Use These Four Steps for Completing a Feasibility Study

A Feasibility Study may need to be completed for your project. The best time to complete it is when you have identified a range of different alternative solutions and you need to know which solution is the most feasible to implement. Here's how to do it.

Step 1: Research the Business Drivers

In most cases, your project is being driven by a problem in the business. These problems are called "business drivers" and you need to have a clear understanding of what they are, as part of your Feasibility Study. For instance, the business driver might be that an IT system is outdated and is causing customer complaints, or that two businesses need to merge because of an acquisition. Find out why the business driver is important to the business, and why it's critical that the project delivers a solution to it within a specified timeframe.

Step 2: Confirm the Alternative Solutions

Now you have a clear understanding of the business problem that the project addresses, you need to understand the alternative solutions available. For example, if it's an IT system that is outdated, your alternative solutions might include redeveloping the existing system, replacing it with a package solution or merging it with another system. Only with a clear understanding of the alternative solutions to the business problem can you progress with the Feasibility Study.

Step 3: Determine the Feasibility

You now need to identify the feasibility of each solution. The question to ask of each alternative solution is "can we deliver it on time and under budget?" In other words - is it feasible to complete this project for a reasonable timeframe and cost? To answer this question, you need to use a variety of methods to assess the feasibility of each solution. Here are some examples of ways you can assess feasibility:

• Research: Perform research to see if other companies have implemented the same solutions. This may tell you if the solution is practical.
• Prototyping: Identify the part of the solution that has the highest risk, and then build a sample of it to see if it's possible to create. This will tell you if the solution is technically feasible.
• Time-boxing: Complete some of the tasks in your project plan and measure how long it took vs. planned. If you delivered it on time, then you know that your overall schedule may be feasible.

Step 4: Choose a Preferred Solution

With the feasibility of each alternative solution known, the next step is to select a preferred solution to be delivered by your project. Choose the solution that is most feasible to implement, has the lowest risk, and you have the highest confidence of delivering.

After completing these four steps, get your Feasibility Study approved by your sponsor so that everyone in the project team has a high degree of confidence that the project can deliver successfully.

5 Ways To Manage Your Time

#1. Timesheets
First, think about where your time is going. Do you really know what you work on all day? Timesheets will show you exactly how much time you spend pulling together reports or responding to emails. Then there's the 5 minute break to check Facebook that turns into 20 minutes...

Start tracking your time so you know where it's going. This will help you prioritize and ensure you are self-aware when it comes to managing your time.

#2. Task lists
Many people get off to a slow start in the mornings because they are wondering what their priorities should be and thinking about what they should be doing. Task lists resolve this. A clear list will tell you exactly what you need to work on. If you add in a column for dates it will also tell you what needs to be completed by when, which is a huge help when it comes to scheduling the top priority tasks first.

The task list feature built into ProjectManager.com makes it simple to create and update your tasks from wherever you are. Even if you are travelling, if you've got an internet connection you can quickly add a new task to the list (or tick one off) with the handy mobile app.

#3. Milestones
Milestones are a good way to manage your time as they focus the mind! Put some milestones on your project plan and review them regularly. As you are coming up to the deadline, make sure that all your work is aligned with the objective of getting it done and hitting that date.

Most milestones relate to project tasks but you can also create personal milestones on your calendar to remind you about scheduled dates for other tasks on your task list.

#4. Automation
Project managers tell us that preparing reports is one of the things that takes the most time each month. There's getting status updates from team members, preparing the data, checking it, formatting it, reviewing statistics from other systems, then checking it again and sending it to the stakeholders. It takes forever!

Automate your reporting (and anything else) as much as you can. Set up templates that pull data from your project management software and show you status in real-time. Everything that is automated is one less job for you to do.

#5. Saying no!
Finally, say no! You don't have to do everything that is asked of you, and sometimes you simply can't take on more work. If you don't feel that you can say no to a request, ask your manager or project sponsor what they want you to drop. "I'm working on X, Y and Z right now. Which of those should I move to the bottom of the priority list so I can take on A and B as well?"

If it isn't feasible or reasonable to get everything done, then negotiate priorities with your stakeholders so that you aren't overloaded and they appreciate what can realistically be done in the time available.

Try these 5 tips for managing your time and see how many extra hours you can find in a day!

Thanks : Project Manager

How to conduct Stakeholder Analysis for Your Project Proposals

Stakeholders are individuals, groups of people or organizations that have direct and indirect involvement/interest with your proposed project and hence they can have positive or negative influence on the project.

There are different types of stakeholders:

(1) Stakeholders: Individuals or organizations who may directly or indirectly, positively or negatively affect or be affected by the activities of a proposed intervention package.

(2) Beneficiaries: Those who are benefited from the project either directly or indirectly.

