blend into a building that encompasses community clubs, community libraries, and service points for other community agencies. Most NPCs would be sited at 0. 0heart of 0. 0residential area in photing geilities commonmay other 135 12TH INTERNATIONAL TRAINING COURSE VISITING EXPERTS’ PAPERS The shift to a community-focused model fundamentally alters the SPF’s operating strategy. Successful policing will no longer be measured solely in terms of falling crime rates. As the focus shifts from the police to the community, what matters to the community, for example, its level of safety and security, will determine the success or otherwise of the police mission. Arising from this, it will no longer be appropriate for formulaic approaches to be applied uniformly across the different communities. Police units operating in different communities must develop customised solutions tailored to meet the needs of, and which take into account the constraints on, each community. The need for specific, custom-made and workable solutions will redefine the required levels of operational competence. These demands will fuel the need to develop, at the organisational level, learning competencies so that each customised solution enhances the quality of the future solutions. An operating strategy that is focused on the community also entails a skillful management of relationships between the police and the individuals, grassroots organisations and volunteer groups that form part of the community. Structurally, the SPF will be empowered and decentralised, so that at the front-line, police officers can ‘broker’ for total solutions in response to community law and order concerns. Such an approach also has other benefits, in particular, by providing opportunities for individual participation in improving the quality of life in their community, so that emotional bonds to the community are strengthened. It therefore forms an inportant element in the overall Singapore 21 vision to build a civil society with strong community ties and active citizenry. It is also an integral part of the Government’s strategy to gradually lower the community’s level of dependency on the authorities and to engender shared responsibility for social problems and their solutions. This is done through a new initiative known as the Community Safety and Security Programme (CSSP). A CSSP is an action programme jointly drawn up by the grassroots leaders, residents and the police. It consists of the profile of the community and its needs, the key agencies involved and the action plans to tackle the community problems affecting the safety and security of the neighbourhood. Through CSSPs, the NPC system aims to shift the community’s mindset from what the police are doing about safety and security to what we can do together. One CSSP is crafted for each precinct / constituency and each differs from another, since different communities in different neighbourhoods might not share the same concerns. The CSSP aims to get the residents more involved and be responsible in taking actions to address the safety and security concerns affecting their neighbourhoods. The driving belief is that each citizen can make a difference to society. G. Optimising the Contribution of Each Police Officer The SPF currently has a regular component of nearly 8,000 officers and 1,000 civilian staff. With falling birth rates, the size of new cohorts joining the workforce grows smaller each year. As an organisation competing within a limited pool of labour resources, the SPF must be attractive and challenging to bring in the best talents. Whilst the SPF may face the challenge of attracting the best talent to join the organisation, it has to contend with retaining officers over the medium to long term. 137 RESOURCE MATERIAL SERIES No. 6 SPF Commissioner, Khoo Boon Hui, during one of his dialogue sessions with NPC officers said â€Å"†¦ That is why not only do we have to take care of those who are with us, but to get the best people to join us †¦ one of the main motivations of why we are going into the NPC system, †¦ is to bring our officers to match the expectations of the job, and to be proud of what we do. ’’ Through the NPC system, the SPF is able to redesign its front-line jobs so that it can continue to recruit quality manpower from each graduating cohort. At the same time, in line with the national policy of continuous upgrading, the SPF also needs to upgrade the qualifications of its officers after they have entered the service. Redesigning jobs to create viable and attractive front-line careers in the NPC system will serve to enhance the credibility of the SPF as an institution, and instill trust in the ability of the police to carry out their tasks effectively. The educational profile of police officers serving the community must be kept high to match the broad rise in educational qualification of the society. This will enable the SPF to meet new job demands, greater challenges and the expectations of the public. H. Organisational Structure In order to fulfil its role as being community-focused, and responsive and flexible to the needs of the community, police officers in the NPC operate in an empowered and self-directed fashion. They work as a team, rather than as individual officers. The basic unit in the NPC is a group of three front-line officers, led by one group leader. This group of four officers is selfdirected, and undertake the entire range of policing responsibilities of the NPC. Each group is also responsible for nurturing and building a network of community relationships within a precinct of about 1,200 – 1,500 households. As this group is deployed as an operational entity, it will facilitate the process of team learning, a key lever of change and innovation in the redesigned system. An average of 5-6 such groups form one team, which is led by a team leader and one assistant team leader. Each NPC have four teams, reporting to an NPC commander. Each NPC comprise, on average, 100 regular officers. With another 15 full-time national servicemen attached to the NPP, the total strength of the NPC will be about 115 officers. X. NPC IMPLEMENTATION PHASES As the NPC system is a major change for the entire the SPF. It involves major re-organisation. Many of these changes will take some time to implement. A phased implementation approach has been adopted: Pilot Phase Oct 1997 1st pilot: Queenstown NPC created in Central West Region. Apr 1998 Another 3 NPCs, namely Bukit Timah NPC, Bukit Merah West NPC and Jurong East NPC were created in same region. Phase I Jun 1999 6 NPCs in West Region to be created. Phase II Jun 2000 4 NPCs to be created in North, North-Eastern and East Regions. 138 112TH INTERNATIONAL TRAINING COURSE VISITING EXPERTS’ PAPERS Phase III Jun 2001 SPF believes that its policing changes are set in the right direction. Our success will depend on our willingness to learn and change the way we operate. Our commitm ent and passion to learn collectively as a team, from the top police chief to the front-line officer, may turn out to be the most significant success factor in our journey into the new policing environment presented by the next millennium. 8 NPCs to be created in Central-Western Region. In Commissioner Khoo’s words, â€Å"A pilot is not to test whether the system will succeed or not. It is a pilot in the sense that we allow officers more leeway to improve the system, to share experiences, resolve operational problems and tell us what is wrong. ’’ XI. PRELIMINARY NPC’S RESULTS A recent review of the pilot phase implementation has shown positive results and all the NPC objectives are largely met. A large majority of the officers felt that they had stronger working relationships with their team mates, between teams, supervisors and key officers. 74% of the officers were confident of their abilities in performing the various aspects of NPC duties (information technology systems, procedures and investigative duties). 81% of the officers rated the facilities in the NPC to be much better than their previous workplace (NPPs and Land Divisions). Compared to one year before the NPC was set up, one-third of the residents in the precincts felt that the safety in the neighbourhood now was â€Å"much better†. Two-thirds of the residents felt that the police had at least made some improvements to increase security in the neighbourhood with the creation of NPCs. XII. CONCLUSION The community policing framework in Singapore has been shifted to uplift the professionalism in front-line jobs and getting the community more involved in safety and security matters. The re-design of the NPP system builds on the achievements the SPF has made over the past few years – community policing, empowerment and quality service. The 139