(3) Target group(s): A group of people/organization who will be directly benefitted by the project interventions. Target group may include the implementing partner organizations at field level.

(4) Final beneficiaries: Those who benefit from the project in the long term at the level of the society or sector at large such as community people as a result of improved biodiversity.

There are two issues in stakeholder analysis

• Which groups of people/organizations should be considered for problem and opportunity?
• Who will be benefited (and how) from the proposed interventions?

Stakeholders should be involved in every aspect of the project from planning to implementation in order to achieve the goal of the project.

Which group: Ask yourself who can be your stakeholder, for example, for forest resource protection in Belize. Forest resource extractors, government institutions, different industries located that area, various educational institutions and other non-governmental and voluntary organizations operating that area. Among that forest resource collectors have direct involvement whilst educational institutions have indirect involvement.

Who will be benefited: Forest resource collectors, local people and organizations, government agencies all can be benefitted by the proposed forest, source protection project.

There are several steps to conduct the stakeholder analysis:

(1) List all possible stakeholders who may be affected by the proposed interventions and can influence the activities positively or negatively. Try to avoid words using the community people or local authority. Be more specific, like for example, forest source collectors, forest departments, local government institution (Union Parishad in Bangladesh), Khulna University (University in that region) etc.

(2) Identify, as thoroughly as possible, each stakeholder’s problem, interest and the potential role in relation to the potential project, some stakeholder may have multiple interests.

(3) Decide which stakeholder groups should participate at what level and when during the project cycle.

There are various useful tools such as Stakeholder Analysis Matrix, SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threats) Analysis, organizational landscape, Venn Diagram, Potential Analysis, Force Field Analysis for this task among which the first two are used at the most. Effective use of different participatory planning methods such as Focus Group Discussion (FGD), Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA), and Rapid Rural Appraisal (RRA) can help ensure that the views and perspectives of different stakeholders related to this project are adequately represented and understood.

Thanks to Fundsforngos

Online Master's Degree in Conflictology with the United Nations and the Open University of Catalonia

The United Nations Institute for training and Research is currently accepting application for the web-based International Master’s degree in Conflictology by UNITAR and the Open University of Catalonia. The degree is designed for working professionals in the field of peace and security. 
  
Scholarship are available on a competitive basis and special discounts may apply to citizens from Least Developed Countries and United Nations Volunteers. The deadline for applications to start in the Fall 2014 is on 01 July 2014. 
  
The International Master’s Degree in Conflictology presents empirical knowledge and insight on conflict resolution, transformation, mediation and management, for conflicts of all importance, be they interpersonal or global. Practitioners and academics from prestigious universities, the United Nations and peace research institutes guide participants through the virtual learning environment, enabling them to learn about the peaceful resolution of conflicts and prepare for professional practice. This programme trains participants in all applications of conflictology and facilitates the development of professional projects by giving participants access to the largest network of people working to promote peace.

Please find more information on registration, scholarships, discounts, tuition fees, and course content at: http://www.unitar.org/ptp/international-masters-degree-conflictology 
  
Do not hesitate to contact us if you need further information at conflictology@unitar.org.

Call for Applications,G(irls)20 Summit, Australia

If you are a passionate, forward thinking, solution oriented young woman from a G20 country or can represent the European or African Union, Afghanistan, Pakistan or the MENA region and will be 18-20 years at the Summit (August 2014), you are invited to apply

 In order to ensure your application is considered, it must be received no later than January 10th, 2014 at midnight EST.

You can apply by completing the application form, &submitting a reference letter.  While not required, we recommend you submit a video & picture (instructions are on the application form).

OVERVIEW OF G(IRLS)20 PROGRAMMING:
AUSTRALIA 2014
While in Australia, delegates will attend skills building training sessions, hear from a global panel of experts and discuss and promote tangible, scalable solutions toward economic prosperity. The Summit will culminate in a delegate-led press conference and communiqué that provides a blueprint to G20 leaders on how to utilize and engage one of the best resources in the world – girls and women.

• Workshops / skills building investments in Summit delegates
• An annual global Summit that takes place in the G20 host country
• Global mentorships for G(irls)20 Summit Ambassadors (former delegates)
• Panel of advisors for former applicants (not chosen as delegates but exhibited strong leadership potential)
• Delegate led initiatives that take place in home communities
• Access to ROI (Ring of Influence)

Four Summits have taken place : Toronto, 2010; Paris, 2011; Mexico City, 2012; Moscow, 2013.  Each Summit produces a communiqué which is presented to the G20 Leaders, Ministers of Industry, Health, Innovation, Economic Development and Foreign Affairs and Ambassadors. Each Summit also results in the development of community based initiatives led by the delegates.

Further information available at  http://www.girls20summit.com/the-summit/application-australia-2014/

 

8 Tips on the Effective Use of Social Media for Social Good

Writing for the Impatient Optimists blog on the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation website, Jennifer James shares how she built an activist group. As the founder of Mom Bloggers for Social Good, she shares eight great ideas for creating positive change using social media.

1. Gather advocates. How does one find and activate online advocates? Her suggestion is to start with where your donors are. This means you find out where your community and followers are, whether on Facebook or on Twitter or on Pinterest, and start with them.
2. Allow ideas to develop. If the idea is smart, and you see gradual pick-up on social media, let the idea ride out for a while. Experiment to find out which content or what ideas work for your mission and your people.
3. Forge an authentic voice. What is the social media voice of your organization? For example, is your organization voice more academic or advocacy, more local or more global? The article recommends that you have a conversational voice, and it should also be matched to your brand. The youth-focused@dosomething is cited for their skills at targeting a young demographic to entice them to get involved in social good.
4. Create sustained conversations. For example, many nonprofits find success in hosting Twitter chats—scheduled Twitter conversations held on a regular basis with a hashtag unique to your organization or issue to talk about key issues. A specific example mentioned is #FundChat, a weekly Wednesday conversation about nonprofit fundraising and ideas about building community through social media.
5. Be approachable. Social media is best used for two-way conversations, not simply to push content to followers. Retweet others’ tweets, share links to other nonprofits’ or organizations’ announcements, and highlight your volunteers and donors.
6. Identify your core demographic. Go where your donors and advocates are. Some nonprofit organizations, like Save the Children, for example, use Pinterest to spread their messages.
7. Don’t equate social media with dumbed-down conversation. Many advocacy-based nonprofits find Twitter brings in new followers and builds offline conversations. The World Food Programme is spotlighted for using Twitter to talk about providing food in combat zones.
8. Be innovative in your approach. Vine is a new Twitter video app that explains why more nonprofits are using Twitter to share not only pictures, but also real-time videos.

In the comments section, post links to examples of your nonprofit social media channels, so that other readers can see what’s working. A great way to make improvements is to also watch what others are doing and learn from their example.—Jeanne Allen

Guide to Peace and Tourism

There are quite a few people who believe that one of the key aspects to promoting increased peace and understanding in the world is through facilitating positive interaction between individuals and communities from diverse backgrounds. The assumption is by learning about each other's cultures, languages, lives, that people can do discover what they have in common, as well as explore their differences and possibly build long-term friendships that can have a positive impact on the world.

In recent years, there has been increasing discussion about the role of peace tourism, as well as voluntourism (where individuals visit other countries and engage in community service projects in addition to seeing the sights), and eco-tourism (trying to minimize the impact on the environment).

As with any activity, travel has both potentially negative and positive impacts. The negative impacts include significant environmental impacts through plane and other high-carbon forms of travel, destruction of local environments, sometimes contributing to exploitation of locals who are not treated fairly in the service economy, lack of respect for local traditions and cultures and more. On the other hand tourism conducted in partnership, that seeks to develop a sustainable form of economic development, minimizes negative environmental impacts and facilitates true learning and exchange between cultures can have a life-long impact.

There are a number of organizations and initiatives that are working on the issues of peace and tourism, ranging from policy focused institutions, organizations focused on the environment and others on connecting travelers around the world.

Here are a few key organizations (feel free to suggest others. Note a listing here doesn't provide an endorsement, we are only providing information on relevant resources).

COUCHSURFING- is an international non-profit network that connects travelers with locals in over 230 countries and territories around the world. Today, over a million people who might otherwise never meet are able to share hospitality and cultural understanding.  CouchSurfing's initial focus was on hosting and 'surfing' (staying with a local as a guest in their home). Alongside these core experiences, we now also facilitate a growing array of activities and events.


SERVAS is an international, non-governmental, multicultural peace association run by volunteers in over 100 countries. Founded in 1949 as a peace movement, Servas International is a non-profit organization working to build understanding, tolerance and world peace. We operate through a network of Servas hosts around the world who are interested in opening their doors to travellers , and of Servas travellers who want to get to know the heart of the countries they visit.

THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR PEACE THROUGH TOURISM (IIPT) is a not for profit organization dedicated to fostering and facilitating tourism initiatives which contribute to international understanding and cooperation, an improved quality of environment, the preservation of heritage, and through these initiatives, helping to bring about a peaceful and sustainable world. It is based on a vision of the world's largest industry, travel and tourism - becoming the world's first global peace industry; and the belief that every traveler is potentially an "Ambassador for Peace. A primary goal of IIPT is to mobilize the travel and tourism industry as a leading force for poverty reduction.

VOLUNTEERS FOR PEACE - Our goal is to work toward a more peaceful world through the promotion of International Voluntary Service (IVS) projects, historically known as International Workcamps, and the exchange of volunteers. Our projects provide intercultural education through community service. We offer placement in over 3000 IVS projects in more than 100 countries each year, including over 40 in the USA. At each project, volunteers from diverse backgrounds, typically from four or more countries, work and live together like a family. The sharing of everyday life, both with the local community and among the international volunteers, is an integral part of the learning and serving experience. Most projects are open to volunteers with any type of background and do not require any specific professional or language skills.

GLOBAL EXCHANGE - REALITY TOURS - We envision a people centered globalization that values the rights of workers and the health of the planet; that prioritizes international collaboration as central to ensuring peace; and that aims to create a local, green economy designed to embrace the diversity of our communities. The idea that travel can be educational, fun, and positively influence international affairs motivated the first Global Exchange Reality Tours. Our tours provide individuals the opportunity to understand issues beyond what is communicated by the mass media and gain a new vantage point from which to view and affect US foreign policy. Travelers are linked with activists and organizations from around the globe who are working toward positive change. We also hope to prompt participants to examine related issues in their own communities.

Two new companies that are not directly related to peace but provide an interesting opportunity for anyone around the world to host someone and earn funds, and for travelers to find innovative places to stay for travelers are:

WIMDU -   is the central platform for all types of private accommodation and unites travellers with hosts around the world. The platform offers a diverse selection of unique accommodation all over the world Anybody can offer their flat, house or even a room in a shared flat to travellers. The host benefits from additional income and provides travellers with a completely new perspective on the holiday destination.

AIRBNB- We connect people who have space to spare with those who are looking for a place to stay. Guests can build real connections with their hosts, gain access to distinctive spaces, and immerse themselves in the culture of their destinations. Whether it's an urban apartment or countryside castle, Airbnb makes it effortless to showcase your space to an audience of millions, and to find the right space at any price point, anywhere.

UNHCR urgently needs funding to continue assisting displaced Malians

GENEVA, April 19 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency on Friday renewed an appeal for millions of dollars to help meet the needs of tens of thousands of Malian refugees and almost 300,000 internally displaced people.

"UNHCR needs US$144 million to cover the basic protection and assistance needs. So far we have received only 32 per cent of this amount," spokesman Adrian Edwards told journalists in Geneva. "The financial requirements and activities presented in the Special Appeal are not additional to the ones approved by our Executive Committee in 2012 but reflect a reprioritization of UNHCR's budget based on the latest developments in the region," he added.

The funding UNHCR is seeking is to allow for expansion and construction of transit centres, provision of supplementary and therapeutic food, shelters and other relief items, and delivery of basic services such as health care, water and sanitation and education.

There are currently more than 175,000 Malian refugees in surrounding countries. This includes 75,850 refugees in Mauritania, over 49,000 in Burkina Faso and some 50,000 in Niger. "The special appeal we are issuing today covers the needs of this population plus up to 45,500 additional refugees anticipated during 2013 – based on existing rates of arrival," Edwards said.

In addition to the refugee population there are more than 282,000 internally displaced people (IDP). Funding for them is also urgently needed. UNHCR leads efforts to coordinate activities of the protection and shelter clusters.

Displacement from Mali into neighbouring countries is continuing. More than 35,000 people have become refugees since the French military intervention in January (and, according to UN figures, there are an additional 60,000 IDPs).

"According to our staff on the ground, many recent arrivals are in worse condition than the refugees who arrived last year, requiring immediate relief and attention. The humanitarian situation is also being aggravated by prevailing food insecurity as a result of ongoing drought and a series of crop failures affecting the entire Sahel region," Edwards said.

In Mauritania – which hosts the largest number of Malian refugees – at the end of last year there were more than 54,000 Malians. The military intervention in northern Mali prompted a new influx of refugees, with an average of 500 new arrivals per day during January and February – amounting to more than 21,000 people. People are continuing to arrive, but in smaller numbers.

The new influx requires an expanded response in life-saving sectors, including in food and non-food items, water, sanitation, nutrition, health, education, shelter and environmental areas.

Several measures have been taken to treat and prevent malnutrition at the Mbera refugee camp, including distribution of nutritional supplements to infants, organization of awareness sessions for mothers, increased access to health facilities, launch of a measles vaccination campaign and installation of better water and sanitation infrastructure. This has led to a reduction in acute malnutrition rates of refugee children (under five years) from 20 per cent to 13 per cent. Additional funding is required to improve prevention and response mechanisms.

In Niger, the latest wave of refugees (some 2,700) in the remote north in late March and early April is mainly composed of women and children, escaping the military operations in Kidal and Menaka on foot or donkey. Reception conditions are precarious, mainly owing to a lack of water and health facilities.

UNHCR and the World Food Programme have already provided them with food and emergency non-food items while also redeploying staff and resources to this isolated area. "A recent inter-agency survey to assess the feeding programmes shows positive results, but continued efforts are required to counter prevailing malnutrition in the four refugee camps of Niger," UNHCR's Edwards noted.

In Burkina Faso, the majority of the new arrivals have been settled in Goudebou camp, where a recent nutrition survey organized by UNHCR, WFP and the national health authorities showed an alarmingly high global acute malnutrition rate of 24.5 per cent. UNHCR and its partners have completed screening of all children under five years of age and have started treatment of malnutrition cases.

Preparation is under way for blanket feeding programmes, including fortified cereals and micro-nutrient powder for children under five years and supplements or fortified blended food to all pregnant and lactating women.

One of the main protection priorities in Burkina Faso and Niger is to relocate refugees away from the formal and informal sites that are too close to the border or to military installations.

Are NGOs fit for the purpose of advocacy and campaigning?

The World Social Forum, which begins in Tunis today, is an important reminder of the pivotal role civil society organisations have often played in major social and political transformation.

The anti-slavery movement played a crucial part in bringing about legislation to end slavery in the 19th century. Across the world, the trade union movement has been the lynchpin behind achieving basic labour rights and improvements in working conditions. The anti-apartheid movement brought about the downfall of the racist apartheid regime in South Africa in the 1990s, while the women's movement in different historical periods and contexts achieved landmark breakthroughs in law to push for gender equality.

Of course, not all movements achieve their objectives; nor can success be attributed solely to them – alliances with different economic and political interests, as well as getting the general public and media on board have also been crucial. Civil society and NGOs have long been key to challenging systems that would favour the few over the many, and give a voice to the voiceless but is this the case today? Are they still fit for purpose?

There are many reasons why one might think that NGOs have never been better equipped to advocate and campaign. Dedicated campaigning and fundraising departments; professional, qualified, experience and media-savvy staff now fill advocacy roles. And thanks to better and cheaper telecommunications, social media and the internet, even small, previously obscure charities are able to quickly access information, images, stories from the field, turn them into campaigns and connect with their audiences. This bureaucratised, expert, 24/7 globally linked machinery contrasts with the looser, slower, less 'professionalised' workings of the women's movement, anti-slavery or anti-apartheid movements. But has this made today's campaigners more effective? Is it all enough?

Let me suggest some reasons why we should be concerned that this may not be enough. More than a result of a polished campaign strategies, the achievements of past movements can be attributed to highly driven, passionate participants, who exhibited a high degree of solidarity rooted in a shared set of beliefs, values and visions. They were largely independent from governments: they neither took nor sought government funding. They were often subject to state surveillance; any engagement with government was highly strategic.

This contrasts with NGOs today which resemble more professional, technocratic bureaucracies, housing experts with well honed functional and technical skills, providing opportunities for internship and career development. Employees jump from one NGO to another – today working on environmental issues, tomorrow on children. Maybe in Rwanda and then in Vietnam. The modern NGO campaigner can also move neatly into government or business, and back into an NGO, a chameleon-like bricolage of employment experiences. Working in an NGO has become a career, an alternative to the public or private sector, diplomatic or political life.

The close working relationship with government – where NGOs seek state funding, becoming co-producers of welfare, development and security – also raises issues about autonomy and political positioning. Two recent events have exposed the limits and authenticity of the well-oiled, professional advocacy machine so central to NGOs today.

First, the extraordinary measures implemented as part of the global war on terror unsettled the everyday view of charities as benign, harmless, benevolent organisations. In the climate of fear that prevailed after 9/11, politicians cast a veil of suspicion over charities. In October 2006 Gordon Brown, then chancellor of the exchequer, asserted with confidence that "many charities and donors have been and are being exploited by terrorists". Islamic charities in particular bore the brunt of such accusatory statements.

In the US the only not-for-profit organisations to be designated on the list of proscribed organisations since 9/11 have been Islamic charities, including the largest , the Holy Land Foundation. In researching the book I co-authored 'Counter-terrorism, aid and civil society', we found many NGOs in the US, UK and other parts of Europe, most NGOs were slow to come to the defence of Islamic charities, and more importantly, were slow to defend the spaces of civil society as national security concerns began to trump historically earned freedoms.

The reasons for this initially lack of action are complex but there is at least one important factor that cannot be overlooked. That is, the risks of too cosy a relation to governments that provide an umbilical cord of sought after funding. The current recession has brought this brutally to the surface.

A report by the Independence Panel in January of this year, gave chilling evidence of the growing threat to the independence of the voluntary sector. In describing some of the key challenges facing the UK voluntary sector, it stated that "as many organisations fear for their survival, self-censorship is becoming a significant problem. For those that do speak out, there is a growing climate of opinion against the campaigning activities of charities".

What then has happened to protecting the autonomy of civil society, the freedom of expression and assembly, and defending the rights of minorities? What has happened to solidarity in civil society? NGOs today have moved some distance away from the autonomous, passionate, fearless campaigners of past movements. But can they salvage the situation?

Perhaps, but only if there is some serious self-reflection about core issues of autonomy and positioning. The sector must answer questions such as: at what point does intense competition among NGOs for commercial or government funding risk compromising key values and agendas? To what extent does the scramble for resources pit one NGO against another rather than fashion solidarity and collective campaigning? And to what extent does this come at the expense of broader commitments to protect minorities and to defend the spaces of civil society? As co-producers of welfare, development and security, NGOs now have maybe more to lose. But in the long term, unless they face these raw challenges, their role as agents of emancipatory social transformation can only diminish. Indeed, their very relevance may be at stake.

Professor Jude Howell - director of the Non-Governmental Public Action Research Programme at the London School of Economics

What social workers need to know about new child protection guidance

Given the strong reaction when the then children and families minister, Tim Loughton, first unveiled plans to cut child protection guidance, it is a shame the government did not respond to the consultation before publishing the guidance.

There are political motivations behind this latest announcement. Firstly, the pledge to "cut red tape" echoed findings from social policy expert Prof Eileen Munro, brought in by the education secretary, Michael Gove, to assess the child protection system in England following the death of Baby Peter. Munro found that individuals had become obsessed with maintaining administrative systems rather than being free to "do the right thing" to protect children.

Secondly, when Doncaster council produced a heavily redacted serious case review (SCR) after two young brothers were convicted of torturing a nine-year-old and an 11-year-old, Gove ordered Lord Carlile of Berriew to conduct an inquiry.

Carlile's report called for greater external scrutiny in SCR processes, and also intensive early intervention with children and families.

The revised Working Together to Safeguard Children is certainly a much slimmed-down document, condensing 700 pages into 95.

Carlile's call for children and families to receive intensive early help with their problems is also present. However, the fundamental weakness of early help was the government's refusal to adopt the Munro recommendation that it should be made a statutory duty. My concern is that this section of the guidance is more about exhortation than requirement. Without the necessary levers to transform the notion of early help into a reality, I can't see this doing much...

The acid test is what is going to happen when all local authorities dispense with initial and core assessments? Given that this has already been tested on a select number of local authorities, we desperately need to see the completed evaluation to help all local authorities learn what has worked well and what hasn't.

Alongside this, we need to look at examples of local authorities that have trialled improving the quality of assessments, particularly in relation to court reports, so that this can also be embedded into practice across the country.

Developing professional practice will help to produce confident social workers if done alongside other things, including reflective supervision. The issue of quality supervision is mentioned, but we know from members that it is still in short supply.

In terms of referrals to children's social care, the revised guidance says a social worker has to decide within 24 hours what action to take on every referral. This may be happening in some local authorities already but not all, as some have different kinds of screening processes. So that could be a big ask, particularly in a climate of finite resources.

It's curious that there is no mention of family group conferences as an alternative to child protection conferences – disappointing from a government that had seemingly made such a commitment to them.

The appendix references relevant guidance in terms of addressing issues such as forced marriage, witchcraft, child trafficking and child sexual exploitation but it is not nearly enough, and there was no reference to domestic violence. Sex abuse is only mentioned in the appendix and there was nothing about institutionalised and organised abuse.

What is welcome is the recommendation that local safeguarding children boards (LSCBs) should determine threshold levels, which has been a real bone of contention among many of our members.

Will the new guidance fundamentally change things for social workers? I am not so sure. The task of protecting children remains essentially the same. There is the potential for the revised guidance to increase the workloads of some social workers, once they are tasked with screening every new referral and acting on it within 24 hours.

Whatever Gove may claim, it will not reduce the bureaucratic burden on social workers. I believe this to be a complete misnomer and I take exception to it being sold in this way.

Munro said her reforms would only work if accepted wholesale and that there should be no cherry-picking. I fear that is exactly what we will end up with – a limited version of Munro, given that there is not even a glimmer of it in the children and families bill.

As long as inadequate computer systems exist, admin support continues to be cut, social workers continue to carry crippling caseloads without admin support or quality supervision, the dream of relationship-based social work for the majority will remain just that.

By Nushra Mansuri ( a professional officer at the British Association of Social Workers)

Five Project Management Mistakes

#1: Inadequate Planning

I have heard project managers say that the time they spend planning could be better spent actually "doing the work". This is not right. Before the project work begins, the project manager must make sure that the work is properly understood and agreed to by the project sponsor and key stakeholders. The larger the project, the more important it is that this information be defined formally and explicitly. When you think about it, many project problems can be traced to problems in planning. These include

• Poor estimates based on not understanding the totality of the work.
• Lack of scope change management because scope was not properly defined to begin with.
• Issues occurring because of poor risk management.
• Missing work because the schedule is not thought out.
• Not understanding all the stakeholders involved.

It should not be surprising, then, that the best way to avoid this problem is to do a good job of planning the project up-front. There are four main components to the planning process.

• Defining the work. You need to understand the nature of the project including objectives, scope, assumptions, risks, budget, timeline, organization and overall approach.
• Understanding the schedule. You should create a  project schedule before the project starts. This is needed to help you determine how to complete the work, and to estimate the total project effort and duration.
• Estimating costs. You and the sponsor need a good estimate of costs before the project gets going.  
• Agree on project management processes. This will include how the project manager will manage scope, issues, risks, communication, schedule, etc.

People ask me how much time it takes to complete the project planning. The answer is "sufficient". You need to spend the time to define the work, create a schedule, estimate the costs and set up the project management processes. If your project is small, this should not take much time. If your project is large the planning may take a log time. In other words, planning is scalable based on the size of the project.

Spending time on good planning ends up taking much less time and effort than having to correct the problems while the project is underway. We all know this to be the case. We just need to practice this on our projects.

How Preschoolers Communicate?

Between ages two and three, many preschoolers begin to use more complicated sentences. However, this does not mean that they understand all of an adult's words or abstract concepts. In fact, preschoolers are often very literal thinkers and interpret ideas concretely. Many are only beginning to think logically and understand sequences of events.

Preschoolers learn that they can use specific words to say what they mean. They have long known their parents' words have power over their lives and they are beginning to realize that their own words can make a difference as well. They create more powerful meanings using their growing vocabulary.

"No" and "Why" become common words for young preschoolers.Saying "No" is a way a preschooler claims her space. Saying "Why" is a wish to understand the world around her. "Why" is also a word preschoolers use to question authority. Underneath the question, they are saying "Why do you have power over me when I want to feel autonomous?"

Preschoolers like to participate in decisions. This gives them a feeling of control and independence. A preschooler might think, "I can take a different position from my mother — and I like it." Or, "By saying what I want, I am a big kid."

Preschoolers love to imitate other people's words. They often mimic comments, phrases and sophisticated statements. At times they misuse or exaggerate phrases, particularly during pretend play. A preschooler might say to a doll, "You are so bad you are going to jail for 100 years!"

Preschoolers like to hear about and describe the same event over and over. By telling and listening to stories, preschoolers begin to form opinions about the world and how they fit into it. They say "tell me again," because hearing a story many times makes them feel safe and secure. When the story is repeated, it also allows them to imagine new scenarios.

Preschoolers like to make up their own explanations. This helps them make sense of things they are only beginning to understand. For example, a preschooler might explain her sadness about winter being over by saying, "When the snow melts, the winter is crying." Preschoolers may also embellish stories with wishful thinking.

Between three and five, preschoolers refine their understanding of cause and effect. Older preschoolers can understand simple explanations of cause and effect such as "The medicine will help you get well" and "If you eat healthy food, you will grow big and strong."

Preschoolers also talk through their bodies, their play and their art. In fact, verbal communication still may not be the dominant way many preschoolers either understand the world or express themselves.

Today is about - "A promise is a promise"

 While we live with a need of accepting all human as one to face the common challenges to ensure the world exists for future generation , it is an unfortunate that still we have a need to celebrate a day to remind the rights of a half to other. Even it is a day of celebration, it stimulates to think about the unmet rights of the part of our population which starts from my doorstep. It is also an unfortunate to wait for a person to get the flight, and come to tell that "ensure the freedom of your other half".

Since 1975 the United Nations has declared March 8th as International Women’s Day (IWD). Each year this day is set aside to celebrate the rights of women, build towards greater equality and honor the contributions of women to international peace and security. This day is also an opportunity to congregate efforts and resources used to elevate the status of women around the world. The 2013 IWD theme is ‘A promise is a promise: Time for action to end violence against women.’

Previous United Nation International Women's Day themes:

- 2012: Empower Rural Women – End Hunger and Poverty

- 2011: Equal access to education, training and science and technology

- 2010: Equal rights, equal opportunities: Progress for all

- 2009: Women and men united to end violence against women and girls

- 2008: Investing in Women and Girls

- 2007: Ending Impunity for Violence against Women and Girls

- 2006: Women in decision-making

- 2005: Gender Equality Beyond 2005: Building a More Secure Future

- 2004: Women and HIV/AIDS

- 2003: Gender Equality and the Millennium Development Goals

- 2002: Afghan Women Today: Realities and Opportunities

- 2001: Women and Peace: Women Managing Conflicts

- 2000: Women Uniting for Peace

- 1999: World Free of Violence against Women

- 1998: Women and Human Rights

- 1997: Women at the Peace Table

- 1996: Celebrating the Past, Planning for the Future

- 1975: First IWD celebrated by the United Nations

The United Nations began celebrating International Women’s Day (IWD) on 8 March during International Women’s Year 1975. Two years later, in December 1977, the General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming a United Nations Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace to be observed on any day of the year by Member States, in accordance with their historical and national traditions.

Even United Nations began to celebrate the International Women's Day in 1975 onwards, An International Women's Day has been observed since in the early 1900's, a time of great expansion and turbulence in the industrialized world that saw booming population growth and the rise of radical ideologies.

1908

Great unrest and critical debate was occurring amongst women. Women's oppression and inequality was spurring women to become more vocal and active in campaigning for change. Then in 1908, 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter hours, better pay and voting rights.

1909

In accordance with a declaration by the Socialist Party of America, the first National Woman's Day (NWD) was observed across the United States on 28 February. Women continued to celebrate NWD on the last Sunday of February until 1913.

1910

n 1910 a second International Conference of Working Women was held in Copenhagen. A woman named a Clara Zetkin (Leader of the 'Women's Office' for the Social Democratic Party in Germany) tabled the idea of an International Women's Day. She proposed that every year in every country there should be a celebration on the same day - a Women's Day - to press for their demands. The conference of over 100 women from 17 countries, representing unions, socialist parties, working women's clubs, and including the first three women elected to the Finnish parliament, greeted Zetkin's suggestion with unanimous approval and thus International Women's Day was the result.

1911

Following the decision agreed at Copenhagen in 1911, International Women's Day (IWD) was honoured the first time in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland on 19 March. More than one million women and men attended IWD rallies campaigning for women's rights to work, vote, be trained, to hold public office and end discrimination. However less than a week later on 25 March, the tragic 'Triangle Fire' in New York City took the lives of more than 140 working women, most of them Italian and Jewish immigrants. This disastrous event drew significant attention to working conditions and labour legislation in the United States that became a focus of subsequent International Women's Day events. 1911 also saw women's 'Bread and Roses' campaign.

1913-1914

On the eve of World War I campaigning for peace, Russian women observed their first International Women's Day on the last Sunday in February 1913. In 1913 following discussions, International Women's Day was transferred to 8 March and this day has remained the global date for International Wommen's Day ever since. In 1914 further women across Europe held rallies to campaign against the war and to express women's solidarity.

1917

On the last Sunday of February, Russian women began a strike for "bread and peace" in response to the death over 2 million Russian soldiers in war. Opposed by political leaders the women continued to strike until four days later the Czar was forced to abdicate and the provisional Government granted women the right to vote. The date the women's strike commenced was Sunday 23 February on the Julian calendar then in use in Russia. This day on the Gregorian calendar in use elsewhere was 8 March.

1918 - 1999

Since its birth in the socialist movement, International Women's Day has grown to become a global day of recognition and celebration across developed and developing countries alike. For decades, IWD has grown from strength to strength annually. For many years the United Nations has held an annual IWD conference to coordinate international efforts for women's rights and participation in social, political and economic processes. 1975 was designated as 'International Women's Year' by the United Nations. Women's organisations and governments around the world have also observed IWD annually on 8 March by holding large-scale events that honour women's advancement and while diligently reminding of the continued vigilance and action required to ensure that women's equality is gained and maintained in all aspects of life.

2000 and beyond

IWD is now an official holiday in Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, China (for women only), Cuba, Georgia, Guinea-Bissau, Eritrea, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Madagascar (for women only), Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Nepal (for women only), Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Zambia. The tradition sees men honoring their mothers, wives, girlfriends, colleagues, etc with flowers and small gifts. In some countries IWD has the equivalent status of Mother's Day where children give small presents to their mothers and grandmothers.

The new millennium has witnessed a significant change and attitudinal shift in both women's and society's thoughts about women's equality and emancipation. Many from a younger generation feel that 'all the battles have been won for women' while many feminists from the 1970's know only too well the longevity and ingrained complexity of patriarchy. With more women in the boardroom, greater equality in legislative rights, and an increased critical mass of women's visibility as impressive role models in every aspect of life, one could think that women have gained true equality. The unfortunate fact is that women are still not paid equally to that of their male counterparts, women still are not present in equal numbers in business or politics, and globally women's education, health and the violence against them is worse than that of men.