Culture War Essay

Politics play an important role in the overall situation of a country. The political set-up of a state especially in terms of the type of government, political parties, and even the political bickering that exist are vital in creating and implementing laws. This is clearly exemplified in a democratic type of government wherein various parties that have different advocacies, view points and stands on various issues are present. In line with this, the newly elected president of the United States of America, President Barack Obama is trying to pass a bipartisan â€Å"Stimulus Package† in the Congress. Bipartisanship usually takes place in a two-party system wherein two major parties dominate the election in all levels of the government. Bipartisanship also happens when these two major parties put aside their differences and collaborate with each other. In this paper, it will be argued that bipartisanship is dead. This argument is based on three pieces of evidence that give conclusive results that will make it clear that bipartisanship is no longer applicable in the United States. First, according to Patrick Joseph â€Å"Pat† Buchanan, a renowned American political commentator, author, columnist, politician, broadcaster, and senior advisor to three previous U. S. presidents, â€Å"There is a religious war going on in this country [United States], a cultural war as critical to the kind of nation we shall be as the Cold War itself, for this was is for the soul of America. † He delivered this statement during the 1992 Republican National Convention wherein he further explained that this cultural war is a displacement of classic economic conflicts that are caused by newly emergent moral and religious ones. Furthermore, the kind of war that he is referring to is said to be observable in the result of the recent elections wherein there is only a marginal difference of within 2 points. However, this kind of outcome does not give convincing result that there is indeed competitiveness among Americans and that they are for or against one major party. Closely divided votes do not mean deeply divided votes because this does not identify whether a certain group of people hate the other or they are just merely voting out of random. Moreover, it is difficult to identify if Americans only follow two political perspectives that are based on the two major parties that exist in the country. This is due to the fact that the media is not normal in the country. Media incentives are often used in order for those people involved in this field to sensationalize a particular issue. In this sense, not only is it difficult to identify the real stand of the American people when it comes to issues because the media could also influence the people’s way of thinking in order for them to take problems as either black and or in variations. Second, through the article entitled â€Å"From Culture War? The Myth of a Polarized America,† the writer Morris P. Fiorina, debunks the observation that Americans are highly polarized especially in terms of cultural or social issues. He also challenges the idea that this polarization has heightened the concept of partisanship in the electorate and Washington by arguing that it is the political elites who are becoming more polarized. Morris stated that due to the fact that political elites, especially the candidates for office, are more polarized in terms of party and ideological lines and they also manipulate the choices available to their voters. As a result, it established a distinction of the electorate, as well as a deceitful appearance that there is indeed polarization in the mass public (Fiorina, 2005). Moreover, in the study conducted by Fiorina, he compared the voting behavior and the position of Americans when it comes to specific issues that define culture war including gun control laws, abortion, sexual orientation, sexual discrimination, and others. He used the blue and red states wherein the blue are the recognized Democrat states and the red are the Republican states. The result of the study shows that states are similar in many instances. This is proven by the data which identified that four out of ten voters in both red and blue states agreed that migration should decrease; as well as seven among the ten deemed that English should be the official language of the United States. Moreover, in terms of issues that are considered part of the culture war, differences are still observable. Nevertheless, results give proof that there is a similarity in the stand of Americans when it comes to these issues. The comparison of the blue and red states show that there is many similarities and some notable differences but very little variation for a culture between states to exist (Fiorina, 2005). Third, a recent survey deals with Obama Ratings by Party Identification that illustrates independent parties and other parties that do not fall as either as a Democrat or Republican parties. The Inauguration Week showed that 90% positive ratings came from the Democrats and also a substantial 67% came from the independent and other parties. On the other hand, only 42. 7% positive ratings came from the Republicans. Similar results is also seen during the post-inauguration week wherein 87. 3% from the Democrats and 61. 3% from independent and other parties have positive remarks for Obama while only 32. 7% from the Republicans feel the same way. In this sense, it can be clearly seen that independent and other parties also have an important role when it comes to supporting any political actions that Obama will make. Moreover, this also signifies that Americans are not simply polarized into two major parties. The discussions above of the three pieces of evidence clearly identifies that bipartisanship is dead in the United States. Bipartisanship is no longer applicable because most Americans have more similarities when it comes to important issues even those that are under the cultural or social realm. The stand point of Americans is no longer identified in just two opposite poles. Rather, the political elite and irresponsible media of the country are the ones responsible for shaping the United States’ society to be such. In reality, states that are often identified as either red or blue do not really have much distinction when it comes to the vital concerns of the country because they have more similar stands than differences. Being the case, bipartisanship is not applicable in a society that is not or no longer polarized. Reference Fiorina, M. P. (2005). Culture War? The Myth of a Polarized America. New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc.